Book 2 in the Prince series was following a lot of the format of the first book. This time, Prince Philip has abilities and dreams.

My big dislike of the book was that it took a long time to get going. However, just like with the previous book in the series hit, it's a stride as soon as it plots lines up with the movie.

Philip and Aurora's relationship is a big plot point in how they know each and are connected so that by the time Philip breaks Aurora curse it doesn't feel forced and that they are actually in love with each other. Not just one dance in a forest, then married like in the film.

Overall it a 4/5 from me just because it took so long to get good. But was an enjoyable campaign to a childhood film.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney Press for the opportunity to read this arc copy of this book.
Ed
This is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty movie, but with a very flawed Prince Phillip and the month before he arrives at the castle.

I liked and disliked portions of the book especially around the 33% mark. I can’t go into details but I wasn’t impressed by some of Phillip’s demeanor, actions, mentality, or something. It grated a lot, which made me want to put the book down. The 50% mark really got going and it picked up in both action and pace.

I did like the new characters that were added to the book. And Maleficent is always magnificent. I heard her movie voice distinctly. That elegantly evil voice is without a doubt unforgettable.

I also like the edition of another thing. It makes the movie story more plausible, which was nice.

All in all, a good book.

Thanks again Disney Publishing Worldwide, Disney Press and NetGalley.

Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney films and Prince Phillip has always been one of my favorite Disney Princes so I was very excited to see a book told from his perspective.

Prince of Thorns & Nightmares does an excellent job of expanding the film's story and the characters of both Phillip and Aurora who, despite being integral characters to the film's plot, never feel like the main characters (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather have always felt like the film's protagonists to me). The story fits seamlessly into the plot of the film adding interesting layers and twists that will probably remain in the back of my mind the next time I rewatch Sleeping Beauty. In particular I loved the twist this book gives to Phillip/Aurora's romance and the song "Once Upon a Dream" (and the banter between the two of them was top notch).

Highly recommend this series to any Disney fans looking for new takes on their favorite stories and characters. This one was a lot of fun and while I haven't read it, I'm sure the previous book in this series (centered on Prince Eric) is also great.

I loved Prince of Song and Sea so of course I had to pick this one up! Prince of Thorns and Nightmares gave such a unique perspective to Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty!

To be completely honest I really didn't like his character very much until about 60% in. Then he kind of grew on me. Aurora was great and really dove into the mind of an isolated teenager yearning for adventure and life. She clings to hope of finding out the reason behind her dream meetings with the Prince which I thought really played out well for her character.

Ultimately I did really like this story however I think Prince of Song and Sea was much better.

After really enjoying Prince of Song & Sea about Prince Eric, I was so excited about this Sleeping Beauty tale from my favorite prince’s POV. I overall enjoyed this one, but I will admit that it took me a while to really connect with Phillip and the world that’s been created here. Phillip, at first, came across as extremely apathetic and uncaring and it was very frustrating, but once his motivation and feelings towards himself were revealed, I immediately changed my tune. Phillip was written as a very complex character and I’m so glad I stuck around for his character development. It was so well done. One thing I thought was extremely clever was how Phillip and Briar Rose were finding each other in their dreams, which was such a cool way to use “Once Upon A Dream”. Also, I liked how Briar Rose was written so much. You really got to see her loneliness and isolation, being kept in that cottage with only the fairies for sixteen years. And of course, the way True Love’s Kiss was done was soooo much better with Aurora’s consent. There were a lot of interesting twists, but the overall magic of the story remains the same. The ending though was really lovely. And of course, the drinking scene with King Hubert and King Stefan was a hoot, just like it was in the movie. Another great Disney Prince story and I can’t wait until the next one!


Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

I think this is one of the best series that Disney books has put out in a while. I love the concept of the stories about the princes, and this one focuses on Price Philip from Sleeping Beauty. It was perfectly written! I enjoyed it so much, and it gave the original story so much depth. Highly recommend both this book and the first in the series.

Rating: 4⭐️

Prince of Thorns and Nightmares is a retelling of Disney's Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of Prince Phillip.

Sleeping Beauty has never been one of my favorite Disney films--frankly, I find it pretty boring, but I was excited to hear the other side of the story. That it, Phillip's side. We've heard Aurora/Briar Rose's side as well as Maleficent's, but Phillip remains a largely unknown character, and Miller takes that blank space and creates a prince unlike the one we'd expect.

Phillip doesn't want to be a prince. He doesn't want to be knight, he doesn't want to break the curse, and he definitely doesn't want to marry Princess Aurora. Basically, he is unlike anything we'd expect from a prince, and it's a fun angle. He's still kind and clever, but he wishes he had some control over his life rather than have everyone telling him what to do. On top of that, the things he's told to do aren't even for his benefit--they're for Princess Aurora's, which makes Phillip even more bitter. Fair enough. But Maleficent's curse is still coming, so what's Phillip to do?

I truly enjoyed reading about Phillip's struggles and how he slowly gains confidence in himself despite bad things happening to him and his trust being betrayed. He may do things (quite) begrudgingly, but that makes his heroic choices that much more cheer-worthy, and I like that he finds his true strength when he realizes that helping others helps him, too.

Princess Aurora/Briar Rose (did this double name thing confuse anyone else as a child?) is also in the story, first in dreams with Phillip, who doesn't know that Briar Rose is the princess, and later in person. I love that she has more agency (and more lines) than she does in the film and that although she still follows the basic story, there are extra details that make it clear that the traditional princess choices are made with modern-day independence.

The scenes that directly come from the movie are sweet to read, and I like the altered ending--same eventual outcome but without a 16 year old being forced into a world, a family, and a marriage that she learned about only a few hours before. The banter between Phillip and Aurora is fun and realistic, and they do make a good pair.

Prince of Thorns and Nightmares is another fun addition to the Princes series and breathes new life into an old classic.

I loved the first book in the series, but I was absolutely bored to tears with Prince of Thorns & Nightmares. For every redeeming feature, Prince Phillip just continued to do Prince Phillip things and I have never wanted to reach into a book and shake a character more. There is no personality in Phillip, and not even Miller, who is so talented, can produce one and it’s so clear she tried. It’s just not a lot to work with.

I am happy to suggest throwing this in our school library to progress the series. I’m sure some students will have interest, especially those who aren’t all about princesses, and I’m hopeful that the next book in the series won’t be as yawn-inducing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. The above is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Disney Books for allowing me to read an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Prince of Thorns & Nightmares by :Linsey Miller is the 2nd book in the Disney Prince series. This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty from Prince Phillip's point of view.
Phillip would prefer NOT to be betrothed to a cursed princess (Aurora) he has only seen once or expected to spend his life protecting said princess from the curse. He desperately wants to be in charge of his own life.
Since he was young, he had the same dream every night - he was stuck in a wood listening to a girl behind a thorny wall. He could not talk to her, just listen. Eventually he realized she could hear his life as well, and would talk about it to her animal friends. Then, all at once, a few days before Princess Aurora’s birthday, they could hear each other in the dream. As they talked they begin to realize that they aren’t that different & decide to try to help each other change their fates.

There are some wonderful new characters introduced in this book.
Johanna is Phillip’s squire, best friend and an author. She is by his side through most of the book.
Eris, Phrike & Poena are fairies who come to Phillip to teach him magic so he can acquire the Sword of Truth & Shield of Virtue & defeat Maleficent.

I loved this book! Sleeping Beauty was always one of my favorites. This book expands the story, giving Briar Rose/Aurora and Phillip a background that makes the "True Love" ending believable. And it is a clean book (no bad language, only a few kisses) with some LGTBQ representation (Secondary Characters) which makes it perfect for Intermediate or High School students.
I can't wait to see which prince Disney & Linsey Miller have for us next.

Oh this was just perfect. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney movie and this was a perfect homage to it, while still adding new content that fits. Some scenes are taken directly from the movie, so I could absolutely see and hear it in my mind. Getting the perspective of Prince Phillip, the reluctant hero, who feels he has no control over his destiny was great. Plus I loved how Briar Rose and Phillip got a real backstory and believable love story. And Samson will forever be my favorite equine companion.
This was a quick, utterly delightful read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! Prince Phillip is an immediate favourite of mine, and I just adored the narrative voice. The author nailed the characterisations and really gave this story such depth. I am such a huge fan!

As a long time fan of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, I was very excited to read this book. The writing felt a bit flat and the pace was rather slow. The format of the eARC also made it difficult to read and there were quite a few misprints ( characters are called by the wrong names a few times). Overall, it has a nice slow-burn romance and it adds a nice twice to "once upon a dream". I think young Disney fans or big fans of Disney will still enjoy this book.

Prince of Thorns and Nightmares is a book about Prince Phillip from the story of Sleeping Beauty, as he trains in some newly discovered powers with the help of three fairies, in order to defeat Maleficent and save Princess Aurora, his betrothed, before her ill-fated birthday. Throughout the story, he talks to a mysterious peasant girl, Briar Rose, who lives with her aunts and has a secret of her own. I really enjoyed this book, as I was not previously interested in Phillip as a character compared to other princes, but this book changed my mind and Phillip was written in an interesting and compelling way. I enjoyed this book a lot, and felt it was the perfect length to grab my interest and round things off nicely. It was nice to see the relationship between Phillip and Aurora develop towards the end. I would recommend this to any Disney fans interested in finding out a bit more about one of the early Disney princes.

"Prince of Thorns and Nightmares" was absolutely amazing to read. We know the stories of the Disney Princesses but we never get to hear the stories of the Disney Princes. This series give you the stories that were yet to be told and I absolutely love them! This is the second book in the series I have read and I implore all of you to read these as well!

I'm a big fan of Sleeping Beauty so it was pretty cool to read a book that seamlessly intertwined the original Disney favorite we all know with the potential backstory of Prince Philip that we never get. As a proud Disney adult, I really enjoyed reading this one and am looking forward to reading other backstories that Linsey Miller writes. Seems I even need to go back and read the previous one!

As a lifelong Disney fan, I'm always excited to see books that feature either retellings of classic fairytales, or that give a little bit more depth to characters who were previously not entirely fleshed-out. On the surface, Linsey Miller's "Prince of Thorns & Nightmares" checks all the boxes: it gives Prince Phillip of "Sleeping Beauty" fame more of an actual personality - complete with an excellent friend, the female knight Johanna - and adds a twist that makes "once upon a dream" so much more than just the title of the soundtrack's most notable song. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of misprints in this eARC (characters are called by the wrong names a few times, and Briar Rose/Aurora's eyes are described as violet but then later they're called cornflower blue, and those are not even close to the same color), and one of the major "developments" in Phillip's character - which actually would have been a really cool thing to add in - ends up being a huge red herring. Overall, it was enjoyable enough, but ran a little bit slow in the beginning. Most of the action really only happens once we get to the familiar events of the Disney film, but the depth that's added to the Briar Rose/Phillip connection makes the whole "kissing a sleeping princess you've only met once" thing a lot less cringey.

I felt this title an unneccessary addition to the Disney canon. Many of the choices made by the author to update sensibilities to the 21st century fell flat, and I was not a fan of Prince Phillips characterization throughout.

I just love alternate viewpoints on classic fairy tales, especially ones that re-tell the story in a new and interesting way. Linsey Miller is such a good writer for this kind of project. While I never much liked the original Sleeping Beauty story, this Prince Phillip version is very well done.

Just like the previous installment detailing Prince Eric's side of the story (he had a curse on him), Prince Phillip's destiny to battle Maleficent has a unique twist as well. The fairytale sequence is followed to a T but with the added POV of Phillip as he and his female squire Johanna get into sorts of scrapes as Phillip explores his dreams and special abilities. I found myself not as invested in his plight as I was with Eric's for some reason. The writing didn't quite flow as well with a lot more unfamiliar characters coming into play. His interactions with Briar Rose also was a bit awkward at times.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

I absolutely love Linsey Miller's take on our classic Disney fairy tales. I read Prince of Song and Sea, and when I saw this one was coming out, I jumped on the request immediately!

Adding the back story of the princes is that extra step that the world SHOULD have seen in the first place. The connections are perfect between the movie and book. I read the book hoping for certain scenes and lo and behold, they were written in. Providing Phillip's backstory really made the Sleeping Beauty story pop. It tied together all the loose ends and made Disney's story more believable. The connection between Phillip and Briar Rose was strong and I loved seeing the dreamlike state that brought the two together.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Press for this wonderful eARC!