AWAKENED

In Foley’s debut YA fantasy novel, a teen awakens to an entirely new world fraught with dark secrets and a powerful, malevolent Fae.

Seventeen-year-old Rose wakes up in a strange bed. Soren, a young man she doesn’t know, tells her she’s been in a cursed sleep for some time. Silaine, the Fae Queen’s sister (who tried and failed to kill the Fae King), has cursed the human kingdom of Valeria, which is now caught in a perpetual winter: “Silaine used their blood to bring the snow.” She also cursed Rose—but why? There’s a lot Rose doesn’t know, though she quickly learns that she’s been sleeping for over a century. After some men who claim Soren is a traitor to Valeria ostensibly rescue Rose, she reunites with her beloved younger brother, Alair, who’s now an elderly man. Readers learn that Rose has the ability to open a portal between realms. She wants to help stop the evil Fae, but who can she trust? Alair and his men? Or, maybe, Soren? Rose faintly remembers his kiss awakening her. Foley’s curious take on the Sleeping Beauty tale boasts an indelible hero—Rose is brave, empathetic, and skilled at archery. She comes with a thorny past, both remembered (raised by adoptive parents) and forgotten (she’d apparently fallen in love with a prince). As Rose and others travel to the Fae realm to warn the King about Silaine’s “growing power,” they endure a harsh, endless winter and the monsters Silaine has let loose, such as mavens (murderous ravens). What truly fuels this novel, however, is the narrative’s relentless tension, with characters keeping details from or outright lying to Rose, sometimes completely changing how she feels about something. The story introduces worthy romantic interests in addition to abilities Rose has yet to tap into; several questions linger by the end, allowing sequels to expand the book’s world.

Mystery and romance abound in this engaging take on a classic fairy tale.