The Secret World of Briar Rose

A cynical teen stumbles through a portal that transports her into a fabled princess’s sunny subconscious in YouTuber Pham’s debut, a cathartic queer fantasy riff on “Sleeping Beauty.” Legend from the downtrodden kingdom of Gyldan says that the heir apparent, Princess Amelia, cursed by a demon a century ago, slumbers eternally in a palace underground. Her royal bloodline is purportedly enchanted to ensure prosperity, so if Amelia wakes, she could restore Gyldan to its former glory. Focused on making ends meet and caring for her younger sibling, orphaned 18-year-old Corin has no time for fairy tales. Corin’s 12-year-old sister Elly, however, believes Amelia is real. When Elly disappears, Corin searches Gyldan’s tunnels, assuming she’ll find Elly chasing a fantasy. Instead, Corin discovers a castle containing not just a sleeping princess but also a portal into Amelia’s psyche—through which Elly has already passed. As it turns out, Amelia dwells in her idyllic dreamworld voluntarily, alongside a loyal confidant. In their quest to save Gyldan, Corin and Elly learn harsh truths about the legend and realize that returning Amelia to the throne is more difficult than they anticipated. 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. Ages 14–up. Agent: Thao Le, Dijkstra Literary. (June)