The Secret World of Briar Rose
“The emotional depth of the characters adds many layers to the search for identity, overcoming grief, and finding belonging; the book shows how hope, love, and redemption can exist in this darkness.”
— School Library Journal
"Intersectionally diverse, emotionally complex characters navigate a hope-fueled, twist-riddled plot in this empathetic exploration of identity, grief, forgiveness, and mental health."
— Publishers Weekly
“The ending is earned as well as positive… Somberly beautiful.”
— Kirkus
A classic fairytale inspired embossed jacket, custom designed colored edges, illustrated endpapers, and a gold foil stamped case.
Preorder the deluxe first edition
Other places to preorder from include:
Bookshop.org (Supports indie bookstores)
Your local indie bookstore or favorite online retailer!
A paperback original with stunning features like pale pink fine foiling and green pantone as finishes. Sprayed edges to be revealed soon.
Preorder the UK edition
Places to preorder from include:
Bookshop.org UK (Supports indie bookstores)
Your local indie bookstore or favorite online retailer!
Ebooks are available from retailers, including Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo
Audiobooks are available from retailers, including Apple Books, Audible, audiobooks.com, Chirp, Google Play, Kobo, Libro.fm, Spotify
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The story
A lush and immersive queer “Sleeping Beauty” retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world, as imagined by Cindy Pham.
One hundred years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom to poverty and invasion. At least, that’s what the fairy tales claim.
Corin is a jaded thief who doesn’t believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan’s underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin’s conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom’s golden age, who protect a hidden portal into Princess Amelia’s subconscious. Following Elly’s voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.
Inside the lush world of Amelia’s dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia’s whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her “perfect” paradise – and that there are some things her subconscious can’t bury forever.
Press
Praise
"Pham turns the Sleeping Beauty tale into a lush, imaginative dual worlds sapphic story filled with heartbreak and beautiful imagery. … This story was inspired by Pham’s experiences with depression and suicidal ideation, and the feelings of the heroines read with brutal authenticity. Both the dream world and the “real world” the sisters traverse are depicted with intense detail, and everything feels both enchanting and perilous. The emotional depth of the characters adds many layers to the search for identity, overcoming grief, and finding belonging; the book shows how hope, love, and redemption can exist in this darkness. The story does not shy away from the hardest parts of humanity, making the profound emotional insights even more valuable and poignant. Verdict: This novel is not for the faint of heart looking for a HEA [happily ever after], but students looking to engage in deeper meanings to life and emotional growth will find this story satisfying, and even cathartic."
— School Library Journal, starred review
“Pham’s debut, a Sapphic reimagining of “Sleeping Beauty,” explores mental health and asks a lot of readers as it seesaws between emotional confrontations, time jumps, and scenes where one character inhabits the memories of another, all of which demand intense engagement. Still, the ending is earned as well as positive. Somberly beautiful.”
— Kirkus
"A cathartic queer fantasy riff on "Sleeping Beauty." ... Evocative third-person prose intercuts Corin's present-day story with chapters chronicling Amelia's pre-nap past. Intersectionally diverse, emotionally complex characters navigate a hope-fueled, twist-riddled plot in this empathetic exploration of identity, grief, forgiveness, and mental health."
— Publishers Weekly
About Cindy
Cindy Pham is a queer Vietnamese-American author of fantasy books. Based in New York City, she works as a full-time designer while moonlighting as a fiction writer and content creator. Her YouTube channel, Read With Cindy, has amassed over half a million subscribers and focuses on books, movie reactions, and candid commentary. The Secret World of Briar Rose is her debut novel.
You can follow her across socials on @readwithcindy.
Contact
Cindy is closed for: blurb requests, book reviews, affiliate partnerships, and non-YouTube sponsorships.
For brands interested in sponsoring YouTube videos, contact Cindy’s management at readwithcindy@fixated.com.
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