I've been excited to read this book since I first read the synopsis, and after seeing how much my friends loved it, I finally decided to sit down and read it.

I loved this and was intrigued by it all, from the society we're thrust in that cares only about beauty and material things to this fierce young princess that embodies her dragon-killing, warrior queen ancestors. I loved Alyce, how she tried so hard to survive despite the constant hate heaped upon her. She was tireless, strong, yet still full of love for those who deserved it. I hated Briar and it's people for their hatred and crimes against her, and they all honestly deserved what they got. I also really enjoyed the lore in the world itself, of this mortal kingdom that played a role in the affairs of near-immortals. I can't wait to see what this story brings next, and what the ending will mean for Alyce and Aurora. I also really enjoyed that even as this story deviated from the original tales of Sleeping Beauty, it paid homage to its origins, in both small and big ways.

My only complaint is that it took quite a while for things to really start happening, and it felt slow while everything was still building up. However, this part was integral to understanding the rest of the story, so I definitely understand why it developed like this. It makes me even more excited about the sequel, to see where what this book unleashed will go.