Review: Had a Great Time Reading!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 11, 2013
Princess Kaylee embarks on a mission to wake her true love from a sleeping spell in this backwards Sleeping Beauty style fairytale. She is pursued by wicked Princess Arabella, Prince Devlin's sister, who is determined to take the throne for herself. Arabella has cast a sleeping spell over Devlin and only needs a drop of Kaylee's blood to complete her dirty work.Sent on a quest by a magnificent hart, Kaylee must retrieve a special sword and obtain a drop of dragon's blood to save her prince. She is accompanied by Sabrina, the daughter of an old crone. At first Kaylee doubts that Devlin is her one true love, but she is determined to see the quest to its end.This is an enchanting new take on an old fairytale. Each passage is highly descriptive which allowed me to easily visualize this make-believe world. Every  inch of the kingdom has been well thought out rather than just being someplace "far far away". The journey felt more real than a traditional fairytale, and the characters are deep and interesting.I loved every twist and turn to this tale. I also appreciated that Kaylee was able to undergo a traditionally male hero's quest without becoming overly masculine herself. She remains a princess and a lady throughout in spite of her situation. What little we experience of Prince Devlin makes him more than just another Prince Charming. He doesn't just love a girl and stand around looking pretty. He has the makings of a compassionate and noble leader, which he will need someday as king.I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.