ARC Review: The Silent Prince by C.J. Brightley

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Fairy Tale Retelling, YA Clean Fairy Tale Retelling
Pages: 272
Series: Once Upon a Prince Book 9
Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

I read this wonderful book at the end of last year, and it was one of my favorites of the year and one of my all-time favorite fairy tale retellings! This was the first book I read by C.J. Brightley, but certainly not the last. I was so excited to receive it in my Phoenix Crate box because I NEEDED it in my collection!

First off, I appreciated the fact that we were thrown right into the story from the start. Brightley didn’t spend pages and pages setting up the story, she just dove right in, which was exciting and fun. Similarly, I loved the fact that Prince Kaerius was not enthralled with the human world like the mermaid is in the original fairy tale. In fact, he is so egotistical at the beginning that he believes the Mer are better than humans. He makes a deal with a kraken, not because he loves Princess Marin, but because he thinks he can convince her to love him.

Similarly, his character arc was epic! His big ego and self-confidence were depicted flawlessly, in a way that made me love him despite how annoying those traits would probably be in real life. And seeing him change his views throughout the novel was believable and endearing. His less likeable characteristics, like the fact that he’s conceited, are balanced well with redeeming qualities, like the fact that he’s polite (when he wants to be).

Additionally, Kaerius uses sign language when he loses his voice. I thought this aspect was done well and in a realistic manner. The Mer use sign language underwater, so it was reasonable that Kaerius was so willing to give up his voice since he believed it wouldn’t take his ability to communicate away. It was hilarious that he signed sarcastically, regardless of whether people would understand him.

Marin was wonderful as well. I enjoyed the fact that she was careful and intelligent in her hesitancy to trust Kaerius. Their tentative romance was endearing, interspersed with heart-fluttering moments. I loved the way Kaerius put the ball in Marin’s court and respected her. That really made their love story shine.

Finally, Brightley incorporated imagery and metaphors that directly related to the setting of the novel, which added depth and a sense of atmosphere.

As a whole, I highly recommend The Silent Prince, and I can’t wait to read more by Brightley!