I’ve watched Cindy’s channel for years. I adore her hilarious reviews, so I'm sad to say that her debut novel fell short of my expectations. The Secret World of Briar Rose alternatives between two main timelines. We follow Amelia, the Sleeping Beauty-esque princess who is cursed to fall into an eternal slumber on her eighteenth birthday. On the other hand, there’s Corin, one hundred years in the future. She’s a jaded thief who falls into the princess’ dreams in search of her missing sister. I ultimately think the book is so preoccupied with creating fantastical dreamscapes that the character writing, plot, and everything else falls to the wayside. For instance, Amelia and Malicine’s dynamics were like a watered-down version of the Maleficent movie without feeling earned. I also wish the worldbuilding had been fleshed out more—like there’s no sense of culture or customs to Gyldan. The time period is also vaguely ambiguous. It’s odd to have a quasi-medieval castle setting and then ...