This was a vibes read for sure and I enjoyed it as such. It was a fun Romantasy with a little bit of everything sprinkled in.

It read like a fairy tale, a little bit predictable but in a comforting cozy way.

The FMC Sybelle and MMC Varius were cute together, and I really appreciated that there wasn’t too much “miscommunication” as there was a time or two that I was worried this trope was going to rear its head (and it’s my least favourite).

The side characters added to the story, I especially enjoyed Tislora.

It did lull a bit in the middle, and it wasn’t overly original but since it was a retelling I expected that.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Willow Haven Press & R.L. Perez for providing an eARC of this book!

Links to Fable & GoodReads reviews included

Troupes/ Highlights-
* Beauty & the Beast retelling
* Arranged marriage
* Cursebreaker
* “My wife”
* Multi-POV
* Dragon familiar
* Shadow daddy/ naughty shadows

Short summary:
Sybelle, a princess from the human Earthen Court, and King Varius, an unsullie fae from the Shadow court, enter an arranged marriage to fulfill a treaty with their own secrets and motives.

As romance and tension blooms between them, they begin to unravel clues to a centuries-old curse damning them and their people.

My thoughts:
This was fast-paced and un-put-downable, especially towards the end. The romance begins as piqued curiosity and burns until scorching at around 70%. It feels equally balanced with the plot and was convincing.

The magic is interesting and unique. The stakes were high and I found myself very invested in trying (and failing lol) to figure out the mystery of the curse.

There are other books in this series, but I jumped into this book and it reads fine as a stand-alone.

Great read, another beauty and the beast type Romance. When a human is given the the shadow king to break a curse, he gets more then he bargained for!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

This book was fantastic! This Beauty and the Beast retelling is so much fun. Sybelle goes to the Shadow Court to fulfil the Earthen Court's treaty to provide a human bride, but once she arrives, nothing is as she seems. This spicy enemies to lovers romance between Sybelle and Varius was so much fun. Between a curse, a magical castle, a dragon, and some very entertaining side characters, this story is non-stop fun.

Crown of Briars is a magical retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The second book in "the Crowns of Fae" did not disappoint! I like how the worldbuilding takes form, how you think you know what is going on and then you don't!
It's a delicious romantasy with tension, spicy and lot's of action.

Star Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️


Sybelle, a part fae princess from the human court is called to fulfill her duty to marry the Unseelie Fae and protect her kingdom from the deadly shadows and the Wraith King. But when she arrives, the Wraith King, her husband, is not who she was led to believe. She must now choose: protect her kingdom or save the court and people she has learned to love.

This was a very fun read. A spicy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but made completely its own. The love between the characters moved a little too fast to be believable, but I still think it was a well written book and it made it hard to put down. The spice scenes 🥵🥵

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved „Crown of Slumber“ from this author and „Crown of Briars“ also has a special place in my heart now. I hope this author never stops writing fairytale retellings. Love, love, love!

Crown of Briars is titled a beauty and the beast retelling. Every generation of the Earthen Court gives a princess as a human bride to the Wraith King to protect their realm from deadly shadows. Princess Sybelle has prepared all her life for this. But everything is not as it seems. The source of the shadows is not actually the Wraith king himself but an ancient curse. While Sybelle is trying to figure out how to break the curse, the Wraith king starts growing on her. When the chance offers itself, Sybelle has to decide whether she is willing to give her life to break the curse and save the king and his people.

The author incorporates an interesting magic system, a good setting, political intrigues and thus achieves to develop a unique story. This is something I would not take for granted when it comes to fairytale retellings. The book is easy to read, the story is well paced and you can observe continuous character development of the fmc throughout the book. The romance develops nicely and includes some spicy scenes.

However, the story wasn’t able to convey deeper feelings to me. The forced marriage or forced proximity do not really feel forced, the longing is only superficially there. The passion doesn’t seem real but simply as if it was part of the plot. In total, this was a rollercoaster ride for me. There were parts during the book which got me hooked. Other parts were filled with information, which wouldn’t have been necessary for me, what became quite boring. In my opinion the story could have been achieved with a lesser number of pages, which most probably would have elevated my rating.

All in all a good book, which I would recommend to those of use who will never stop loving fairytales but prefer some spice in it. Thanks to Willow Haven Press and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC. All opinions are my own.

DNF at around 50%
I picked up Crown of Briars by R.L. Perez drawn in by its beautiful cover, interesting description, and a few positive reviews.
While the story includes many classic fantasy elements that will likely appeal to fans of the genre, I personally couldn't connect with the plot or the characters.
That said, the writing style is very accessible, which could be a strong point for readers who are just beginning their journey with fantasy. However, due to the abundance of genre-specific tropes, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as someone’s first fantasy book.
Although it wasn’t the right fit for me, I believe the book will find its audience - especially among readers new to fantasy genre.

3.5 stars

After reading one of the authors previous 'retellings' I was so excited to read this one.

Overall I think the concept of the storyline was good - It just didn't hit the right spot for me.

The world itself was interesting and I definitely enjoyed learning about the enchanted castle.

I think I have come to the realization that I'm not a big fan of 'monster' romances - as by the description of the 'beast' I would class this under that category. I also didn't love the miscommunication that happened from time to time.

I feel like the FMC could have been a bit more bad arse as she was meant to be a bit more of a threat - but I felt that she fell flat from that.

I am still super keen to read the rest in this series as I really enjoyed the first book.

Every generation, the Earthen Court offers a princess bride to the formidable Wraith King, a chilling pact made to protect their realm from his deadly shadows. Princess Sybelle steps into this generations-old tradition, not as a helpless victim, but as a warrior with a desperate plan. She has prepared her entire life to face the monster terrorizing her people, and her ultimate goal is chillingly clear: uncover the source of his shadow magic to destroy him for good.
The Wraith King, despite his terrifying reputation and demonic appearance, is not who he seems. He proves to be as captivating as he is deadly, igniting a fire in her soul she never knew she had. This immediate shift in Sybelle's perception promises a delicious enemies-to-lovers dynamic, steeped in dangerous attraction.
The true heart of the story emerges when Sybelle discovers the Wraith King himself is trapped by a powerful curse. Her mission of vengeance transforms into a desperate desire to free him. This revelation introduces a poignant internal conflict: to break his curse would jeopardize her own life and, more importantly, the lives of the people she's sworn to protect.
For fans of Beauty and the Beast retellings, Hades and Persephone vibes, or anyone who craves a dark, angsty romance where the monster isn't quite the monster he seems.

A darker, high-stakes spin on Beauty and the Beast. Princess Sybelle—raised to marry the monstrous Wraith King to protect her kingdom—is determined to stop his reign by killing him. However, the more she learns about him and the shadows consuming his realm, the clearer it becomes that duty and desire may collide in unexpected ways. A dragon familiar, fae court intrigue, layered magic, and steamy enemies-to-lovers tension drive the plot forward. Loved every minute of this book

If, like me, you are a Disney adult who also loves fantasy books, add this to your TBR right now! 📚

From reading the dedication, I knew I would love this book! The re-telling was perfect, not a 100% play-by-play of Beauty & The Beast but so imaginatively incorporated. The immersive world, twists & turns and each character had me hooked! ✨

Sybelle is such a strong FMC. She’s smart, capable, funny & takes no shit 😅 I loved all of her friendships formed throughout this book. Varius is a perfect MMC. Broody, grumpy, “touch her and die” - yes please 😍

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing & R L Perez for the opportunity to ARC review this book!

🌟6 stars rounded down🌟

I feel as if I owe this author and Willow Haven Press, and Victory Editing Netgallery Co-op an apology. I know on Netgallery we're supposed to read these books in a relatively timely manner & I normally try to do so. But with this book I was slower than a turtle trying to swim in a pool of peanut butter, I took my time, I JUST NEVER WANTED IT TO END!!!!! 😭

If I could "Blue skidoo, we can too!" Myself into 1 book, this would be my choice

Clock it, July 26th 2025. From now till the day I die, I will never EVER read another Beauty and the Beast retelling. This is the one (and only) Beauty & the Beast retelling I need flowing through my veins untill the day that I die..HOW IS THIS EVEN BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL BEAUTY & THE BEAST?!

If Beauty & the Beast and ACOTAR had a baby, it would be this book

Because Beauty & the Beast!?.. with the FAE?????? a hilarious dragon sprinkled in for a bonus, cause WHY NOT!?!?!?!.. An enchanted castle with a sense of humor?!?!?! Old retellings mixed with beautiful originality?!?!? SIGN ME THE FOOK UP!!!!

I'm seriously going to go broke this year with the amount of hardcopy book trophies I have to buy. I will most DEFINITELY be getting this one


it's really so hard for me not to just word vomit every beautiful inch of a great book such as this one. I really try my best to bite my tongue so everyone can get the same experience. But this book has me squealing & kicking my feet together the whole time! To the point it was getting ridiculous!

This book manages to blend strong originality while still sticking to the backbone of a tale as old as time.. In a way this is better than the original Beauty & Beast. This story is so in depth and beautifully woven even characters such as Gaston and the hag Agatha, etc, get more of a backstory then ever before


Y'alllllllllll🫢🫢🫢🫢🫢🫢🫢..this book made me do a thing.. & it literally took me to another planet.. You know how it's a budding social media trend to name the song you're feeling while you're reading a book??( If not it's cute & you should check it out).. Welllllllll.. about half way through, I KNEW this was my Ordinary (by Alex Warren) read. So, as I was drawing to the end I couldn't help but think.. what if I actually played this song in the background while I finished up the last chapter or so??.. 🫢........😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 YALL😭, MY SOUL TRANSCEND TO ANOTHER PLANET WITH ME STILL ATTACHED!! It brought ALLLLL the feels!! Chills, goosebumps, heart palpitations, OBVIOUSLY me balling like a BABY, it was such an experience.

I can feel it in my bones as I type this, the book hangover from this is right around the corner & it's going to be a rough one

i don't know if this is set up for a book 2, BUT I NEED A BOOK 2!!!!!!!!.. i know other characters from this story have there book. But I need more of THISSSS RIGHT HERE!! Her sister saying it wasn't over yet is my ONLY wisp of hope that maybe one day my wish will be granted



Edit: as predicted the hangover is REAL, one to rival my college days..The song Ordinary came on today while I was cleaning & I just started balling! Like Kim Kardashian ugly cry. I just want to be back with Sybelle & Various! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I'm so desperate I might just tape a copy of the book to a wall and attempt The Platform 9 & 3/4 maneuver

Thank you NetGalley and R.L. Perez for this ARC!

What a read this was, it is the best beauty and the beast retelling I have ever read, hands down. It was intriguing and held you from beginning to end. You felt yourself fully immersed into the story and just couldn't put the book down. I hadn't heard much about this before NetGalley but thank you for putting it on my radar! If you like ACOTAR or similar vibes, youll love this. You will fly through this book!

As a Beauty and The Beast retelling, this book has it all. Similar to the original story but different enough to be an amazing book in its own right. Magic, an enchanted castle, a dark and dangerous forest and a dragon. Add in the slow burn romance that runs from 'I'm going to kill you' to 'I will die for you' and it is perfectly done. The plot twist i did not see coming which is always the mark of a well written book in my opinion. I adored this book and raced through it in a matter of hours.

I received this book as an arc and l'm extremely thankful to have gotten to read it.
This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling for adults with fae and witches and a dragon and spice.
I absolutely ate this up. The first few chapters didn't quite have me hooked but once I got to around 20 percent I finished the book in one sitting. I just had to know what happened and if they would break the curse.
I love a fairytale retelling and this did NOT disappoint. It totally lived up to every expectation I had.
I recommend this to romantasy lovers and those who also love fairytale retellings like myself. I will be reading the other books in this series as well.

Posted to Goodreads and Instagram so far. Will post to Amazon as well

Firstly, a very big thank you to Netgalley and Willow Haven Press for granting me a copy of Crown of Briars to read and review.



Crown of Briars is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, for adults. There are a couple of trigger warnings, so please check these before reading.



The book focuses on Sybelle, a princess of the Earthern Court who, since before she was born, was promised as a bride to the King of the Shadow Court, or the Wraith King as she has come to know him as. Sybelle's whole life has been one of training. To become to the perfect bride, and the one who will bring about the Wraith Kings demise, so that she can save her kingdom and its people. With the help of her dragon, Azure, (yes there is a dragon, thank the gods) she must balance these two roles to remain outside of suspicion.



Varius, the King of the Shadow Court is a ruler in conflict. Centuries before, a curse was placed upon his land that which has led to an unrelenting battle to survive the deadly Necro Shadows, and remain in their 'beast' forms, until the curse can be broken. Unlike the kings who ruled before him, Varius wishes to be a goodly and ethical leader, but he is conflicted. In order to keep his people safe, he must sacrifice his bride to the Necro Shadows, which goes against all he believes in.



There are prejudices on the sides of both courts and Sybelle and Varius most overcome these and work together to save the kingdoms they love, but with both parties harbouring hidden personal agendas, will they succeed, or will the curse claim everything and everyone they know.



This is the best re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, I have read, and I would even go so far as to say, I prefer this to the original story. There is prejudice, betrayal, love, secrets, and even some spice. This is a book for those of us who read the original Beauty and the Beast and fell in love with the beast, not the prince. For those who are still attracted to strong, dominant males.



This book is very well written, the pace is perfection, there are twists and turns a plenty, the characters, even though they are fae, are believable and I want them in my friend group, at once. I honestly did not want to put this down and resented having to do grown-up life things. I will definitely be reading the rest of R.L. Perez's books and am heading over to follow on all of their socials, as soon as I hit the submit button.



Please give this book a try, you honestly won't regret it.

This is one of the best Beauty and the Beast re-tellings I have ever read! It’s brilliant.

There’s so much depth to the story, the characters and the magic were just fantastic, add in a dragon and you’ve got yourself a masterpiece.

I thoroughly enjoyed this books, it’s spicy, dark and turbulent, giving enough drama, romance and intrigue to keep you invested in the story and desperate to know what happens.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7774538350

Thank you for allowing me to read this book, I will be reading the first now as well!