Because of the problematic setup that eventually led to Apolline and Prince Allard falling in love with each other (elaborated in my full review), I could not enjoy the romance aspect of the story at all. In my eyes, their relationship was toxic and potentially harmful, especially given the kind of message it sends to readers. It was such a letdown on my part that I was unable to support the love story in Princess of Tyrone, considering how fundamentally significant romance is in fairytales.

However, despite the frustratingly awful love story and heaps of sexism in Princess of Tyrone, I somehow miraculously liked a lot of the other elements. My favorite aspect of this book was its incredible, imaginative world-building: a universe where technology is magically enhanced, where space pirates exist and roam the cosmos, where fairy magic is strengthened by human emotions like love, hope and faith, and where science mixes with fantasy in the most fascinating of ways. The world in Princess of Tyrone was utterly amazing and held so much promise! It was the perfect setting for thrilling adventures, and for the most part, I did really like the plot sans romance. The twists in the original fairytale of Sleeping Beauty as well as the minor references to other fairytales (e.g. Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel) that were sprinkled throughout the story were particularly brilliant and inventive.

Somewhat surprisingly, I really adored the supporting characters, including the antagonist of the story. The back stories of Queen Cyntheria and Ashlan were the ones I found to be most interesting, but generally, the smooth manner in which the backgrounds and narratives of the supporting roles complemented each other, forming a mishmash of creative fairytale retellings, was remarkable. I did feel a tinge of awe once I finished reading. I just wish the romance in Princess of Tyrone could be completely removed from the narrative because the story would have been a better read without it.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Princess of Tyrone (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers!