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stardustandrockets's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Death of parent
anniereads221's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Blood
Spidersthenovelmaura's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC of this Sleeping Beauty-retelling! I love revamped fairy tales so I thought this book would be right up my alley. And while it was enjoyable; there were a few elements that I didn't love. My biggest issue was with the romances and how the characters were coupled up. Even though the description talks about Fi falling for Briar Rose, I couldn't help thinking that she and Shane had a lot more chemistry. Why couldn't their banter and complementary treasure hunting skills have evolved into romantic feelings? It's nice to see a strong female friendship, of course, but I thought that was a missed opportunity to flip the fairy tale trope on its head rather than just gender-swapping it. Plus, Fi and Briar Rose had some insta-love going on, which I'm never a fan of and especially not when it seems really out of character (like it did for Fi.) Lastly, it was really obvious that Red was a "traitor" and I don't think it added anything to the story.
On the other hand, I loved the treasure hunting, the puzzles, and the ruins filled with traps and secrets! These were featured more heavily at the beginning of the story, but I also enjoyed the action scenes that were sprinkled throughout. Fi's brains and Shane's brawn were the perfect pairing and it was nice to see them get closer as their journey progressed. I also liked how Vedder dealt with the actual ramifications of a kingdom being put to sleep for 100 years, something that the original fairy tale glosses over. Personally, I don't think I'll pick up the sequel, but I understand why this book is a hit with fans of Indiana Jones, retellings, and sapphic representation.
On the other hand, I loved the treasure hunting, the puzzles, and the ruins filled with traps and secrets! These were featured more heavily at the beginning of the story, but I also enjoyed the action scenes that were sprinkled throughout. Fi's brains and Shane's brawn were the perfect pairing and it was nice to see them get closer as their journey progressed. I also liked how Vedder dealt with the actual ramifications of a kingdom being put to sleep for 100 years, something that the original fairy tale glosses over. Personally, I don't think I'll pick up the sequel, but I understand why this book is a hit with fans of Indiana Jones, retellings, and sapphic representation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence
sophieissapphhic's review
adventurous
3.25
Fairytale mashups meet Indiana Jones in this immersive fantasy.
Content Warnings: spiders, death, manipulation and emotional abuse, curses, confinement
The Bone Spindle is a fun YA adventure book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re wanting action and fun character dynamics, you should consider picking this up!
Fi is a book-loving treasure hunter who has been working alone since her last relationship ended badly.
Shane is a tough, axe-wielding lesbian who convinces Fi to become her partner for one quest.
However, the two get stuck with each other for longer than they bargained for when Fi pricks her finger on a spindle while exploring ruins. After pricking her finger, Fi is bonded to the spirit of Prince Briar Rose, who has been sleeping under a curse for a century. Against her will, Fi experiences growing feelings for Briar while Shane is attracted to a mysterious girl she meets by chance during their journey. Witch Hunters, exes, and dark magic all stand in the way of Fi breaking the prince’s curse, but Shane is determined to help.
My favorite aspect of The Bone Spindle was, without a doubt, the dynamic between Fi and Shane. They start as reluctant business partners who end up appreciating each other more than a bit by the end of the book. Together, they fill the pages with lots of wit and snark to keep the reader entertained.
This book immersed me in its fairytale energy very early on- however, I wish there was more worldbuilding. Some of the worldbuilding felt hastily constructed and inserted in the story in places where it felt unnatural.
The author describes the book as her “love letter to… action movies that are like one long chase scene from beginning to end,” and I would agree that that statement is accurate. The endless action allows the reader to become fully lost within the pages of this book.
Overall, I was left with some mixed feelings. I didn’t love the writing style, worldbuilding, or romances, but I enjoyed the evolution of Shane and Fi’s relationship, so my overall rating is 3.25.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement
spiders,jenna36's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was cute. It is definitely on the younger side of YA, which is not usually my thing, but I'm a sucker for a fairytale retelling. Briar was definitely my favorite character and I am looking forward to seeing how he develops in the next book. Fi and Shane grew on me as the book went on. I did not like Red, but I am holding out for some major character development in the next book. For a quest narrative it seemed like surprisingly little happened over the course of the story. There was mainly traveling, which got a little tedious at times. However, I really liked the ending and I think it sets up the next book very nicely. I do plan on continuing the series since I think it is only meant to be a duology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
onceuponabookcase's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I received this eProof for free from Hodder Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.
Being such a fan of fairy tale retellings, I've wanted to read The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder ever since I first heard about it. A gender-reimagined retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a sleeping prince, plus a separate f/f storyline - it couldn't be more up my street. However, I was actually really disappointed.
Let's start with the positives. I really liked the premise. I loved that it was a prince that needed rescuing, and it was a woman that needed to do it. I liked how Vedder dealt with the problematic issues of the original story - someone being kissed (or worse) without their consent while asleep - by Briar Rose's spirit being able to appear to Fi once they've been bound together. A kiss is needed to break the sleeping spell, but it doesn't have to be true love's kiss; just a kiss from the girl who is bound to Briar Rose, a girl who is drawn to the bone spindle and pricks her finger. With Fi and Briar able to interact, the non-consensual element is removed; Briar is actually very eager for Fi to find him and kiss him, to wake him up. His body is trapped by the sleeping spell, but his spirit is free to roam the castle, and now he's bound to Fi, he's able to transport himself to wherever she is.
I also really liked the backstory of the curse, because it's so much more than just a fairy who was snubbed by not being invited to a Christening. It's about the Spindle Witch, who saved Briar's life as a baby in exchange for spells that have been hidden for centuries, who doesn't receive her payment of the spells that have been hidden for centuries because the magic kills the Queen, and the King refuses. But the magic binds Briar to the witch, so she plans to use her dark magic on him when he turns 16 to get them. To stop her, three other Great Witches come together to put Briar and the people in the castle to sleep, to save them from the Spindle Witch, until such a time as a girl comes to break the spell. There's more to it, but that's the basic gist. The prologue of the story tells us Briar's story, and it's so cool and intriguing, I was really excited for how it would end.
This is a world where sexuality isn't something anyone bats their eyes at, which was awesome. The story is a mainly dual narration; while Briar gets a chapter every now and then, it's primarily told from Fi and her partner Shane's perspective. Shane's complicated backstory gives us something wonderful. She is heir to a small island nation, Steelbright, and is to become War King after her father dies. But War Kings need heirs, how does that work when Shane is a lesbian? Arranged marriage with a woman from an allied country, who, when the time comes, will choose an appropriate man from her country to impregnate Shane. We're not told how, but given everything else, I would assume it's not awful. But I love it! First of all, the heir is a woman, and secondly she's a lesbian, and this is not an issue in regards to her ruling. Of course there are complication that come with arranged marriages, but this is the first time that I've ever seen anything like this, and it's bloody fantastic!
But, sadly, the rest of the story isn't. I'm a big high fantasy fan, and as such, there were things that really grated on me, because they didn't fit a high fantasy. You can't have a historical inspired world, and then throw contemporary elements into it. It's jarring. Descriptions of clothes would fit the historical inspired setting, until "pants" were mentioned. The way they all talk is too contemporary. I'm not saying the language has to be archaic, but there is a level of expectation. Shane should not be greeting Fi with "Yo!" No-one should be falling on their "butt," and no-one should be calling anything or anyone "cute." They go against high fantasy conventions, against a high fantasy reader's expectations, and I really didn't like it.
Then there were the characters themselves; I just didn't warm to them. Shane was incredibly snarky, and Fi is really quick to lose her temper. They're constantly bickering, and it gets old really quickly. They always have each others' backs, and they very loyal, but the bickering just gets to be too much. And then there's the romance. It's practically love at first sight; all of the characters barely know each other, but they fall hard and fast super quickly - though Fi does try to resist for her own reasons - but I cannot get emotionally invested in a romance when there is no real foundation for it. And Brair's chapters where he's pining over Fi are so cheesy, I was so glad there were only a few from his perspective.
And the story only really properly starts 70% into the story. Once Fi is pricks her finger and is bound, most of the story is spent trying to get hold of border passes to get into Andar to actually start trying to save the prince. There are various obstacles in their way, but the majority of it seemed pointless and unnecessary. It was mainly for us to get to know the characters and learn about their backstories, but there has to have been another way. I spent the majority of the book waiting for them to actually get moving. And it's a shame because that last 70% was actually pretty good! Much more interesting, faster paced, a lot going on. There was an element regarding a certain character that was really predictable, though. But I'm intrigued by it, because most of the story I was thinking there were things that also made me think of Little Red Riding Hood, and now I think maybe that will be the focus of the sequel, The Severed Thread, based on what little description of it there is. Despite not liking the characters, and how jarring the contemporary aspects were, if The Severed Thread is a lot more like the last 70% of the book, I'd be tempted to try it. But I think I'll wait for more information and maybe a few reviews before I decide.
The Bone Spindle wasn't for me, but I think it was a wrong book, wrong reader situation. Do check out some other reviews before deciding whether to read it or not, as a lot of people have really enjoyed it.
Being such a fan of fairy tale retellings, I've wanted to read The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder ever since I first heard about it. A gender-reimagined retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a sleeping prince, plus a separate f/f storyline - it couldn't be more up my street. However, I was actually really disappointed.
Let's start with the positives. I really liked the premise. I loved that it was a prince that needed rescuing, and it was a woman that needed to do it. I liked how Vedder dealt with the problematic issues of the original story - someone being kissed (or worse) without their consent while asleep - by Briar Rose's spirit being able to appear to Fi once they've been bound together. A kiss is needed to break the sleeping spell, but it doesn't have to be true love's kiss; just a kiss from the girl who is bound to Briar Rose, a girl who is drawn to the bone spindle and pricks her finger. With Fi and Briar able to interact, the non-consensual element is removed; Briar is actually very eager for Fi to find him and kiss him, to wake him up. His body is trapped by the sleeping spell, but his spirit is free to roam the castle, and now he's bound to Fi, he's able to transport himself to wherever she is.
I also really liked the backstory of the curse, because it's so much more than just a fairy who was snubbed by not being invited to a Christening. It's about the Spindle Witch, who saved Briar's life as a baby in exchange for spells that have been hidden for centuries, who doesn't receive her payment of the spells that have been hidden for centuries because the magic kills the Queen, and the King refuses. But the magic binds Briar to the witch, so she plans to use her dark magic on him when he turns 16 to get them. To stop her, three other Great Witches come together to put Briar and the people in the castle to sleep, to save them from the Spindle Witch, until such a time as a girl comes to break the spell. There's more to it, but that's the basic gist. The prologue of the story tells us Briar's story, and it's so cool and intriguing, I was really excited for how it would end.
This is a world where sexuality isn't something anyone bats their eyes at, which was awesome. The story is a mainly dual narration; while Briar gets a chapter every now and then, it's primarily told from Fi and her partner Shane's perspective. Shane's complicated backstory gives us something wonderful. She is heir to a small island nation, Steelbright, and is to become War King after her father dies. But War Kings need heirs, how does that work when Shane is a lesbian? Arranged marriage with a woman from an allied country, who, when the time comes, will choose an appropriate man from her country to impregnate Shane. We're not told how, but given everything else, I would assume it's not awful. But I love it! First of all, the heir is a woman, and secondly she's a lesbian, and this is not an issue in regards to her ruling. Of course there are complication that come with arranged marriages, but this is the first time that I've ever seen anything like this, and it's bloody fantastic!
But, sadly, the rest of the story isn't. I'm a big high fantasy fan, and as such, there were things that really grated on me, because they didn't fit a high fantasy. You can't have a historical inspired world, and then throw contemporary elements into it. It's jarring. Descriptions of clothes would fit the historical inspired setting, until "pants" were mentioned. The way they all talk is too contemporary. I'm not saying the language has to be archaic, but there is a level of expectation. Shane should not be greeting Fi with "Yo!" No-one should be falling on their "butt," and no-one should be calling anything or anyone "cute." They go against high fantasy conventions, against a high fantasy reader's expectations, and I really didn't like it.
Then there were the characters themselves; I just didn't warm to them. Shane was incredibly snarky, and Fi is really quick to lose her temper. They're constantly bickering, and it gets old really quickly. They always have each others' backs, and they very loyal, but the bickering just gets to be too much. And then there's the romance. It's practically love at first sight; all of the characters barely know each other, but they fall hard and fast super quickly - though Fi does try to resist for her own reasons - but I cannot get emotionally invested in a romance when there is no real foundation for it. And Brair's chapters where he's pining over Fi are so cheesy, I was so glad there were only a few from his perspective.
And the story only really properly starts 70% into the story. Once Fi is pricks her finger and is bound, most of the story is spent trying to get hold of border passes to get into Andar to actually start trying to save the prince. There are various obstacles in their way, but the majority of it seemed pointless and unnecessary. It was mainly for us to get to know the characters and learn about their backstories, but there has to have been another way. I spent the majority of the book waiting for them to actually get moving. And it's a shame because that last 70% was actually pretty good! Much more interesting, faster paced, a lot going on. There was an element regarding a certain character that was really predictable, though. But I'm intrigued by it, because most of the story I was thinking there were things that also made me think of Little Red Riding Hood, and now I think maybe that will be the focus of the sequel, The Severed Thread, based on what little description of it there is. Despite not liking the characters, and how jarring the contemporary aspects were, if The Severed Thread is a lot more like the last 70% of the book, I'd be tempted to try it. But I think I'll wait for more information and maybe a few reviews before I decide.
The Bone Spindle wasn't for me, but I think it was a wrong book, wrong reader situation. Do check out some other reviews before deciding whether to read it or not, as a lot of people have really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Emotional abuse
This book features gambling, arson, almost drowning, and violence against women.missindyrose's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Death
Minor: Violence
Need to add that there are GIANT spiders in the last few chapters of the booksthoughttojot's review against another edition
adventurous
3.5
The Bone Spindle was an immediate must-read when I saw it was described as Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones. You know the story of Sleeping Beauty. This time we’ve got Fi, a treasure hunter who gets approached by Shane, an axe-wielding lesbian huntswoman with an offer she can’t refuse. And then they wake the ghost of Briar Rose, a sleeping prince…
While the flashbacks were jarring and took me out of the story, the book as a whole was fast-paced and engaging. I was grinning like a fool while reading.
Read this if you like…
✔️ Queer fairytale retellings
✔️ Books that feel like action movies
✔️ Found families
✔️ Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes
✔️ Dual romance subplots
✔️ AXE-WIELDING LESBIANS (needed to mention this a second time)
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC!
While the flashbacks were jarring and took me out of the story, the book as a whole was fast-paced and engaging. I was grinning like a fool while reading.
Read this if you like…
✔️ Queer fairytale retellings
✔️ Books that feel like action movies
✔️ Found families
✔️ Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes
✔️ Dual romance subplots
✔️ AXE-WIELDING LESBIANS (needed to mention this a second time)
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
melaniereadsbooks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
In this genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Fi is looking for a way to stop her own curse when she stumbles finger-first into the curse placed upon Briar Rose and the kingdom of Andarr. With the help of her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, they must traverse the woods and break the curse to wake the prince and free the kingdom.
I loved this book! I was immediately hooked by the dual-POVs of Fi and Shane and how they interacted with each other. The book starts head-first in the mystery of why Fi is cursed and why Shane is no longer at home. They make such good partners and Shane is such a BA axe-wielding sapphic I am seriously in love with her.
I love the addition of Briar Rose. I also think that this book was really clever to handle the intrinsic issues of consent in the tale of Sleeping Beauty--i.e., a sleeping person cannot consent to a kiss--by allowing Briar's sleeping form to magically project and talk to Fi.
This book is so adventurous and high stakes! The witch hunters are wild and I love the witch Red and how she interacts with Shane. I also really love Shane and Fi's backstories and everything that we learn about them as we go. I really can't wait for the sequel!
In this genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Fi is looking for a way to stop her own curse when she stumbles finger-first into the curse placed upon Briar Rose and the kingdom of Andarr. With the help of her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, they must traverse the woods and break the curse to wake the prince and free the kingdom.
I loved this book! I was immediately hooked by the dual-POVs of Fi and Shane and how they interacted with each other. The book starts head-first in the mystery of why Fi is cursed and why Shane is no longer at home. They make such good partners and Shane is such a BA axe-wielding sapphic I am seriously in love with her.
I love the addition of Briar Rose. I also think that this book was really clever to handle the intrinsic issues of consent in the tale of Sleeping Beauty--i.e., a sleeping person cannot consent to a kiss--by allowing Briar's sleeping form to magically project and talk to Fi.
This book is so adventurous and high stakes! The witch hunters are wild and I love the witch Red and how she interacts with Shane. I also really love Shane and Fi's backstories and everything that we learn about them as we go. I really can't wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence