Crown of Briars
by: R.L. Perez
What You Can Expect
Beauty and the Beast retelling with a darker twist
Fierce FMC with strong morals
Grumpy, growly MMC who stays beastly
Emotional depth with a sweet edge of possessiveness
🌶 2/5 — romantic tension with some steam
Beauty and the Beast retellings are some of my favorite stories to sink into, so I went into Crown of Briars with high hopes and even higher expectations. What I got was even better than expected. R.L. Perez gives us a retelling that honors the bones of the tale while carving out something darker, richer, and much more satisfying.
Sybelle, the heroine, is a character I connected with right away. She is loyal, fierce, and guided by a strong moral code that shapes every choice she makes. I loved that her strength wasn’t about being reckless or brash but about staying true to who she was, even when the world tried to bend her. Watching her navigate a world that expected her to falter, yet seeing her stand firm, gave the book real heart.
Then there is King Varius. He is everything I want in a Beast character: grumpy enough to keep me on my toes, growly enough to hold my interest, and layered enough to feel complex instead of one-note. What really impressed me was how Perez wrote his possessiveness toward Sybelle. It was protective and tender in a way that never tipped into toxicity. Instead of dimming her light, it made their dynamic brighter.
The chemistry between these two is undeniable, but what hooked me even more was how well Perez balanced that tension with story and stakes. I never felt like the romance existed in a vacuum. It grew alongside the world-building, the conflict, and the danger swirling around them. That mix kept me glued to the pages.
Perez’s prose flows beautifully, with enough atmosphere to make the setting come alive without ever dragging. I picked this up, planning to just read a few chapters, and instead finished it in a single sitting. The writing was immersive, but even more than that, it was purposeful. Every scene either developed Sybelle and Varius, deepened the plot, or drew me further into the world.
By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t just satisfied. I was ready for more. In fact, I enjoyed the writing style so much that I immediately picked up the novella in this series, finished it the same night and started the next book in this series. I’m halfway into another of her books Ivy & Bone. (I may have a problem.) That is always a sign that a book has done its job.
Crown of Briars is everything I love in a retelling: familiar enough to feel like coming home, but fresh enough to spark real excitement. With a fierce heroine, a beastly but deeply compelling hero, and prose that begs you to keep turning pages, this one earned every single star.
👽👽👽👽👽/5