**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review from as part of a tour from TBR and Beyond Tours.**
Title Briarheart
Author Mercedes Lackey
Release Date October 5, 2021
Date Finished October 2, 2021
Description
From beloved fantasy author Mercedes Lackey comes a fresh and feminist reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty.
Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she’s not a princess. She’s the child of Alethia and her previous husband, the King’s Champion, who died fighting for the king, and she has no ambitions to rule. When her new baby sister Aurora, heir to the throne, is born, she’s ecstatic. She adores the baby, who seems perfect in every way. But on the day of Aurora’s christening, an uninvited Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse her, and Miriam discovers she possesses impossible power.
Soon, Miriam is charged with being trained in both magic and combat to act as chief protector to her sister. But shadowy threats are moving closer and closer to their kingdom, and Miriam’s dark power may not be enough to save everyone she loves, let alone herself.
Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to read this book. I haven’t read many Sleeping Beauty retellings so I was looking forward to this one.
Some Things I Liked
Fae and retellings. I won’t lie, I’m a big fan of Fae characters and lore. I loved the way they were woven into this retelling.
Found family vibes. I also really liked this element. Aurora’s Companions were more than just a team, along with Brianna, they became a family.
Some Things I Wasn’t Crazy About
No romance. Miri was a bit young for romance but I wished there had been some romance in this story.
Read like middle grade, not YA. The MC and the story read very young. I think this would be a perfect book for an advanced MG reader or a young YA reader.
The story didn’t make a ton of sense. The story starts with an attack from a Dark Fae and then that’s never fully explained. The chain of events didn’t really feel like they made sense.
Series Value
I’m not sure if this is going to become a series. If it does, I’d only be interested in continuing if the characters were a bit older.
Final Thoughts
This book was not what I was expecting. It read much younger than I thought it would and the story’s holes made it harder to enjoy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Links
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56963709-briarheart
Barnes and Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/briarheart-mercedes-lackey/1138785987
Book Depository:https://www.bookdepository.com/Briarheart-Mercedes-Lackey/9780759557451?ref=grid-view&qid=1631812792077&sr=1-1
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780759557451
About the Author
Author Links
Website: http://www.mercedeslackey.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MercedesLackey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8685.Mercedes_Lackey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MercedesLackey/
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