Asleep

****

4 Stars/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Patchwork Press for giving me this book to review.

During the most important engagement party of the five realms the soon to be groom prince Devaran is kidnapped from his finance castle. Drugged and locked in a tower, Dev relives his history with Jess and sees how their relationship has grown from childhood friends to her being the love of his life. At the same time princess Jessmyn and Dev’s brother Tanvir are hunting for the person who took him and will do anything to rescue her beloved. However, is the person who took Dev using his kidnap to hurt him, Jess and their two kingdoms or as a catalyst to take over the entire five realms.

I really enjoyed Asleep as it is a good YA romantic fantasy and is a very unique interpretation of Sleeping Beauty. I have not read the first book The Eye of the Beholder but I don’t think it matters as I did not feel like I was missing anything.

I liked Jess as she is a strong character who would fight for who she loves, who still being a bit insecure. Dev is strong in a different but equal way and I liked him as he was brave, funny, but this hid his self-doubt about his ability to rule. However, I would have liked to have seen him interact with people apart from mostly in his memories. I enjoyed how the world of the five realms was different from most fantasy book as women could also be warriors and leaders and no-one made an issue of it.

I really enjoyed this book and will want to read the first book The Eye of the Beholder. I would recommend Asleep to fans of Slumber by Samantha Young or Scarlet by A C Gaughen.