Blog Tour: Once Upon a Princess Saga by C.S. Johnson

Happy Monday y’all! Today I’m so excited to be participating in the blog tour for Once Upon a Princess by C.S. Johnson, a historical fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty (my favorite princess!). Follow the tour below and read on for my review of the first novella in this series. Be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post 😀

Tour Schedule

Monday, October 9^th

• Wrap-Up Post – Unicorn Quester

---

***Please Note: My review is of the first novella in this series, NOT the whole saga.***

I received this book via the author, C.S. Johnson. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Once Upon a Princess Saga by C.S. Johnson
Published by Dire Wolf Books on 2016-01-20
Reviewing eARC Rating:

“I have better things to do.” 

“Like what?” Rose asked. “Waste your life on a fool’s journey, under a silly girl’s orders?” 

“I have never considered saving your life to be the same as wasting mine, Rosary.” He came and stood in front of her, the ease of his presence replaced by an unusual heat rather than familiar warmth. Rose had never before been bothered by the six inches he stood taller than her, but all of a sudden the shadow of his strength imposed itself on her. 

The cursed beauty of the moonlight revealed the clarity and sharpness of his eyes as she gazed up at him. “What if you did waste your life though? What if?” 

“If I have wasted my life, I have wasted it on you. Willingly."

For four years, Princess Aurora of Rhone—Rose to her friends—has searched the world for a way to break the curse placed on her by Magdalina, the wicked ruler of the fairies at war with her kingdom. Under the curse, Rose is doomed to die on her eighteenth birthday after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. And time is running out.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Rose makes the journey home with her friends—Theo, a priest with a penchant for revenge; Mary, a young and talented fairy; and Ethan and Sophia, siblings with a troubled past–as pressure from her father, King Stefanos, leaves her with two equally unsatisfying options: Abdicate the throne, or get married.

Enjoy this novella series retelling of the Sleeping Beauty, with new characters, new plot twists, and plenty of action and adventure. Perfect for teen and young adult historical fantasy readers.

Beauty’s Curse by C.S. Johnson is the first book in the novella series. I adore Sleeping Beauty so I was really excited to start this series. Retellings for me are either fantastic or fall short of my expectations. I’m happy to say that this book falls on the fantastic side 😀

Princess Aurora is a princess I can get behind. Rose to her friends, the princess is a fierce character to contend with. She has no fear, or at least that is how she presents herself to all but her closest friends. There is only one thing that can kill her and that’s the curse placed on her by the half-fairy Magdalina. Since she was 13, Rose has been on a quest to find how to break the curse. She’s a little bitter and understandably so. Yet she’s a fighter and won’t stop until the curse takes her. She inspires others to follow her and wherever she goes, Rose seems to fight for justice.

Rose hasn’t returned to her kingdom since she left four years earlier and I don’t blame her. Her parents tried to force her into marriage to make an heir before the curse took effect on her 18th birthday. Now they have requested she return home to either marry or abdicate the throne. I can’t imagine how this would make anyone feel. I know how I’d feel and that’s bitter and angry. Yet Rose approaches it with her friends at her back and shows that she is the true princess of legend.

Theo *swoon* is Rose’s oldest friend and confidante. Raised in the church after his parents are killed by fairies, Theo wants only two things: to get revenge for his parents and save Rose. It’s obvious from their first encounter the two love one another, but are too stubborn to admit so. Rose believes she’s unlovable as her time on earth is limited, and Theo tries to respect her wishes, plus she’s a princess and he a clergyman/knight. He has no business loving her, at least that’s what he thinks. Theo is like Rose’s conscience. He keeps her grounded when she becomes obsessed with stopping the curse. He keeps her living in the moment instead of the inevitable doom that awaits.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. The banter and friendship among Rose and her followers, Theo’s persistent love and the world-building are fantastic. The original fairy tale is still there, but the author has created a new world blended with historical facts that is irresistible. If you enjoy historical fantasy, I highly recommend you pick up this series! The first book is free on all platforms 😀

---

Tour-Wide Giveaway

Want to participate in a treasure hunt?

At the end of each book in this series is a special collectible clue. Collect all four books, and get all four special prizes, FREE!

Psst….And the first book Beauty’s Curse is FREE on all platforms!

Love reading fairytales? Enter to the world of C.S. Johnson’s Once Upon A Princess Saga by entering to win a paperback of Beauty’s Curse, the entire saga in ebook format, four specially designed t-shirts of a quote from the series, and two handy mugs for your favorite drink.

Facebook Party 10/6!!!

Calling all book readers! Join us as we celebrate C.S.Johnson’s ONCE UPON A PRINCESS SAGA on October 6th from 8:30PM to 10:30PM EST (7:30PM CDT and 5:30PM PST).

Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun night of chatting with the author and special guests, games, and giveaways.

Special guests Chandler Brett, Jeff Sartini, and Disney Princess Addict will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.

As a note: The giveaways held on this event page are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Any questions or comments regarding the party will be directed to the host (Laura A. Grace), not Facebook.

 

Related Posts