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islesbiyana's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Death of parent
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
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
orchidd's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Grief
Minor: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
thewildmageslibrary's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
4.0
I'm glad this is a series! <3 I loved getting to know Shane and Fi. Their banter is exactly my flavor. Both of their backstories are so heart-wrenching, I just want them to be happy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief, Confinement, and Violence
bookcrushin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.5
This was an adventure! Really enjoyed the characters, the quest, and the twist! Can’t wait for more!
CW: eight-legged creatures & silk/webs
CW: eight-legged creatures & silk/webs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Toxic relationship
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
sarahmreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Bone Spindle is another classic retelling on the Sleeping Beauty story. Filore and Shane are both treasure hunters, one who has a curse bestowed upon her by her ex, and the other a former heir to a kingdom she left behind. When the two come together for one last treasure hunt only for them to come out with a way to break the sleeping spell on a hundred year old prince, they discover there is more danger out in the world then they ever anticipated, and even more potential for love.
If you know me, you know I'm not the biggest fan of retellings. But oh my god, this is probably one of the best retellings I have ever read.
This world is packed full of amazing worldbuilding. Although there is no map, I could easily picture each of the kingdoms and their histories. It really helped immerse the reader in the world itself. Also, the magic system is extremely well done! I'm always a sucker for a good retelling, and this one takes the mark. There are different orders of magic, mediums for which spells are done, different languages for each order, affinities... it's endless but also easily packed into this story. It's done in such a way that once you get a basic understanding of one thing, the author easily is able to build upon the next layer until at the end you understand almost everything about magic by the end of the book. It was beautifully crafted and I can't wait to see what is done in the sequel.
Now let's talk characters. I absolutely loved every single character in this story. Fi was the smart, loveable character who felt outcasted as a kid and didn't know who she could trust because of her ex. I related to her in a lot of ways because of that, and Fi also became a symbol of "I recognize I'm not a people person and that's okay," and it shows in how she interacts with Shane. Now SHANE oh my god. She is the snarky, lesbian hero that I've wanted for so long in a story and she's done so extremely well. She ends up being more than just her humor and has a complex backstory to boot. I liked Briar, besides the fact that he's the typical charming prince who somehow makes his way into the main character's heart. I just wish he was a bit more than just his past and his purpose as the love interest, and I hope we see that in the following books. And Red... she could kill me in a heartbeat and I would thank her.
In terms of plot and narrative, it was done so beautifully. The story really felt like I was smack in the center of a fantasy Indiana Jones story. Everything was so cinematic in its description and I immediately fell in love with Vedder's style of writing. As a result, the story went very fast paced for me. I will say that I did predict one element of the ending, given the setup, but I'm very curious as to where the sequel will go with that plot twist. I will also say I was slightly disappointed going into this, because I thought Fi and Shane would be each other's love interests, especially since the majority of their story is told in their points of view. However, I did like the very obvious queer representation in this story, as well as the way it tackles trauma and toxic relationships.
The Bone Spindle is THE book you have to pick up at the beginning of the new year. With fast-paced action and plot, lovable characters, and a beautiful twist on a classic fairytale, this is a retelling you won't want to put down.
I received a copy of this book as an e-arc from both Penguin Teen as well as NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you know me, you know I'm not the biggest fan of retellings. But oh my god, this is probably one of the best retellings I have ever read.
This world is packed full of amazing worldbuilding. Although there is no map, I could easily picture each of the kingdoms and their histories. It really helped immerse the reader in the world itself. Also, the magic system is extremely well done! I'm always a sucker for a good retelling, and this one takes the mark. There are different orders of magic, mediums for which spells are done, different languages for each order, affinities... it's endless but also easily packed into this story. It's done in such a way that once you get a basic understanding of one thing, the author easily is able to build upon the next layer until at the end you understand almost everything about magic by the end of the book. It was beautifully crafted and I can't wait to see what is done in the sequel.
Now let's talk characters. I absolutely loved every single character in this story. Fi was the smart, loveable character who felt outcasted as a kid and didn't know who she could trust because of her ex. I related to her in a lot of ways because of that, and Fi also became a symbol of "I recognize I'm not a people person and that's okay," and it shows in how she interacts with Shane. Now SHANE oh my god. She is the snarky, lesbian hero that I've wanted for so long in a story and she's done so extremely well. She ends up being more than just her humor and has a complex backstory to boot. I liked Briar, besides the fact that he's the typical charming prince who somehow makes his way into the main character's heart. I just wish he was a bit more than just his past and his purpose as the love interest, and I hope we see that in the following books. And Red... she could kill me in a heartbeat and I would thank her.
In terms of plot and narrative, it was done so beautifully. The story really felt like I was smack in the center of a fantasy Indiana Jones story. Everything was so cinematic in its description and I immediately fell in love with Vedder's style of writing. As a result, the story went very fast paced for me. I will say that I did predict one element of the ending, given the setup, but I'm very curious as to where the sequel will go with that plot twist. I will also say I was slightly disappointed going into this, because I thought Fi and Shane would be each other's love interests, especially since the majority of their story is told in their points of view. However, I did like the very obvious queer representation in this story, as well as the way it tackles trauma and toxic relationships.
The Bone Spindle is THE book you have to pick up at the beginning of the new year. With fast-paced action and plot, lovable characters, and a beautiful twist on a classic fairytale, this is a retelling you won't want to put down.
I received a copy of this book as an e-arc from both Penguin Teen as well as NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Drowning