Hello, Book Nerds! Welcome back to Reading Has Ruined My Life or welcome if you are new. As always, my name is Hannah and I am your captain on this journey into my bookcases.
Guys, one of my favorite authors came out with a new book not too long ago! I’m so excited. This author is returning to the world they created in their debut novel. It’s inspired by a very famous fairy tale. Have you guessed this week’s read? It’s totally not in the title. Nor is this review’s cover photo the book cover. You didn’t click on this post knowing what book I’m reviewing. No one has any idea what this review is on.
Please give a warm round of applause to Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron!
As always, a spoiler alert is in order. This is your one and only warning. If you’ve read any other review on this site then you know I tend to spoil the majority of the books I read. I also must issue a content and trigger warning. There are mentions of infertility and child loss. There are also mentions of child abuse. Neither topic is part of the main plot, but please note these topics are included. It’s synopsis time now.
Today’s story follows Princess Eve of Queen’s Bridge. Her 17th birthday is fast approaching and with it comes a challenge. Since she could hold a weapon, she has trained to battle and defeat an evil sorcerer known only as the Knight. For hundreds of years, the Knight has tortured the kingdoms throughout the world by offering people their wishes and then turning said wish against them.
Eve and her mother Queen Regina have spent many years telling the people of Queen’s Bridge to not speak with the Knight, to not ask him for a wish, to basically ignore him and pretend he doesn’t exist. Eve and her mother want this man gone, preferably dead, and not just because he’s a major problem for the population. Queen Regina has an even more personal reason to want the Knight gone.
You see, long ago she made a deal with this evil sorcerer. A deal for a child. The Knight granted this wish and a child was born from the night sky. All Queen Regina has to do in return is kill this child on her 17th birthday and deliver Eve’s still beating heart to the Knight. To no one’s surprise, Queen Regina is unable to do that to her baby girl so she spends the next 17 years searching for a way to get out of this deal. Alas the only way forward seems to be for Eve to fake her death and hide for the rest of her life.
Except Eve doesn’t want to do that. She wants to stay with her mother and people. She wants to destroy the Knight and basically save the world. Alas she can’t. Her 17th birthday comes and so does her death deadline. So she escapes with the help of Nova, the Knight’s messenger who hates him just as much as everyone else. Thanks to Nova, Eve manages to find shelter out in the woods with a family who soon becomes her adoptive family. But the Knight still remains. And it doesn’t take long for him to realize he’s been tricked.
Can she do it? Can she defeat the realm’s biggest enemy? Will she ever be able to return to her mother and kingdom? Or will she be defeated? Also Nova. He’s kinda cute. Will he and Eve end up together? Can he be trusted though? He does work for the Knight after all. Find out in Sleep Like Death.
Not gonna lie, this world, this Cinderella is Dead Literary Universe as Kalynn Bayron calls it, feels very Once Upon A Time. The Cinderella is Dead Literary Universe is for all the fans of Once Upon A Time. I should know, I was deep in the trenches of the fandom back in the day. Now listen, when I say Sleep Like Death is a lot like Once Upon A Time, I say it with love. I am a fan of this literary universe, I am a fan of Once Upon A Time, but much like Once Upon A Time, Sleep Like Death is a little convoluted at times and some things just randomly happen out of nowhere. It needs reined in a bit.
But I had an amazing time. I’m obsessed with the world Kalynn Bayron has created. Fingers crossed she continues to write in this world and explore every fairy tale out there. I can’t get enough of Bayron’s beautiful prose. Her stories are always beautifully written and the plots, while can be a lot at times, are so engaging and keep me reading late into the night despite the occasional issues.
Though I do have to say, the heroines in Bayron’s novels are starting to be a little cut and dry. Every heroine is stubborn, strong-willed, they tend to be impulsive, and just a little bit naïve; though that last trait simply could be from the age of the main characters. I would like to see a different type of character from the author. I want to see someone different and new. I don’t want to see the same YA heroine again.
As for the retelling aspect, I have mixed feelings about it. It’s definitely inspired by Snow White, I can’t deny that, but I would say the novel feels more loosely based on the famous fairy tale than a full on retelling. Most of the references come in at the end, and a few, notably the poison apple, feel shoehorned in there. While I like that this story is inspired by Snow White thus tying it into the world created for Cinderella is Dead, and I appreciate a more modern, feminist retelling of it, I find the story to be trying too hard. It almost feels like there was an initial idea and then a decision was made to make it a Snow White retelling where famous imagery then had to be added in.
Kalynn Bayron is one of my favorite authors. I adore many pieces of her work. But I find her work to be on a steady decline and it pains me to say that. While I enjoyed my time with Sleep Like Death, I didn’t feel the same spark that reads like Cinderella is Dead and This Poison Heart gave me. A shame. I do so hope this changes in the future.
With that I shall bid you all adieu. I shall see you all again next week with another great post. If you can’t wait that long then you can always check out my podcast Nothing to See Hear. I’ve talked Christine de Pizan, gay vampires, haunted houses, and cryptids. If those aren’t your speed me and my friends have also talked Disney, 90’s wrestling, and weirdos of history; there is bound to be something you like.
Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, and read some good books for me.
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