I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.

The Synopsis of the Novella Collection:

Awaken the Magic!

Emma, a good-hearted midwife, rushes to warn a neighbor about the hired gunman headed to his ranch but can’t prevent the catastrophe in store for his daughter.

Palli, the prophesied daughter of a king, is fated to rescue her people from the destruction called forth by a vengeful priest.

Roselee, a ghost with a faulty memory, flits through the halls of an insane asylum in search of the mortal boy who can help her save the day.

Arabella, a living spirit trapped in her own comatose body, helplessly watches from the realm of dreams as her usurping cousin plots to destroy her once and for all.

Tanza, a tomb raider on a distant planet, struggles to make a living and doesn’t need a long-lost prince to complicate her difficult life.

One way or another, these beauties have no intention of sleeping away their problems.

Synopsis of the featured short story, The Ghost of Briardale:

Roselee, a ghost with a faulty memory, flits through the halls of an insane asylum in search of the mortal boy who can help her save the day.

Review:

Disclaimer: I am not reviewing the entire novella collection at this time because I was only asked to review the short story written by Grace Mullins; The Ghost of Briardale. However reviews of the other 4 stories or an overall review of the collection may come later.

The Ghost of Briardale is indeed an interesting and entertaining twist on the traditional Sleeping Beauty. With characters all too charming, scenes unfolding in a spooky castle, and of course scary villains, what’s not to love as this story unfolds?

The pacing of this short story is so perfect that it is hard to realize that its even “short”! Its so packed with adventures, plots, dialogue, and transitions that it flows just like a “regular” novel and is just as satisfying to read. I fell in love with the characters, followed the plot line easily, and was extremely pleased with the ending.

Grace’s writing style is incredible as she paints the scenes so perfectly before our eyes, almost making it seem as though we are watching a movie. Because of her excellent description, there are a couple of references that lean a bit towards the horror side that might make a few readers uneasy (i.e. the MC is a ghost and is able to disembody herself…to keep spoilers from entering the review that is all I will say), however, it is still a very clean read, no blood, gore, or language.

Overall, The Ghost of Briardale gets a full 5 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend it to an any reader older than 13!

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Rated: * * * * *