Sleep Like Death

May 27, 2024
Bayron (Cinderella Is Dead) delivers a haunting fairy tale in this atmospheric “Snow White” reimagining. Almost-17-year-old Eve, the brown-skinned daughter of Queens Regina and Sanaa, is Regina’s “right hand, her fury.” All her life, Eve has trained her magic and martial talents to serve the people of her mothers’ queendom, Queen’s Bridge. She has also sworn to protect Queen’s Bridge from its mortal enemy, the malevolent figure known as the Knight (“The Knight is not a queen or any other sort of royalty. He is not even a man. He is a myth made real. A monster”). Whomever asks the Knight to grant their wish is at risk of suffering his perverse wrath, as when he transforms Queen Saana into a songbird after she wishes for a beautiful singing voice. As the Knight draws closer, Eve acts—with disastrous consequences. She later confronts the Knight’s beautiful emissary Nova, from whom she learns a devastating secret about her past. Elongated buildup results in a somewhat precipitous denouement. Nevertheless, via lightly horror-tinged prose, Bayron fashions the beguiling plot, populated by adeptly hewn characters, into a suitable entry to the canon of fairy tale remixes. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jamie Vankirk, Rainbow Nerds Literary.

April 15, 2024
Grades 8-12 In this retelling of ""Snow White,"" Bayron (Cinderella Is Dead, 2020) presents another twist on a fairy tale. Powerful Eve seeks revenge after an ancient and manipulative monster, known as the Knight, turns one of her mothers into a songbird. Eve, the heir to Queen's Bridge's throne, is a true fighter trying desperately to defeat the Knight and stop him from creating more chaos. By promising to grant wishes, he lures people to him and then turns their wishes into deadly curses. Readers should be prepared for some horror; dark, even gruesome scenes enhance the story. Readers follow Eve over the course of the book as she changes from someone eager to save her people to someone who realizes that this may not be possible. When Queen's Bridge begins to show signs of illness, Eve is left at a crossroads. This lively, immersive adventure pulls recognizable characters from the world of fairy tales, and a dash of flair makes this wholly unique. For anyone seeking a dark and eerily beautiful story.

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April 15, 2024
A bewitching rendition of "Snow White" with bold Black women at its heart. Sixteen-year-old Princess Eve, who's called "the Queen's fury" by the people of Queen's Bridge, was born with magic into a destiny that's filled with foreboding. She's been groomed to fulfill her true purpose: to slay the Knight--"a myth made real. A monster"--who haunts and terrorizes the queendom. The Knight becomes Eve's obsession; while she trains to harness her powers to one day kill the Knight, she collects stories about him and studies them for clues. This enigmatic figure offers wishes to desperate people at a perilous cost, twisting even the most carefully crafted desires to his advantage. After all, Queen Sanaa, one of Eve's mothers, wished to have "the loveliest voice in all the land" so she could sing to her love, Queen Regina (Eve's other mother), and Eve, too. The Knight transformed her into a nightingale. Eve and Mekhi, the son of landowner Sir Gregory who has his own reasons for loathing the Knight, attempt to track the monster down. But a shocking revelation leads to Eve's going into hiding and the Knight's resurgence. Eve must decide whether to emerge from the shadows and risk everything to end his hold over Queen's Bridge once and for all. This vividly realized, page-turning reimagining of a beloved tale includes enticing secrets and a central journey with heartwarming highs and heartbreaking lows. A spellbinding narrative of betrayal, redemption, and the enduring magic of maternal love. (Fantasy. 13-18)

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August 9, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Lovers of reimagined fairy tales, rejoice: Bayron has done it again. In this twist on Snow White, Princess Eve has spent her life training to slay the Knight, the mysterious dealer of wishes who reigns terror over her home of Queen's Bridge. When she finally gets her chance to face him, she fails with devastating consequences. Though she has grown up with stories of the Knight and his cursed dealings, she begins to understand that there are hidden stories within the familiar tales, clues that bring her closer to understanding the key to defeating the Knight once and for all, and ultimately, to understanding the truth about herself. On the surface, this deeply character-driven story is one of fairy tales reimagined with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC characters taking center stage, but at its heart is a tribute to mothers and mother-figures. The love between Eve and her mothers is the undercurrent of the plot, always present and carrying it forward. There are (heavy) losses, and there are cleverly woven stories within stories-but above all, there is love in all its forms, between mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, lovers, pets, and found families. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers who enjoyed Bayron's Cinderella Is Dead, this is a must for teen collections.-Amira Walker

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