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harleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read. I don’t think I fully understood what I was getting into. The retelling aspect was mostly clear and done well, but it just didn’t hold my attention like I was hoping it would. I think my issue was that I wasn’t aware it was two separate worlds colliding, and I would have rather it had just been in the fairytale world.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
Once upon a time I read the most brilliant retelling of Tristan and Isolde and that retelling made me long for more books like that. Luckily for me the author has an entire series of Fairytale retellings for me to devour. And yet, the prequel still surprised me. It was so good, so well written, so lovely and amazing. And that was just the prequel. I was therefore very excited to start this first real book in the series and to see what she would do with the hard tale of Sleeping Beauty.
And from the very first page she once more sucked me into the story, mostly because the writing is just brilliant. All the emotions feel so real and vivid. And I love it when books make me feel, when they touch me, when the emotions rushing through the veins of the main characters, eventually also rush through my veins. I'm a silent reader, but inside I was yelling and holding my breath and rooting for our couple and mostly for Jade. And in the end I was really downright crying my eyes out. Not so silent anymore.
The plot wasn't even THAT spectacular. There were some action scenes and there was a lot of political scheming and planning, but it's mostly a story about personal growth, about breaking free, about learning how to love and how to live. And on that beautiful journey we meet two amazing characters. Their chemistry is so well done that I felt it myself. The connection works and I like that they are forming that connection by getting to know each other, by talking and yelling and fighting and realizing what all those feelings are.
The world building is however quite brilliant. The concept in itself is already original. Our world and the fairytale world have literally collided and now we have a new world. It leads to a compelling mix of a dystopia and a medieval fantasy. It also comes with politically very interesting conflicts and choices. I can't wait to see the rest of the world and all the other cities that have fallen pray to the different curses.
I don't doubt that I'll pick the next one up quite soon!
And from the very first page she once more sucked me into the story, mostly because the writing is just brilliant. All the emotions feel so real and vivid. And I love it when books make me feel, when they touch me, when the emotions rushing through the veins of the main characters, eventually also rush through my veins. I'm a silent reader, but inside I was yelling and holding my breath and rooting for our couple and mostly for Jade. And in the end I was really downright crying my eyes out. Not so silent anymore.
The plot wasn't even THAT spectacular. There were some action scenes and there was a lot of political scheming and planning, but it's mostly a story about personal growth, about breaking free, about learning how to love and how to live. And on that beautiful journey we meet two amazing characters. Their chemistry is so well done that I felt it myself. The connection works and I like that they are forming that connection by getting to know each other, by talking and yelling and fighting and realizing what all those feelings are.
The world building is however quite brilliant. The concept in itself is already original. Our world and the fairytale world have literally collided and now we have a new world. It leads to a compelling mix of a dystopia and a medieval fantasy. It also comes with politically very interesting conflicts and choices. I can't wait to see the rest of the world and all the other cities that have fallen pray to the different curses.
I don't doubt that I'll pick the next one up quite soon!
pause_theframe's review against another edition
5.0
What I Thought
I loved this book! It was so brilliantly written, addicting and truly was a great, new take on a 'fairy tale' story. I found that I was already hooked, in the first chapter, and wasn't able to put it down, until the last page had been turned. (much to my hubby's dismay) I may have even stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, just to finish the read.
I love the characters in this story and the entire plot. Unlike most fairy tale-ish stories, this one starts with a ground shaking, life-altering change, in the lives of many (literally). We then see the entrance of the wicked queen, a true must in any good fairy tale, we always need a bad lady to make the good seem even better. We read along as the lives of those we had met, before the change, are altered to something beyond recognition, but some things are meant to be changed...
This book has everything you could ever want in a fairy tale: Evil Queen/Stepmother figure (Definitely), Lost Girl who needs saved ( From herself and more, YES!), A man to save them all ( A Roguge Prince, in this case, Yup!)
But don't assume it'll be your typical love story, no, Davis wouldn't make things typical, she's made them so much better. Between the urgency, the snarkiness and the need to help, we fall for our two main characters, well before they realise how meant for each other they were, but in a world as broken as this, perhaps that isn't enough.
I love the depth of character, the description of the world and the pace of the plot. In all honesty, I really think this series deserves to be the NEXT big read, one that everyone should latch onto. I can actually see it becoming a film as well. I cannot wait to read the next instalment of this series (out soon) and seriously suggest you read Gathering Frost!
I loved this book! It was so brilliantly written, addicting and truly was a great, new take on a 'fairy tale' story. I found that I was already hooked, in the first chapter, and wasn't able to put it down, until the last page had been turned. (much to my hubby's dismay) I may have even stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, just to finish the read.
I love the characters in this story and the entire plot. Unlike most fairy tale-ish stories, this one starts with a ground shaking, life-altering change, in the lives of many (literally). We then see the entrance of the wicked queen, a true must in any good fairy tale, we always need a bad lady to make the good seem even better. We read along as the lives of those we had met, before the change, are altered to something beyond recognition, but some things are meant to be changed...
This book has everything you could ever want in a fairy tale: Evil Queen/Stepmother figure (Definitely), Lost Girl who needs saved ( From herself and more, YES!), A man to save them all ( A Roguge Prince, in this case, Yup!)
But don't assume it'll be your typical love story, no, Davis wouldn't make things typical, she's made them so much better. Between the urgency, the snarkiness and the need to help, we fall for our two main characters, well before they realise how meant for each other they were, but in a world as broken as this, perhaps that isn't enough.
I love the depth of character, the description of the world and the pace of the plot. In all honesty, I really think this series deserves to be the NEXT big read, one that everyone should latch onto. I can actually see it becoming a film as well. I cannot wait to read the next instalment of this series (out soon) and seriously suggest you read Gathering Frost!
shorty_320's review against another edition
3.0
Decent start to a new fantasy series of fairy tale retellings.
I appreciate that this retelling of Sleeping Beauty felt quite different than all the others I've read in the past. Couldn't feel myself really relating to the main character at all or sympathizing for her. This may have been intentional, seeing as her emotions have been taken away from her, but even as her character developed, I still find myself not relating.
I felt like much more world building was needed, so hopefully that will come as the series progresses!
I wanted to like this more, especially as I'm the target audience. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Lots of repetition, and while there are a few gems of information, it felt like it was mostly filler.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I appreciate that this retelling of Sleeping Beauty felt quite different than all the others I've read in the past. Couldn't feel myself really relating to the main character at all or sympathizing for her. This may have been intentional, seeing as her emotions have been taken away from her, but even as her character developed, I still find myself not relating.
I felt like much more world building was needed, so hopefully that will come as the series progresses!
I wanted to like this more, especially as I'm the target audience. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Lots of repetition, and while there are a few gems of information, it felt like it was mostly filler.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
ruckus1's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
ameserole's review
3.0
So.. is this next book about them.. or someone else?
Gathering Frost was an interesting book to dive into. Not really sure when I last dove into a retelling kind of book. So, I was kind of excited to dive into this one. Without any expectations set, I just dove into it and enjoyed the wild ride. At first glance, the characters were interesting and they had some kind of spark. I also wont lie that I found it interesting on how easily powers could be transferred in a way as well.
In this, you will meet Jade. At a young age she was taken from her mother and her own heart was inches away from being frozen forever. Or so it felt. She works for the evil queen and is on a mission to bring back her son, the prince. Along the way she didn't expect to fall for him or vice versa. Yet, they did and it brought them both back to life. A life where love is alive and thriving.
The whole curse was kind of easy to defeat which annoyed me a little but it is book one of this series. Not sure how I feel about the actual ending just yet but I might dive into the next book whenever I find the time.
Gathering Frost was an interesting book to dive into. Not really sure when I last dove into a retelling kind of book. So, I was kind of excited to dive into this one. Without any expectations set, I just dove into it and enjoyed the wild ride. At first glance, the characters were interesting and they had some kind of spark. I also wont lie that I found it interesting on how easily powers could be transferred in a way as well.
In this, you will meet Jade. At a young age she was taken from her mother and her own heart was inches away from being frozen forever. Or so it felt. She works for the evil queen and is on a mission to bring back her son, the prince. Along the way she didn't expect to fall for him or vice versa. Yet, they did and it brought them both back to life. A life where love is alive and thriving.
The whole curse was kind of easy to defeat which annoyed me a little but it is book one of this series. Not sure how I feel about the actual ending just yet but I might dive into the next book whenever I find the time.
gypsydawn's review
4.0
Twisted remake
Sleeping beauty is reimagined in this mind bending take on the fairy tale classic. Magic is still plenty, but so is rebellion, lack of emotion and a world that has quite literally, slammed into ours, displacing New York and setting the region back to the medieval times.
It’s unique, strangely modern and just sweet enough to hurt your teeth.
First person, single POV, fairy tale remake, HEA
Rating = YA
M/F
Character age range - 17+
Pros:
~ Truly sweet.
~ Writing is quit lyrical in places.
~ Remake is very uniquely done.
~ That first line..
Cons:
~ That last line....
Sleeping beauty is reimagined in this mind bending take on the fairy tale classic. Magic is still plenty, but so is rebellion, lack of emotion and a world that has quite literally, slammed into ours, displacing New York and setting the region back to the medieval times.
It’s unique, strangely modern and just sweet enough to hurt your teeth.
First person, single POV, fairy tale remake, HEA
Rating = YA
M/F
Character age range - 17+
Pros:
~ Truly sweet.
~ Writing is quit lyrical in places.
~ Remake is very uniquely done.
~ That first line..
Cons:
~ That last line....
amethystbookwyrm's review
4.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for giving me this book to review.
When Jade was a young girl, an earthquake struck New York and replaced half of it with a village and castle that could have come from a story book. Ten years later Jade, and everyone else in the castle, has been stripped of emotions and she is working as a member of the queen’s guard. However, everything changes for her when the queen gives her a mission, to let Prince Aster, the queen’s runaway son, capture her and gain his trust so Jade can let the queen know his secrets. But life outside the queen’s control is not what Jade expected as she begins to feel emotions and she starts to question everything she has ever known in the last 10 years and she wonders whose side she is really on?
I really enjoyed Gathering frost as it is a unique mix of fantasy and dystopia but while it is meant to be a reimagining of sleeping beauty, I did not notice it much as it was very subtle. It is a sweet fast paced read with good action and romance. I would have liked a bit more world building, especially what is happening in other countries.
Jade is not relatable at the beginning but as she got more in touch with her emotions I liked her better as she is not perfect but strong, compassionate and good at playing a long game. I am liking the change happening in YA male leads as Asher is intelligent, witty and charming and not an alpha male or a strong silent type. I also like Queen Deirdre as she was an evil character but in an understandable way.
I will definitely be reading the next book in this series Withering Rose. I would recommend Gathering Frost to fans of Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe and other books Kaitlyn Davis.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
When Jade was a young girl, an earthquake struck New York and replaced half of it with a village and castle that could have come from a story book. Ten years later Jade, and everyone else in the castle, has been stripped of emotions and she is working as a member of the queen’s guard. However, everything changes for her when the queen gives her a mission, to let Prince Aster, the queen’s runaway son, capture her and gain his trust so Jade can let the queen know his secrets. But life outside the queen’s control is not what Jade expected as she begins to feel emotions and she starts to question everything she has ever known in the last 10 years and she wonders whose side she is really on?
I really enjoyed Gathering frost as it is a unique mix of fantasy and dystopia but while it is meant to be a reimagining of sleeping beauty, I did not notice it much as it was very subtle. It is a sweet fast paced read with good action and romance. I would have liked a bit more world building, especially what is happening in other countries.
Jade is not relatable at the beginning but as she got more in touch with her emotions I liked her better as she is not perfect but strong, compassionate and good at playing a long game. I am liking the change happening in YA male leads as Asher is intelligent, witty and charming and not an alpha male or a strong silent type. I also like Queen Deirdre as she was an evil character but in an understandable way.
I will definitely be reading the next book in this series Withering Rose. I would recommend Gathering Frost to fans of Fireblood by Trisha Wolfe and other books Kaitlyn Davis.
This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm
lrwlee's review
5.0
Great book!
What a gripping and sweet story. The action was engaging and the emotions real between these two characters. I found myself unable to put it down. I will definitely read the next in the series.
What a gripping and sweet story. The action was engaging and the emotions real between these two characters. I found myself unable to put it down. I will definitely read the next in the series.
booklovingmom_'s review
4.0
Gathering Frost is the first in the Once Upon a Curse series. In this reimagining of Sleeping Beauty, an earthquake hits New York City and the city falls to an evil queen. Ten years later, Jade is working as one of the queen’s guard.
I’ve read many retelling of the classic fairytales, but this was an angle I haven’t seen done before. I liked the modern world meets dystopian society aspect tied into this classic fairytale. It was an enjoyable read and a creative world. I really enjoyed the characters of Jade and Asher. I am always interested to see new retelling of those classic fairytales we all know and love and this one was no exception. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook version of this book! I really enjoyed the narration.
I’ve read many retelling of the classic fairytales, but this was an angle I haven’t seen done before. I liked the modern world meets dystopian society aspect tied into this classic fairytale. It was an enjoyable read and a creative world. I really enjoyed the characters of Jade and Asher. I am always interested to see new retelling of those classic fairytales we all know and love and this one was no exception. I look forward to seeing what comes next in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook version of this book! I really enjoyed the narration.