The Awakened Prince

About the Book:

Title: The Awakened Prince
Series: Once Upon a Prince #11
Author: Alora Carter
Release Date: December 8th, 2023
Genre: Fairytale Retelling

A betrothed prince. A mysterious maiden. A secret that could destroy the kingdom.

After failing in every attempt to prove his worth, Killian’s betrothal contract seems to be the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been in hiding from a wicked fairy for almost 18 years—or she’s missing for good. Desperate to escape the chaos of the court and his father’s suffocating expectations, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest. There he stumbles into more than he bargains for: magic and mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both.

As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are clear: honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest, and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder questions that she should have had answers to all along: Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? And is there more out there for her after all?

When the fairy returns for revenge, Killian must overcome his fears and fight for his father, his throne, and the woman he loves. He cannot afford to fail now, or he will lose them all.

Book Review:

What an exciting fairytale inspired romance! Killian feels like he has failed in every attempt to prove his worth, leaving his betrothal contract the only reason his father tolerates him. Uniting the kingdoms will save their struggling lands, but the princess he is supposed to marry has been hiding from a wicked fairy for  almost 18 years- or she might be missing for good. Desperate to escape, Killian trespasses into the Forbidden Forest, where he finds magic, mystery and a beautiful woman who embodies both As a Guardian of the Forest, Raela’s duties are clear: honor the sentient elements, foster the life of the forest and protect them all from the danger of fairy circles. Yet, she finds herself aching for more. After the first man she has ever seen stumbles into her meadow, she begins to wonder about questions that she should have had the answer to all along: Where are her parents? What are her aunties hiding? Is there more out there for her after all? The re-emergence of the evil fairy means that Killian must overcome his fears and fight for her his father, his throne, and the woman he loves.

Wow! This was quite the retelling! It was exciting and full of adventure! Killian was very stuck in his head. He had tried over and over to prove himself and felt the weight of his father’s disapproval.. He was quite in his head and I was frustrated with him at times. He was a bit emotion-led at times. It was lovely to watch him settle into himself and to find his confidence. He was so focused on the expectations of others. Raela was a sweetheart. As expected with her upbringing, she was quite innocent. I enjoyed seeing the magical world Ms. Carter has created through her eyes. Both were learning about the secrets and mysteries of their past and the magic it all held. 

The story was exciting while sticking to many of the elements of the classic fairytale. There was action and danger, as well as fantasy romance. It did take me a bit to get invested in the story, but once things started picking up I was racing through! This is a fairytale inspired romance with some fantasy action and only kissing.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.