The chapters in this book were REALLY long, which made it a poor choice for reading before bed. I think that with shorter chapters, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more; when I was winding down and feeling sleepy, parts of this story just felt a little too slow-moving and detailed to me.

But with that said, I really like the idea of a Sleeping Beauty retelling from the Prince's perspective (he's the one who remains awake, after all). Certain aspects of the story were fairly predictable, but there were a few twists that took me by surprise. And while a few passages reeked of "first novel" (such as some awkward dialogue near the end where all the characters analyzed their experience), the story did a good job of making fairy tale reality complex and multi-dimensional, and I was especially impressed with the story's climax scenes, which were as vivid as a film without having that terrible "book-that-wants-to-be-a-movie" feel. All-in-all, a worthwhile read. ( )

This fantasy for older children and younger young adults (if there is such a category) is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty legend from the point of view of the Prince. And it's terrifically well done.

Helen Lowe manages to make the prince and his world believable and engaging, and also solves the difficult problem of how to make the sleeping princess an active participant in the story: to say how would be to give the game away. Her writing style is smooth, measured, and stylish, modern prose with just the right amount of elevation into a more courtly style.

The only aspect of the book that stops me giving this book the full five stars is the ending, or more properly the climax. Although the Prince is given plenty to do, he is ultimately a bystander as the Princess's fate is decided, and I didn't find that completely satisfactory. But that's one small flaw in what is otherwise an excellent book. ( )

In this elaboration of "Sleeping Beauty," Prince Sigismund, having grown up in a remote castle dreaming of going on knightly quests, has had only a passing interest in the forbidden wood lying beyond the castle gates until a brief encounter with a beautiful and mysterious lady changes his life forever.