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darquedreamer's review
4.0
Beauty's Curse was such a cute read. It felt like a mix between the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, and The Princess Bride. It had faeries, an evil curse, comedy, and a strong female main character. It was fun an frivolous.
What I loved about it was the friendship and banter between Rose and Theo. I loved that Rose was not a typical damsel in distress, she was a warrior fighting for what she wanted. I loved the three adorable faeries that were loyal to the crown, and to Rose, and I loved that the author added in Titania, which gave the story a little Midsummer's Night Dream feel.
The whole book just screamed "faerie tale." It had an enchanting feel to it, and offered vivid fantasy details. It also had a little bit of a Grimm's brothers feel as well, with Theo's family's dark past, and hints to the reason why Rose was cursed to punish her father.
I do wish it hadn't been so short. I wanted a little more to happen. Though it, and the rest of the series I assume, was based off the Sleeping Beauty faerie tale, it didn't give me as much of the Sleeping Beauty feel that I wanted, and it didn't really feel like the story moved as much as it should have.
I did enjoy it though, and it was very faerie tale-esque. It kept me entertained enough to want to read the next book to find out what happens. I enjoyed the variety of characters in the story, and the changes made to both Rose and "Maleficient," known as Magdalina in this story. I also loved the ending and the promise of danger and adventure to come. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours and the author for providing me with this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review and as part of the blog tour.
What I loved about it was the friendship and banter between Rose and Theo. I loved that Rose was not a typical damsel in distress, she was a warrior fighting for what she wanted. I loved the three adorable faeries that were loyal to the crown, and to Rose, and I loved that the author added in Titania, which gave the story a little Midsummer's Night Dream feel.
The whole book just screamed "faerie tale." It had an enchanting feel to it, and offered vivid fantasy details. It also had a little bit of a Grimm's brothers feel as well, with Theo's family's dark past, and hints to the reason why Rose was cursed to punish her father.
I do wish it hadn't been so short. I wanted a little more to happen. Though it, and the rest of the series I assume, was based off the Sleeping Beauty faerie tale, it didn't give me as much of the Sleeping Beauty feel that I wanted, and it didn't really feel like the story moved as much as it should have.
I did enjoy it though, and it was very faerie tale-esque. It kept me entertained enough to want to read the next book to find out what happens. I enjoyed the variety of characters in the story, and the changes made to both Rose and "Maleficient," known as Magdalina in this story. I also loved the ending and the promise of danger and adventure to come. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to R&R Book Tours and the author for providing me with this free e-copy in exchange for my honest review and as part of the blog tour.
constant2m's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. The story of Aurora (Rose to her friends and Rosary to one person), cursed by a witch to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel on her 18th birthday, is not unfamiliar. But CJ's spin on the story is fantastic. The way she overlaps the human world and the world of fairy is much more modern and less cute than the Disney version of the story. Additionally, she introduces the characters right in the middle of the story which is incredibly gutsy.
Princess Rose, who has been off questing for years trying to find a way to break her own curse, has been summoned home by her father. She meets some good fairies and evil fairies along the way as well as Prince Philip. At home, she is given an ultimatum. Marry and produce an heir or abdicate. The twist is especially fun, since she has two younger siblings that have been kept in hiding to avoid the curse. While the story is so familiar, the personality of the princess is not. She is very strong-willed and opinionated and absolutely unwilling to give up hope. Philip also has some depth to him. Other fun characters are Rose's younger sister, Isra, princess-in-hiding as well as the one person who always has Rose's back and who Rose takes for granted. Theo, a priest turned knight, and one of Rose's closest friends is also a wonderful addition to the ensemble. I am really looking forward to seeing where this story will lead to.
I received a free copy of this book by the author and have reviewed it willingly.
Princess Rose, who has been off questing for years trying to find a way to break her own curse, has been summoned home by her father. She meets some good fairies and evil fairies along the way as well as Prince Philip. At home, she is given an ultimatum. Marry and produce an heir or abdicate. The twist is especially fun, since she has two younger siblings that have been kept in hiding to avoid the curse. While the story is so familiar, the personality of the princess is not. She is very strong-willed and opinionated and absolutely unwilling to give up hope. Philip also has some depth to him. Other fun characters are Rose's younger sister, Isra, princess-in-hiding as well as the one person who always has Rose's back and who Rose takes for granted. Theo, a priest turned knight, and one of Rose's closest friends is also a wonderful addition to the ensemble. I am really looking forward to seeing where this story will lead to.
I received a free copy of this book by the author and have reviewed it willingly.
momwithareadingproblem's review
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via the author. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.
Beauty’s Curse by C.S. Johnson is the first book in the novella series. I adore Sleeping Beauty so I was really excited to start this series. Retellings for me are either fantastic or fall short of my expectations. I’m happy to say that this book falls on the fantastic side!
Princess Aurora is a princess I can get behind. Rose to her friends, the princess is a fierce character to contend with. She has no fear, or at least that is how she presents herself to all but her closest friends. There is only one thing that can kill her and that’s the curse placed on her by the half-fairy Magdalina. Since she was 13, Rose has been on a quest to find how to break the curse. She’s a little bitter and understandably so. Yet she’s a fighter and won’t stop until the curse takes her. She inspires others to follow her and wherever she goes, Rose seems to fight for justice.
Rose hasn’t returned to her kingdom since she left four years earlier and I don’t blame her. Her parents tried to force her into marriage to make an heir before the curse took effect on her 18th birthday. Now they have requested she return home to either marry or abdicate the throne. I can’t imagine how this would make anyone feel. I know how I’d feel and that’s bitter and angry. Yet Rose approaches it with her friends at her back and shows that she is the true princess of legend.
Theo *swoon* is Rose’s oldest friend and confidante. Raised in the church after his parents are killed by fairies, Theo wants only two things: to get revenge for his parents and save Rose. It’s obvious from their first encounter the two love one another, but are too stubborn to admit so. Rose believes she’s unlovable as her time on earth is limited, and Theo tries to respect her wishes, plus she’s a princess and he a clergyman/knight. He has no business loving her, at least that’s what he thinks. Theo is like Rose’s conscience. He keeps her grounded when she becomes obsessed with stopping the curse. He keeps her living in the moment instead of the inevitable doom that awaits.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. The banter and friendship among Rose and her followers, Theo’s persistent love and the world-building are fantastic. The original fairy tale is still there, but the author has created a new world blended with historical facts that is irresistible. If you enjoy historical fantasy, I highly recommend you pick up this series! The first book is free on all platforms :)
Beauty’s Curse by C.S. Johnson is the first book in the novella series. I adore Sleeping Beauty so I was really excited to start this series. Retellings for me are either fantastic or fall short of my expectations. I’m happy to say that this book falls on the fantastic side!
Princess Aurora is a princess I can get behind. Rose to her friends, the princess is a fierce character to contend with. She has no fear, or at least that is how she presents herself to all but her closest friends. There is only one thing that can kill her and that’s the curse placed on her by the half-fairy Magdalina. Since she was 13, Rose has been on a quest to find how to break the curse. She’s a little bitter and understandably so. Yet she’s a fighter and won’t stop until the curse takes her. She inspires others to follow her and wherever she goes, Rose seems to fight for justice.
Rose hasn’t returned to her kingdom since she left four years earlier and I don’t blame her. Her parents tried to force her into marriage to make an heir before the curse took effect on her 18th birthday. Now they have requested she return home to either marry or abdicate the throne. I can’t imagine how this would make anyone feel. I know how I’d feel and that’s bitter and angry. Yet Rose approaches it with her friends at her back and shows that she is the true princess of legend.
Theo *swoon* is Rose’s oldest friend and confidante. Raised in the church after his parents are killed by fairies, Theo wants only two things: to get revenge for his parents and save Rose. It’s obvious from their first encounter the two love one another, but are too stubborn to admit so. Rose believes she’s unlovable as her time on earth is limited, and Theo tries to respect her wishes, plus she’s a princess and he a clergyman/knight. He has no business loving her, at least that’s what he thinks. Theo is like Rose’s conscience. He keeps her grounded when she becomes obsessed with stopping the curse. He keeps her living in the moment instead of the inevitable doom that awaits.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. The banter and friendship among Rose and her followers, Theo’s persistent love and the world-building are fantastic. The original fairy tale is still there, but the author has created a new world blended with historical facts that is irresistible. If you enjoy historical fantasy, I highly recommend you pick up this series! The first book is free on all platforms :)
doodlebug86's review
1.0
This book had the makings of an excellent story. The underlying idea is great, but this feels like an extremely early draft where no details have yet been added. I hope the author gets a chance to go back and flesh out her ideas, give the characters more personality, add detail, and improve dialog.
mbarkley's review
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
dcgw's review
4.0
Definitely a different 'take' on the fairytale. It is intriguing. Not sure, yet, if I like it or not. Not keen on unfinished bits of stories in books. Understand it is a series, but still not keen on it. Still, enough of interest to keep me reading to see what transpires.
sonshinelibrarian's review
3.0
This was pretty enjoyable. I liked Johnson's twist on the Sleeping Beauty curse , particularly liked the way the princess can't get hurt because she has to suffer the curse . But there were quite a few typos and editing things that were distracting. I enjoyed it, I liked the characters, but personally not enough to seek out the sequels.
blithesquesttoread's review
4.0
4.5 stars
It was really nicee. The starting was a little bit slow but as I was reading it further, the novella became altogether intriguing and hard to put down. My favorite character was undoubtedly Theo. He was amazing and I especially liked the fact that he was keen on seeking revenge. I mean it was kind of the only thing that made him endure all the struggles. And this is true for all the characters as well. They had something or the other to inspire them and keep going. It was good to know that fact. And the ending was an incredible one. It was a ending which promised me that I cannot really live without reading the next one. So all in all it was amazing!
Can't wait to start the next one :))
It was really nicee. The starting was a little bit slow but as I was reading it further, the novella became altogether intriguing and hard to put down. My favorite character was undoubtedly Theo. He was amazing and I especially liked the fact that he was keen on seeking revenge. I mean it was kind of the only thing that made him endure all the struggles. And this is true for all the characters as well. They had something or the other to inspire them and keep going. It was good to know that fact. And the ending was an incredible one. It was a ending which promised me that I cannot really live without reading the next one. So all in all it was amazing!
Can't wait to start the next one :))
mistysbookspace's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book via R&R Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
For some reason I had it in my head that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I have no clue where I got that from. This is actually a Sleeping beauty retelling. I thought this was a great start to a series and I look forward to continuing on with the next book.
At first I was a little confused as to what was going on. The first few chapters I was asking myself what was the point. Eventually though once things started getting revealed the more I was into it.
I equally liked Princess Aurora’s (Rose) character and found her annoying. She is not your typical princess. Rose is a warrior princess. She doesn’t just sit in the castle waiting for others to solve her problems. She does it on her on. She isn’t afraid to fight. But she is a 17 year old girl and I found her behavior to be annoying a few times. I get that she has a lot going on and she is determined to break the curse and I feel for her but that doesn’t give her the right to act like her problems are more important than others and it doesn’t give her the right to treat certain people the way she did.
To me this was fast paced with a little bit of action. This is the first book out of 4 and it only basically introduces us to the main story line and sets us up for what’s to come next. This does end with a cliffhanger so be aware of that. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for these characters next.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book via R&R Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
For some reason I had it in my head that this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I have no clue where I got that from. This is actually a Sleeping beauty retelling. I thought this was a great start to a series and I look forward to continuing on with the next book.
At first I was a little confused as to what was going on. The first few chapters I was asking myself what was the point. Eventually though once things started getting revealed the more I was into it.
I equally liked Princess Aurora’s (Rose) character and found her annoying. She is not your typical princess. Rose is a warrior princess. She doesn’t just sit in the castle waiting for others to solve her problems. She does it on her on. She isn’t afraid to fight. But she is a 17 year old girl and I found her behavior to be annoying a few times. I get that she has a lot going on and she is determined to break the curse and I feel for her but that doesn’t give her the right to act like her problems are more important than others and it doesn’t give her the right to treat certain people the way she did.
To me this was fast paced with a little bit of action. This is the first book out of 4 and it only basically introduces us to the main story line and sets us up for what’s to come next. This does end with a cliffhanger so be aware of that. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for these characters next.
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