Camille's Reviews > To Defy a Dream: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling

To Defy a Dream is such an innovative and imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty. As someone who has always been fascinated with dreams and the concept of worlds within them, reading about a kingdom plagued by a sleeping sickness and a princess who explores dreams is such a creative take on this story.

I adored the vivid backdrop and world-building, from the aurora borealis, the volcano, and especially the vivid dreamland, Gehenna, that I adored exploring through our heroine, Aurelia’s, eyes. In addition to the unique setting, the djinni’s magic was fascinating. The plot set against this detailed setting was thoroughly engaging and filled with amazing twists, which Mary Mecham has always excelled at.

For as much as I enjoyed the story, I especially fell in love with the characters. Mary Mecham has a gift for creating not only incredible plots but characters that feel alive, as well as weaving satisfying journeys for them to embark on. I loved watching Aurelia work to overcome her many obstacles to earn her well-deserved happily ever after. She was a fantastic character whose kindness, loyalty, and self-sacrifice had her take on the burden of her kingdom and do all within her power for her people she never asked to rule. Her struggles with the weight of the crown pulling her from her own dreams were compelling, and I was thoroughly invested in her detailed journey of growth.

I also adored kind-hearted Everett. Aurelia and Everett’s second chance romance was adorable and swoony, while also genuine and containing a lot of depth from the obstacles and the heartache they had to overcome. Though the story was novella length, I felt the balance between the romance and the plot was satisfying, creating not only another fantastic tale from this talented author, but a delightful Sleeping Beauty retelling that I’m already looking forward to rereading.