A really very different retelling of "Sleeping Beauty", which I think is a good start to the author's series with retellings.
The writing style is good - there are quite a few descriptions that depict the setting and thoughts of the characters very deeply and in detail. But at some point they come a little too much to read and make it difficult to get through the pages quickly.
The book begins directly with action – it is not delayed. At first, the pace of the story seemed quick to me, but I assumed it was so that the author could get the reader into the story which will help building a complete picture of what was happening. After that, however, the dynamics slowed down so much that even the sudden attacks of the zombies failed to fix it and did not feel like much of an action.
It was a slow read to me, on one hand because of my disinterest in the characters, who, even if are built greatly and deeply, failed to touch me much. On the other hand, I lacked something that would grab my curiosity and keep my interest. For most of the book, I felt like the plot didn't have a clear purpose, and it was just that things were happening wherever the story dragged them going.
I really liked the few points of view through which we got to know the characters better, seeing and perceiving what is happening through their eyes, refracted through their thoughts and experiences.
Surely Garrett and Briar were my favorites as a couple - I felt the chemistry between them more natural and real. Demetri did not make much impression on me. I felt him as a very spineless character.
The climax wasn't bad, there was more action through it than through the rest of the book, so I felt it. Unfortunately, the tension during the peak was spoiled because of the too much talking right at it.
I liked the ending. I have to admit it to the author, it was greatly written.
~~~
Rating: 3/5

saw this on NetGalley and fell in love with the cover, just had to request it. am very glad I did.

a curse, magic, fairies, gore and a love triangle, what more could one want? A horrormance in October hits different. This was jam packed full of mystery, vengeance and violence. There wasn’t an ounce of boredom in my body whilst reading. It certainly had a uniqueness to it.

we hear chapters from three different characters view points which was a nice change. definitely adds more to the story that way. I also liked it was written in third person.

Briar is a stubborn, intelligent, fierce girl boss who you can’t help but fall in love with. Demetri is a kind but dark, mysterious character who loves hard and ultimately deserved better; hopefully we get another book on his journey after. Garrett is an adorable, adventurous golden retriever who is a joy to read about. I honestly really loved all the characters in the book, there was a hell of a lot but they all had an impact.

the ending was tied up very well, I could kind of expect how it was gonna go but I’m not disappointed about it. I liked how it concluded.

if you’re a fan of ‘the cruel prince’ or ‘the bone spindle’ then this is 100% for you!

thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review:)

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Twisted. Spooky. Grueling. Chilling.

This Sleeping Beauty meets Halloween retelling is absolutely everything!

From lovable, complex characters to pull on your heartstrings, a perfect bromance that brings all the comedy, a love triangle that doesn’t damage relationships, and a spooky twist on a classic fairytale that will leave you gasping for air!

Briar is a force to be reckoned with and I’m living for it. She isn’t your typical princess; she hates dancing, she has been trapped away from her people for her entire life and loves designing new contraptions. Despite everything that’s happened to her, she cares for the people around her and puts her people’s safety and security before her own. A truly selfless Princess worthy of the title.

Zombies have never been my favorite monsters to read about but this book had me hooked instantly. I never thought I would say that a combination of zombies and Sleeping Beauty could work but it so does! And it adds more drama to the original story than ever before!

I could not find a single reason to fault this book, I truly loved it, especially the ending. Whilst some might argue that the ending was a little disappointing (no spoilers here), I think it was perfect. All of the characters have the ending that I think allowed them to grow from the people they once were and since a second book in the same universe is on the way, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of these wonderful characters!

Note—I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is now available to buy from Amazon and other vendors and trust me, you will not regret purchasing it!

Actual rating: 3,5 stars

The promise of Rotting Beauty immediately caught my attention. The idea of fairy tales revisited with a touch of horror is wonderful and the execution was almost perfect! The horror elements were there and delivered perfectly, but despite being quite action packed, I felt like the story was a little too slow at times.

The characters were all very well written! You can easily tell that the author spent time making each one unique without falling into stereotypes and I loved the way they interacted with each other despite a love triangle that could have been avoided and that ultimately did not add much to the story.

I also would have loved to have had more world building, but overall Rotting Beauty was a very solid debut and I'm already looking forward to reading the next books in the series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this book!! Such a unique plot idea. I did feel like there was some back story that was missing, but we piece it all together as the book progresses. One instance is when Garrett begins talking about Snow. I did not like the time jumps that occurred in the plot. I know that everything doesn't need to be written, but I felt they could have been smoother. I did like that there were 3 points of view but the switch made sense and wasn't jarring.

I found this book to be really engaging and I loved the premise. I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings so this story was right up my alley. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

You know the story. Once upon a time, a princess was cursed to sleep for a hundred years. When the curse was broken, the princess woke and discovered that everyone in her kingdom had become rotting, flesh-eating, corpse-like monsters

This was a really fun take on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. Great world building and great characters.

found this book really intresting, you don't see this type of horror fairytale story. at least I never had and for that I already loved it. I love our main character she is so strong willed, loyal but also stubborn (what I love could relate to that). the writing style is good it did get me from the start and if a book does that is a good sign. then ending was not what I though and Liked, but overall it was a good ending. can not wait to see more

Sleeping Beauty meets zombies! What a fun and unique read.
I really enjoyed the characters and their different personalities.
The gore wasn’t overdone, especially for a YA novel.
I hope for more!

I absolutely loved this! The premise is unique and memorable. The characters are interesting and suck you right into the story. This is a well-done retelling. This was fantastic and I would HIGHLY recommend this! Special Thank You to Elizabeth K. King and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love fairytale retellings and this one is refreshingly original and doesn’t disappoint. It’s the perfect autumn/Halloween read.
Rotting Beauty is a dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with a little bit of Snow White and Aladdin thrown into the mix. There’s a curse within a curse and just enough action to keep you interested.
This is supposed to be a "horrific" fairytale, but even though there’s zombies and a bit of gore, it’s actually quite adorable and even funny at times. I loved Briar’s almost childlike curiosity, she’s a selfless and brave protagonist. And what can I say about her two princess? Yes, she gets two and I can’t even find one!

This book had me hooked from the beginning!

I found it was quite unique and in a good way too. I rarely find a book I’m hooked on but this definitely had me glued.

It’s a fairytale retelling of sleeping beauty, but an actually decent one. But it’s mixed with corpses and it just blends so well!

I cannot wait until the next one comes out! So well written and is an author I wouldn’t hesitate to read again!

First of all, I am not the target audience for this book. I enjoy it but I think younger readers will like this a lot more.
That being said, the concept was super original and kept me entertained.
Theres action, zombies and a clean romance, so overall a nice read.

An interesting take on fairytale retellings. This sleeping beauty retelling despite having gory details is a perfect young adult fantasy. I enjoyed most aspects of the story but the writing was a little slow for my tastes, however still enjoyable.

Would definitely recommend to young adult readers and those who love, fairytales, love triangles and magical quests. 3.5 ⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review 📚
Rotting Beauty by Elizabeth King - 4.5/5 ⭐

Cannot think of a better time then near Halloween for a sleeping beauty retelling.. hang on, a sleeping beauty retelling at Halloween? Normally that would sound very strange - but come on now guys, just take a look at the cover. This is NOT a normal retelling. It's better!

Firstly. King is awesome. Fantastic. Amazing. Superb. Brilliant. Ok, you get it. She's phenomenal 😌 from start to finish the book has this sinister and eerie vibe, that honestly, sets the mood for the entire story. On top of that King describes in so much detail, that it's really not hard to imagine the scene. What a writer!

Briar - I LOVE HER. She is the perfect FMC. She's strong, determined and unbelievably brave. I hadn't been easy for her knowing what was coming and to become an outcast because of the sleeping curse. She is truly inspiring to her people and her kingdom. Her love triangle with Dimitri and Garrett was perfect! An incredible addition to the story. I like to think that all the characters were perceived exactly as they should be - with love for a lot and hate for some.

From start to finish - there was an insane amount of description keeping it fresh in your imagination as you read on. The characters developments were flawless and intriguing, and the world building was phenomenal. I cannot wait for another book by King, if it's anything like Rotting Beauty then we're in for another perfect retelling!

Thank you to NetGalley and Elizabeth King for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

I absolutely loved this book, real Halloween vibes and was a lovely read for this time of year. I’ll absolutely be buying a physical copy as the cover is gorgeous! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this one.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! First off, I LOVE retellings. This one however, was so different than other retellings I’ve read. You’ve got Briar, sleeping beauty if you will. She’s fierce, loyal, and stubborn as hell. Then you throw corpses into the mix. I mean, genius idea. This book was amazing. The story telling was spot on for me. I was a tad bit disappointed by the ending, but not enough to make me rate this book lower than a 5 star. I just wish everything would have been taken care of instead of half way. However, for a first book by King, bravo. I am extremely excited to read the next book coming out in February.

Did I just read one of my top-favorite books of the year?
Absolutely.

The synopsis was so engaging and unique: a fairy-tale-esque story with zombies? And at this time of the year? Yes.
And I am definitely not disappointed. From the beginning, the story has an eerie, macabre, sinister atmosphere and I adored it. The author did not spare any graphic detail throughout the novel and I loved that, it made the story even more gruesome and I am a sucker for horror movies, so I was thrilled.
The characters are actually very likeable, even within the spookiness. I very much appreaciated Briar (which is something to point out, I usually do not like main characters that much); she is brave and is aware of her responsabilities towards her people. Garrett and Demetri are also interesting to follow and they are quite different but they both care about Briar. They’re not toxic guys and I loved it.
The story itself is mysterious and well-paced. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. The characters have to endure a lot of suffering and I liked the fact that resolving the mystery was not easy for them. It made the book even more appealing to me.

I really want to thank Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

Review from Goodreads.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of the book!

Rating: 4.5/5
An interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, with gruesome descriptions and compelling characters. I definitely recommend this book for any lovers of fairytale retellings.