Briarheart

If I had to rate this book on the first chapter alone, it would have easily gotten a 5 star. But as the story continued, my interest lessened and lessened. I was really excited about a retelling of Sleeping Beauty where Aurora has a sister to look out for her. The book started off so strong with Miriam losing her father and her mother remarrying the king. At this point, her baby sister Aurora is born and she is helping prepare her baptism. Even after all of the careful planning that was done, a Dark Fae unknown to the kingdom was not invited and offended. During the gift she was bestowing upon Aurora, Miriam unleashed fae magic, revealing that she is part fae. Then the story really begins about Miriam learning how to use magic and creating Aurora’s companions to protect Aurora. I kind of wish this wasn’t a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but instead she made these characters and this story as her own. I went into this book expecting something so different but instead it was really about Miriam while Aurora was a baby. If I would have known this going in, I think I would have enjoyed it better.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Miriam and Aurora. Miriam was obsessed with Aurora and they way she describes Aurora, it is easy to see why. The protectiveness drives Miriam to want to be strong and do anything possible to always make sure she is safe. I really liked this aspect of the story and appreciated the way Miriam devotes herself to her baby sister. The side characters weren’t too much developed but I did appreciate the way the Fairy Godparents were brought more into the story.

FINAL THOUHGTS
Overall, Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey was not what I was expecting at all. While the very, very basics of Sleeping Beauty were used to tell this story, I kind of wish Lackey would have made it her own. I was truly expecting a totally different story which brought a little disappointment. However, the story overall was good and if going in knowing that it wasn’t a true retelling, I believe this would have been more enjoyable. It’s also a fun story for the Young Adults filled with magic and adventure.

BRIARHEART is an intriguing twist on Sleeping Beauty that asks what if Aurora had an older half-sister. Miriam is the stepdaughter to the king and afforded a lot of rights because of it. She can barely remember her father, who died in a war when she was young. At 15, she adores her new baby sister and wants to help with everything, even the christening. It's quite the event, particularly making sure none of the Dark Fae are slighted, because if they are, they can break the covenant and harm humans.

When a Dark Fae bends the rules and tricks them, ready to place some sort of curse on Aurora, Miriam steps in the way to defend her sister. After she defeats the dark fae, everyone is abuzz. It seems Miriam must have some fae in her from her father, unbeknownst to everyone. Now, she is training as a night in the morning and as a fae in the afternoon with the ultimate goal of being able to protect her sister.

I appreciated the fairytale twist in the story as well as the intricate rules around the fae in the book. Miriam is a really fun character, and I loved seeing her passion and sisterly love that drive her to excel. However, it seemed like most things came really easy to her, and the answers are pretty slow in coming. The rules around the fae were not terribly clear, as it seems they weren't to anyone but the fae, and it felt like many things were arbitrary. I think this would appeal to a middle grade or young YA group, with younger main characters, simpler plot lines, and easier acceptance of happenstance. On the plus side, there is a lot of fun characters, adventure, and magic along with some humor that made it reminiscent of ELLA ENCHANTED.

Overall, BRIARHEART was an intriguing fairytale retelling that would be great for middle grade and young YA readers who enjoy light-hearted plots and fun characters.