THE SECRET WORLD OF BRIAR ROSE

An immersive and thoughtful debut fantasy novel by YouTube star Cindy Pham that takes inspiration from the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty."

According to fairy tales, one hundred years have passed since Princess Amelia fell into an eternal slumber, leaving the kingdom of Gyldan in ruins. Only upon Princess Amelia's return can Gyldan regain peace and prosperity. Sixteen-year-old thief Corin dismisses these fables, but her younger sister Elly believes them and runs away to find the sleeping princess, hoping for a better life. Corin pursues Elly and discovers the ruins of an old castle, maintained by faeries who guard a hidden portal to Amelia's subconscious.

Inside Amelia's dream world, Corin and Elly meet Amelia's dream alter ego, Briar Rose, and her demon companion, Malicine. Corin must travel through Amelia's consciousness to reunite with Elly. With each fantastical challenge Corin faces in her journey to save her sister and return to the real world, she confronts her own inner demons, and begins to question the value of a life focused only on survival, neglecting wonder and beauty.

As Corin learns more about Briar Rose and Amelia's past, she begins to understand why Amelia left Gyldan all those years ago. Is staying in the dreamscape a better life? Or should she return home and fight for a better life in the real world?

Cindy Pham is a content creator with a focus on book reviews. Cindy's YouTube channel has 550k+ subscribers, 120k+ followers on Goodreads, and 120K+ followers on TikTok. Cindy is the host of Asian Readathon, a yearly month-long reading event to celebrate Asian authors. Additionally, Cindy has worked in the Netflix writers' rooms to promote Shadow and Bone and script her own Netflix series on YouTube, Flirting with the Enemy. The Secret World of Briar Rose is her debut novel.