First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

The Rules:

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
• Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

“It is easier to track an animal—or a person—if it is bleeding.

Drops of crimson in the snow are easy to follow. Blood on fallen autumn leaves or the earth tones of a harvest forest floor is harder to spot but still easier than relying on footprints alone. The method works for tracking people, too. An arrow through the thigh or the flank is sure to leave a trail I can follow.”

Okayyyyy this seems kind of dark, but that hasn’t scared me away from other books, so I have to admit that I’m pretty intrigued here.

Do you recognize the lines?

Here’s a hint:

It’s an upcoming YA fairy tale retelling.

Still not sure? Here’s another hint:

It’s written by Kalynn Bayron.

The First Lines Friday book is:

Sleep Like Death.

About the Book:

• Title: Sleep Like Death
• Author: Kalynn Bayron
• Page Length: 352 pages
• Publication Date: June 25, 2024
• Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Synopsis: 

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

Links: Goodreads     

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