A solid reimagining and blending of fairy tales. Myravelle was a captivating character, and the story that was woven was entertaining to read.

There were a few moments where the pacing felt a bit off. The first half of the book felt like it was too slow, and the last 10% felt too fast. I almost wish the last like 15-20% of the book had been stretched out to closer to 30-40%.

Solid book though, especially if you like reading the story of the supposed villain.

Thanks to the Author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion and voluntary

3 stars!

But, to be honest, it's because I'm not too sure how I feel about this all the way yet.

We have another adult fairytale retelling, this time of Sleeping Beauty, and I'm not mad about it. In fact, I'll probably read every single one that comes across my way. Why? Because I'm a bi**h for them.

I like what Briar did in making the plot more unique. The element of trees being such a central plot point in this was refreshing, instead of it just being a fairytale retelling full of smut and no interesting plot. This also had moments that reminded me of Wicked and Rumpel, which just made this more fun to read. You can easily end up caring about the main characters, Mryavelle and Byzarian, and even if you don't, at least you're able to understand them. We also get to see some different types of representation and we get to play with the idea of "what does it mean to be evil or good?" This read was definitely fun.

I appreciate that this book made me think and I, honestly, appreciate that I'm still not sure how I feel after reading it to rate it one way or another. Maybe it'll just remain at 3 stars, maybe it'll drop or go up. I'll give this a reread later on down the line and see if my opinion changes.

I went into this story fairly blind, having only briefly glanced at the blurb and being drawn in by the beautiful cover and the promise of a fairytale retelling.

What I got, at least in the first 75% of the book, was a dark, twisted and kind of kinky story that surrounded an intricate, broken and flawed set of characters. There was layer upon layer of each being peeled back for the reader to enjoy.

I enjoyed Byzarien and Myravelle's story quite a lot, not even really putting the new story to the tendrils of the original until after the 75% mark. The first three quarters of this book is where the story really shines.

I liked the sweet glimpses into life, the peek into a world of gods and beliefs that seem somewhat crude and simultaneously quite complex. Some elements of the magic was handled well, others leaned heavily on tropes we know well and are well used. Some character choices were obvious nods to the original, others not so obvious until later.

Are there plot holes and flaws, yes, but those didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the story. At least not to start with.

However, after the 75% mark, what should have been a gut punch to the feels, felt rushed and utterly cosmetic. I felt absolutely no emotional connection and that really ruined an otherwise solid 4 star book. Unfortunately all the lovely build up and character development was lost in a single scene and the book just couldn't recover.

If you like fairytale retellings, or even the Disney worlds of Maleficent, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty etc then you may enjoy this story. However, if you're looking for something that is 100% true to the originals, look elsewhere.

**Note: I was given an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley**

❥ 4 stars ☆

This is a retelling of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and how she became The Wicked Fairy or The Mistress of All Evil, mixed with some Rumpelstiltskin vibes.

Every other chapter is from Myravelle Spinner and Byzarien Dupont’s point of view alternately.

It’s clear that Myravelle was not born as a bad or evil person, and she is forced to perform magic for the king and the king’s soldiers. All she wants is to save her mother who is also forced to work for the king by spinning gold, and for both of them to be safe.

Byzarien is one of the king’s soldiers, who has experienced pain of his own in the past. He and many other soldiers really dislike fairies, and also think that fairies are the ones behind many attacks against the soldiers. Byzarien has a friend group of 4 other soldiers who were all kind people and friends, and two of them are lovers.

❝Once upon a time,❞ she whispered, ❝there was a girl of stars and a boy of scars. They burned one another in ways only true love can. When the eternal winter snuffed the flames inside of them, they froze together into a beautiful statue. Their love remained eternal as the forest grew all around.❞

While I was reading the last couple of chapters I remembered that this is a retelling book without a sequel so the story will have to end in this book, and I wondered how things would work out for them and how the story would end.

Reading about Myravelle and Byzarien being so happily in love was beautiful and captivating enough that it made me forget for a moment that this is a Maleficent retelling, and therefore I didn’t really see their sad ending coming. They were so happy together and they became better from being together, and they both deserved that.

They were so close to getting to live happily ever after together which makes the ending of their lovestory even more sad. Myravelle was just as close to a future where she didn’t choose to become The Wicked Fairy.

The concept is great, the execution is not. Unfortunately the pacing is off, there are plot holes, and at at times the main character is pretty boring. The characters just never felt fully fleshed out. I walked away with an overall feeling of enjoyment but there is work to be done.

when I saw this book was a fairytale re telling I was super intrigued and excited. especially sleeping beauty one of my favorite princesses. However, this book fell short for me, I found it super slow in the beginning and that make it so hard to finish off novel. It had some great elements including many fairytales but I just wish it flowed easier. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

3.5 stars.

I wanted this book to hold my attention more but overall it was okay. I think some scenes could've been fleshed out a bit more but I found the premise pretty interesting and that made me want to come back to the story when I had put it down.

There was no mystery in terms of what to expect for 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 by Rosalyn Briar. If you love a good fairytale retelling, then this is a book that you'll enjoy. There were moments where the pacing was a bit too slow, but there was also a lot of world building and character building taking place so that wasn't too much of a surprise. The story didn't disappoint and it felt fun at times leaning into this world that we, the reader, are given a peek into.

A Maleficent retelling will always catch my eye and Her Dark Enchantments didn't disappoint! it was a very quick read, filled with magic and the best dark fairytale vibes, even though sometimes I had to fill the blanks by myself. It was an overall good read, and I can't wait what the author puts out next!

I love fairytale retelling, and this one was exactly what I was hoping for. Elements of Sleeping Beauty, reminding me of Wicked. It was lovely! There were a few parts where I was filling in my own blanks, but it didn’t detract at all.
I would read this again!

A fairytale retelling that is also a dark, paranormal romance? This book has a little bit of everything! Growing up, Maleficent was one of my favorite Disney characters and I still find her fascinating today. I have yet to find a compelling backstory about her, yet Myravelle's tale was so bewitching, tragic, and raw that I couldn't help but enjoy it. I love the twist of Myravelle being compared to a black widow spider - one that lures kings into her web just to sustain her family's survival. Rosalyn Briar offers an explanation as to why one of the world's most infamous villains was created and she ends up creating a fully realized and complex version of this character that readers deserve to experience.

A beautiful and well written story.
A retelling of various story tales. Wonderfully dark and twisted.

I absolutely loved this book. It kept me up for hours needing to read just another chapter.

A must for all fantasy lovers.

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one didn't keep my interest as much as I hoped it would. I am sure there are some people out there who will absolutely love this book but unfortunately, it wasn't for me.

Thank you #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am my own person and the thoughts above are my own.

a great fairy tale retelling with some engaging scenes

thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for this review copy.

This is such a great book! I always love a good fairytale retelling, but to have one told from point of view of who we believe to be the villain was so much more intriguing because they are often misunderstood in a lot of ways.

Myravelle is a character that you root for instantly. I repeatedly found myself asking, “Who’s the real villain in this story?” Briar does such an excellent job weaving this story together and keeping you on your toes throughout the entire book.

This book really put me through it. The villain origin arc for someone who really didn't deserve to be branded a villain. Myravelle was such a well developed character- all her feelings and thoughts were so well rounded, and not solely focused on her goal (thus preventing her from being a 2D character). While the concepts behind the book were not unique, the way the author has put her own individual spin on the book was amazing.

A beautiful take on a well known story. Loved the twists! And the writing style flowed well, and was not repetitive which is a big thing for me. Can’t wait to purchase when it comes out!

I received a copy of Her Dark Enchantments by Rosalyn Briar from NetGalley. I was intrigued by the book because it is a retelling of Maleficent. The story is romance, fantasy, and adventure. It follows Myravelle Spinner, a fairy who is forced by the King to be a healer in his Sleepy Wood Company.
Myravelle has had a troubled life. Her mother was kept in a tower by the King, where she spun gold for him. This is the place Myravelle grew up in. She is lonely and scared, but she has to keep working as a healer to keep her mother safe. The soldiers of the Sleepy Wood company do not like Myravelle, and Byzarien is no different. This scarred, brave, and broody soldier has a difficult history with the fairies, so naturally detests Myravelle. She picks one soldier as a ritual (her canvas) to help her heal soldiers fallen into a death-like sleep. The soldiers she picks do not survive for very long because the ritual, takes a toll on them.
A friend of Byzarien is the latest one to succumb to Myravelle’s experiments which fuels his hatred toward her. The ritual to pick the next canvas is when Myravelle tweaks the spell out of loneliness, and Byzarien’s name pops up. Byzarien knows he won’t live long once he becomes Myravelle’s canvas, but he doesn’t have much of a choice. The spell Myravells tweaks are for love. The tension between these two kept me hooked. Myravelle knows the change in spell is the reason for Byzarien being chosen, but he doesn’t like her at all. Slowly, he starts cooperating with her magic to help his friends.
Her Dark Enchantments by Rosalyn Briar is an interesting retelling of Maleficent. It gets a dark and almost gothic-like vibe throughout the story. I liked the arc for Myravelle’s character as she goes from victim to all-powerful. Her romance with Byzarien and the elements of fantasy woven throughout the story are engaging.

DNF

I could not get past the first chapter. Not sure why that was but this book just wasn't for me.

Her Dark Enchantments by Rosalyn Briar is such a unique fairytale retelling! This book is marketed as a sleeping Beauty retelling but I also saw elements of Rumpelstiltskin in it as well as general fairy tale points like curses, varies, and enchantments. I really loved the development of Myravelle's character. She went from being a slightly naive girl who just wanted the best for her family to being something both wicked and wonderful. Her special form of magic was very interesting and I really liked the world building and how her magic was incorporated into the cursed forest. Her relationship with Byzarien was tumultuous and passionate. I really enjoyed their enemies delivery storyline and I thought he was a great character as a support to her overall arc. This tale was both tragic and lovely! And I really like the theme of women's empowerment and owning your power. The ending was everything that I wanted in a Sleeping Beauty retelling and I absolutely love how this author molded. I well known fairy tale into something bigger and better.