I love fairy tales, so I was intrigued by the premise of this book. "Spell Borne" by Auden Llyr is a great mash-up of fairy tales retelling. The book revolves around a young woman named Loren Hughes, whose life turned into a fairy tale, literally.
Fairy tales are real but not as you thought they were. Magic is alive and kicking in the town of Lointaine, and it forces residents who share a bloodline curse to enact fairy tales. Loren's family curse is to relive the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty in each generation. Loren goes to Lointaine to finish her studies and stays at her grandmother's house. While there, she finds out that magic is real, and it affects her as well. She doesn't want to spend the next 100 years sleeping (who would??) and tries to change her tale to the Beauty and the Beast one. Will she be able to change her destiny and have her own happily ever after??
I enjoyed the book very much. The book was slow to start, and I found the prologue, the first chapter, and the epilogue a bit confusing. However, once I got past the slow start, the book really started to take off for me. It is clear that the author knows her fairy tales (I read all of them in my early youth), and I loved the spin she put on them. While I appreciated the meticulous attention to the different fairy tale versions and the explanation of the magic, the over-detailed amount paid to mundane details such as clothes was a bit exhausting. I didn't have to know how many dresses, art supplies, and other items the heroine was buying.
Adventures, destiny, friendships, understanding yourself, and the courage to make your own path are some of the book's themes. I loved that the heroine decided to break societal conventions and take back control of her own tale and life. I would love to read more books in the world of Lointaine.
I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars due to the issues I mentioned. Nonetheless, I loved the book and recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales. Just be aware that the book is based on all fairy tales, from the gentle Disney version to the darker older versions, so it isn't for the faint of heart.
* Some triggers are profanity, abuse, violence, death, trauma, and sexual assault.
Fairy tales are real but not as you thought they were. Magic is alive and kicking in the town of Lointaine, and it forces residents who share a bloodline curse to enact fairy tales. Loren's family curse is to relive the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty in each generation. Loren goes to Lointaine to finish her studies and stays at her grandmother's house. While there, she finds out that magic is real, and it affects her as well. She doesn't want to spend the next 100 years sleeping (who would??) and tries to change her tale to the Beauty and the Beast one. Will she be able to change her destiny and have her own happily ever after??
I enjoyed the book very much. The book was slow to start, and I found the prologue, the first chapter, and the epilogue a bit confusing. However, once I got past the slow start, the book really started to take off for me. It is clear that the author knows her fairy tales (I read all of them in my early youth), and I loved the spin she put on them. While I appreciated the meticulous attention to the different fairy tale versions and the explanation of the magic, the over-detailed amount paid to mundane details such as clothes was a bit exhausting. I didn't have to know how many dresses, art supplies, and other items the heroine was buying.
Adventures, destiny, friendships, understanding yourself, and the courage to make your own path are some of the book's themes. I loved that the heroine decided to break societal conventions and take back control of her own tale and life. I would love to read more books in the world of Lointaine.
I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars due to the issues I mentioned. Nonetheless, I loved the book and recommend it to anyone who loves fairy tales. Just be aware that the book is based on all fairy tales, from the gentle Disney version to the darker older versions, so it isn't for the faint of heart.
* Some triggers are profanity, abuse, violence, death, trauma, and sexual assault.
* For more info about the book: Spell Borne
*Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the
opportunity to read this arc. All
opinions are my own.
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