Dark Destiny by Kym Hackenberger and Melody Lowe

Everyone knows the story behind Sleeping Beauty, but what about the wicked witch who curses the princess? Dark Destiny is the hidden Sleeping Beauty story. Never the favorite child, Princess Elspeth always lived an unhappy childhood. But when Elspeth finds herself betrothed to someone she despises, she finally decides that enough is enough. When Elspeth meets a handsome warlock, she finds herself falling in love and marries him instead. After many years of a happy marriage, a pregnant Elspeth suffers a blow when her former betrothed finds and kills her beloved husband. After that incident, Elspeth has to find a way to avenge her husband's death.

I hadn't really thought about how the story of a villain would be told, so it was great to read a book about just that. I never expected the tale to be told as it was, especially with how closely intertwined Elspeth's story was with Sleeping Beauty and her parents. There were so many interesting characters; including goblins, elves and other fairy tale creatures that added to the mystique of the story. I was expecting to dislike Elspeth throughout, but it's hard not to feel bad for her. For anyone who has wondered what it takes to become a villain, I would definitely recommend reading this book. It's always interesting to know the other side of a fairy tale, so hopefully there will be more novels like this in thefuture.

Reviewer
Age: 22

Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia,
PA United States