Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell

Once Upon a Dream (Twisted Tales, #2)

by Liz Braswell

What if the sleeping beauty never woke up? Once Upon a Dream marks the second book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways.

It should be simple–a dragon defeated, a slumbering princess in a castle, a prince poised to wake her. But when the prince falls asleep as his lips touch the fair maiden’s, it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.

With a desperate fairy’s last curse controlling her mind, Princess Aurora must escape from a different castle of thorns and navigate a dangerously magical landscape–created from her very own dreams. Aurora isn’t alone–a charming prince is eager to join her quest, and old friends offer their help. But as Maleficent’s agents follow her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are and, moreover, who shetruly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Reviewed by Charli G. on

4 of 5 stars

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If you're familiar with Sleeping Beauty, then you already know what Once Upon a Dream is going to be about. But trust me, this isn't your Mom or Grandma's Sleeping Beauty.

Liz Braswell has woven a tale that asks what if it required more than just true love's kiss to break the curse on Aurora? What if Maleficent had to be defeated before the curse could be broken?

The world building in this story is top-notch. I didn't even realize what was actually going on until a good way into the story. In fact, I didn't figure out what was happening until just before Aurora figured it out.

Fans of Sleeping Beauty who crave a stronger princess will love this book. While I didn't enjoy Once Upon a Dream as much as I did As Old As Time, this book still gets a solid 4 stars for awesome character use and building of the world.
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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 16 April, 2019: Reviewed