For a seasoned author who has written over a dozen novels, the quality of this novel was quite atrocious.

*Received an ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review*

The writing was incredibly poor. There were constant repetition of phrases during scenes "her eyes sparkled like she knew something i did not" for one, to a point where it passed merely noticeable to showing a lack of care from both writer and editor to make sure there isn't a constant recycling of terms. To make it worse, the ENTIRE 500 PAGES is told and not shown. A little bit of this is usual for fantasy books, we are entering a totally unknown world here, but the novel cannot trust its audience even deep into the story and narrates everything as if we are reading a history a book and not there with the characters watching them through their own heads. Criminally boring.

Usually with poorly written stories you can at least struggle through by connecting to a character, but every single one felt like a single-phrased workshop instead of actual PEOPLE. The female main character struggles to be anything except 'rebelling against patriarchy, likes dragons'. It was agonising trying to listen to these characters say the most basic boring thing and follow the expected script for their chosen personalities. It made the story lack even more sense and jumbled the world futhark.

Marketing was SEVERELY POOR. This is meant to be New Adult, catered towards romantasy and people who want really in depth characters who feel real, but it read like a Middle Grade novel. In fact, I think it would have been better off this way. The truly terrible writing was more in line with a children's book than an adult romantasy, and everything felt geared towards introducing young readers into fantasy to the first time rather than seasoned consumers which was WILD.

Narrators felt incredibly plastic and over-effected.

Will actively go out of my way to avoid consuming both the author but also the narrators again.

I always want to start off my audiobook book reviews to commend the narrators because I know they pour their heart and sould into these books to bring out the amazing characters thats wonderful authors write. And I must say that Evelyn Rose & Tim Paige were the perfect voices for Aurelia and Fenn. I absolutely loved them.

Now, this book was definitely epic in every sense and I quite enjoyed it! The world was easy to understand and the story was very compelling. What’s not to love? You have Dragons and Faes and witches and the unseelie! You know you’re in for an adventure! Also, you always want the main characters to meet in the best way and Aurelia and Fenn definitely did. I mean dancing in the forest 🌳 😍😍😍

Once that bargain was struck I wanted to know more and more, and this book has SO MANy LAYERS! Of course I don’t want to spoil anything for you! So you’ll just have to listen (or read) for yourself! I’ll also add that this is a standalone book, which I love because sometimes fantasies shouldn’t be 5 books long…. 😅

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
💜Sleeping Beauty Retelling
💜Romantasy
💜Enemies to Lovers
💜He falls first
💜Fae Bargain
💜Dragons
💜Hidden secrets
💜Sleeping curse
💜Dual POV
💜Open Door
💜Standalone

I received an advance listening copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I absolutely loved this read. I felt like I really got to know all the characters and their motivation. However I did feel the end was really rushed.

I loved listening to the audiobook of Crown of Slumber as much as I loved reading the digital copy of it!

Crown of Slumber is a wonderful story from start to finish. I immediately connected with the FMC. In many ways, the politics of this book reminded me of the ACOTAR series, but with dragons! I enjoyed watching the FMC and MMC grow their relationship while also growing as individuals. This book has many great elements that I look for in a romantasy book such as an intricate magic system, mythical creators, and suspense that kept me listening. The narration was well done and getting to see this story through the eyes of both the FMC and the MMC which adds an extra layer to this already complex story. Aside from the spicy romance, I loved seeing the relationship Aurelia had with her dragons. It was such a beautiful connection that made this book about more than romance, but a general love for others.

Posted to Goodreads: 3/25/2025

This romantasy book has a lot going for it. It has dragons, witches, curses, enemies-to-lovers, and dual POVs. This story follows Princess Aurelia and Prince Fenn as they strike a bargain to save both of their kingdoms. Seeing the bits of sleeping beauty in the story line was really fun and enjoyable, and overall this book was a nice little escape to the fae realm. I would recommend checking for trigger warnings before reading the book, and be aware it is a bit spicy. I was given the opportunity to listen to this audio book through NetGalley and hope others can enjoy their time in the realm of Valora.

Was cute at points pace was a bit slow wish more happened plot wise & romance wise I am interested in reading 📖 the next book the narrators for the audiobook were great they both felt perfect for the characters that was how I imagined their voices

Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez is a captivating retelling of Sleeping Beauty, weaving together an enchanting tale of dragons, fae, witches, and political intrigue. The story follows Princess Aurelia and Prince Fenn, heirs to two rival kingdoms locked in a bitter feud. With Perez's skillful world-building and dynamic storytelling, these characters navigate a turbulent landscape of betrayal, magic, and the weight of their royal responsibilities.
The plot is brimming with twists that keep readers guessing, and the unique take on Sleeping Beauty adds depth and originality to this timeless tale. While I initially found the romance between Aurelia and Fenn uncertain, their relationship evolved beautifully, culminating in an emotional and satisfying connection that won me over by the end.
A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review. For lovers of fantasy, complex politics, and heart-pounding romance, Crown of Slumber is not to be missed!

First of all, the narrators did an amazing job bringing these characters to life! I felt completely immersed in the story. Sleeping Beauty is one of my all time favorite Disney movies and I loved all the small nuances of this retelling. Not only the sleeping curse but the dancing in the forest, both of them not knowing who each other was when they did, the blue flame magic and of course THE DRAGONS! Totally made me believe this was sleeping beauty reimagined and I loved every second of it!

I received this title as an audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book definitely held my attention, and despite the decent length I finished it pretty quickly. Sometimes I find myself getting tired of the fae/fantasy trope because a lot of it feels the same, but this one was refreshing!

I really enjoyed the world building in this book and was intrigued with the different courts and lands. The female main character was a bad ass and a great match for Finn.

There were alternating POVs between Finn and Aurelia, which I find it always enjoyable. The only thing that threw me off a bit with the audiobook was that the female voice had an accent and the male did not. This may have been intentional since they ARE from different courts, but that’s my opinion of it.

Would definitely love to read other books by this author! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I got this as an audio arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. This was amazing, I wasn't expected to get as hooked as I got but I should have known cause it has dragons. It has some spice so it helped that I enjoyed the narrators cause I regularly struggle with male narrators. They are too monotone but not here.

The RayView: ✨✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay: 💥
How It Be Spicin’?: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
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“No one, not even the prince of an enemy kingdom, could resist the wonder of flying a dragon.”
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CW: Please check for trigger warnings before reading. Includes things like dubcon and SA.
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In the Crown of Slumber, devastation has hit Princess Aurelia’s kingdom - a sleeping curse has befallen her people within the castle grounds. A small happenstance kept her away from the castle and she finds herself the only one awake within its wall. Everyone, that is, except the stranger she was just dancing with in the woods. He turns out to be Prince Fenn from an enemy kingdom that’s out to barter for the life of one of her precious dragons. Unsure if she can trust the Midnight Prince, she enters into a bargain to try and save her people. Twists and turns reveal that something far more sinister is afoot than the charming and flirtatious prince’s hope to save his kingdom from those that attack it and Aurelia isn’t sure it’s something they can do.
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Crown of Slumber is a Sleeping Beauty retelling filled with twists, darkness, fae magic, and of course spice. I found it delightful to pick out the references to the original tale. The personalities of the dragons had me giggling the entire time. I felt like there was hardly a chance to catch your breath, the constant action building suspense and just when you think it’s time for a gulp of air BAM, you’re dragged back into the fray.
I was honored to read the ALC for this novel thanks to @rlperezbooks @netgalley. The VAs were astounding and truly brought this story to life. I could hardly put it down!

This was my first book by RL Perez and I really enjoyed it. This book is a modern day retelling of a fae version of sleeping beauty... with dragons. Sound great right? Well if you were a big fan of retellings, you will really enjoy this book.

Aurelia, the princess of the Summer Court, is about to ascend the throne to become Queen before a sleeping curse descends upon their kingdom. Fennick, the prince of the Midnight Court, arrives just as the curse is setting in and loses his traveling party to the curse as well. The two enter into a hesitant truce to find a way to free her kingdom and save his - all because she has a strange connection to dragons. Their chemistry is great together and they both have very interesting secrets they’re hiding. And the spice was good.

Definitely enjoyed the dual POV'. And both narrators did an excellent job.

Thank you to Netgalley, RL Perez and Willie Haven press for this ALC

This was my first book by RL Perez and I really enjoyed it. This book is a modern day retelling of a fae version of sleeping beauty... with dragons. Sound great right? Well if you were a big fan of retellings, you will really enjoy this book.

Aurelia, the princess of the Summer Court, is about to ascend the throne to become Queen before a sleeping curse descends upon their kingdom. Fennick, the prince of the Midnight Court, arrives just as the curse is setting in and loses his traveling party to the curse as well. The two enter into a hesitant truce to find a way to free her kingdom and save his - all because she has a strange connection to dragons. Their chemistry is great together and they both have very interesting secrets they’re hiding. And the spice was good.

Definitely enjoyed the dual POV'. And both narrators did an excellent job.

Thank you to Netgalley, RL Perez and Willie Haven press for this ALC

Crown of Slumber is a unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty, infused with dark fae magic, treacherous court schemes, and spicy romance. It is part of the Crowns of Fae series. (Each book can be read as a standalone in any order.)

Not going to lie, I don't know the Sleeping Beauty story well besides she wears pink and she is asleep...but I liked Crown of Slumber a lot! I really enjoyed listening to Evelyn Rose and Tim Paige narrate! Evelyn was the perfect Aurelia and Tim was an even better Fenn. There's nothing better than the push + pull banter between enemies in a fake relationship. AND he falls first! I wanted to slap him a few times but then he came around and righted his wrongs. (LOL, is that a real expression?)

Anyways, I think you should read this book if you like the following:
-romantasy
sleeping beauty retelling (a slumber curse, princess, etc)
-dark fae magic
-opposites attract
-feuding kingdoms
-enemies to lovers
-fake courtship

Thank you, NetGalley and Willow Haven Press for an ALC of this title!

I had a really great time reading this book! I had to pick up the novella that takes place before this one first, and I enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this one, and it was so good! We were introduced to Fenn, but it was great to have his and Aurela's story!

This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, and I loved this take, where the princess is basically the only one who doesn't get sent to sleep, instead of being the first. That she's very protective of her dragons, and her kingdom has slowly become pretty isolated because of that...to have the rest of the royal family, as well as the standing army, be dealt with like that, was not a good situation.

I adored these two. That they had that initial meeting where they didn't know who the other one was, and when they did find out, well, that was a lot of fun, given the bad feelings between their courts. That they both need something from the other, leading to a sham engagement, I loved it!

The depth of the world and the history was really well done, and getting to know it all was really entertaining to read. Seeing how it was tying in with the main story, of why this was going on in the first place, was so good! Really enjoyed how it played out!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to see where the series is going to go!

R.L. Perez's Crown of Slumber is a captivating Sleeping Beauty retelling that breathes new life into a classic tale. From the very first page, I was drawn into the richly imagined world, filled with political intrigue, powerful dragons, and an enemies-to-lovers romance.
Perez excels at world-building. The twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing, and the story’s fast pace ensured I was constantly engaged. I particularly adored the addition of Aurelia’s dragons. Their connection with Aurelia was heartwarming.
The relationship between Aurelia and Fenn is the true heart of the story. Their dynamic is electric, fueled by a compelling mix of animosity and undeniable attraction. The playful banter between them was a highlight, and I loved watching Fenn’s influence on Aurelia as she began to shed her inhibitions and embrace her true self.

The audiobook experience was great. The narrators skillfully brought the characters to life, perfectly capturing their personalities and emotions.

Crown of Slumber is a must-read for fans of fantasy romance and retellings.

I really enjoyed the world building and the twists in this Sleeping Beauty retelling. It’s got more romantasy vibes than your standard fairytale retelling - fae, dragons, and a bit of spice. I think I found this retelling more engaging than the original fairytale, but it could be that I need a refresh of it. Either way this is a fresh twist on the beloved classic.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advance audiobook of this title. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this audiobook is a DnF for me (at least for now). I stopped listening at 51%.

Sleeping Beauty is one of my absolute favorites, so you can imagine how extremely excited I was to read this. The story started off well enough, and I was intrigued. As things progressed, the FMC became more and more insufferable. Her constant mood swings left me confused and made her too pretentious to bear.

The narrators were great for their respective characters, however, making this a dual narration versus a duet really hindered my enjoyment. The blossoming romance wasn’t believable, and the writing (especially the spice) felt juvenile. It’s also worth mentioning that most SA survivors that just confided their story to someone, wouldn’t want to be touched sexually almost immediately after. I found this odd, and uncomfortable.

This Sleeping Beauty retelling features royals from rival courts who strike a bargain to save their empires.

Gorgeous storytelling and such a fiery romance between the two MCs, Aurelia and Fen. There were lots of unexpected twists and turns and I really loved Aurelia's dragons. I did feel like the story lagged a bit at times, and I hate that every single romantasy, it had to be so stinking long and sometimes repetitive. At least in audio format, it seemed like it went on forever. And there was one pivotal scene where intimacy between the characters felt absurd and unnecessary. But it was a beautiful novel overall.

Both narrators were excellent and really brought the tale to life.