Myravelle Spinner grew up in a tower with only spiders, spindles, and stone walls for friends while her mother spun gold for the king. She wondered why her mother refused to teach her fairy magic, until one fateful mistake led Myravelle to become the healer in the king’s sleepy wood company…
Drained from years of waking soldiers from a cursed sleep, Myravelle must now choose a new canvas–a man whose life she drains with a dagger to fuel her healing powers. A ritual binds her to Byzarien Dumont, who loathes fairies for the fires that left his family impoverished and his body riddled with scars. His burning hatred causes Myravelle’s enchantments to wilt, leading the king to threaten her mother’s life.
Byzarien can only see Myravelle as a beautiful spider who strings men along her web, while Myravelle considers love a weakness for the king to exploit. With their families in danger and soldiers rotting in a death-like sleep, the pair must learn to trust one another before the dark magic spinning in Myravelle’s soul unravels once and for all.

2 stars
I found this kinda hard to rate because there were few parts I liked but unfortunately most of it wasn’t doing it for me and I pushed through to see if I would enjoy it but sadly I didn’t. The first few chapters are the parts I really liked and then after that it just wasn't working for me and I think a different reader would definitely enjoy this because the premise is so interesting (that's what got me intrigued) but I think the way it went after a few chapters for me personally I just couldn’t get back into it which is a shame.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!! Her dark enchantments comes out on 25th April.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Thank you Netgalley and Rosalyn Briar for access to this Advanced reader copy of Her Dark Enchantments, in return for an honest review.

This is a dark, gothic, romantic fantasy, and fairytale retelling. It tells an origin story of maleficent with exquisite detail into her turbulent, and painful life.

Myravelle, gifted with magic, was threatened to use her powers in ways which hurt her and those around her.

Despite everything Myravelle manages to grasp moments of love, but her life is shrouded in tragedy and ill fate unlitmately leading to what we know of maleficents acts during the story of sleeping beauty.

This story is tragic and beautiful, gothic and dark, with enemies to lovers taking a centre role in the prose.

The story pulls you in, and has you gripped as the many twists and turns play out, leaving you with compassion towards the main character even as she becomes the tortured dark fairy known as maleficent.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I read it within one day because once I was a few pages in, I could not put it down.

I would highly recommend this read to those who love fairytale retellings, dark romance and gothic fantasy.

A beautiful book.

I tried ever so hard to stay engaged in this book but i found myself just getting too easily distracted by other things around me and i just didn’t fully engage with it so unfortunately this was added to my DNF pile at 49%.
It started off really good and i flew through the first couple of chapters but i felt this book really adhered to the whole what goes up must come down catchphrase.
It was like the author lost their way or did a Matilda where the story came to her in fizzes but the deadline was not allowing of these ‘fizzes’.
I am not sure if the book picked up so i can’t comment on the ending.
Can’t appeal to everyone and this one was unfortunately not one for me.

A good and original story, well plotted and compelling. I liked it because it's not a retelling, it's a romantic fantasy that works and kept me turning pages.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

eARC from Netgalley - All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have you ever thought why the wicked fairy from sleeping beauty ended up as the wicked fairy? Then look no further!

I absolutely loved this book!

Was hooked from the first page. There are so many twists and turns I did not see coming!

Felt everything alongside Myravelle from the happiness to the heartache!

Bryzarien was such a good love interest going to miss both of these characters so much..

The whole magic system was very different from books I have read in the past, and I loved learning about it!

Tropes included -
- enemies to lovers
- gothic fantasy
- mythology / magic
- fae

Thank you to Rosalyn Briar and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before the release date! Highly recommended this book to anyone who loves fantasy and dark type of books!

I am so happy I requested this book. While I am not normally a fan of fairytale retellings, an origin story of the villain in Sleeping Beauty intrigued me.

I enjoyed the magic system and Mryavelle as our FMC. I am glad that the focus truly remained on her and her story and the relationship with Byzarien was part of that, not the primary focus.

Overall, a fun and unique twist on the types of retellings we normally see.

MUST READ , if you are a lover of Dark Fantasy , this is an amazing dark Disney retelling of none other that the fan favorite sleeping beauty! 🖤

Hands down my top read of 2023 and you can not convince me otherwise! 💜

Thank you to NetGalley for the ✨ARC✨

I DNFed this book around 20% - I didn't have any specific issues, other than I couldn't get into it.

Such an awesome read. It draws you in. Pulls you into the story and before you know it your 50% through and wondering where the last 4 hrs have gone. I really enjoyed this one!

Her Dark Enchantments is a darkly gothic fairy tale, retelling the origins of Maleficent from the perspective of Myravelle, a lonely and abused young woman whose skills and abilities are taken advantage of by the king under threat to her unjustly imprisoned mother. As a healer, Myravelle employs ritual magic to continue the king's campaign against the enchanted environment, which is how she meets Byzarian, a soldier embittered by a violent past who hates her kind. Filled with atmospheric detail and respectful care to Myravelle's craft, this book weaves a sensual spell, with twists and turns that will keep you hoping for a happy ending. I was especially impressed by Myravelle's characterisation, as such care is given to understanding her motivations and struggles, and to consider the pressures under which she is attempting to survive. Things get dark, and as the cover suggests, this is not a light-hearted fairy story, but it's one that will claw its way into your heart.

I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I requested this book on a whim and I'm glad I did because I quite enjoyed it. I know very little about the sleeping beauty story, but this sounded like it could be interesting. And it was. Granted, it did have a couple times where the story was a little meh, but it would always pick back up. More times than not, I wanted to keep reading when I knew I had to stop. I really liked Byzarien and Myravelle as a couple and all the different sides they showed. And all of Myravelle's magic was really neat.

I do have two sort of complaints about it though. What was the point of the first chapter/prologue? I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how they were connected, and I really don't think that they were at all. Secondly, I would have really liked to know old Byzarien and Myravelle were. Perhaps it was mentioned and I missed it? Myravelle in particular because she so often acted like a mature adult, but then there were times where she just seemed so young and desperate.

I didn't really like how were dropped right into this story with absolutely no idea what was what, but it was easy enough to figure out after a little bit. Byzarien is part of a sort of military unit that was formed in order to find and gather fairy cursed trees for their king. It's very dangerous because even a sliver can put a soldier into an unwaking sleep where they suffer thru nightmares. That's where Myravelle comes in. As a fairy, she has certain magic powers that the king easily exploits by holding her mother hostage. In this case, she is able to wake the sleeping soldiers. But to do so, she needs a canvas. A bonded male that she can cut runes into that will give her the power and strength to do this. Byzarien has just lost one of his closest friends who was Myravelle's last canvas, when he is chosen next. When Myravelle had done that ritual, she had added an extra ingredient because she was so desperate for a companion and a friend. Someone who could actually love her. She never expected the results she got.

This is definitely an enemies to lovers story, at least on one side, because Byzarien hates Myravelle with a passion all because she's a fairy and he lost a great deal to the fairies. He in no uncertain terms tells her how he feels about her being a monster and how he will never bond with her the way she wants. He is really rather cruel, but he soon regrets his words and his actions as he slowly sees that Myravelle is not a monster at all and that she is indeed a trapped victim trying her hardest to protect her mother and find any solace she can in the arms of her canvases. He doesn't see it, but he has already fallen in love with her.

It was frustrating to watch these two in the beginning with how they treated one another despite how they both feel. It takes a lot, but these two finally admit to their feelings. And just in time. When the king goes back on his word, he breaks something in Myravelle that lets the darkness inside of her get stronger. What she does next puts her life in more danger, and because Byzarien will not leave her side, they are both forced to flee. They seek sanctuary and answers in the fairy realm, but the answers received are few and terrible. Also not accepted there, they are forced to flee yet again with another betrayal. A brief respite gives these two some actual joy, but they must move on. Unfortunately it's right into a trap where something happens that rarely ever does, and it surprised the hell out of me. It's also where the final piece holding Myravelle together breaks and she will become the evil fairy she has been painted as.

That part of the book was probably the most intense. And from there Myravelle goes on to get stronger, gain more power, and meticulously plan her revenge. After everything that happens to her, from the beginning of the book to the very end, it's hard not to feel bad for Myravelle and to understand why she does what she does. Especially after she learns exactly why her mother was kidnapped and locked up, who her real father is, and how a vengeful god plans to use her. As far as origin stories go, this one was a heart wrenching and sad one of a poor, innocent girl, who tried her hardest to protect those she loved and still loses everything to the greedy ones in power.

Thank you Netgalley and Quill and Crow for this eCopy to review

I enjoyed Her Dark Enchantments. It was a very interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. I found the magic system well thought out and explained. How sad that someone they should revere for the strength of her magic ends up being a figure of hate which ultimately causes Myravelle to become bad.

I liked Byz, his friends and family, and felt they showed how easily Myravelle could have ended up good. However, the fairies and the King conspired together against her, keeping her prisoner, killing her mother and end up making her rejected by society.

Her Dark Enchantments is a captivating fairy tale adaptation that offers a fresh perspective on the origins of Sleeping Beauty's villain. The story follows Myravelle Spinner, a complex character who is ostracized and feared for her dark powers. Myravelle's duty is to use her magic to awaken and heal soldiers who have been struck by an enchanted sleep, but the cost of her powers is the life force of her canvases, men who are bound to her will.

Rosalyn Briar has woven a beautiful and dangerous fairy world filled with water, flame, and plant fairies in delicate balance with nature. I enjoyed the constant return to the act of spinning, which serves as a significant motif throughout the story.

One minor critique is that the romance between the two characters feels a bit rushed , and in my opinion a slower burn could have fit the story nicely. However, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent story. The book's strength lies in its exploration of the complex emotions and motivations of a classic villain, forcing readers to reconsider their understanding of good and evil. I love a book with a great morally grey character.

Overall, I would highly recommend Her Dark Enchantments to fans of fairy tale retellings and anyone who enjoys well-crafted characters and intricate world-building.

Overall a quite good story. It surely has potential to be extraordinary. But it's still lacking in some parts. It had really great parts where everything was on point. But there were also passages where the dialogues, as well as the pacing was a bit off. With just a bit fine-tuning this story could become the incredible read it is meant to be.

Rating: 3.6/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 4.5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 3/5
Overall Feelings: 3/5

Myravelle had incredible character growth which was awesome. Unfortunately, Byz kind of turned into a 2D character once he realized his feelings for Myravelle. Loving her almost became his defining personality trait. The spice also didn’t really do anything for me. I feel like if you’re going to go for it, go for it. There was knife play which was fun though. Additionally, the pace was suuuuper slow in the first 30%. However, I think the world was really well thought out and I enjoyed the magic system. This book was.. in my opinion.. what Maleficent should have been.

Is evil born or made?
This was 5 ⭐️ for me, I found myself wanting to jump through the book and help Myravelle myself! I love a good fairy-tale retelling, this one takes the cake!

There’s a villain in every story, but when do we hear their side?
Myravelle, the witch, the mistress of all evil.. she goes by many names but how did she become this all powerful mysterious fairy?
In life we are shaped by our experiences. At what point do you throw in the towel and start to become the monster they already believe you are.

Thank you Quill and Crow publishing house for the advanced copy of this book. This review is mine and mine alone.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC of Her Dark Enchanments.

Firstly I love fairy tale adaptations and this I did like very much.

We follow Mryavelle a fairy in the service of a wicked king, being forced to harvest magic from lovers, her canvases, to awaken and heal the kings army after they have been overcome by a enchanted sleep.
We see her never belonging in any company whether that be human or fairy. And we follow her story as she struggles to find where she belongs in life and in love.

I loved the following the story that led up to the story we know and love, this felt like Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty and Wicked all rolled into one.

My only critic is that I just feel like the romance within the book was too fast paced for me, (I'm more of a slow burn romance reader myself). Almost overnight the characters completely changed personality because of their love for each other and I feel like the characters lost some dimension.
I would have also like more world building and description to fully delve into the world. But for any YA or NA readers this current level would be perfect as its very easy reading.

Overall I would definitely recommend to YA readers who love fairytale retellings!

"I am the scariest creature in these woods"

Myravelle grew up knowing nothing about fairy magic because her mother did not want her to be exploited like she was. Myravelle grew up knowing nothing but darkness and loneliness, she was used for her powers just as her mother was. When the time came to conjure a new canvas to use, she puts a wish into the magic to find a soulmate instead of just someone to use for magic. Byzarien Dumont sees Myravelle as nothing but a witch who ensnares men into her dark web, but he gets chosen as her new canvas. As they learn more about each other and their pasts, they realize that they are better together and instead of being enemies, they unite against one common enemy.
I loved Myravelle and although Byzarien was a stubborn brute at first, watching his character evolve into a gentle and loving partner for Myravelle was heartwarming. I did find them a little repetitive in their declaration of love towards each other, but then I reminded myself that when you're newly in love, that's what you do. There are themes of love, loss, suffering, and betrayal, and it is all tied together with amazing magic!

A very nice reimagining of a fairy tale classic.

The writing style is easy to get on with and the story goes at a nice speed.

The wicked fairy is a likeable villain and the enemies to lovers story will have you interested the whole way through.