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Forest of Dreams and Whispers: A Sleeping Beauty Retelling (The Fae of the Forest) Kindle Edition
A mortal raised in the land of Faerie, Juliana Ardencourt doesn’t remember the curse being cast.
But the rest of Faerie does.
On Prince Hawthorn’s eighteenth birthday, at the first drop of his blood spilled, the kingdom will be plunged into a century-long slumber…
And the Unseelie King will reign.
As his personal guard, Juliana is sworn to serve the vain, arrogant prince only until the fateful day, but when the curse is unleashed, Juliana alone is the one that can save him.
Connected to Hawthorn through their dreams, Juliana soon finds her feelings shifting for the boy she once swore to hate…
And soon swears to sacrifice anything to save him.
Note: Although the first in a series, this book has a self-contained plot and can be read as a standalone. Each book focuses on a different fairytale with different characters at the centre, although they are linked.
This book is rated New Adult. It contains some language, violence, and scenes of a sexual nature. Not suitable for under sixteens.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJuly 27, 2022
- Reading age16 - 18 years
- File size23.5 MB
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From the Publisher



Product details
- ASIN : B09RPHJ6JK
- Publisher : (July 27, 2022)
- Publication date : July 27, 2022
- Language : English
- File size : 23.5 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 417 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #96,331 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #862 in Fairy Tale Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #1,177 in Folklore (Books)
- #2,152 in Enemies to Lovers Romance eBooks
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Born in Redditch, England, to a solicitor and an ex-military man, one of Katherine "Kate" Macdonald's earliest memories was of watching her parents disappear behind the pages of a book and wanting to follow them. For her, books were little pocket dimensions that could be carried about, and the safest way to have a very real adventure.
Rather than rebel during her teenage years, she spent most of them locked up in her room, furiously writing down the hundreds of stories filling her head. Her little sister Kirsty served as her primary audience, and first fan. Without her, Macdonald would never have continued to write.
After completing a BA in English and Creative Writing at Lancaster University, she moved to Exeter to train as an English teacher, and then to Kent to start her career. It was only after surviving a year of parenthood and a full-time job on less than six hours a night that she finally gained the courage to publish her most recent work, "The Rose and the Thorn" a retelling of Beauty and the Beast inspired by a dream of a girl surrounded by snow in a field of flowers.
At her heart, Macdonald is storyteller, and it is her dream to inspire others in the way that she has been inspired.
She currently lives in Devon with her manic 2-year-old, in a cabin in the woods.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story engaging with adventure and romance. They describe the book as a joy to read, filled with wonderful prose. Readers appreciate the emotional depth and enjoy the love-hate relationship between the characters.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the engaging story with fantasy and adventure. They find it a delightful twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty tale. The plot is awesome, and the author makes fairytale retellings seem easy. It's perfect for fairytale lovers.
"This story is so carefully written. The author at the end states the book wrote itself and truly it does seem that way...." Read more
"...How cool is that? There was lots of action and adventure sprinkled throughout the story and it was clear the stakes were high on the very first page...." Read more
"Very enjoyable! I liked the cheeky prince and the resistant heroine. I will definitely be adding more of this authors books to my TBR!" Read more
"This was a sweeter version of the cruel prince. The main characters were adorable and their love a slow burn but well deserved." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the writing style lyrical and filled with wonderful prose that keeps them engaged until the end. Readers praise the author's impeccable writing style, saying the book seems to have written itself.
"...The author at the end states the book wrote itself and truly it does seem that way. Few books can have me enthralled like this one did...." Read more
"...As always, Macdonald's style is lyrical and filled with such wonderful prose it almost made me tear up at times...." Read more
"...Her characters always have a ton of depth and heart that will keep you reading all night, and this one is no exception...." Read more
"Very enjoyable! I liked the cheeky prince and the resistant heroine. I will definitely be adding more of this authors books to my TBR!" Read more
Customers enjoy the emotional depth of the book. They find the love-hate relationship enjoyable, and look forward to the sequel.
"...Her characters always have a ton of depth and heart that will keep you reading all night, and this one is no exception...." Read more
"...There's plenty of action and quite a few twists, and plenty of feelings! Highly recommend!" Read more
"...who always fills the pages of her books with such heart and emotion! Cannot wait for the sequel!" Read more
"...I particularly enjoyed the love-hate, enemies-to-lovers relationship that Hawthorn and Juliana shared...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2024This story is so carefully written. The author at the end states the book wrote itself and truly it does seem that way. Few books can have me enthralled like this one did. I don’t know what to do now that it’s over. I need more of Juliana and Hawthorne💔
- Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2023Forest of Dreams and Whispers is the NINTH book I've read by Kate Macdonald and while the romances in her books normally give me all the feels, I have to admit this one wasn't really my cup of tea.
Don't get me wrong. The whole plot was awesome. A gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty retelling with fae?! How cool is that? There was lots of action and adventure sprinkled throughout the story and it was clear the stakes were high on the very first page. I enjoyed the numerous fight scenes against different creatures Jules faced in her effort to help break the curse and save both the fae and the mortal world.
The issues I took with this book were within the romance itself. Our prince, Hawthorn, had my heart from the from the beginning, but Juliana was a completely different story. She was independent and tough, but so so mean to him. All the time. I understand he bullied her as well when they were kids, but even after he grew out of that she didn't. I spent my early childhood in a home where name-calling and threats of physical violence were common place and therefore, found nothing cute or endearing about seeing it on the page in the relationship between Jules and Hawthorn. Even when he was suffering faerie fever and knocking on death's door, he was so worried about annoying her that he literally chewed his lips until they bled to avoid coughing around her. That broke my heart! For me, I found their interactions to be toxic and it wasn't until the last 20% of the book that I even warmed up to the idea of them being together. As I said, Macdonald's romances usually leave me feeling warm and happy, but this was the exception.
Nevertheless, the fact that I read a 400 page book in less than a week despite disliking the heroine and not shipping the couple is a true testament to this author's impeccable writing. As always, Macdonald's style is lyrical and filled with such wonderful prose it almost made me tear up at times. She is one of my favorite authors and even though this particular story wasn't for me, I have no doubts that many others will absolutely LOVE it!
- Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2023Juliana is a fierce warrior, born and raised in faerie but born from mortal parents, both gaurds in service of the Seelie Queen. Prince Hawthorne, cursed at birth to cause the destruction of the Seelie Court and Mortal Realm on his 18th birthday, loaths growing up with Juliana in the palace. So much so, that he hates her, absolutely hates her or not? Why can he not stop thinking of her? Can Juliana admit her growing feelings towards Hawthorne? The fairy prince who made her childhood a living hell? Will she listen to her heart? Will she be able to save him from the curse when the Unseelie King unleashes his armies? I'n not saying one word more except to leave a question. What the fudge Katherine Macdonald? What's the witch Mabel up to? Mab, she says is her true name ... oh boy!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2022Lovely, A Fierce Heroine and a Tormented Prince. I've been a fan of Katherine Macdonald for a long time and love this introduction to a brand new series -- though all her books are a delight. Her characters always have a ton of depth and heart that will keep you reading all night, and this one is no exception. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023Very enjoyable! I liked the cheeky prince and the resistant heroine. I will definitely be adding more of this authors books to my TBR!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2024This was a sweeter version of the cruel prince. The main characters were adorable and their love a slow burn but well deserved.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024It’s a wicked fun read!! Highly recommend if you love banter and longing!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2022Hawthorn and Juliana are wonderful! The book alternates between present day, as the curse approaches, and flashbacks that reveal the transition in their relationship, from antagonizing each other as children to secretly respecting each other to falling in love. There's plenty of action and quite a few twists, and plenty of feelings! Highly recommend!
Top reviews from other countries
- MicahReviewed in Canada on July 13, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars What the Cruel Prince Wishes It Could Be
If you ever read the Cruel Prince series by Holly Black and wanted it to be more, make more sense, have more developed characters, and not romanticize abuse/bullying, THIS is the story for you. I love, love, love the budding relationship between Juliana and Hawthorn, how the author handles their past animosity and the gradual growth of respect, admiration, and love. I also loved the gender role swap, and can’t wait to read more by this author! Thanks to Rachel Reads Youtube who recommended this book on her channel, I loved it!
- NicoleReviewed in Germany on October 2, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars I love it
People keep comparing it to Cruel Prince (understandibly) but I liked this one a lot more. The banter between the two main characters was really funny and believable, the story was interesting too. It was a little slow in the end and couldve been shorter in my opinion but all in all a very entertaining read.
- ZStitchGamerReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars very addictive
I made the mistake of starting this book during my lunch break and it was so hard to put down. It was really well written and sleeping beauty in general. It’s not one of my favourite stories. This one I liked because there was a little bit more to it. I hope we get to see more of them but I do feel again. Sometimes the ending is a little bit rushed, but this is the second book I’ve heard of her. The first one was a retelling of the little mermaid which I very much enjoyed
- Marie RicciReviewed in France on July 31, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Here's another book from Katherine Macdonald that I fell in love with.
Juliana and Hawthorn are both very relatable characters, and I just love how chaotic they are. I also love that you can see how their relationships developed and built throughout the years, and how it's still moving and changing in the present time, with all the tiny details, assumptions, and things left unsaid that just make it so real. I love them both so much, and I'm looking forward to reading more of them. This was a spectacular ride, a very interesting plot that was going way beyond just romance, definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
- CaitlinReviewed in Japan on May 29, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars 5/5 High stakes, slow-burn romance, and a magical curse.
This gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty retelling has everything a fantasy romance should. Fae romance seems to be having a huge boom right now, and if half of them are half as good as this was, the more the merrier! I loved the way the author portrays the restrictions and strengths of both Fae and humans, and I felt that it helped up the stakes of the story. The little references to other popular fantasy titles were fun Easter eggs throughout as well. The book features non-linear storytelling, which is done in a way that helps contextualize events and is always clearly indicated.
The gradual development of Juliana and Hawthorn’s relationship was a huge highlight of this book for me, going from antagonistic to pining to affectionate in a realistic and intensely gratifying way over the course of the book. I also enjoyed seeing that the characters’ individual growth didn’t end up being overshadowed by their romantic plot line, and I found Juliana to be a very relatable main character. The villain felt a little exaggerated compared to the other characters, but it was pretty fun to root against him. I highly recommend this charming, smartly-written book to fans of Fae romance and high fantasy adventure.