Review: A Wicked Thing

Title: A Wicked Thing

Author: Rhiannon Thomas

Pages: 337

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Retelling

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: February 24th 2015

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.  

 

 

REVIEW:

My favorite fairy tale retellings are the ones that put a different spin on the original tale. When I saw that this Sleeping Beauty was going to be taking place after the kiss and Aurora wakes up 100 years later in a world she no longer knows I immediately added this book to my to be read pile. Thankfully, my expectations were met.

 

The book literally starts right at the kiss, kicking the book off with a bang and throwing you right into the story. I found the whole book thoroughly enjoyable. Sleeping Beauty is actually a fairy tale that I do not know as well and Thomas did a great job reintroducing people like me to the world and the story. Not a lot actually happens plot wise but that does not mean it was boring. You can tell that Thomas is laying the ground work for the rest of the fantasy series, which I bet will pick up in suspense and action in the following books. The story was easy to follow and had great pacing. I flew right through this book in 24 hours.

 

I was very happy to see that this was a rare fairytale that did not evolve around a romance. There are three boys introduced, the prince she is supposed to marry, a rebel she meets outside of the castle, and a prince from another kingdom who tries to convince her to leave with him. These three boys give you enough to swoon over if you are looking for that but there is only a hint of romance introduced in the beginning of the book. And do not fear, there is no love triangle!

 

In the authors biography in the back flap it mentions that she blogs about feminism. I found that evident in the book which I really liked and I thought it added something special to the story. Aurora may start off in a world she doesn't know and does not know what to do but she is not a damsel in distress. She makes it very clear that she is her own person and I really enjoyed seeing a princess with a strong personality. This is not a love story or a book about a girl who needs saving, it is a story about a princess standing up and fighting for herself and her kingdom.

A Wicked Thing is a unique and interesting take on Sleeping Beauty with a strong female lead that you can read very fast.