Kingdom of Slumber: A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty
by Deborah Grace White
Series: The Kingdom Tales #2
Series Rating:
Published by Luminant Publications
Publication Date May 21, 2021
Genres: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Young Adult, Clean Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling
Main Character Ages: 18-24
Written for: High-School/Young Adults
Pages: 357
Synopsis:
Unlike everyone around her, Princess Azalea has never been especially troubled by the curse placed on her at her christening. But, as her sixteenth birthday approaches, even Ben—usually her only sanctuary from her well-meaning protectors—starts to worry. Not to mention he begins acting strangely about the betrothal that’s bound them since childhood. Being forced to marry her best friend has always seemed like a far bigger problem than a mere curse—until the unthinkable happens.
Prince Bentleigh has been in a quandary for some time. How do you go about winning a girl who’s already yours, whether she wants to be or not? Any hope of finding an answer withers the moment Azalea pricks her finger and is ripped from him. The magic powering her enchanted sleep is so strong, the whole kingdom succumbs during the hours of darkness. And nothing else matters but finding a way to wake her up.
Except Azalea isn’t asleep. At least, not once the sun sets. And with the rest of the kingdom in an unnatural slumber, there’s no one but her to fight the deadly magic creeping into the heart of her kingdom. As the curse becomes more aggressive, Azalea and Bentleigh grow increasingly desperate—enough to risk war with the dragons, their own lives…even their hearts.
If they can’t break the curse—and soon—Listernia will fall. But if they do what must be done, they’ll lose all hope of a future they once thought inevitable.
Kingdom of Slumber is the second installment in The Kingdom Tales, a series of interconnected standalone novels set on the continent of Solstice, where dragons do their own thing, enchanters run amok, and happily ever afters require some chasing. If you enjoy strong heroines, clean romance, and fantasy worlds with a dash of intrigue, discover the world of The Kingdom Tales today.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.
Also in this series: Kingdom of Beauty, Kingdom of Cinders: A Retelling of Cinderella, Kingdom of Feathers: A Retelling of The Wild Swans, Kingdom of Locks: A Retelling of Rapunzel, Kingdom of Dance
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When I met Ben in Kingdom of Beauty, I knew I was going to love his story! A prince who was only two years old when he was betrothed to a newborn who was cursed… And who had since fallen deeply in love with her… How do you woo a woman who has no choice but to marry you? Who is sleeping – all the time! (My husband said “with chocolates and a cozy pillow!)
Well, I was right. I did love the noble Prince Bentleigh! He handled his various trials with courage and strength, holding tightly to the hope of finding a way to break Azalea’s curse. Including standing up to his parents and seeking the help of dragons. Which was no small feat!
I hadn’t expected much from Azalea, though I should have known better. Turns out, she ended up being quite astounding. She went from a bit of a spoiled brat to being willing to sacrifice herself for the good of her kingdom. I can’t even imagine the loneliness she would have experienced as the only person awake – for two years! Well, now that I’ve read Kingdom of Slumber I can, but you know what I mean! And the way she ended up spending her nights was pretty amazing!
I was fascinated with the interpretation of the familiar story of Sleeping Beauty. Details such as the impact of having every creature fall asleep at dusk would have on the kingdom were particularly well thought out.
I was thrilled to see several characters from Kingdom of Beauty make an appearance – and to discover a theme weaving throughout the stories in this series beyond the more general one of the countries all being on the continent of Solstice. I’ll leave it to you to figure out what that theme is – and I imagine it will be more evident as new books are released. I know by the time Prince Amell’s story is told I will be more than ready – he is quite the character!
If you enjoy fairy tales retold in surprising ways while remaining true to the originals, you will want to read Kingdom of Slumber and the entire Kingdom Tales series! Stay tuned for Kingdom of Cinders coming up next, telling the story of Ben’s older brother, Rian, which is available for preorder.
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About Deborah Grace White
I’ve been a reader since I can remember, growing up on a wide range of books, from classic literature to light-hearted romps. The love of reading has traveled with me unchanged across multiple continents, and carried me from my own childhood all the way to having children of my own.
But if reading is like looking through a window into a magical and beautiful world, beginning to write my own stories was like discovering that I could open that window and climb right out into fantasyland.
I cannot believe how privileged I am to actually be living that childhood dream and publishing my own novels. I do so from my hometown of Adelaide, Australia, where I live with my husband and our two, soon to be three, little munchkins.
I’ve never outgrown my love of young adult stories, and my first series, The Kyona Chronicles, is a young adult fantasy series of four novels and two novellas.
