Coming to the tale of Sleeping Beauty, which features one of my least favorite heroines but one of my most favorite villains, I had mixed feelings. Would the heroine be elevated by having more time and depth added? Would the villain be re-imagined with a(nother) sympathetic backstory? Would this story reside in my dreams, or haunt my nightmares?

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, this one hit me a lot harder than I ever expected one of these Twisted Disney stories would. It still has its fair share of things I didn't like, things that felt tonally off, and things I felt could have been given a deeper exploration, but on the whole I appreciated the thought and care given to the main subject. Aurora Rose was taken from a passive role as a damsel in distress, now re-imagined as a character with gifts and curses (given & natural) who has to fight demons (literal & internal) in order to overcome evil and find her place in the world. If you're okay with some dark subject matter—specifically murder, childhood trauma, and mental health issues—I would highly recommend checking out this Twisted Tale.