Eve loves her mother, Queen Regina, intensely. Especially since she lost her other mother to a sorcerer’s spell. This cursed mother still remains with them in their castle, but now it is in the form of a nightingale in a cage.

This sorcerer has been a blight on their lands since everyone can remember. Everyone calls him The Knight, but there are no stories of valour or courage about this huge man, armoured in black, with a voice that will render you speechless, and a cruel streak as wide as an ocean.

The Knight lives in a castle of riveted steel, that moves from place to place. He is always seeking out the desperate in order to grant them wishes of their deepest desires. Payment always turns out to be much more than the wisher bargains for, and The Knight revels in it.

Queen Regina spends her reign caring for her people, and trying to mend the fallout after yet another of her subjects has made a foolish wish. She has raised her only daughter Eve as a warrior, allowing and encouraging her to use her special gifts. Eve can use the elements of fire and ice to form weapons, wrap the night sky or cloud around her in stealth, and is a fierce warrior. Nearly 17, she is ready and keen to finally complete her training and purpose – kill The Knight.

But he is so much more than she ever imagined, and she loses almost more than she can bear. When he turns on her mother the Queen, more wishes are revealed and Eve is in the crossfire again. Will they ever be free of The Knight and his endless inhumanity? How much more is Eve going to lose?

Sleep Like Death is enthralling, clever and beautifully written. I loved this author’s novel Cinderella is Dead, and Sleep Like Death is just as good.

At first, I forgot it was pitched as a retelling of Snow White as I was enamoured for the story in itself, but when the connections came, it was even more entertaining. The ending is even more so, making me smile at the skill in how the author not only morphed the classic into something else, but also ventured further back into its beginnings and made me think, ‘Have we been told the wrong story all along?’

We have a tenacious heroine with strong women backing her up, a true villain, and stories within the story. I love this author’s writing style and was glued to the page, wanting to know how the heroine Eve was going to fulfil her destiny. The building romance was gradual and perfectly placed within the narrative with yet another twist on Snow White.

Brilliant – be careful what you wish for!

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Net Galley for the advance copy

Author – Kalynn Bayron

Age – 13+

(2024, Bloomsbury, Snow White, Fairytale Retelling, Queen, Princess, Villain, Huntswoman, Training, Fight, Elements, Blossoming love, Wishes, Cruelty, Hand to hand combat, Courage, Be careful what you wish for, Series, Connections, Family, Strong women, Moving Castle, Fantasy, Secret, Revenge, Murder)