Book Review: To Wake a Kingdom by Nisha J. Tuli

Hi book friends! I'm here with another fab indie book recommendation! The deets:

~ Fantasy Romance

~ Curse of Thorne Duology - Book 1

~ Release date: August 23rd

~ 4.25 ⭐️

 Amazon / Goodreads

I read this book a few weeks ago but the fact that its still on my mind and I even have a pinterest section for it is a testament of how much I enjoyed it! It has beautiful, lyrical writing and many of the tropes we love, so I highly recommend it to any fantasy romance lover! 

The most important thing is that it's a badass spin on the Sleeping Beauty tale, with more wit, grit, action, steam and kickass characters than you'd expect. We are not dealing with a damsel in distress awaken by a prince's kiss here my friends! We get one feisty heroine growing, learning to fight, battling a curse, powerful enemies and a smoldering enemies to lovers story! 

 Tropes: 

🗡Sleeping Beauty Retelling

🗡Magic, fae, court intrigue 

🗡Dark & steamy

🗡Descriptive writing

🗡ToG, Plated Prisoner and A Curse so Dark and Lonely vibes

🗡Badass stabby heroine

🗡Enemies to lovers

🗡Forced Proximity

🗡One Horse Trope (which is better than 'one bed' imo)

🗡Action-packed

🗡Twists and curses

🗡Spice, friendships but also death and tears

🗡"Who did that to you?"

🗡"I'll kill anyone who hurts you" 

There is a lot of action and character development, poor Thorne goes through a lot and it's not pretty (actually it reminds me more of the later books in the Throne of Glass series than anything), but having Ronan and his crew by her side, learning to trust, heal and love really help in the end. 

The descriptive writing could be a little distracting at times and I needed a little more from Thorne and Ronans's romance at the beginning, but overall, a really great read!  

 “And don’t call me that.” 

“Say ‘please’.”

He mimicked my stance, arms folded. 

My glare should have melted him into the ground, but alas, there he sat, looking smug and sexy and exactly like what I didn’t need right now.

_

Good or bad, potential glimmered like a beacon. I had woken up. I was here and in control of my destiny.

_

"I’m in over my head, Thorne. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I don’t know how to be normal around you. How to be anything but completely consumed. You’ve undone me, and the thought of anything happening to you, of anyone causing you harm, makes me crazy.”

*Review copy provided by the author/BookSirens in exchange for my honest opinion