A Wicked Thing

A Wicked Thing draws readers in immediately with a grim twist on a classic fairy tale: what if Sleeping Beauty was awakened not months or a year after falling under the curse, but one hundred years? Aurora wakes to find her family long dead, and a whole new world around her. She also finds herself in the clutches of the current royal family, one that will use her and her supposed magic to take back power over a kingdom on the brink of rebellion. According to her story, Aurora will awaken when her “true love” kisses her, and then she will marry him, and this new king and queen are going to hold her to that, no matter what.

While this one really intrigued me at the beginning, there was a large section in the middle where I felt a complete disconnect. The new world was indistinct. Aurora just seems to be floating along, powerless to make any change or any decisions. It was hard to know whom to root for. Within the last 100 pages, however, my interest was pulled back in completely. Aurora’s eyes are opened to the truth, she makes a choice, and this nicely sets it up for a sequel.