Crown of Briars by R.L. Perez

A Thornless Crown and a Beastly Romance: A Mixed Bag

“Crown of Briars” promises thorns and tangled paths, but what I found was more of a lightly bristled stroll through familiar tropes with occasional sparks of originality.

Let’s start with the premise: a Beauty and the Beast retelling with magic, dragons, and a mysterious assassin heroine? Sign me up. But somewhere between page one and the final chapter, the book lost its footing. The title, for one, sets a darker, more tangled expectation, “Briars” implies danger, consequence, stakes. Ironically, there are no briars. Not metaphorical ones either, unless “mild confusion” counts.

The relationship between Sybelle and Varius is where I struggled most. Their dynamic is full of potential: enemies-to-lovers, power imbalances, emotional wounds, but the execution felt rushed and emotionally erratic. One minute it’s murder threats, the next it’s undying devotion. Varius proclaiming he'd abandon his kingdom after a few interactions felt more like a plot device than authentic character growth. The emotional payoff never quite lands because the groundwork simply isn’t there.

Stylistically, the book reads like a YA fantasy that occasionally dips a toe into more mature waters, without fully committing to either tone. That genre-blending can work, but here, it creates tonal whiplash. The prose itself is clear and accessible, which I appreciated, but the thematic depth didn’t match the story’s ambitions.

Sybelle is introduced as a deadly, highly trained assassin, but rarely behaves like one. Her choices often seemed reactive, confused, or flat-out contradictory. It was hard to reconcile her reputation with her actions on the page. Similarly, her dragon companion, Azure, is both delightful and underutilized. I wanted way more of that bond, and way more worldbuilding in general. Why is she the only one of her kind? What’s with the dragon’s sudden appearance? These lingering questions weren’t the good kind of mystery; they just felt like narrative loose threads.

There are glimmers of real creativity here. Sybelle’s magic system had a fresh feel, and the story occasionally flirted with compelling fairy tale atmosphere. There’s definitely a market for this kind of spicy, fantastical romance, and I can see it clicking for fans who want a high-drama, low-subtlety kind of ride.

It didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but I don’t regret the read. Sometimes a book doesn’t work on a personal level, but still has value, and Crown of Briars is one of those. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings with a moody beast, a fiery heroine, and a dose of steam, this may still be your cup of enchanted tea.