This book was fine. The concept, a new interpretation of fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty steeped in Persian culture, was fantastic! But I never stopped wishing that the author would just give me more. I liked that Soraya struggled to choose a side, I wish that that struggle had been more intense. I liked the romance elements, I wish that the romance had been more deep and meaningful. I liked that, throughout the story, I felt the buildup to

Soraya's transformation

, but I wish that the payoff had been greater.

Ultimately I guess I feel like this story pulled its punches. Anger was forgotten too quickly, trust was gained too easily, and the schemes and double crossing was all a little too simple.

Do you want soft tender sapphic vibes? Embracing the monster within to accomplish your goals? A story that doesn't linger over failure to communicate as a plot device? This story may be for you!

I got pulled back, forth, and in every other direction by this story, in a good way. The main character's decisions could be seen as quite flip-flop-y, if you really don't like that kind of behaviour, but I saw it as learning the game of manipulation as she went, myself.