Slumber by Becky Bird is described as a YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty . In fact it tells the story of one of the Princes sent to awaken the sleeping Princess Aurora, and the misadventures he undergoes along the way while he is accompanied by an orphaned runaway Lucy, so it really approaches the well known story from a different angle. I would say that this book feels like it is written for the younger YA reader, in fact in some ways it seems more like a middle grade book and this is not helped by the characters being written as though they are much younger than their stated ages. I think this is probably the biggest fault I had with the book, as otherwise I did enjoy the story and liked the Lucy character a lot, and if I had gone into it expecting the more juvenile style I would probably have rated the book slightly higher. I will say that the character of Prince Thomas was not as well written or developed as that of Lucy , which is a shame as it is clear that the author can create fun , believeable and interesting characters. The writing was a little clunky here and there, and the book felt just a little rough around the edges, but Lucy, the fun story and clever alternative take on an old favourite go a long way to making up for these minor flaws.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Fairytale - very sleeping beauty adjacent

I give this 3.5 stars because it was good and held my interest throughout, but there wasn’t anything about it that really stood out as original as far as fairytales go aside from the fact that Aurora and Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty are in it and It isn’t a retelling of that story.

This story is about Prince Thomas whose father died not too long ago and his Mother the queen is pushing him to marry a girl of royal blood in order to become the king. However, Thomas is vain and spoiled and wants to find a princess that is perfect so that her beauty is a match to his handsomeness and he rejects every girl that is presented to him.

The Cardinal, who turns out to be evil and magical, shows him a picture of sleeping beauty and tells him that she would be perfect. Her 100 year curse is nearly over, Thomas just needs to travel to her kingdom and give her true loves kiss and travel home. Though the Cardinal spelled the guards to kill the prince on the journey.

A runaway orphan girl Lucy, and her friend Jack come upon the prince while he is being attacked and Lucy saves the Prince and they decide to go on the quest together. When they get there they meet another prince and they all travel together. The characters are pretty great and the story is fun. It is entertaining, I liked it quite a bit.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Slumber is a fairytale retelling where Princess Aurora is a supporting rather than main character - and a fairly shallow one at that! Prince Phillip also appears as a handsome, heroic supporting character, with a knack for strategy.

Along with these expected characters we are introduced to: Prince Thomas, who is, in the beginning, an obnoxious, sexist boy, but who thankfully grows and matures as a result of his adventures; Lucy, an opinionated tomboy who is eminently likeable; and the endearing Jack whose bumbling provides many humorous moments.

While somewhat predictable the story has charm and is a quick, easy read.

This book is a retelling of the classic fairytale "Sleeping Beauty," but with a twist. It's not really about Aurora, the most beautiful woman in the land. We have Prince Thomas--check, we have Aurora--check, we have the evil cardinal villain--check, but then we have two orphans, Lucy and Jack, plus another prince. All of these characters weave together the story to bring a new freshness to the fairytale. I loved Lucy--all spunk and fearlessness. Jack was the comic relief and Prince Thomas goes from a spoiled man-child to the hero the story demands.

I did find the POV changes a little jarring sometimes and there should be an formatting indication that the scene has shifted between the Prince et al and the cardinal. It would have made for a smoother read. The book was a quick read and I found it quite enjoyable.

A cute little retelling of sleeping beauty that has a shallow prince AND a tomboy orphan girl.

I felt a connection to Lucy, and I was egging her on, especially when she was blunt. Jack was a cute side character, and I would've liked to see more of him in the book!

I felt like the ending was cut a little too short for my liking, and it was predictable, however, for a short read, I found this likeable.

Rating: 3.75/5

(This review will feature on my blog on the 25th of July!)

So I'm gonna start off by saying that this is enjoyable. It really is! I'd probably put this in the rainy-day pile. It's one of those books that is just good to read to pass the time.

If you're looking for more, then I'm sorry to say that this doesn't bring anything new to the table as far as retellings go. While it has an interesting plot, it is ultimately extremely predictable. Even it's own summary gives away the entire book. The characters themselves are nothing special and just seem like recycled royal characters that you'd find in many retelling novels. The romance is predictable as is the ending. Don't go in expecting something grand or unique, because this will only disappoint you in that aspect.

Now despite all that, I did find it really enjoyable to read. I think it's a good book to pick up when on a flight, during a storm, or even when you're just bored. It gives you just enough to stay entertained despite how predictable it is. We all have books that fit that sort of bill, so this would probably do well if it was used for those purposes.

ARC provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book has a ton of potential, but it is not laid out well. I really liked the new take on the story, but I had a hard time with the characters. The story itself would go from one scene with a set of characters to a different scene with different characters and back with no changes in the page, other than it being a different paragraph, also viewpoints would change from one sentence to the next, so you thought you knew who was talking, and then it would change. Consistency or perhaps adding a chapter or mark when the character or scene is changing would do a lot for this book. Also, the relationship between the two main characters is aggravating. One second they are fighting and venom is spurting out from their pores, the next they are snuggling? The Prince has qualities so ingrained in him that he is horrible and thinks its ok, and I really don't think the length of the book would be enough time to correct his character flaws, it may be good to make him bad with redeemable qualities instead of mean and unaware.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This is a wonderful fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I found this to be a quick read and I just fell into this fairytale world. love retellings and this is a Sleeping beauty retelling. It is a different retelling as it is from the perspective of a different prince trying to get to Aurora while Prince Phillip is also trying to get to her. Phillip and Aurora are side characters as the story mainly focuses on Lucy and Thomas.
Lucy is such a great character! She is strong, independent and hates dresses. She can use a bow and arrow and is such a badass. I really enjoyed her story and I felt connected to her as she reminded me a little of myself. Then we have Thomas who is an arrogant Prince sent out to marry a Princess before he becomes King. I enjoyed his story and how he developed.
I loved all the fairytale elements in the story, I enjoyed the evil Cardinal and I found him to be a little creepy. I enjoyed the ending.
The only thing I would say against this is that it is a little predictable. I would have also liked to know what happened to Jack after the story.

DNF at 20%. I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

This one just wasn't for me. The story is fine, the writing is fine. It was just underwhelming. The characters were not terribly interesting, the story seemed pretty predictable, and it all felt a little overdone.

I think this book would be great for someone who hasn't read a lot of retellings yet, but is interested in them. As someone who has read quite a few, this one just didn't stack up.

Slumber is a Sleeping Beauty retelling that isn’t really about Aurora, Sleeping Beauty, at all! Oh, she is there and a kiss happens and she awakens, but this story is about what happens when we look beyond what we think we are supposed to want.

This book is short and a quick read and is the exact book you should pick up if you want a fun fairy tale with some girl power, magic, and true love. This book isn’t meant to be, in my opinion, a great life changing work of literature and that is more than ok because sometimes readers just want a good book that will help them escape the world for a little while. The characters sometimes think and speak in a language too modern for their time, but just right for the reader. There is no way to write about true love’s first kiss without being a little bit cheesy. But, Becky Bird does so in a way that is self-aware and one way that shows is in some of the characters who border on caricature, but have enough moments of personality to avoid it.

Read this book and enjoy it for an immensely good time that will have you smiling and remind you of the joy we had as children with fairy tales but in a slightly more grown up way!

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

“True love could change a person for the better. The prince he had met a week ago was a selfish, unsure and conceited brat who was ready to quit at the first sign of defeat. “

Yes I think this quote sums up this story and Prince Thomas very well. The Prince we initially meet is spoilt, picky and pretty odious. Yes he's young but honestly he's written as someone you would like to throw something at and that's exactly what happens. Lucy is an orphan who really doesn't fit in as she's not modest or demure but quite the tomboy in many ways. She didn't mean to throw an apple at the Prince well at least not the first time but honestly who could blame her ? The pair are at complete loggerheads from the start but Lucy is about to spend a lot of time with his royal jerkiness and it's a journey that doesn't quite follow the usual fairy tale or does it ?
A quick retelling of Sleeping Beauty that turns the original story on its head. It's easy to like Lucy with her quirky friend Jack. It's less easy to like Thomas and also ironically Aurora. There's danger, magic and lots of humour. Perhaps at times if I'm brutal the dialogue was too contemporary for a fantasy book but I forgive that as this story did make me smile. A difficult one to rate though so for this reader a three and a half

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Slumber

Author Becky Bird

Description

YA retelling of classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty. On his quest to find Sleeping Beauty, a shallow prince must rely on a tomboy orphan for his survival after the cardinal spells his guards to kill him.Prince Thomas cannot take the throne without a queen. Though the problem isn’t his lack of suitors but his refusal to marry a princess that is less than perfect. The cardinal presents him with an opportunity: a quest to find the most beautiful princess in the land who has been in slumber for a century. But, unbeknown to the prince, the cardinal plans to kill him as soon as the prince embarks on his quest, and take the throne for himself. Luckily, Prince Thomas’s path crosses with Lucy, a spirited orphan runaway, who saves his life and convinces the prince to continue the quest. When they eventually find Princess Aurora, they also find another contender – Prince Philip – vying for the princess’s heart. Despite their mutual disdain for each other, Lucy agrees to assist the prince, and Thomas accepts her help to keep him alive long enough to beat out his competition and return to rule his kingdom alongside his perfect bride. They just don’t count on falling for each other in the process.

Initial Thoughts

I love retellings. I feel like you know that already, but, I wanted to make sure I stated the obvious. I love retellings because I love to see a story that I am already familiar with through another person’s perspective. How did Becky Bird think of Sleeping Beauty? I was super excited to have been chosen on NetGalley for this book.

Favorite Character

I LOVE LUCY. I adored Lucy’s character. She was a total tomboy with a no-nonsense attitude. She reminds me so much of myself and I loved her for it. I thought she was a perfect balance of angry, know-it-all and wise advice-giver. I also respect the fact that she hates dresses and would rather be out hunting and fighting than dancing or putting on make-up. I get that. I so get that. I applaud the use of a strong female warrior character in this setting.

Some Things I Liked

I really enjoyed the fact that this was an unconventional retelling. Instead of being from Sleeping Beauty’s perspective, it was from one of the princes fighting for her attention. Furthermore, I loved the ending. It was both expected and surprising. I love how it all played out.
It was a smidge corny — but I liked that! There were scenes that were almost too much. Almost too predictable, but I thought that was a cute touch.
Just the right amount of romance. It wasn’t over the top but it was definitely present.
The Duchess of Fenway — I just really liked that name. As a Red Sox fan, I thought that was a fun nod to my team (even though I’m pretty sure that was not the author’s intention).

Something I Wasn’t Crazy About

Jack’s storyline. I felt that it was somewhat incomplete. I’d like to see a spin-off or sequel featuring his happily ever after.
Final Thoughts

This book was a super fast read for me. Started last night and finished this afternoon. This was a super cute story and I hope to see more like this from debut author, Becky Bird.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date July 10, 2019

Recommendations for Further Reading

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge – Set in the same universe as Gilded Ashes, (which is also another awesome retelling), this story is a mythological spin on Beauty and the Beast. If you enjoyed the fairytale retelling aspect of this book, give Rosamund Hodge’s works a try.
Veiled Allurement by Elle Beaumont – this is another creative twist on Cinderella as it incorporates fictional mythology into the storyline. Elle Beaumont also has a trilogy of novellas out that are a spin on the story of the Big Bad Wolf (which is not to be missed).
A Curse of Thorns by Nicole Mainardi – this is another awesome Beauty and the Beast retelling with a twist. The setting in this book is amazing and is going to make an amazing backdrop to what I hope will be many sequels.

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. I'll start with that I liked Lucy was not your stereotypical girl in these kinds of stories. She didn't want to wear dresses, knew how to use a sword and bow and arrow and didn't do what was expected of a commoner woman during the time period. Lucy is an orphan who is almost 18 and doesn't want what is expected of her to marry some guy so she decides to run away and her best friend Jack ends up following her and going with her on her adventure. I liked that the author made Jack someone who couldn't do what we would call typically guy traits and made him unique in his characteristics. Prince Thomas is shallow and spoiled when he first meets Lucy and when she saves his life. Throughout the story Prince Thomas gradually changes into a halfway decent guy. The author did a great job building the characters and setting the story. One issue I had was how the author made Aurora. I felt she was a little too shallow. I also thought most of the characters felt younger than their ages. I thought they seemed more like they were 13-15 at times instead of 16-18 years old. I think this might be a first book for this author and if that's true she's off to a strong start. I don't read too many YA books anymore, but this is a good read for those who do like young adult stories.