Is there something better than a fairytale retelling? Yes, there is something better than a fairytale retelling. The villain origin story! In a lot of fairytales the villains are just villains. We don't learn anything about their motivation or how they've become who they are nowadays. I love it when authors accept the challenge to come up with their version of the tale. I was therefore excited when I saw this book on Netgalley and I'm thankful Quill & Crow Publishing House granted my request.

My feelings and thoughts on this book are a little conflicted and it's hard to put into word why this book in the end didn't really convince me. I think that's partly because "villain turns fully villain because of lost love" is a little overdone. I understand love, heartbreak and loss are great motivators, but to make it work the author has to convince me that the romance is real and means so much and I'm not entirely sure if the book managed to make me feel that.

I guess that's also because everything that happens is still out of our heroine's control. Not once in the story is she the one deciding what she wants. She is very much used, abused and created for a certain purpose and it feels like she never really had a chance to become anyone but a villain in the end. Which means that her motivation to do what she does and to become who she becomes still feels a little wobbly.

Which is a pity, because the author's writing style is beautiful and especially in the first one third of the book I had really high hopes for this book. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the danger and I liked how there was so much politics in this book. I think I just had expected another kind of story. This was very much a girl destined to be wicked being pushed to become wicked by literally everyone. I prefer the stories where I really have the feeling that picking another path had been possible.

However, me not entirely being convinced by this book is very much a me problem. So give the book a chance. You might end up liking it way more than I did!

I enjoyed this fairytale retelling and the dark, gothic vibe. At times, I found it repetitive and slow but I hung on and the end was redeeming. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy retellings.

I thought this book was fun for the fact that it was a different take on how the villain in Sleeping Beauty came to be. For me there was just too many twists that happened that really didn't seem necessary. This book will definitely make you more sympathetic to Myravelle and how she gets to where she is but it was just a little too slow of a read for me. The writing is great, Rosalyn Briar knows how to paint in an image in your head so that you can envision everything that is going on.

The cover and blurb drew me in but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the characters and found them to be underdeveloped and bland. The plot was okay but I expected more. The writing wasn’t to my liking either. In this case, the book just wasn’t for me. If you enjoy fairytale retellings and want to read one from the villain’s perspective you might enjoy this.

Between 2 & 3 stars. The stars are for the originality and keeping me mostly entertained. My focus/enjoyment started to wane after the halfway mark though. I do think it stays true to the character we're familiar with but for some reason, parts of the story felt stuck in there without true purpose? I am unsure what really bothered me. I think I just didn't connect as well as I thought I was going to in the second half. I definitely made it to the end, but I'm probably not shelving this one.

I think something wrong with me, i find using blood in magic and during intimate time feel so hot. Lol

At beginning Byzarien dosnt like Myravelle, because he think she is a witch who only drain people energy. When he know the truth, he fall for her. Together they unfold mystery war between fairy and human.

“What if I told you, I am the one who used the blade because he likes it?”

I need help🤣🤣

But the end..oh Myravelle..

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#HerDarkEnchantments #RosalynBriar #QuillandCrowPublishingHouse #NetGalley #ARC#IndependentBookPublishersAssociation #IBPA

If you like sleeping beauty, you’ll love this retelling. This book reminds me of sleeping beauties tale but from the ‘villain’ perspective. It follows Myravelle who is a fairy healer amongst a group of the Kings soldiers. Her mother is enslaved by the king and she wants nothing more than to free her…..well also maybe to have someone love her. It also follows Byz who of course is going to become a romantic interest. Byz has always thought poorly of fairies and when he is chosen as Myravelles new canvas, he has to overcome those feelings in order to bond with her so that she may then heal the sleeping soldiers. However, their feelings for each other grow over time and they fall in love, but the story doesn’t end there. Lots of running and hiding fills their lives and bad things befall Byz. Myravelle finds a different part of herself and that is when we truly see this ‘villain’ side of her.

Normally I love a good fantasy romance but I feel like this just didn’t do it for me. This is the first retelling type of story I’ve read and I don’t know if they are my fav. I felt like I knew what was going to happen and I didn’t feel very connected to either character. I didn’t feel bad when bad things happened or excited when they had a happy change of events. Overall, it was a good story with great world building but I don’t think I’d read a follow up novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Quill & Crow Publishing House for a digital ARC - pub date 4/25/2023. Trigger Warnings : violence, physical and emotional abuse. (Technically a 3.5 but I rounded up for how the ending took me.)

At first I was torn about reading this one because I am a complete junkie for fairy tales and retellings but I am generally annoyed by the trend of all Bad Ass Villains needing a Tragic Backstory (TM) to justify their wickedness. The Wicked Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, most notably in the Disney version, is one of the OG and there is an amusing family story of her appearance on the big screen scaring little me so much that my uncle dragged me from the theater crying and handed me back to my parents, swearing never to take me to a movie until I could behave. (Fun fact: He held to that until I was in my early teens and he took me to see Casper) Maleficiant is deliciously, wickedly, powerfully terrifying and every inch of me resisted humanizing her (no, I have never seen the Angelina Jolie pic). She has style and drama and flair to spare.

But the cover... What a beautiful cover and, okay, I'll give it a go because it sounded promising. I am glad I did. The world is created well without too much fussy explanation. You are able to sink pretty easily into the world and the situations, lousy as they are. Part of this is the POV choices which alternate between the two main characters but are not quite omnipotent for them. You get into the heads of Myravelle and Byzarien but you don't get utterly lost in them which works out quite well to show the reader the different sides at the beginning.

There is a lot of heavy fairy-tale traditional trappings in the book but they are woven with a larger feel that has a better grounding. Unlike fairy tales where almost no one and no place has a name or much growth, Her Dark Enchantments lavishes names and feelings and backstories on many characters in addition to the main two. The only ones lacking more depth feel like they are deliberately left out of the circle for a reason - most probably because every story needs a villain and, by virtue of what this book is, it cannot start out as the Wicked Fairy. Myravelle needs to walk her path to get there and so does the reader.

Which is kind of a funny thing and I am impressed the author managed to keep me reading because I absolutely KNEW where this story was going. It had to go to dark places, it had to end badly, the couple cannot get a happily ever after... Because then we wouldn't have the Wicked Fairy.

The beginning was slow and Byzarien's anger/hatred grew tiresome but, once they started communicating properly, things melted into a better flow and I found myself caring about what happened to them and dreading what I knew was going to HAVE to happen. On the way, though, I could enjoy learning about how magic in this world worked in tandem with Myravelle learning. This was a particularly nice conceit and made the magic feel quite organic and reasonable. Finding each new rune and learning to use it felt like an adventure. Just as, unfortunately, every fresh betrayal taught a different lesson. Thankfully, the author had enough sense to keep from unrelenting doom and gloom and gave us (and the couple) bright spots to relieve the pacing - Byzarien's friends, their devotion to each other, uncomplicated and no nonsense LGBTQIA relationships, Byzarien's family and acceptance, even sweet little Sola trying to be fair.

Really quite an enjoyable read and I'm glad I tried it despite my pre-existing prejudices. :)

DNF at 30%.

Unfortunately this book is not to my liking. I find complex writing style while conversations are childish and not fitting to expectations. Plot is slow and while book is short, pacing is not well done. Nothing is happening and then a lot at once. Maybe it gets better but I barely managed to read 30% which I always read before I give up. I knew I would dislike it within first 10 pages as it was already a lot of words, saying little and repeating often.

I had high hopes for the book as premise sounded very interesting.

I was intrigued with the retelling of sleeping beauty. I found it difficult to figure out the names which made me not enjoy the book as much as I should off, so perhaps a pronunciation guide would be good. I enjoyed the story but felt it did not have a strong character development. The pacing in the beginning is super slow. I felt that the world building and the magic system was great. The spice was really good too. I felt the second half of the book was much better than the first half. All in all I am so glad I read this and I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

I saw this book on NetGalley and it was described as a dark fantasy romance about Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. I love romantasy books and retellings so I thought this book would be really good!

Unfortunately, it was not good. At all. I probably should have DNFed it but it held my interest just enough and was a quick enough read that I finished it to see what happened. Honestly, would have been fine either way DNFing the book.

The premise of the book was great. Enemies to lovers with a magical fairy who has been locked away by the king her whole life and one of the king's soldiers? Should be excellent. Unfortunately, this lacked development pretty much all around. The characters were really wooden and stiff. I could not connect with them at all. They had SO much potential with interesting backstories but the execution was not done well. I found myself rolling my eyes at them most of the time instead of feeling anything for them.

The writing felt juvenile and the style wasn't great. The pacing of the plot was either dreadfully slow or everything happening at once and explained in two sentences. The development of the plot was just lacking. It was really hard to get into the book (it was a fast/easy read. But engagement-wise, it wasn't there). Again, the idea of a good story is there, but how it was done just did not do the idea any justice.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book or this author. Save yourself the time and find a different Maleficent retelling.

I just reviewed Her Dark Enchantments by Rosalyn Briar. #HerDarkEnchantments #NetGalley

I read this whilst I was on holiday and found this change in genre difficult for me to read. However, I did let my friends daughter read it (she’s 24) and she absolutely loved it!

If you like fantasy books then this book is for you and my niece highly recommends it.

A wonderful remaining of sleeping beauty. Specially the back story for the evil fairy and how she became so. I was pleased with the progression of the storyline. A beautiful, sad tale.

I enjoyed the concept of this book. I feel that it is a unique take on a sleeping beauty retelling and one woman’s descent into madness.

However I fell like the pacing was all wrong. They hate each other then quickly loved each other and then he dies. I didn’t feel I had enough time to fall in love with the characters individually before falling for them together. So his death didn’t do anything for me.

Then the plot twist of the king being her father. Didn’t really add anything to the story.

Overall enjoyed but wouldn’t read again

I love a good female villain. However, the writing of this author needed to be flushed out a little bit more. It just needed a little bit of work and hopefully future books will be slightly better.

3.5⭐️

Myravelle Spinner grew up on a tower with nothing but spiders to keep her company. Her mother spins gold for the king, a job that would likely be passed to Myravelle. But as a teenager it’s discovered that Myravelle has the ability to wake those put under a cursed sleep. But to do so she must carve into a man with a dagger to fuel her powers. Enter Byzarien Dumont, the latest canvas picked for Myravelle.

But Byzarien is different. After overcoming his prejudice to the fairies, he discovers that Myravelle never asked to be the monster everyone sees her as and that she maybe his one true love. And she’ll burn the whole kingdom down to stay with him.

I’m on a dark retelling kick and this was an interesting tale of the Wicked Witch from Sleep Beauty. I enjoyed watching the events that lead to a meek girl doing what she had to do to keep her mother safe to this wicked creature who curses the kings daughter and cackles while doing it. You can feel Myravelle’s sanity slip as she undergoes one betrayal after another and honestly, good for her taking things into her own hands.

The only reason this isn’t a higher rating from me is the pacing. I loved the beginning when Myravelle and Byzarien meet and I loved the ending. But the middle dragged and felt more like it was following a fantasy checklist if they go here and something bad happens and then here where something bad happens. Also, I wasn’t attached to any of these characters and felt they were mostly surface level. How am I supposed to believe her turning wicked over her one true love if the relationship was they hate each other/they love each other with no transition?

Thanks Netgalley and Quil & Crow for providing this ARC for an honest review!

Sleeping Beauty meets Rumpelstiltskin in this tale about the origins of the Wicked Fairy. Myravelle Spinner grew up in a tower while her mother, Xylina, spun gold for the king of Eglantyne. Xylina has never been open to discussing fairy magic with Myravelle, but one fateful event leads her to tap into a magical healing power fed by the pain and blood of humans.

The king sends Myravelle to heal his soldiers at the Sleepy Wood Company camp, where she must select a canvas, to facilitate her magic by draining their blood. Things take an unexpected turn when her fairy magic chooses Byzarien Dumont as her next canvas. Scarred both physically and mentally, he feels nothing but hatred for her. His reluctance to submit to her magic weakens her and puts Xylina’s life in further danger.

As Byzarien gets to know Myravelle, he realizes that she is not what everyone thinks she is. He offers her his trust and his heart as she finds herself unleashing her hidden powers. As she deals with her new abilities, persecution, betrayal, and profound heartbreak, Myravelle faces an uncertain future. Her life will never be the same, and someone needs to pay.

Thoughts:

We all know how the story ends, but the particulars are what make this retelling unique. The author effectively describes Myravelle’s unsettling magic, and her prose is beautiful. However, I struggled to become invested in the story because the plot initially seemed to repeat itself. Moreover, the pacing felt inconsistent at times.

Myravelle is a full-fledged character on a journey plagued with doubt, heartbreak, and fear. The author highlights the dark aspects of her personality brilliantly. However, the fairy god influence over her did not work for me and felt unnecessary. As for Byzarien, his sudden devotion had me questioning its source. Despite this, I became invested in his journey. The ending is predictable, as it should, and mostly satisfying.

Overall, this is a three-star read for me, but I am sure other readers will love it. Particularly those who enjoy retellings of traditional fantasy stories, dark magic, and romance,

#HerDarkEnchantments#NetGalley#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover#netgalleyreviewer#bookstagrammer#bookreviews#goodreads#netgalleyreviews#bookstagram#booktrovert#booklover

A dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty that I didn’t know I needed but that everyone should read. Just… wow. This book surprised me in the most amazing and wonderful way, I wasn’t expecting that. My mind is blown away and I feel like I am still processing what I read.

This book introduces us to a world where magical trees are what stand between human and fairy war. We have the main female character, Myravelle, a fairy under the king’s thumb, whose magic is fueled by her connection with a chosen man, with painful, deadly costs for both parties. Yet… what happens when the one man who hates her is chosen to be her next canvas?

Despite all, you can see so clearly how Myravelle never wanted to hurt anyone. In fact, all she wanted is freedom for both herself and her mother, and someone that could actually love her despite her actions.

Then, we have Byzarien. A soldier in the Sleep Wood Company, Byze is tasked with trying to either get through the trees to the fairies, or just harvest the trees to make weapons. He’s honestly a grumpy, although to be fair there’s no sunshine in this trope. Yet, his love for his friends and family, his stubbornness but concurrent ability to admit maybe he was wrong, and his fierce loyalty and good heart made me immediately fall for him.

Overall, I really loved the book. The characters are easy to root for and love. The romance is fantastically paced and written, and I also like how they have the bonding understanding of what it’s like to be viewed as unlovable to the rest of the world. The magic system is pretty soft but the details we do get are so cool and interesting. The world is magical and enthralling, the story immediately sucks you in and the ending is amazing!

A insightful Maleficent retelling. It goes from a weak pure and not a villain to full on villain. The plot has some good ideas some of the writing could be improved but the basis is good. You will 100% enjoy this book if you like female villains.

Her Dark Enchantments is an enchanting and captivating retelling that will surely bewitch you from the very first page.. Our characters are written to all feel important to the story, but can at times be a little confusing - lacking real arc or movement. For what is lacking in the character department, it is made up by the world building and development. I often found myself closing my eyes and watching my imaginary scenery. The themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption are woven into the narrative, and they will stay with you long after you've finished the book. I would be recommending this one to any fans of our beloved fairy tales, mystic and magic.