What a wonderful retelling I’m so thankful that NetGalley let me read this story.. It was my first book from the author and she did a wonderful job in writing her retelling. I just loved it, can’t wait for more

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Story and Overview: This book had the very fun concept of putting a twist on the classic story of Sleeping Beauty. While the writing did seem to be a tad juvenile at times, this made it a considerably easier read than similar books such as Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, or the Folk of the Air series. It was a good book to read as a first time mom getting the hang of balancing newborn life and hobbies. The story was easy to follow and the characters were likable. It is refreshing to be able to read a stand alone book instead of having to dive into a several book saga. However, the end did seem rushed and I was left with a couple questions as a result of what seemed to be the author trying to ensure this was a stand alone book. The world and courts were built well and easy to understand. And who could forget the beautiful map to refer to? The fae magic was also simple and mixed well with the witch magic the reader was slowly introduced to. My favorite fae attribute, the inability to tell lies, was also included much to my delight. While the story and concept were well written, the main antagonist was mentioned nearly immediately, eliminating any uncertainty or wonder of who could have possibly done this to her family. This may not have been something worth mentioning if the final battle was breathtaking or worthwhile. Alas, the final battle was short and underwhelming but this may be due to the author wrapping up the book quickly or to what I mention at the end of this review.

The FMC was strong and could handle herself, which I loved. However, she could be confusing at times. She would have a good moment or day with the MMC and the next second she would be angry and bitter, leaving not only the MMC, but the reader, confused. Other than that, she was strong, brave, and smart when it came to court politics. The only thing I would ask is less mood swings coming from her.

The MMC was refreshing and different from most similar MMC. He wasn’t dark and brooding. He wasn’t familiar with pain and suffering. He almost reminded me of Dorian from the TOG series. He was a prince with uncalloused hands, a flirt, and a politician. This adventure seemed to be the first time he had to get his hands dirty and see the way things truly were in his own court.


The SA and Spice. Some spoilers to follow.
The FMC was sexually assaulted in her past. She alludes to this quite a few times before making the big reveal. This consists of her shaking her head and thinking, “I don't want to think of this right now”, which seems to minimize the impact of this on her. In addition to this, when the FMC finally reveals this and the MMC finds out, they nearly immediately have sex? There’s no flinching when the MMC touches her, no angst or anxiety, nothing. She decides the way she will ‘get over it’ is by having sex willingly in the same castle she was assaulted. But, to each their own I suppose. My next complaint with the spice is the timing of one of the scenes. It’s the climax, there’s stress, tension, blood, sweat, and tears. And the FMC decides to get intimate in the prison she’s trapped in when the MMC comes to rescue her. This severely affected the tempo and mood of the final battles and I wish it would’ve been left out. This, however, is coming from someone who prefers no spice in her reads.

Overall, the book was good. It is an easy read and would be a great book for a first time fantasy reader. While I did have some nit picks, I did enjoy the clever twist on Sleeping Beauty, the world building, and especially the MMC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc and a chance to review
[3.5 Starts]
A retelling of sleeping beauty ? Yes please!

—What did I Like—
I enjoyed how easy this was to understand and follow along usually with romantasy I need a cheat sheet to remember all the player.
The twist and turned and the small history was fun, so the plot was plotting.
and Dragon's are always a fun little cherry on top.

—What didn’t I like—
The FMC, I understand in an enemy to lover you need to have animosity between the two main characters but what you don’t need it the FMC being a raging B to the MMC when he is clearly trying to help. I found her to be a bit stuck up and stand offish, now eventually you kinda get why she is that way but by that point I just didn’t care enough to be invested in her HEA. (she get it BTW)

—Would I Recommend it—
I would for no other reason than Fennick (MMC) being a delight and the world being magical

— would I read this author again—
Yes. I really enjoyed the writing style

— would I continue this series —
Yes. I’m actually looking forward to reading the prequel, since I didn’t know about it before hand.

Having read the blurb, I was keen to read this book. Unfortunately, I did no t enjoy it at all. I didn't even manage to finish the book. The FMC was very annoying and t bought she knew better t man her father. Absolutely no character development. The dragons seemed to be wedged into the story.

“Crown of Slumber” by R.L. Perez immediately captivates with its rich blend of magic, romance, and intrigue. From the very first page, readers are transported into a world where seasonal kingdoms and an eerie dream realm set the stage for a gripping story. Perez’s unique magic system and twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale—where souls are trapped in a dream realm rather than simply falling asleep—adds a fresh layer of complexity and excitement to the narrative.

Aurelia, the main character, is a fiery and dynamic heroine who demonstrates remarkable strength and poise. Her deep love for her people and willingness to sacrifice herself for her kingdom are commendable. While her emotional reserve adds depth to her character, more internal dialogue would have provided readers with a closer look at her struggles, making her journey even more relatable and engaging.

Fenn, with his softer, emotionally aware take on the ‘arrogant prince’ archetype, offers a refreshing contrast to the typical dark and brooding hero. His internal conflict, as he balances his duty to his kingdom with his feelings for Aurelia, is well-developed. However, his romantic feelings for Aurelia evolve quickly, and a bit more tension and angst in their relationship could have made his eventual decisions feel more impactful and satisfying.

The slow-burn romance between Aurelia and Fenn is engaging, with their enemies-to-lovers dynamic showing great potential. While their tension is largely rooted in family history, adding a few more intense exchanges could have heightened the drama and made their transition from enemies to lovers even more compelling. The romance adds warmth to the story, although some of the more intimate scenes might feel milder to dedicated SMUT readers. One romantic moment towards the end felt slightly out of place given the high-stakes context, but overall, their relationship enriches the plot.

A theme that could benefit from further exploration is the scene involving sexual assault. Although the content warnings suggest a significant impact, this moment feels more like a backdrop than a pivotal turning point in Aurelia’s journey. A deeper exploration of her emotional response could have enhanced her character development and provided readers with a stronger connection to her struggles. On a positive note, Fenn’s protective nature towards Aurelia is beautifully depicted, adding a layer of warmth to their relationship.

Dragons play a significant role in the story, and Mal, Aurelia’s main dragon, is particularly engaging. However, more interaction and bonding between Aurelia and her dragons would have enriched their relationship. At the start, the subplot involving a rare dragon hatchling is crucial, but its importance seems to diminish midway through, reducing the overall tension. A more consistent focus on this subplot could have added excitement and heightened the stakes.

What stands out most about “Crown of Slumber” is its self-contained story, which avoids the need for a cliffhanger to maintain interest. Despite the mention of a sequel, this book feels complete on its own—a rare quality in fantasy today. It’s a captivating read that serves as a refreshing escape, with world-building that keeps readers engaged. While more detail on the witch clans and unseelies would have added complexity, the book stands out as a unique and enjoyable fantasy read.

In summary, “Crown of Slumber” offers a fun and satisfying experience for fans of fantasy with romance and magic. Though there is room for deeper character development and emotional depth, R.L. Perez delivers a unique take on familiar tropes that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. For a quick and refreshing dive into a new fantasy world, this book is a great choice.

I cannot wait to read about the rare dragon hatchling in book 2!


Book Rating: (out of 5) - 3.5
Overall Story: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Character Development: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
World Building: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Spice: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) 🔥🔥🔥

I really enjoyed this Sleeping Beauty retelling! A strong FMC, a playful MMC, and dragons! Would recommend reading Crown of Twelve first.

This was such a fun and immersive retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I truly loved all the changes made to the original story to make this one feel more magical and high stakes. Aurelia and Fenn were such an interesting couple and their journey was full of so much growth and passion, both in positive and negative ways. Although there was a lot going on in the story and the different kingdoms, it was very easy to become very familiar with each character and understand how each aspect was interwoven to create the whole story. I truly enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who loves a fairytale retelling with action, adventure, and a love story worth rooting for.

‘Right now, I could only rely on this moronic prince.’

They’re night and day, literally and it’s up to them to save their world. By faking an engagement. Throw in some dragons and disgruntled witches...a host of ogres and you’ve got a modern day spicy fairy tale with some good old fashioned LOTR quest-iness mixed with a touch of Princess Bride snark. It’s an absolutely great read!

‘Right now, I could only rely on this moronic prince.’

They’re night and day, literally and it’s up to them to save their world. By faking an engagement. Throw in some dragons and disgruntled witches...a host of ogres and you’ve got a modern day spicy fairy tale with some good old fashioned LOTR quest-iness mixed with a touch of Princess Bride snark. It’s an absolutely great read!

Crown of Slumber is book one in the Crowns of the Fae series by R.L. Perez.
What a fun sleeping beauty retelling!
I really enjoyed this book.
The writing was done very well. The characters are well developed.

For someone looking to get their next Fae romance fix, "Crown of Slumber" has the necessities: a romance with plausible chemistry, an interesting premise, and a clear goal. The main love interest not being an abusive psychopath is refreshing for the genre. I appreciate that the author used some aspects of Fae folklore, such as not being able to lie and a weakness against iron. For once Fae is not a blanket term for "hot and magical."

Like a scarecrow, this book serves its purpose, but upon inspection, is not fully fleshed out. From smaller things, such as forced pets names or fixations on specific descriptors like "feral", to lager aspects, such as a dubious amnesia plot line or clunky fight scenes with inconsistent power scaling, some suspension of disbelief is required. This book is not for the nit-picky reader.

Overall, "Crown of Slumber" is a decent, fluffy distraction from reality.

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, everything is reversed. The sleeping curse is not placed on Princess Aurelia, but rather her entire kingdom, and it is up to her to save them. Unfortunately, that means aligning herself with the unscrupulous Prince Fenn of the Star Court. They each have something the other needs - she has dragons, he has stardust which could break the curse - so they decide to pretend to be engaged in order to get what they each need. Like anyone would believe she would marry a rake like him! But the heart and the mind don't always agree and so genuine feelings begin to blossom between them. When Aurelia stumbles upon a sinister secret within Fenn's court—a secret that threatens not only her kingdom but the very essence of her soul. Can she trust Fenn to save her family, or will his hidden darkness be their undoing?

I love fairytale retellings. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was fresh original, there were dragons, witches and fae Princess Aurelia was kick-butt and definitely a heroine you want to get behind. Prince Fenn started out as a bit of a cad, but as the story went on, he began to grow on me, as well as Princess Aurelia. I really loved the two of them together. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, or fairytale retelling in particular then this needs to be at the top of your TBR pile.

This was an absolute masterpiece in the realm of fantasy literature. The authors skillful storytelling takes you on an enchanting journey through a richly crafted world filled with magic, intrigue, and unforgettable characters. This sleeping beauty retelling is incredible, the depth of the world building in this book is truly remarkable, it really immerses you in a vibrant and imaginative setting that feels both magical and real.

One of the standout features of this book is the expertly developed characters who are not only relatable but also undergo profound growth throughout the story. The emotional depth and complexity of the characters add layers of authenticity to the narrative, making their struggles and triumphs all the more compelling. I absolutely loved Aurelia and Finn, those two are my favourites, I do love Mal too though.

The plot is captivating and full of mystery, adventure, and magic. The twists and turns kept me guessing at every corner, this story had me hooked from the start and I couldn’t stop reading. The author masterfully explores themes of destiny, power, and sacrifice.

In conclusion, Crown of Slumber is an amazing book that deserves a special place on the bookshelf of any fantasy lover. The authors talent for blending suspense, emotion, and magic into a seamless narrative makes this book a truly unforgettable experience. I 100% recommend to preorder this or get on release day.

Thank you to RL Perez, NetGalley and Victory Editing for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting my review to Goodreads and Amazon. Run date for my Amazon review will be release day, Sep 15, 2024. I have linked my Goodreads review which is active and the content of the review is the same as below.

Fairy tale retellings are some of my favorites, who doesn’t love the classics? A Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist, Crown of Slumber brings a lot to the table. We get a semi-enemies to lovers romance and intrigue with the added bonuses of court politics, dragons (who doesn’t love dragons?), and an FMC who isn’t a damsel in distress 24/7. It’s definitely a more adult version and made the story so much more enjoyable to me! The magic system wasn’t overly complicated, but there was still enough to keep me engaged through the whole book.
Fennick and Aurelia’s relationship put a smile on my face from the start. The banter was cute and fairly lighthearted most of the time. No, Fennick is not incredibly dark and broody, but he still had some trauma to work through as did Aurelia. It was a nice middle ground between too sweet and not sweet at all. The SA/r*pe of FMC wasn’t in any content warnings so it threw me off a bit at first, but it will be corrected for the final version. I really enjoyed Crown of Slumber and I’m looking forward to the next retelling from RL Perez.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️.5

Aurelia

This book had a lot going on. Dragons, enemies to lovers, curses, ogres, magic, and more. It was a lot, but somehow it worked and made for an enjoyable dual POV read.
The world this overfilled story is set in was the best part of the story for me. The author created a world that I would happily read more books set in this multi kingdom world. I want more.

Beyond that is the characters.
I liked Fennick he wasn't the typical spoiled fae prince, there was personality and heart. For the enemies to lovers side of him I'd have liked him to be a little more mean and a little less loving from the start, but beyond that Fen is a nice guy.
Aurelia on the other hand was a female lead I didn't like at all. I found her whiny, spoilt and boring. I didn't care about her and her journey like I did those around her and the events unfolding.
I liked the dragons and the side characters. Excellent evil queen and darkly mysterious witches to round out the fantasy.

While the story was good and mostly enjoyable it did feel like the author didn't know when to stop. Stop throwing fantasy elements in, story adding new twists to the story and overall when to call an end. That been said, the eventual end was good if overly sweet.

Overall its a good story for those who like romanstasy and is bound to have something for everyone
Grab this book for a bedtime book, but on a night when you can stay up late for just one more chapter.

Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez puts a dark spin on the classic fairytale Sleeping Beauty by following Princess Aurelia and Prince Fenn on a love/hate filled journey through deadly forests, glittering castles, and a misty dreamscape while trying to save their feuding kingdoms. He needs something from her and she needs something from him, but dark secrets and barbed tongues keep them from truly being able to trust one another even as their hearts yearn for something more. Early on I saw the similarities in the fairytale, but as I made my way though the story the subtle hints and twists on the classic were expertly woven through and made it impossible for me to put down!

The pacing in the first few chapters was a little slower, but that gave me time to get introduced to the characters and their shared history. The chapters are written from alternating point of view from the Prince and Princess and it made my connection deeper to each character as a result. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys twisted fairytales, steamy adult romance, and beautifully dark magic. Thank you Victory Editing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely enjoyed this sleeping beauty retelling. I think it’s the best one I have read. I loved the twists and the mysteries. I wasn’t quite sure how it was considered a retelling until the end when everything made sense. Princess, dragon and witch all in one. Magnificent for sure. I definitely enjoyed the dynamic between Aurelia and Fenn, they were so fun to read about and that bargain, while very common, it was something. I guess what I liked the most was how this book kept me guessing about Aurelia, her dragons and her magic. I most definitely did not see her origin story coming, never guessed. I 100 percent will recommend this to people

Thank you NetGalley & R.L. Perez for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love a good retelling and this was a GREAT retelling!

This is a sleepy beauty retelling in a fae world where instead of the princess falling into a deep sleep, her family and royal court are the ones that are enchanted into a deep sleep and the princess must find a way to awaken them with a special dust. In order to do so, she partners with the prince of an enemy court to obtain the special dust that only his court has. But darker forces work against them to prevent the royal family and court from waking up.

I could not put this book down! It was so freaking good. The writing was top notch, the storyline was so intriguing, every aspect of the original fairytale was used in some way or another in this book, and I loved reading something and making the connection to the original story. It made me all giddy and excited! I enjoyed the dark aspects of the story and the plot twists- chef’s kiss! I absolutely loved all the dragons in the world, their interactions with the main characters were so freaking cute and funny at times! 10/10 recommend!

I honestly don’t know what to say. At first I was like this is a mix of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing but it’s a retelling!!! I can’t wait for book 2!!! I just NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Victory Editing and @rlperez for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crown of Slumber is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, if there were more dragons that behaved like little puppies and if the Princess was a total badass. The sense of wonder Aurelia gets from flying with her dragons, who all have bags of personality, is what hooked me into the story, and I stayed for that, and of course, the charming romance which begins as a marriage of convenience and blossoms into something all encompassing and SUPER romantic. The banter is heady and intoxicating, think Powerless, but spicier.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Fans of Fourth Wing, and charming, sweeping romance, will devour Crown of Slumber - the first of a planned series of fairy tale retellings set in this universe, out on 15th September.