Kalynn Bayron is well known for her YA fairytale re-telling Cinderella Is Dead. Her latest novel Sleep Like Death is an amazing look at the classic Snow White story.
Eve Miller is the Princess of Queen’s Bridge and is determined to hunt down and kill the elusive Knight. This monstrous being has been terrorising her home and offering the townspeople cursed deals, comprised of twisted rewards and terrible costs. Eve’s mothers was turned into a nightingale after she requested ‘the most beautiful singing voice in all the land’.
Everything changes when Eve encounters a slab of black, mirror-like stone in the Queen’s quarters, and meets the strange inhabitant living inside, who is a disciple of the Knight. The princess learns that she has to flee her home, as she has a curse on her own head.
This is a topnotch fairytale re-imagining. Bayron kept me engaged and looking out for the well-known story beats, such as the magic mirror and the poison apple, but she mixes the story up by adding new ideas, such as a father with seven sons instead of seven dwarves. I especially enjoyed how Bayron cleverly incorporated other fairytales into the narrative. I also loved Eve’s relationship with her mother, as Bayron deliberately strays away from the ‘Evil Queen’ trope and gives us a mother-daughter bond that is truly heartwarming to read.
Eve originally feels a bit overpowered for a convincing protagonist, as her magical powers appear too convenient. However, she has a great internal monologue and was both an inspiring and vulnerable character. I’m sure this book will go down as a classic of YA fantasy.
Reviewed by Rachel Denham-White
Age Guide 12+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of the YA fantasy novels Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart. Her works include the YA horror novel You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and the middle grade paranormal adventure The Vanquishers.
She is a CILIP Carnegie Medal Nominee, a Bram Stoker Award nominee, a LOCUS Award finalist, and the recipient of the 2022 Randall Kenan Award for Black LGBTQ fiction.
She is a classically trained vocalist and musical theatre enthusiast. When she’s not writing you can find her watching scary movies and spending time with her family.
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