Briarheart Review: This Sleeping Beauty retelling is wide awake

Welcome to a Sleeping Beauty retelling like no other!

With fairy godmothers who moonlight as bodyguards to the crown, misguided trolls who need a stern talking to, and a magical sword that belongs to an ancient warrior of lore…

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey undoubtedly puts a fresh new spin on an old Grimm classic.

I’ve caught your attention now, haven’t I?

To learn more about how Briar Rose, Maleficent, and all your Sleeping Beauty faves are recast in this modern YA retelling, start reading my Briarheart review below!

eARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change upon final publication.

What is Briarheart About?

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey

Published October, 5th 2021 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

FOR FANS OF: Sleeping Beauty retellings, Mercedes Lackey books, Jessica George Day, lower YA books, YA fantasy books with no romance

Content + Trigger Warnings

Child kidnapping, death of a parent, infant peril

Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she’s not a princess. She’s the child of Alethia and her previous husband, the King’s Champion, who died fighting for the king, and she has no ambitions to rule. When her new baby sister Aurora, heir to the throne, is born, she’s ecstatic. She adores the baby, who seems perfect in every way. But on the day of Aurora’s christening, an uninvited Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse her, and Miriam discovers she possesses impossible power.

Soon, Miriam is charged with being trained in both magic and combat to act as chief protector to her sister. But shadowy threats are moving closer and closer to their kingdom, and Miriam’s dark power may not be enough to save everyone she loves, let alone herself.

About the Author

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972.

During the late 70’s she worked as an artist’s model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

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Briarheart Review

Why Should You Read Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey?

It’s a refreshingly unique Sleeping Beauty retelling for the modern era

Let me start off my Briarheart review with a not-so-surprising confession:

I’m complete trash for YA retellings.

So when I realized that Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey is a Sleeping Beauty retelling, can you guess what I did?

I smashed that “Want to Read” button so hard I almost broke my laptop’s touchpad.

(I kid you not.)

Here’s the deal:

If you’re a diehard fan of Disney’s classic animated film or a huge Charles Perrault purist, don’t expect to fall in love with Lackey’s YA Sleeping Beauty adaptation right away.

The reason?

Briarheart is the most unorthodox (read: creative) Sleeping Beauty reimagining I’ve encountered yet.

Now you’re probably wondering what makes Briarheart such a unique story, especially when fairy tale retellings are a dime a dozen these days.

Let me tell you.

Mercedes Lackey’s book isn’t about the beautiful slumbering princess at all.

But hang on a minute—if a Sleeping Beauty retelling isn’t about Sleeping Beauty, who is it about?

Here’s the interesting thing:

Briarheart actually follows Aurora’s older stepsister—a fifteen-year-old girl named Miriam—who sets out to become the strongest lady knight in all the land!

So if you’re in the mood for a swashbuckling fantasy romp full of swords and sorcery (think Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce) then look no further.

This is the book for you.

It’s a YA fantasy with no romance *insert collective gasp from the audience here*

Yup, you read that part of my Briarheart review correctly.

This is a fairy tale retelling with no romance.

(Contrary to popular belief, YA books without romance do actually exist!)

And you know what?

I triple-fudge-sundae loved that!

While I whole-heartedly adore a cheesy rom-com, it’s refreshing to read a novel that doesn’t carry even a whiff of love in the air.

The fact is, we need more books without romance, especially in the YA fantasy genre.

Lauren Jankowski, a Chicago-based fantasy writer who identifies as both asexual and aromantic, poses this question:

“Why can’t we just have more narratives where you find two best friends fighting for each other and to protect each other, or a group of friends going off on adventures?”

The good news is that Briarheart is precisely that kind of narrative.

Wholesome family dynamics + heartwarming sisterly bonds = 👍 👍

Ever noticed how many fairy tales feature the “wicked stepparent” stereotype?

East Carolina University anthropologist Ryan Schacht explains it this way: “The idea of a stepparent, especially the stepmother, as being an agent of evil seems to be a story as old as time.”

Why do I bring this up?

Because my Briarheart review wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t applaud how Mercedes Lackey smashes that outdated cliché into the stratosphere.

After her father—the King’s Champion, Sir Geniver—dies in battle, Miriam’s mother remarries the king.

But instead of succumbing to the dreaded “Cinderella effect,” Miri’s new stepdad treats her with unconditional love, mutual respect, and heartfelt understanding.

“I’m going to make you a promise right now. When the christening is over, you and I are going to spend more time together, and I am going to tell you what Geniver was like when he was your age. I’ll tell you everything I know and remember. And I’m going to promise you something else. Whatever you want or need to learn, I will find the tutors for it. I want you to blossom. Be like Geniver, Miriam. Be everything you can even if it takes you into situations that may be strange to you or makes you try things that frighten you.”

And here’s another thing:

Miri’s total adoration of her baby stepsister, Princess Aurora, is so pure that it transmuted me into a sopping puddle of emotions.

Bottom line—I’m going to cry over this unbelievably wholesome sibling relationship for the next 3-5 business days.

“I stared down into the cradle at the face of my baby sister and fell in love all over again. It happened every single time I saw her, just as it had the moment she was born. Little Aurora was the most beautiful, perfect, little rosebud of a baby princess ever.”

There’s a DRAGON!!!

Here’s an open secret:

I will pledge my troth to any book with dragons in it.

But make no mistake, Briarheart has more than just dragons to recommend it. It’s also full of:

🦄 Unicorns (who happen to be BFFs with said dragons)

🐺 Talking deer and friendly wolves who WON’T eat you

🧝‍♀️ Dark Fae who might or might not be your grandmother

👺 Goblin markets with dangerous bargains to be made

🧙 Court wizards that aren’t as helpful as you would think

Needless to say, if you add up all of these classic fantasy elements…

You’ve got a foolproof equation for an insanely fun, medieval-inspired adventure.

It hits that rare sweet spot of Upper MG/Lower YA

Listen up. Here’s the most important part of my Briarheart review.

Editor Katy Hershberger of the Library School Journal laments: “Middle Grade is too young, YA too old. Where are the just-right books for tweens?”

One thing’s for sure:

Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey is the perfect example of a “just-right book for tweens.”

With a fifteen-year-old protagonist, a heavy focus on family relationships, and writing that will appeal to a younger audience, this novel is a fantastic choice for any transitional reader on the prowl for crossover MG/YA books.

Why Shouldn’t You Read Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey?

All the supporting characters are wet sandwiches

That’s right, bookworms. We’ve reached the part of my Briarheart review where I talk trash.

So what’s my biggest criticism of Mercedes Lackey’s 2021 YA release?

Surprisingly enough, it’s the side characters.

Here’s why:

As part of Miriam’s plan to protect Aurora from the threat of dark fae, she recruits five young squires and dubs them Aurora’s Companions.

Together, the six of them (supposedly) become this tight-knit group of friends that’ll do anything to protect the princess and one another.

(Not that we ever see that relationship develop on-page, but more about that later.)

“We weren’t just friends. We were a lot more than just friends by now. We knew we could count on one another no matter what; we each had five people we could trust with our deepest secrets. We were what Sir Delacar had called us when we met that first day in the yard.

We were Aurora’s Companions. And we would guard her and one another against all odds.”

As you know, I’m a total sucker for the found family trope. I should’ve been thriving on this strong friendship and its accompanying “us-against-the-world” vibe.

But I wasn’t.

You may wonder why.

Like I mentioned in my Cheshire Crossing review, it all boils down to criminally flat, one-sided characters.

Despite having a really cool name, Aurora’s Companions are all as bland as a slice of old baloney.

To put it simply:

Briarheart‘s supporting cast is comprised of undeveloped caricatures that only exist to plug a gaping hole in the plot.

There’s SO. MANY. INFODUMPS.

Imagine somebody pouring a bucket of cold water on your head.

Now imagine that you’re being drenched in tedious exposition and a dull stream-of consciousness narrative instead of water.

That’s pretty much what Mercedes Lackey does to her readers in her latest 2021 release.

She shares so much irrelevant information in the name of worldbuilding that it bogs down the pacing, making it move at a clunky and near-glacial rate.

Let me say this straight:

Who cares about the exact process the holy sisters use to dye their wool gowns a faded blue-grey color?

(Just typing out that sentence has me stifling a yawn.)

Like I bemoaned in my The Box in the Woods review—Give me more of the action, please and thank you.

It breaks The Golden Rule of writing

It’s the one piece of writing advice you’ve heard a million times—Show, don’t tell.

Chekhov once said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

I hate that I have to mention this in my Briarheart review, but here it is:

Mercedes Lackey is definitely a “tell me the moon is shining” kind of writer.

Never once while reading Briarheart did I feel like I was “in the room” with the characters. Rather, I was watching the action unfold from the nosebleed section of the bleachers.

Lackey simply TOLD the reader everything in a dry, matter-of-fact tone, almost as if it were a journal entry written after the fact.

The sad result?

I was disconnected from and never truly invested in the story.

The climax was (ironically) anticlimactic

Here’s the last complaint I’ll share in my Briarheart review (it’s actually similar to a gripe from my Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize review):

There are entirely too many loose ends for my liking.

Important plot points are never fully fleshed out, the central conflict is never actually resolved, and the villain’s motivations are never satisfyingly explained.

If I had to describe it, I would say that reading Briarheart is like being strapped in a roller coaster that gets stuck at the top.

You’re left stranded at the climax of the action, anticipating an exciting ride that never comes.

In short, we get all the boring build-up, but never the thrilling payout.

The TL;DR of my Briarheart Review

So my Briarheart review all adds up to this:

If you’re looking for a YA book that…

• cleverly twists a familiar fairy tale
• spotlights positive family relationships
• is a good fit for lower YA readers

…then stop sleeping on Mercedes Lackey’s newest release and grab your own copy ASAP.

Now over to you:

What did you think of my Briarheart review?

Have you read any other Sleeping Beauty retellings?

Jump into the comments and share one thing about this book that piqued your interest!

Get a Copy of Briarheart

Interested in adding Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey to your collection?

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