Thanks to NetGalley & Willow Haven Press for the ALC!

If you like the Emily McIntyre series on fairytale retellings then this is definitely the audiobook for you! What a great twist on a classic fairytale.
Tim Paige’s depiction of Prince Fennick was so good to listen to! Aurelia’s character was slightly whiny (not sure if it was the character or the narrator) but I found that I liked how Fen’s character would provoke her.

I thought the ending was quite abrupt? It seemed slightly rushed to fit into the happily ever after type ending without enough angst or build up in the final scenes.

Overall I felt it was a fun, easy listen and I was engrossed into the plot throughout.
I love the mix of fey courts and witches/ magic wrapped into this sleeping beauty retelling. The subtle references to the spinning wheel, and the 3 colour witches were also cleverly added.

Definitely enjoyed this audiobook 3.75🌟

Crown of Slumber by R.L. Perez is a captivating and imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The storyline is engaging, with a fresh and creative twist on the classic fairytale that keeps the reader invested. The world-building is well-crafted, and the magical elements add depth to the narrative, making it an enjoyable and immersive read.

While the overall story was compelling, the ending felt somewhat abrupt. A bit more time spent on the resolution would have provided greater closure, but given the fairytale nature of the book, the conclusion still felt fitting and satisfying.

Overall, Crown of Slumber is a well-written and enchanting take on a beloved story. Fans of fairytale retellings and fantasy will appreciate Perez’s unique approach, making this a worthwhile read for those who enjoy magical adventures with a classic touch.

Crown of Slumber: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling
Crowns of the Fae Book One
by R.L. Perez
narrated by Evelyn Rose and Tim Paige

***Five HOLY CRAP YES Stars***

I love Fantasy and Romantasy but rarely endulge anymore because of how much there is to remember to follow along. New worlds, new rules, new customs, languages, etc. This means I am super picky about the ones I read and this one called to me from the minute I saw it. PLUS a Sleeping Beauty retelling?! I have ZERO regrets and cannot wait to read more in the series.

The narrators were AMAZING!

Thank you to NetGalley, Willow Haven Press, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

#CrownOfSlumber #CrownsOfTheFae
#RLPerez #EvelynRose #TimePaige
#ALCReview #ALCRead #NetGalley
#WillowHavenPress #SleepingBeauty
#Fantasy #FantasyRomance #NewAdult

I will not be rating this title on other platforms. I got 15% in and realized this story and it's characters were just not for me. Both leading characters felt immature and guided by their parents while being obviously attracted to each other but acting immaturely. This read like a young-adult novel that was trying to cater to an older audience with swearing and so on. This was unfortunately not for me and I will not be able to finish the book. Because I didn't get far I do not want to hinder the author's potential success with a more receptive audience than me. The plot has potential so I will give this 3 stars.

“You are a firebird. Magnificent and fierce! No one will quell your flame!”

CrownofSlumber by RLPerez is a 4.2 ⭐️ read.

The Crowns of the Fae books can be read in any order as stand-alone novels.

Two feuding kingdoms. One unbreakable sleeping curse.

When a deadly sleeping curse befalls her family, Princess Aurelia's only hope lies in the hands of the wicked Prince Fenn. His kingdom maintains the only known supply of stardust, a rare substance that is the key to breaking the spell. But Fenn’s aid comes with a price: Aurelia must pose as his betrothed to secure an alliance that will protect his court.

—:—:—:—:—

Please note the trigger warnings before reading this books.

I so love a good retelling, and this one of Sleeping Beauty is really good.

This book is filled with twists, dark fae magic, deadly court schemes at war, and some steamy romance! What more could we ask for?

Best quote: “Even when the stars go dark, still I will burn for you, filling the night sky to guide you back home to me.”

Spicy Level - 🌶️

DNF - I did really enjoy the plot and the sleeping beauty retelling. The addition of dragons was a really interesting twist. I will probably buy and read the physical copy when it comes out! However I couldn’t get past the audiobook voices, they both sounded robotic and auto tuned. The American/ English accents were quite bad and I just couldn’t ignore the voices enough to enjoy the story

An amazing Sleeping Beauty Retelling with a twist. Crown of Slumber by RL Perez

Enemy courts in need of each other's help/resources. A sleeping curse takes over her kingdom. His kingdom is under attack. Can they succumb the odds to help each other?!?

This book was a wonderful twist to a classic fairytale. The banter was so much fun. Some spice. A baddie FMC. And a flirtatious, sarcastic, funny MMC.

This enemies to lovers prince and princess sleeping beauty retelling was everything you want in a fantasy book. You have dragons, witches and creatures in the woods. Loved everything about this story plus the banter . I had the audiobook and the voices for the characters were just what I thought they should be of a prince and princess.

If you like fun fairytale retellings, then this will be right up your alley. This takes the classic Sleeping Beauty story we all know and love, and brings in popular romantasy tropes to give it a modern facelift. I love that we see the big elements from Sleeping Beauty, and some of the twists that Perez spins on them (I'm looking at you Maleficent).

One of my favorite things about this was that this is essentially a modern day fae sleeping beauty... with dragons. Dragons make everything more fantasy and fun. As much as I loved everything about the dragons - I wish there was just a bit more. We got a bit in the beginning as we get to know Aurelia, and at the end as they are central to the climax - but for how important these creatures are to Aurelia and the plot, they were missing throughout the entire middle of the story. It's described as for the dragons own safety as they enter different courts, but they're just... not in the story again until it mattered. What did they do, where did they go? It felt like a sudden goodbye after we're introduced to Aurelia and Fennick and their bargain surrounding stardust and magic, and they're just not seen or heard from for a couple hundred pages. But they come back full force in the last act which I very much liked, just wish we got more of them earlier on.

I think the court intrigue was also really well done. We have Aurelia, princess and next in line for the summer court - who also has an affinity for the dragons that reside here. Then there's Fennick, prince and next in line for the night court. Aurelia and Fennick both have something that the other needs to save their court from certain death - and so they strike a bargain in exchange for each others' help. I like that we got to see the power dynamics between the summer & night courts - who are sworn enemies. I also liked that we got to see Aurelia and the summer court's relationship with the Autumn court - who are another power player and throw a bit of wrench in their plans. I liked that we got more of Aurelia's backstory involving the Autumn court as well, and why there's tension between the summer and autumn courts. I do wish we got more insight into the other courts (if there were any). I genuinely cannot remember if they were mentioned or not - but if they were, it was just to introduce us to their existence in the realm. We only focused on the summer and night courts, then the interlude with autumn. If they were mentioned, I wish we got more on the political relationships with the other courts, and the potential fallout if Aurelia and Fennick's bargain failed. We didn't really see if there were any repercussions for anyone outside of who was immediately involved, which is hard to believe there wouldn't be if they lived in a realm with more than 3 courts.

Now onto the romance, which I liked for the most part. This is touted as an enemies-to-lovers romance, which it is, but it's mostly one sided. Aurelia is incredibly distrustful of Fennick (and rightly so after hearing about what happens to her in the autumn court), but Fennick seems to be kind of a goofball. For someone making a bargain with an enemy court, Fennick doesn't really seem to be worried about the bargain he made with said enemy, and is kind of a jokester. I didn't really mind this, but if you're looking for a mutual enemies to lovers, just be forewarned that this isn't it. Because it was an enemies-to-lovers more specifically for Aurelia, I did miss the tension that we got when both parties hated each other, then slowly got over it. This was still a fun way to approach it, and the banter was good, just not my favorite way to approach an enemies-to-lovers romance.

This story was pretty wrapped up by the end, so for something that is the start of a series I'm curious to see how the rest of the stories play out. Maybe it's going to lean more anthological, with specific retellings affecting specific courts? Either way, I would definitely like to continue this series, especially if more audiobooks get produced.

I listened to this on audiobook, and kudos to Evelyn Rose & Tim Paige for their narration! I very much enjoyed each of them. My only complaint is that since they voiced each of the MC's chapters, they also voiced each other when it was their own chapter. So Tim voiced Fennick, and also voiced Aurelia when she spoke in Fennick's chapters, and vice versa. If this was a single narration this wouldn't be an issue, but since this was a dual narration it was weird being able to get both Aurelia and Fennick's "own" voices and then not have it when it was the other narrator's turn. This isn't a knock against their own individual talents, moreso just a caveat when having dual narrators, and one that I'm not really a fan of.

Thank you to R. L. Perez, Willow Haven Press, & NetGalley for the Audio Review Copy, all opinions are my own. I also hope to be considered for future audiobooks in this series!

Absolutely love this audio book! Enemies to lovers, dragons, fight scenes, spicy scenes, character growth- this ticked so many boxes for me. The narrators did a brilliant job of bringing this story to life. If this were a true dual narration this would have been perfection.

Hands down this was a 5⭐️ listen for me. So many of your fave romantasy tropes (one bed, grump sunshine, fae courts, DRAGONS!) but instead of feeling like another churned out romantasy the author makes it feel like putting on a well worn comfy pair of slippers. But whilst being a total comfort read for me, there were plenty of plot twists and peril to keep me hooked!

The author jokes on her insta that this book is ACOTAR with dragons, and whilst it’s definitely in the same vein I think that’s selling this Sleeping Beauty retelling short! I don’t know how the author fit in the world building, twists and adventure to a stand alone (with a respectable but not mammoth listening time of just sub 15 hours), but she’s done it without it ever feeling like the plot was rushed or I missed out on anything. I cannot wait to listen to the audio for her next release which will be a Beauty and the Beast retelling - definitely an author I’m putting alerts on so I don’t miss any new releases!

Thank you Willow Haven and R. L. Perez for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley in return for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure!

As this was an ARC audio, there were no TWs at the beginning which would be my only criticism and something I hope will be added once the audio is released. Part of the plot does focus on sexual violence, but this is off page and largely implied rather than any explicit details being given. It is handled very well by the characters and does play a meaningful part in the characters development.

I absolutely LOVED this book! There were many points where I completely forgot this was a Sleeping Beauty retelling, that's how engaging it was.
The dual POV, especially in audiobook form, was extremely compelling, and I loved getting into both of their heads. The audio was masterfully done, with the amazing contrast between the gentle British accent of Aurelia, and the strong American accent of Fen. They both also masterfully captured the opposite accents in their POVs without taking me out of the story.
This is probably one of the best fairy tale retellings I've read, with twists and turns. I was even surprised by several classic elements of the story because I was so deep into the world.

Stars above this was a read 🤩 The concepts were so fun esp full blooded Fae not being able to lie, It was so unique. I loved the different kingdoms, dragons, witches, fae, & more!! This book really had it all on top of a crucial quest to save their kingdoms. It’s always something about an Autumn Court 🤣 I also see why some readers did not enjoy that one 🌶️ scene, but I also wasn’t too bothered by it. So it didn’t really effect my rating on this overall fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty!!
Highly interested in the “Crowns Of The Fae” series now esp it being in a series of stand-alone novels.

Narrator wise- I feel like they a good job!! I listen at a faster speed though… I just can’t listen at 1.0x lol.
Tim Paige is lowkey 🥵
“Slick Center” is ☠️ lmfaoo.

Crown of Slumber is an adult romantasy that effortlessly weaves together an enchanting romance with fantastical elements. Imagine Sleeping Beauty merging with A Fire in the Sky and you have the mesmerising world within these pages. With dragons soaring through the skies, royal intrigue coursing through the veins of the narrative, and a plot that consistently delivers twists and turns, this book is a feast for the imagination.

The romance between the protagonists is nothing short of breathtaking. Their chemistry is electric, and their journey together is fraught with tension, passion, and moments of genuine tenderness. The author masterfully crafts a love story that feels both epic and intimate, keeping you rooting for the characters through every obstacle they face.

The author paints a vivid picture of a land where magic and royalty intertwine, dragons wield immense power, and secrets lurk around every corner. Witches with mysterious powers also play a significant role in the story, adding layers of intrigue and enchantment. Each scene is rich with detail, drawing you deeper into the kingdom and making it feel incredibly real.

One of the most engaging aspects of Crown of Slumber is its cast of characters. Their interactions and development throughout the story add depth and dimension to the narrative, making you care deeply about their fates.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the experience was elevated even further by the audio version. With dual POVs and voices, the audiobook adds an extra layer of immersion, bringing the story to life in a way that feels almost cinematic. The narrators' performances captured the essence of each character and enhanced the emotional resonance of the story.

When I tell you, the female narrator, Evelyn Rose could read the phone book and I'd listen, I'm being absolutely serious. Tim Paige does well too. This Sleeping Beauty reimaging had me hooked from start to finish. I love the banter between the two main characters. The heroism of the FMC and her dedication to her kingdom and her dragons had me rooting for her the entire story. I loved that this journey was just as much about character self-discovery as it was about the plot. And what a plot! The political unrest and search for answers was so well-written. Not to mention, that slow-burn spicy build up that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Crown of Slumber” is a gripping and enchanting retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, offering a fresh twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story introduces Princess Aurelia, whose family is struck by a deadly sleeping curse, and her desperate quest to find the rare stardust that could break the spell. The only problem? The stardust is controlled by the enigmatic and seemingly wicked Prince Fenn, and his help comes at a steep price—Aurelia must pretend to be his betrothed.

The chemistry between Aurelia and Fenn is electric. Their initial deceitful arrangement soon transforms into something more genuine as they get to know each other. I appreciated how Fenn’s charming exterior masks a deeper, more complex character, and watching Aurelia’s feelings evolve made for a compelling romantic journey. The slow burn romance kept me hooked, with just the right amount of tension and steamy moments.

The world-building is lush, filled with dark fae magic and court intrigues that add layers of depth to the story. There are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, especially as Aurelia uncovers the dangerous secrets within Fenn’s kingdom. The stakes are high, not just for the kingdoms involved, but for Aurelia’s very soul.

The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is that some of the plot points felt a bit predictable, but the book still manages to hold its own with an engaging narrative and strong character development. Fans of romantic fantasy with a touch of darkness will definitely find this one worth reading.

I was so lucky to receive an ARC of this book in audiobook form and boy was I impressed. The narrator brought this book to life beautifully. Growing up sleeping beauty was my favorite princess and this retelling was definitely for me. There’s a great fmc and mmc as well as some action and a little bit of spice sprinkled in to keep you intrigued. A book with dragons you can never go wrong with so if your on the fence take a little leap of faith and trust me you might be pleasantly surprised with this book.

Retellings can be hit or miss, and this one leaned more toward the miss for me. Crown of Slumber takes inspiration from Sleeping Beauty but layers in a mix of court intrigue, dragons, and enemies-to-lovers romance—yet somehow, it never fully came together. The world-building felt rushed, the “chosen one” trope was dialed up to maximum intensity, and at times, it felt like a mashup of every popular fantasy book rather than something truly unique.

That said, the dual POV worked well, giving both Aurelia and Fenn solid character arcs. And the audiobook narration? Flawless. Evelyn Rose and Tim Paige absolutely carried the story, making even the slower moments engaging.

While this one didn’t quite hook me, it might be perfect for YA fantasy lovers who enjoy royal deception, dangerous magic, and high-stakes romance. Huge thanks to Willow Haven Press for the ALC!

What a fantastic audiobook and a fun retelling of sleeping beauty. The relationships were believable and the world building was so full of intrigue. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read and review. I see this is part of a series so I would be interested to see how this progresses.

Love NetGalley for this ARC! Thank you.

Dragons, witches, and a little spice, I’m in!

Sleeping Beauty was one of my favourites growing up, so I absolutely loved this retelling!

The world-building was fantastic, the characters were well-developed, and the dynamic between them really kept me hooked. The dragons added a thrilling aspect to the story, but I do wish we had gotten to see more of them.

Overall, this book was a A GREAT listen that kept me entertained.