A review by bookitalum
A Dream So Wicked by Tessonja Odette
5.0
4.5⭐️ This book absolutely deserves it’s 4.5 star rating.
I was simultaneously ecstatic and terrified when I saw the blurb for this book, because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney fairy tale adaptation. And, when I say favorite I mean my first dance at my Disney wedding was to the song Once Upon a Dream. I was destined to either utterly love and adore this book or be devastated, disappointed, and hate it. I am delighted to report that I LOVED it!! This is a beautiful blend of … all the things. It’s got a strong “fairy tale” backbone, strong romance with limited spice, great modern fae fantasy elements, solid world building with an evocative writing style, good pacing, lovable/sympathetic characters in whom you can easily become invested, and the perfect amount of suspense/intrigue. I didn’t necessarily see *it* coming, most of the times there was an *it* to see, which is, quite frankly, so damn refreshing. And, for once, the third act intrigue feels like it made the story stronger rather than weaker.
I have the most minimal criticisms, but they seem worth noting. First, some of the language and references felt period/world inconsistent and really took me out of the story. E.g., phrases like “shit-eating grin,” “love language,” and references to a twenty-four hour chapel. Speaking of world building, given that the source material was published in the 16th/17th Century, I think the book would have benefitted from a little more overt attention early on to establishing the relative “technological timeline.” It led to a lot of repeated mental world re-building each time I got a piece of new information (e.g., cars, trains, department stores). Maybe that’s not the case for folks who have read other books in the series? This was my first.
Overall, freaking loved it. Exceeded my expectations! Definitely read this if you have any interest.
I was simultaneously ecstatic and terrified when I saw the blurb for this book, because Sleeping Beauty is my favorite Disney fairy tale adaptation. And, when I say favorite I mean my first dance at my Disney wedding was to the song Once Upon a Dream. I was destined to either utterly love and adore this book or be devastated, disappointed, and hate it. I am delighted to report that I LOVED it!! This is a beautiful blend of … all the things. It’s got a strong “fairy tale” backbone, strong romance with limited spice, great modern fae fantasy elements, solid world building with an evocative writing style, good pacing, lovable/sympathetic characters in whom you can easily become invested, and the perfect amount of suspense/intrigue. I didn’t necessarily see *it* coming, most of the times there was an *it* to see, which is, quite frankly, so damn refreshing. And, for once, the third act intrigue feels like it made the story stronger rather than weaker.
I have the most minimal criticisms, but they seem worth noting. First, some of the language and references felt period/world inconsistent and really took me out of the story. E.g., phrases like “shit-eating grin,” “love language,” and references to a twenty-four hour chapel. Speaking of world building, given that the source material was published in the 16th/17th Century, I think the book would have benefitted from a little more overt attention early on to establishing the relative “technological timeline.” It led to a lot of repeated mental world re-building each time I got a piece of new information (e.g., cars, trains, department stores). Maybe that’s not the case for folks who have read other books in the series? This was my first.
Overall, freaking loved it. Exceeded my expectations! Definitely read this if you have any interest.