The plot is too thin and even the magical logic doesn’t hold up. Characters are types. The art is cute, but it’s just not enough to keep me going.

A modern take on the classic tale, Sleeping Beauty, beginnings during the turn of the 19th century before Oxana, a young ballet dancer playing the part of Princess Aurora, is put to sleep only to be woken a 100 years later by the mysterious Man in White. Who makes her promise that she will perform the part of Aurora once more.
She wakes to a world filled with so much that she does not know, and all she can remember is her name and that she had been a dancer. Luckily Oxana is found in the unused tower of an academy where she has slept by Leonid and Aria, two students that take her under their wing taking care of her, offering a place to stay, and helping her to become a dancer once more. While also trying to help her regain her memories.

I really enjoyed reading this and thought it was a very interesting take on sleeping beauty that I have never seen before. I would have liked to have seen more about the curse, as only the first 7 pages show glimpses of Oxana's life before the curse and why the curse was cast. But I think that there might be more about the curse in later acts.
I thought that the artwork was pretty nice and smooth, it worked well for the story and I really liked the colour palette that was used. The style did remind me of 90s/early 00s anime and manga, as the hair and faces reminded me a little of shojo anime and manga characters from these decades. I also think that this book is aimed more towards younger readers, probably preteens and teens. That isn't of course to say that older readers can't enjoy this as well.
Overall, I felt that this was a strong and intriguing start to a series that I think has potential be very interesting.

Cute manga, actually much more original storyline than I expected. Also love the artwork and color choices, will definitely be looking forward to reading more of this series!

My thanks to Europe Comics for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Sleeping Beauty Act 1’ written and illustrated by Karina in exchange for an honest review. It was translated from the French by Jessie Aufiery.

This ballet-themed retelling opens in the late 19th Century as Oxana, a young dancer, is about to make her debut as Princess Aurora at the premiere of the Sleeping Beauty ballet at a grand theatre. Another member of the Company is fired by the Oxana’s father, the theatre’s director. This particular dancer is playing the wicked fairy and he is allowed to perform one last time.

Well naturally he manages to sneak off and acquires some dark magic and then during the spindle scene of the ballet he places a real curse upon Oxana. She falls into an enchanted sleep.

Move forward one hundred years and a mysterious masked man enters a deserted tower in the grounds of the Grand Theatre’s Academy of Dance and Music. There he finds the sleeping form of Oxana. He has in his possession a crystal that awakens her.

Oxana is suddenly in a strange new world with no memory of her past though she knows that she is a dancer and after making a few friends seeks admission to the Academy. There remains the mystery of the curse and the crystal as well as other questions.

Having loved ballet since I was a girl I was very drawn to this premise and its blending of dance with the fairytale.

The art is very manga influenced, which is a style that I am rather lukewarm about. I also felt that Oxana dealt a bit too easily with waking up a century later.

However, it was very pretty and sweet though I did feel that overall it was more suited to a younger readership. I am curious about how Karina will continue with this story in further Acts.

I gave it a 1 star because in all honesty, I didn't enjoy the story. The story was incredibly rushed, never explained, what even is 'the company'? The drawing style reminded me of manga and anime, which I'm admittedly not a big fan of. I also didn't quite care for the ballet theme.

And because it was so rushed and underexplained, I really didn't feel any interest in the characters at all. It's not a graphic novel I will remember for long I think.

Were I about 18 years younger, I would have absolutely <i>adored</i> this book with every single piece of my being. With its beautiful storytelling, captivating characters, gorgeous artwork, and rather unbelievable conveniences <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> both illustrated and written by Karina is pretty perfect for young me. In the strangest of ways, it actually takes me back to a few months ago in which I was finally fully reading the <i>Sailor Moon Manga</i> for the first time in an act of nostalgia. Though, of course, there are a lot of sweeping differences. But I have to say that the man in white, without a doubt, reminds me uncannily of Tuxedo Mask. Only, this guy seems to know a lot more about what's going on than Mamoru ever did. With that said, I think a large part of the reason why I find myself stuck on this idea that this book would have been perfect for a younger me--and though I am referring to my eight-year-old self, keep in mind that I was quite the advanced reader at the time--is due to the fact that this graphic novel, while amazing, is just a little too far-reaching for me now.

I feel like there was a lot of potential for <i>Sleeping Beauty </i>to be a level of perfection that I just didn't know I desperately needed from a graphic novel. Unfortunately, it was really only surface level good. For starters, it's blatantly obvious who the man in white is, though I don't necessarily know if this is a bad thing. What is bad, however, is the fact that he seems to have a lot of extensive knowledge about a curse that no one seems to be aware of aside from the old man who owns the theater, with no explanation as to how. His entire demeanor regarding the situation just feels too easily attained. Granted, it becomes clear later why he might have this information, but the story simply did not flow well around it.

Sleeping Beauty wakes quite early in the novel, and thus Oxana struggles to find her place in a time period that is not her own. Those helping her are incredibly sweet, but Leonide's aloofness leaves me feeling as though the connection he should have with Oxana is non-existent, or at the very least extremely paltry in comparison to what it could be. I wish there had been more time spent on building a relationship between these two characters that didn't leave me feeling as though they barely know each other, despite the obvious preparation for the two of them to consider each other love interests.

Aside from those small complaints, I did really enjoy <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> overall. And I can guarantee, had I read it when I was young, this would likely be an incredibly beloved story that I would hold very dear to my heart, rereading over and over in spite of the fact that, as an adult, I now don't consider it as amazing as I once did. As it stands, I do look forward to getting my hands on the next installment as this one did end on somewhat of a cliffhanger. Frankly, I really wanted to know what happens in the end.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I love Sleeping Beauty and I love ballet. So, this seemed like the perfect combo for me.

Unfortunately, that did not happen. I was not a fan of the art, the colours were somewhat off for my liking. And this was not my favourite Sleeping beauty retelling at all.

While I got the premise, I did not enjoy it or found it that clever. In certain parts I got a bit of Cinderella vibes for some reason.

Wasn't that great. Felt like the story was lacking and the colors of the art didn't stay consistent. Didn't leave me intrigued enough to want to continue reading.

I love the ballerina aspect in this story and the different take in the classic Sleeping Beauty. This is a retelling and I had so much fun reading this story. I need more, most definitely! I need to know what will happen next and how the story goes from there.

A charming story with cute artwork. Only, I feel the beginning lacking. I would prefer if there's more information about the villain and Oxana and her family. I also thought it'd be a Sleeping Beauty retelling. But aside from Oxana getting into a curse of deep sleep, there's not much similarities to the story. Although, I love the twist of her waking up in a modern world. It is interesting to see how she'd adapt. The characters are okay, nothing that notable aside from Oxana and the man in white. I wish they'd explore more the story of how and why he found out about Oxana. Also, there's too much mean girls to my liking. Overall, though, it was okay. Could be charming.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!).
Sleeping Beauty tells us the story of Oxana, a young ballerina with the lead role of the ballet Sleeping Beauty in the 19th century. Her father ends up provoking the hate of a dancer that decides to take revenge on Oxana. Oxana is put under a sleeping spell just like the Sleeping Beauty. Centuries go by and she wakes up in modern times with the help of a mysterious masked man.
I enjoyed Sleeping Beauty, it was a cute, short comic about a girl from another century trying to adapt to new circumstances. The art is also cute and the story really reminded me of the show "Find me in Paris".
I sense a possible love triangle and I liked the positive female friendship presented between Aria and Oxana. Leonide seems to be a sweet love interest. What I didn't like much was how simplistic and cliché the villains were. They filled a bunch of tropes. I think this comic might be more adequate to a juvenile audience.
For those who enjoy a simple, (not complex) ballet story with some light romance and a touch of paranormal, you should enjoy this:)

This was very confusing story book. I understand the original 'muse' has been taken from sleeping beauty but similarities ends there. After that it is all about Belle dancing and mean girls. And what is violin doing there? I know it is magical and have powers but totally unnecessary for storyline. It could have been conga drums for all I care. But the worst part, it is not complete book - it is to be continued - continued on what, one might ask...

This adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" is not quite for me, but I'll definitely recommend it to our Anime fans.