Asleep by Elizabeth Darcy
Review by Jamie Campbell.
Inspired by the tale of Sleeping Beauty, Asleep follows Princess Jessmyn and Prince Dev as one of them is kidnapped during their engagement celebrations.
Twisting the tradition of having a helpless damsel in distress, the prince is the one kidnapped. Taken by a member of the opposing realm, she keeps him heavily sedated as they travel back to their tower stronghold.
Determined to rescue her beloved, Princess Jessmyn must rally the troops, unite the realms, and do everything in her power to bring him back.
Meanwhile, in his drug-induced haze, Prince Dev relives their relationship from when they were mere children to their engagement.
An interesting concept, Darcy entwines the two stories perfectly. The more Prince Dev dreams, the more you fall in love with the characters.
The best part of Asleep is the way the roles are reversed. Here we have a brave and fearless princess that is not afraid to go into battle for what she wants. Indeed, most of the warriors in the realms are women. While not losing their femininity, Asleep shows that women are equally as capable as their male counterparts.
While the book does have moments where the story feels like it’s dragging, overall it is a nice read. For any lover of fairy tales or hopeless romantics, you’ll be sure to enjoy Asleep.
