This fractured fairy-tale was a lot of fun. A great blend of original world-building and quirky characters, sprinkled with the well loved fairy-tale lore and breadcrumbs. Quick and easy read. Have already added the sequel to my TBR pile.

Recommended for fans of The Shadow in the Glass, The Guinevere Deception, Darkwood, A Blade So Black, The Lunar Chronicles, The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, Melissa Bashardoust, Christina Henry, Naomi Novik

Thank you to Netgalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for the reading copy.

This is author Scott Mooney's debut book, but you wouldn't know that by reading it! He has written a tale that is so well written, so detailed and complex that the reader would think that this is his 10th book. The writing style is fun, the characters are well written and fun and the plot is simply magical.

We meet Briar in this story who has a bit of a magical ability...but is in a dead end job with no excitement in sight. Enter a missing person, a request from royalty and a twisting, turning, looping, curving adventure in the "poisoned" apple known as NY.

This book will grab the readers attention right from the start and will never let it go! There is no good stopping point for this book - once you start you will zoom through it and immediately want to start reading it again! It is that good!

Just a little warning - there will be a book 2 (because there is a bit of a cliffhanger)...but another book means more adventure with Briar! A must read and a must read now, even if this isn't your typical genre, you will love it!

This was a new take on fairy tales, and was quite a ride. The plot is easily followed, the characters are unique and varied, the action almost constant and the main character is definitely something unique, herself. I definitely highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book. Also, apologies for taking so long. Life got crazy between when I received this book and… well, it’s still crazy but I’m determined to clean up my GR bookshelf!

This was a fun story. Fairy tales for adults! Like the TV show Once Upon a Time, except it didn’t get boring. Honestly, it’s been so long since I read the book that I don’t remember all the details, BUT I do remember liking it and thinking about how unique this story was. There were some twists too.

I LOVED Pricked!!

Can you imagine if you had the power to change emotions just by handing someone a rose? Well, Briar has this talent and of course, trouble follows.

When Briar reluctantly agrees to help find a princess’s kidnapped boyfriend in exchange for reversing the curse on her friend, she gets the heroic quest she never really wanted.

Unfortunately, the life of a noble heroine is not all it’s cracked up­­ to be and as tensions between the Poisoned Apple royalty ignite and civil war looms, Briar must figure out how to write her own happy ending--or she’ll just be ending.

I'm addicted to fairy-tale retellings and I loved this twist on the story. Totally worth a read and I will read more from this author.

I was late to the part on this one, but I'm SO glad I kept it in my queue!!

It's labeled "sci-fi fantasy", which it is -- but fans of urban fantasy are going to find so many reasons to love this, as well.

Briar is a strong, flawed, relatable, determined, likeable main character, and I really enjoyed getting to know her throughout the story. (Her inner dialog was -- something, lol!!) The recreating of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale in a fantasy version of NYC, complete with the absolute best names for places and things, was such a fun setting for Briar's adventures. Things felt familiar, but totally different and new. I appreciated the hint of romantic interests, here and there, but nothing that took the story to a full romance (although, I'm not opposed to romances) -- I thought it kept the focus on her, and it was a great choice for now.

I know there's a second book out in this series, and I'm definitely planning to get caught up before there's a third. Definitely a fantastic way to spend a rainy day.

Briar Pryce has a magical talent of being able to change people's emotions by giving them a rose. She takes a job trying to save a princess' boyfriend. There is a magical section in New York called the Apple. This is not available to non magical people. She gets into quite a few scrapes trying to find out who took Rick. There seems to be more to the situation than she was told. I really enjoyed this story and am getting ready to read the next one in the series. It is a well fleshed out world and believable. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

I Loved the fairy tale twist plot. I Loved the style of writing. I Loved this book enough to put the author's name on my favorite list!

This is such a creative twist on fairy tales. I love the magic of the Poisoned Apple and the different abilities are so unique. These characters were really fun.

There seems to be a bit of a glut of novels that take on fairy tales right now. I love fairy tales more then the next person, and even I was getting a bit sick of them. But Pricked was a refreshing change from most of the other fairy tale novels I've read. While there is some minor romance involves, it often read more like a noir detective novel. Briar is a great hero, with a mysterious background, even more mysterious powers and some serious talents for pithy one liners. Antoine was a great by the books, dashing knight foil for her and together they could take on and defeat anything. The world of the Apple and the magical realm in general was a little confusing but i would definitely be interested in further novels that explored it more. There just has to be more installments so we can learn more about Briar. This was amusing and engaging and just fun.

This was a fun and contemporary adventure, an appealing heroine, and a romp through the fairy-tale and fantasy genres without being slavishly attached to their plots. I enjoyed the modern twist to those contemporary themes.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pricked was a really funny and easy book to read. It's set in a fantasy world based off of NYC, aka the Poisoned Apple. In this, you will meet Briar Pryce. She has an interesting job that definitely kept her and myself on my toes. Other than that, she's pretty unique in her own magical way. Think of her has a trusty bloodhound. She's no lapdog kind of person but she can easily sniff you a person's emotions out.

Sounds kind of weird but I was instantly intrigued.

Of course this book had a smidge of mystery shoved into it and Briar just happened to be the best person for the job. I honestly loved and enjoyed meeting every character in this book BUT I really could have gone without the little hints of a possible love triangle. If there is a next book I pray that there is no love triangle. Just squash that dream because I want no part in it.

Mooney's first published novel is a set in a fantasy world that captures elements of fairy tales. Like the world of the fae, the worlds overlap with our mundane world. In Briar Rose's case she travels between New York City and her world of controlled magic via a door 'found' in Belevedere Castle in Central Park. Through gifts of her roses, Briar has the gift of changing emotions. She has been recruited by one of the Royal Families in her world. Recruitment is more of a burden than an gift. It comes with a loyal knight who may be more of a hindrance than a person in shining armor.
Briar strives for insouciance, however she is challenged along the journey by among other things
an Asian dragon and a smoke mage. Funny fast paced and wonderful, a reader will be captivated by this new approach to magic tales.

Highly recommended

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity.

So this was honestly just a fun novel to read.

A new spin on old classics, this novel has everything you could ever need from a tongue in cheek fairytale set in a hidden part of New York.

The main character Briar was the perfect mix of concerned citizen and passive aggressive sass while her supporting cast run the gamut of personalities.

The pace was divine, full off ebbs in the action, but only for so long as to allow the reader to catch their breath before the adventure started again.

For a story that could have well and truly felt 'Disney', Mooney has injected enough action and adventure to well and truly make this a fun read for most ages (don't be giving it to your kids people, that could definitely turn out badly)

Overall it was just a really enjoyable fast paced read, that resurrected my inner child and left me wanting more.

It is so refreshing to pick up a book with a strong female protagonist, that was written by a man, passes the Bechedel test, and isn't a completely ridiculous take on women and how they view themselves (check out #menwritingwomen on Twitter). To top all that off, this was an incredibly fun story that kept my attention through to the end, and I finished it in one sitting.

Pricked is an Urban Fantasy novel, taking place in The Poisoned Apple, a parallel dimension of Fey, and NYC. Briar is hired by a member of the court to find his daughter's kidnapped boyfriend to stop a war between two different Fey courts. Obviously, not everything is as it seems, and there is oodles of shady dealings happening behind the scenes that Briar and her hired Knight are kept in the dark from.

There is a small love triangle, but I use that for lack of a better term. There are a few errant thoughts spattered here and there throughout the story, but it is not the focus. Briar's character is strong and most definitely not one-dimensional. She is relatable and likable. She has her flaws, but they're not overly done.

Pricked is full of angst and laughs. Laugh out loud moments were abundant, and Mooney was delivered some of the best names for places and things that mirrored our own world. Briar shopped for groceries at Troll Foods. I wish I would have thought to highlight all those little nuances while I was reading to refer back to, because that small aspect of the story really pulled things together. It really is the small things that can make or break the success of a novel, and Mooney is clearly a master.

My favorite aspect of the story is that it can be enjoyed by all: men, women, children, and teens. It is PG13 and not too campy (just the right amount of campy). It seems to be marketed toward adults, but it is more a mature YA. I'm assuming the target audience is adults because of the 90's pop culture references scattered through the story. The characters aren't fresh out of high school, but they are young (Briar is 21), and they all definitely have to room to grow. But that works because this is the start of a new series.

All-in-all, I absolutely loved this fresh take on fairy tales and fey, and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series. Scott Mooney's writing style is unique and entertaining, and he has a new fan for life.

If you love urban fantasy and old-fashioned fairytales then this book is the mashup for you. Personally, having read this book, I would happily read anything Scott Mooney writes!

Briar Rose’s magical talent is one of the most fascinating and versatile I have encountered, with so much plot potential and room for developing characters in so many directions too. I got very excited as she gained greater control and strength and we saw her abilities begin to evolve in unexpected ways!

The plot is a classic PI-style mystery; well-constructed and nicely paced and the supporting characters are funny, flawed, fragile, heroic and complex. The writing style is unobtrusive and immersive – I completely forgot I was reading a book at all as I followed Briar and Antoine in their investigation.

Scott Mooney effortlessly blends the modern world of New York with the fairytale world of the Poisoned Apple; numerous modern pop culture references with a classic detective noir vibe. The worldbuilding is clever and has infinite potential for further stories, even without ending on a teaser (that also functions as a punchline to a running joke AND the clue to a bigger, ongoing mystery)!

In short:

1. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
2. It’s right up my street, as a firm fan of The Dresden Files, Grimm, Once Upon a Time, Fables and similar.
3. I have set an alert for future books by Scott Mooney and recommend you do the same.



Places like this always have many names. The Lost Borough, Fairyland, Pucktown, The City that Always Dreams. Lately, it’s been going by the Poisoned Apple.
Me? I just call it home.

– Scott Mooney, Pricked

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I hate to say I didn't make it all the way through this book. The writing was good but I couldn't get into it. There was so much exposition and explanation of the back story right away, rather than in bits and pieces throughout the story for the reader and characters to discover along the way. I do wish the upfront chapters were better done because I love retellings and Briar Rose is one of my favorites.

*4.5 Stars*

I really, really, really enjoyed this book. Based on the synopsis I figured it would be my type of book and, even with thinking that, "Pricked" exceeded my expectations and did such a wonderful job of being more than just a magic story. This is also a story about consent, romantic and platonic relationships, homophobia, blind obedience, sexism, classism and aristocracy, as well as being a really fun adventure/romance story.

Briar is such a fun protagonist and her magic is a very uniquely original twist on the magic associated with fairy tales and roses. Briar can deliver roses to people and imbue the roses with emotions that are then transferred to the intended recipient temporarily. This is such a fun idea and it was so interesting to watch her navigate the journey of her powers and how they define her. I really like how Briar calls out the toxic masculinity around her-- she isn't hostile about it but she has no time for love triangle nonsense and jealousy.

This book revolves around Briar and her assigned bodyguard Antoine searching for the boyfriend of Miranda-- the daughter of a powerful Count. Within this search many secrets are revealed as to how The Poisoned Apple (their magical land) functions and the political intrigues that seek to destabilize it. It was really well-written and the climax is very telling and respectful about the consequences of oppression and ignorance and how the oppressed are not solely at fault when they become oppressors themselves.

I hope for a sequel!

Pricked, by new author Scott Mooney, is a really fun idea. It sorta falls into the realm of Shrek, where we are in a fantasy world that makes fun of fairytale tropes while also giving us a brand new story.

Briar Pryce is just one of the twenty-something girls living in the Poisoned Apple trying to make her way as one of the less magical people in the city. Her current job as delivery girl is interesting. Briar’s magic allows her to enchant roses with feelings that transfer to the recipient for a short time. She also can scent people based on their emotions, making her like a magical bloodhound and a likely choice to find a missing person tied to the royal family with the help of a literal knight in shining armor.

I enjoyed the storybook world set up and all the pop culture references intertwine with fairy tale satire. I could tell this was the author’s first book and could have done with a little polishing in a few areas. The imagination that went into this is top notch though, so I can forgive the small issues.

The mystery was fun and this is definitely a solid opening book to set up to a potential new series. It looks like there might be a little bit of a love triangle that could happen in future books and I know who I’ll be rooting for if that happens.

Overall this is a very cool idea executed decently. I liked the side characters and how some of the fairy tales we know so well have been flipped on their head. I’ll be looking for the next book in the series.