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.

i’ve never read or watched sleeping beauty, i’m ashamed to admit, so my thoughts on whether this is an accurate re-telling (or not) don’t come into effect in this review.

putting aside my three-star rating, crown of slumber was such a delight to read! it has its positive and negative aspects, but the negatives didn’t detract from my overall reading experience. it was cute and full of fluff with some action and adventure, but for me this book lacked sensory engagement and deep emotions to make this feel anything more than. i will always mention this—nothing grates on my nerves more than a “tell not show” narrative.

“i loathe you more intensely than a thousand burning suns.”

the enemies to lovers element made me feel underwhelmed! it was kind of there, but brief and didn't contain that true enemies to lovers feeling that leaves you blissfully sighing from all of the heated banter and exchanges of hatred. it was one-sided (from aurelia's side) for most of the story. there’s nothing better sounding than two fae nobles from feuding kingdoms becoming engaged under false pretences, however the execution was lacklustre.

“gods, do you ever stop? you are utterly incorrigible.”
“incorrigible? or irresistible?”

aurelia was argumentative and for no real reason withheld information. all. the. time. i’m sure her characterisation was used to create conflict and tension but dear lord she frustrated me sometimes. she’s supposed to be this strong and fierce character, though aurelia came across as childish and irrationally illogical more often than not. her past sexual assault and following trauma felt mishandled (and lacked trigger warnings for the reader).

fennick isn't your standard dark, brooding and haunted mess of a love interest. he’s softer, kinder and more wholesome. i don't mind this kind of male character sometimes, but in what is supposed to be an enemies to lovers romance between two feuding kingdoms, i wanted some villainous moments from fennick.

i wasn’t invested in aurelia and fennick’s budding romance. it wasn’t exciting. i do, however, appreciate the minimal spiciness but there was one ill-timed encounter that made me go cross-eyed from how far-fetched the entire moment was. it lacked realism, leaving me feeling uninvested and the burning passion was not burning or making me want to kick my feet in excitement.

“dragons made much better company than fae nobles.”

we have magic and curses, witches and dragons, fake courtship and warring kingdoms to name a couple of classic romance elements. however, each one felt like it was touched upon in small doses and the overall deliverance on detail was flat. it was nice to read a standalone, but when introducing an extensive non-human world, having the inability to really delve into those details makes everything feel less engaging.

this book suffered from a lack of character development and detailed world-building and the writing was awfully repetitive. if fennick was described as smelling of pine and mint and waterfalls one more time, i was going to scream.

in short: i wasn’t bored, nor excited reading this.

Enter into a gorgeous world of dragons, magic and witches, curses, and clashing feelings in Perez's Crown of Slumber.

I could not put this down. I fought off sleep so I could continue to read this in one night. The world Perez has created is gorgeous and brilliant and full of color and love. I drooled over the love story's enemies to lovers and forbidden love.

A good Sleeping Beauty Retelling is shown in a completely different way with different twists. Dragons, Witches, Gobblins and other creatures, betrayals, spice, romance, and themed courts. I really enjoyed this retelling and loved the story and the twists and turns it entailed. The themed courts were my favourite and loved the descriptions of the ones we got to encounter and wish they were bounced upon more. Hopefully, in other books to follow. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable book.

4 out of 5 stars!

Whoever decides to write a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite fairytale of all time, becomes an instant favorite person of mine.

I love the world building, the twist, the characters and everything in between that happened in this book.

“Crown of Slumber,” by R. L. Perez

I loved this book. I liked the entire sleeping curse plot because it reminded me of sleeping beauty. I loved the two main characters, Aurelia and Fennick, I loved their bickering and enemies to lover’s type thing going on, and the lack of trust that had to be chiseled off throughout the book. I loved the dragons and the unique bond between them and Aurelia. I loved how Fennick despite being from a brutal and evil country he is quite good hearted and wants what’s best for everyone even if that means he doesn’t get what he wants. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Dragons
-Witches
-Fae
-Enemies To Lovers
-Marriage of Convenience/ Fake Engagement

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.