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The Secret World of Briar Rose Review
- 14 July, 2026
- Coleen de Guzman
The Secret World of Briar Rose is a queer retelling of Sleeping Beauty that focuses on grief and the pull of escaping to a better world.
This book leans heavily on lyrical prose and overt telling instead of showing. A lot of what the characters want so say are blatantly stated through dialogue which doesn't leave anything to subtext.
There are some details that give me pause and take me out of the experience. One of them is the mention of plastic. I am not entirely sure when the present timeline is set in, but the use of the word plastic to describe the things in the dreamworld by Briar Rose confuses me. Despite the fictional setting, the use of plastic, especially in fantasy (in historical fantasies), is not common. Maybe I missed something while reading, but the general feel that I am getting from Amelia's timeline is Middle Ages.
Some of the descriptions rely on vague flowery language which sometimes work, but if overdone, doesn't provide a concrete image. Generally, I don't mind the writing, but there are times when it gets too direct and we are told exactly what a character is thinking, why they feel a certain way, or why they are doing something, or goes the opposite direction and becomes to vague.
I related with the characters in some aspects. The feeling of inescapable grief is familiar to me, but the passivity of Briar Rose, and sometimes Corin, is something that I didn't understand. When they chose to do something, it feels monumental.
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Another thing that I question is the author's choice to restart Corin's timeline/life. Making everything that happened basically a dream removes consequences and lowers the stakes. I enjoyed the ending, of course, I always love a happy ending. But Briar Rose's inaction put a pause on the world and her eventual action, whether to be a good ruler or give up on life, is where real life resumes.
I knew that this book wasn't for me when I learned more about the characters and the writing style. There are a lot of things that work well in this book, especially for other readers, but for me it didn't quite land.
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