By Jesikah Sundin
Fairytale Retelling + Folk Tales + Cyberpunk
The magic, tech, writing & narration here raised this review to ⭐⭐⭐⭐, meanwhile, the plot and characters brought it down to ⭐⭐⭐⭐.
I was expecting steampunk, but this was more technology-focused. The story is one we all know (Sleeping Beauty) with a slightly different interpretation, more of a dream state than actually sleeping.
Complete story–No cliffhanger. Thank you!
Plot & Characters
I must say… I really did NOT like Æroreh. You know the way Sansa Stark was a little sniveling nitwit in Game of Thrones? Yeah, that’s kind of how I felt about the female main character here. I know…it’s hard to have a strong FMC who falls victim to the female villain from such a young age. And Sundin used that to her advantage in the story by making her representative of the idea that women have been belittled, told to sit down and look pretty for a long, long time. However, it just doesn’t endear me to the character.
Philip (Phaelip?), the male MC, had a better arc and backstory, and balanced out the FMC. He felt well-rounded, and I could have seen this story being told entirely from his POV.
Favorite Quote(s)
“Dedicated to all the women who were told they would be prettier if they smiled and all the men who are our allies.”The Author
I listened to this, and when it recycled to the beginning before I turned it off, it brought the dedication home. So, if you’re reading, pay attention to that, or go back to the beginning when you’re done!
Romance Elements
Swoon-worthiness
To be honest, there wasn’t anything to swoon over. The characters had romance between them, but it was kind of just there. The attraction seemed superficial and just there because it was fated to be.
I’m hard in this category, because I want to see what draws characters together (other than something physical) and then watch the ups and downs of a relationship, and this story just didn’t have room for that with all the other things this book did so well.
Heat
None. Maybe a kiss, but even that wasn’t notable.
Fantasy Elements
Worldbuilding
The world was so rich in pagan folklore, it really became another character. I adore that!
Magic & Magic Systems
Here lies a shining star in this story. The folk-based faerie magic combined with the nanotech was a brilliant combination. Nothing but praise for this aspect of the book.
I think I heard one little issue with the writing, and I can’t even recall what it was. Grammatical, I believe. That happens to us all.
The clarity of the story, however, in audible form was difficult to follow. The author didn’t give the reader/listener much room to breathe. It was a barrage of significant information. That keeps the story tight (so kudos there) but it made me work harder to follow.
The narration, on the other hand, was absolutely superb when listened to at 1.25x the recording speed. The Scots accent for Philip (Phaelip? Remember, I read with my ears.) brought the world to life.
Synopsis
Her reality is a dream. His is a nightmare.
Beauty. Gentleness. Obedience. Grace. Good cheer.
Faerie blessed at birth, Princess Æroreh Rosen was molded into feminine perfection for the queen’s agenda of a New Dawn Era.
But the realm of Rothlín is far from perfect.
Hunger and sickness plague the factory-choked land. Æroreh, however, is oblivious to the plight of her people. Or her mother’s cruelty. Plugged into The Dream, she is programmed to remain awake and only see a prospering realm through illusions of beauty and contentment. But all that changes when a rebel sect of faeries releases her mind and unleashes her magic—the power to weave new realities while dreaming.
Now on the run, Æroreh’s unspooling world collides with Félip Batten McKinley’s, a shadow walker and the surviving heir to the throne of faerie. The very throne the queen maneuvers to annihilate. And why the faeries hid him as a child in the factory slums of Rothlín. But an uprising pushes Félip from the shadows of his life and into the hauntingly beautiful light of Æroreh Rosen—a young woman who represents every nightmare he knows.
Yet only she has the power to awaken a new dream.
Æroreh is a gritty dystopian mythpunk spin on the romantic tale of Sleeping Beauty, blending faerie magic and pagan ritual with high technology. Guaranteed to please readers who love angsty, enemies-to-lovers slow-burn romances, twisted faerie tales, and strong found family themes.
STANDALONE in a connected series / shared world
Guaranteed happily ever after
Name pronounced like Aurora.
My Ratings
About the Author
JESIKAH SUNDIN is a multi-award-winning Dystopian Punk Lit, Fairy Tale, and Historical Fantasy writer, a mom of three nerdlets, a faeriecore and elfpunk geek, tree hugger, nature photographer, and a helpless romantic who married her insta-love high school sweetheart. In addition to her family, she shares her home in Seattle, Washington with a rambunctious husky-chi, a red-footed tortoise, and a collection of Doc Martens boots. She is addicted to coffee, GIFs, memes, potatoes, cheese, mossy forests, eyeliner on men, and artsy indie alt rock.
AUTHOR NAMES:
Jesikah Sundin: dystopian, fantasy romance, and faerie tales
J. Sundin: reverse harem fantasy romance
Jae Dawson: contemporary small-town romance
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