I enjoyed the movie Maleficent, I love fractured fairy tales, and I like Holly Black so I was excited to receive an ARC of Heart of the Moors. This book did not disappoint! I haven't read any other Maleficent stories, so I have no idea if there's background on her to really be true to, but this one really built on the character established in the Maleficent Disney film. I love how Aurora isn't immediately in love with Prince Philip , who she just met! I love how she desires to draw her two worlds together but we see how prejudice and fear play a real role in life. Holly Black just does a good job with writing characters that are believable and relatable.

Taking place after the Maleficent movie, Aurora has just been crowned queen of both the Moors and Perceforest after the death of King Stephan, her father. Years of war have ravaged the land and built up serious hate and mistrust on both sides. Add that to the basic cultural differences between the fairies of the Moors and the humans of Perceforest, and Aurora has her work cut out for her. Add to that the fact that the human courtiers don't trust someone who was raised among the fairies, and Aurora faces threats from both without and within.

Aurora's been working for months on establishing a treaty between the two kingdoms she rules when a young stable boy from the palace stables disappears. The humans think he's been stolen by the fairies. Then on a pleasure ride with members of the court, a mischievous fairy inadvertently insults the sister of one of the most admired courtiers and he goes into the Moors and shoots an arrow at that fairy to defend her honor. Aurora is determined that the two kingdoms should see each other the way she does, but with tensions at an all-time high and no idea who she can actually trust, will Aurora be able to establish peace between her kingdoms? Will she even be able to retain her two crowns or her life?

This book was fun! Lots of twist and turns and, though a few things were a bit predictable, things you didn't see coming. I enjoyed the magic and the characters and definitely recommend it!

Disclaimer: A received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A quick and exciting read. Charming, funny, and not without a twist! I haven’t read any other books in this series, but this made me interested in doing so.

Obviously, I’m not the targeted audience for Heart of the Moors since it is for middle grade/younger readers, but I was definitely intrigued because it’s Holly Black and needed something to tide me over to The Queen of Nothing. After reading Heart of the Moors, I can see the appeal for younger readers, but it was bit lack luster for me. However, Black does add some depth to the misunderstood Maleficent and often times boring Aurora. As someone who expects Holly Black’s usual wicked and dark style from her previous novels, this book felt very tame. Maleficent + Holly Black in a novel geared towards an older audience, I think, would have been a better fit.

Seeing as this is a middle grade book, I found myself bored and skimming a lot. It was okay. I’m definitely not the target audience but I do believe that the middles will like this. There was intrigue and excitement but not enough to hold me captive.

It was nice to see more about Maleficent than we usually do. There was a side to her that was new. Her chapters were the best part of this.

The relationship between Aurora and Prince Phillip was portrayed differently than I’d hoped. If I’m being honest, as a romance lover, it actually made me sad for most of the book. Definitely not what I was hoping.

Three stars should be more positive but alas, I’m not feeling it.

Heart of the Moors picks up where Disney's Maleficent movie ends. Aurora is now the queen of the Perceforest and of the Moors. Things aren't going exactly as planned. Aurora still hasn't found her true love yet, and the pressure is on. There's a lord in the court who is scheming for power, and people are still afraid of the Moors. Can Aurora bring her two kingdoms together and find happiness for herself? Read to find out!

I equate Holly Black with magic. When I heard she was continuing the Maleficent story, I was beyond excited. I'm so happy that I got to read this book! I gave it 5 stars. It has a magical tone will give young readers the knowledge that they can take charge of their own destinies.

I typically don’t gravitate towards this sort of book but two words on the cover pulled me in: Holly Black. This book has a beautiful cover which also got my attention but knowing it is by Holly Black got me to read it. I was not disappointed. This is the story of what happens when Aurora wakes up and becomes queen with Maleficent as her aunt and advisor. We get to see a different side of the misunderstood Maleficent. The connections to the original fairy tale are a bit fuzzy for me and I am not clear on how elements of the story connect to the original. But, I put all that aside to enjoy this story as Aurora figures out how to be queen of both the fairy and human worlds. She also has to figure out which of her advisors to trust and begins to figure out true love. I think this will have wide appeal!

Holly Black brings the dark, adventure and drama of Maleficent to a novel. I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who loves Disney, retellings, Maleficent, and romance. It has the drama of the movie, but I felt has more of an emotional feel because it has room for more detail.
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Maleficent + Holly Black = Awesomeness

For those that love the movie Maleficent and the universe that is introduced there, Heart of the Moors is a must read! Holly Black does a spectacular job developing the characters that we love from the screen, continuing their story and evolving their relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Books for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Disney Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so excited to read this book because I am a fan of Holly Black and her work and I am also a huge Disney and Sleeping Beauty fan as well. It was such a treat to read on after Prince Phillip kisses Aurora and woke her from her deep sleep and then after the happily ever after, what happens next? Holly Black wrote a slightly twisted tale that Malificent in her own way was struggling to break free from her past and the relationship of Prince Phillip and Aurora brightens as Aurora becomes Queen and Prince Phillip will give at nothing to marry her in the end and rule by her side. I know this book will be received well with our young adult patrons and our teen book club and I can't wait to share the title with them.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

"It is foolish of the wicked not to be afraid of the good."
I enjoyed 'Heart of the Moors" more than I thought I would. I did not think it could rival the 2014 Disney blockbuster, but I was as entertained with this book as the film.
While the film focused on deliciously malicious Angelina Jolie's Maleficent, (who's face is as beautiful as the cover of this book), Heart of the Moors centers around kind but strong Aurora. We're able to gain insight in her thought process as she takes on huge changes in her life: meeting a suitor, rising to power as queen, and losing her parents.
Holly Black strongly develops main characters Aurora, Prince Phillip and Maleficent so that we grow closer and more concerned for their well-being as the much-anticipated sequel approaches.
Her dialogue and description paint pictures of Aurora's sweetness and Maleficent's sarcasm, just as we enjoyed it on screen.
Heart of the Moors is a lovely precursor that all Maleficent fans will enjoy, as it questions that age-old fable trope of love at first sight.