The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: A Filling of Fables and Firelight

Series: Enchanted Confections #11 (standalone within the series)

Author: Sarah Beran

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

A slice of bridal competition
A dusting of mistaken identity
And a whisk of love that might be nothing more than a fable.

Rana Schehera is fully content with her simple life. Newly employed as a seamstress under one of the most sought-after tailors in El Huram, she’s paid enough for her beautiful creations to both provide for her aging grandmother and keep a steady supply of her favorite sweets. That simple life is threatened, however, when the new Sultan decides to select his bride the traditional way—through competition—and Rana is one of the lucky seamstresses chosen to attend the competitors. Still, it should all be fairly straightforward…until the Sultan mistakes her for one of the princesses he’s meant to be courting and inexplicably keeps coming back.

Kamaran knew the throne was inevitable, but he wasn’t prepared for it to be his so soon. Now, reeling from loss and weighed down by the crown he never wanted and the responsibilities he never cared for, his council of viziers has added insult to injury by arranging for him to select a bride. His plan is Go through the motions, eliminate a prospect each week, and hope that by the end, the last one standing will be at least tolerable. What he didn’t plan for was the pragmatic princess with an obsession for needlework and stories that capture his imagination.

With each evening that passes, Rana begins to see that Kamaran is more than the fickle, irresponsible Sultan he pretends to be, and she wants to be the one to fill the empty spaces in his heart. But as the end of the competition draws near, it becomes all too clear that the story she’s weaving may never have a happy ending. – sumamry from Goodreads

*I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own.

A Filling of Fables and Firelight is a sweet retelling of 1,001 Nights with an adorable romance, bridal competition, and mistaken identities!

I loved this book so, so much! This was exactly the retelling of 1,001 Nights I needed. I have a read a few retellings of this story, and this is by far my favorite! It focuses on the romance a lot more and twists the reason for having so many brides in such a nice way that doesn’t include murder.

I loved that this book had a bridal competition! It made the story a little cozier but had the drama and tension. There were also a number of attempts on Kamaran’s life, which added tension.

I loved Rana! She was a no-nonsense girl, who really cared about her work. She was such a lovely narrator, and I did really enjoy how much she cared about her job. She had motivators outside of romance or power, as well. Rana also had her sassy moments, which I just loved. She really didn’t care what others thought of her.

Kamaran was also amazing! In the beginning of the book, you get the idea that he is flaky and doesn’t care about his responsibilities. Throughout the course of the story, you come to understand that he is very good at understanding people, and has certain issues that make it hard for him to complete his work. I loved the dyslexia representation in this book! It was really well done, and I loved that the people close to him helped him and reassured him of his strenghts and intelligence. It was really well done! There was also some grief explored throughout Kamaran’s story, which was well done and powerful. It wasn’t the main focus of the book, but I liked the inclusion and how it was done.

The romance between Kamaren and Rana was so, so cute! I loved it! They had wonderful chemistry and they challenged each other nicely but also supported each other. Rana truly didn’t care that he was a Sultan, allowing for wonderful banter. They were also able to get to know each other on a deeper level without the pretenses. There was a little bit of mistaken identity, as Kamaran thought Rana was participating in the bridal competition, when she was just the seamstress. There were some fun moments because of this. There was also not a third-act break-up, which typically follows these revelations. I enjoyed this a lot. They were so protective and understanding of each other, which I loved!

The side characters were the best! Jasper was the younger brother character, and he was amazing! He brought a fun energy to the story, as well as some insights for both of the characters. Rana’s grandmother was a fun side character, who was a little bit of a meddler, which I loved! Zamar, which was Kamaran’s advisor, was a nice addition to the story and I enjoyed his fatherly relationship with Kamaran. Zade and Spot were the animal companions, and they were some of the best parts of the book!

The storytelling aspect was incorporated nicely into the story. There was one story that was told throughout the course of the book, and I enjoyed how Kamaran took part in the telling. The story also helped Kamaran realize some of his flaws, which was a nice touch.

A Filling of Fables and Firelight is a no-spice 1,001 Nights retelling, with a bridal competition, an adorable romance, and wonderful characters!

A Filling of Fables and Firelight releases on July 17, 2026.