Hello, reader!

Today, I am one of the stops on a blog tour for Disenchanted by Brianna Sugalski! The tour is being put on by Storytellers on Tour, which is a blog and bookstagram tour company that focuses on indie published fantasy and sci-fi. Which I think is pretty awesome! To see all the other amazing blogs on this tour, check out the schedule here. It was a privilege to be able to participate in this tour! Thank you to Storytellers on Tour and the publisher for letting me come along for the ride.

But enough rambling about the tour… let’s talk about this book!

“A Breton princess at the peak of the French Renaissance, Lilac lives prisoner in her parents’ castle after a wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her tenth birthday soirée. Years later, her coronation ceremony looms, and between the riotous townsfolk and scheming nobleman bent on snatching the throne, Lilac prepares for the worst… Until a mysterious letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to cure her darkness forever.

Lilac begrudgingly trades her coronet for a cloak and ventures into the forest Brocéliande in pursuit of the impious enchantress at the edge of town. With only the protection of an inherited dagger—and unsolicited help of the sardonic stranger who inserts himself on her quest—she must traverse Brocèliande and return in time to claim her rightful position as sovereign monarch.

This is the story of a cursed princess,
A crestfallen killer,
The town that wants them to burn,
And the witch that can save them both.”

• Author: Brianna Sugalski
• Publisher: The Parliament House
• Series: Disenchanted #1
• Publication date: March 10, 2020
• Genre: Dark Fantasy/Historical Fantasy
• Age group: Young adult/New adult
• Content Warnings: Violence, attempted rape

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“My point is, if you cannot live with the shard of darkness that rests within you, then tell me, princess… How will you live with all of mine?”

I have to be honest. Even after reading the synopsis for this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love a dark fantasy, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a dark YA fantasy. It sounded intriguing, though, so I decided to give it a go.

Disenchanted is definitely not lacking in action! This was a fast-paced read, with the action starting from chapter one and keeping you in it’s grip until the very end. There was no point in this story that I felt like it was lagging or getting dull. I do enjoy a fantasy that can keep me interested throughout the entire story. This was expertly paced, which made it a very quick read.

I also enjoyed the development of both our main characters, Lilac and Garin. It was interesting to follow a heroine who wasn’t immediately a badass. Lilac is definitely fierce and bold when she is cornered, but you can tell she’s spent most of her life locked away in a castle. She makes some… dubious choices, but, you know what? It’s a little refreshing reading about a heroine that isn’t instantly perfect. Lilac is messy and has flaws and it makes her a nuanced character. I felt like I would have like to see her grow a little more throughout the book, but this is the first book of a series, so it kinda makes sense. Her arc is yet to be completed!

As for Garin, he was an interesting protagonist. Again, like Lilac, he has his issues and flaws that made him come alive on the page. He is kind of your typical, tortured bad boy, but there are little traits sprinkled into him that make him just that much more intriguing. I honestly wish we could have had more of his prospective in the story! Either way, I liked watching his development as I read this book.

The one thing I would say felt a little rushed to me was the romance. This is probably because I went into this expecting more fantasy than romance. The fantasy elements were fantastic, but the romance very quickly took over. It felt a little insta-lovey, which is not my favorite thing. Still, even with the insta-love, I thought the author did a beautiful job of twisting the heartstrings as we watched these two spiral towards one another.

I think my favorite thing about this book was the world-building. I loved all the myths and supernatural creatures that were woven throughout this book! And the creepy, atmospheric descriptions of the forest Brocèliande were just… *chef’s kiss* The author has a way with beautifully wrought descriptions. It was so easy to picture the forest in my mind’s eye. I felt the closeness of the witch’s hut. Strong descriptions are something I always appreciate in my fantasy reads! It makes it so easy to get lost in the story.

Final thoughts: This was a dark, atmospheric fantasy book that will have you captivated from page one. The characters are interesting to follow and I really enjoyed watching their development. I was a little thrown off with how much romance was in this book, but I still enjoyed my reading experience.

Star rating:

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