This is a gender- swapped retelling of sleeping beauty, with two main protagonists, one of whom is an ax wielding lesbian. It’s got Indiana Jones vibes with treasure hunting and curses!
Firstly, I loved the gender reversal and that Fi has to be the one to save Briar. The story follows Fi and Shane as they go from temporary treasure hunting partners to would-be saviours of a cursed kingdom. Fi becomes tied to Briar - the sleeping prince who’s fate is tied to the revival of him home - and must quest to find him to give him a kiss to break the curse. Shane loyal and stubborn as she is, decides to accompany Fi. Shane and Fi’s friendship grows throughout the story and I really enjoyed seeing them trust one another and better understand each other. Shane’s dedication to Fi is just precious and seeing her get through Fi’s walls was amazing.
As for Fi, she’s been grossly betrayed and hurt by her last partner and now refuses to let anyone get too close. We get to meet her ex during their journey and really understand why she’s so shaken from it but also that she’s actually handling what he did to her the best way she knows how. I got a little frustrated at her reluctance to share the truth but I do see where she was coming from.
I really enjoyed getting POV chapters for out two main protagonists and that they were just platonic friends. Often with alternative POVs we get the love interests so it was a really nice change of pace to have out two FMCS as travelling companions and nothing more. They had fun and entertaining banter and their friendship was definitely a highlight of the book for me.
And then we have Briar - he’s just a loveable cinnamon roll but he needs Fi to save him and his people. We get to know him pretty well and understand Andar better. The author uses flashbacks to give us context into the characters lives and feelings. They definitely help to understand why the characters are making certain decisions in the present. I thought they were done well and used Infrequently enough that it was an effective tool but not overused.
Both FMC have a romantic interest though the romance does take a backseat and feels more removed from the main story. I did enjoy them and I think they’ll both develop lots in the sequel - this set the scene for Shane’s romance well so it’ll be interesting to see if they can find a way back to each other. As for Fi and Briar, there are more than a few obstacles in the way and more important than love is what they have to do next to fight the Spindle Witch.
The plot was compelling, action packed and full of descriptive imagery. The world created has an interesting history and lots of different types of witches. I enjoyed learning about the witches and their magics throughout. It’s given in short burst throughout and is easy to understand and digest so the world building felt well done and not at all overwhelming. The whole vibe of the book was fairytale which linked with the plot perfectly. Essentially this book was exactly what I expected/ wanted it to be!
Overall I enjoyed this, the characters were all interesting and the dynamics between them fun to read. If you’re looking for classic fairytale vibes with a twist then this is the book for you.
