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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
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 booksbookcrushin'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
quirkybibliophile's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
CW: Blood, emotional abuse, gaslighting, PTSD, sexism, violence, misogyny, confinement, betrayal
Thoughts and Themes: It took me a while to really get into this book and I was ready to put it aside and decide to read it at a later time. I’m really glad that I stuck with it and didn’t just give up though because once you are about 40% into the book then it is hard to put the book down.
While it does take a lot of the book, I did enjoy the world building that we got throughout this story. I liked that this was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but it was more than what I expected. I liked learning about Briar Rose kingdom and the curse that is over it as well as getting the back story of the two main characters.
I cried when I found out Fi’s backstory and recommend you proceed with caution on this one especially if you find emotional abuse triggering. When you find out about Fi’s curse and how that happened to her, you see into her past and see how she was emotionally abused, manipulated, and gaslit.
Characters: In this book you get to meet several different characters through their different interactions with Fi and Shane. You get to meet both of their love interests along with Fi’s ex.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Fi and Shane and the snarky banter between them. I liked how they both have to learn to trust the other but they both are the kind of people who want to accomplish everything on their own.
I liked the love interests that are included in this story for both of our main characters and how those relationships come to be. I liked getting to know more about Briar Rose throughout the whole story and through his interactions with Fi. I liked their interactions with each other and how snarky they are towards each other. I liked the way their romance develops throughout the story and how it wasn’t something that was immediate but took a while for Fi to even consider him as a potential love interest.
I do wish that we got more of a love story for Shane since I feel we didn’t get that relationship as developed as Fi’s relationship was. I do hope that we get to see more of this relationship in the next book and we get more of a romance arc for Shane since she deserves this too.
I was searching for a villain this whole time and I think while there’s some villainous characters, it was more about their adventure. I think that you really don’t get to meet the villains of this story until the last 20% of the book and even then it isn’t all about them.
Writing Style: This story is told in third person dual point of view, alternating between Fi and Shane’s perspectives. You also get a few sections with Briar Rose’s perspective thrown in there as well but those are shorter sections than the other two. I liked getting to see this story from all three of these perspectives as it adds to their adventure. I would have liked to hear more from Briar Rose though to see his story before this all takes place. There are also portions where I would have liked to see Shane’s point of view more too.
Thoughts and Themes: It took me a while to really get into this book and I was ready to put it aside and decide to read it at a later time. I’m really glad that I stuck with it and didn’t just give up though because once you are about 40% into the book then it is hard to put the book down.
While it does take a lot of the book, I did enjoy the world building that we got throughout this story. I liked that this was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but it was more than what I expected. I liked learning about Briar Rose kingdom and the curse that is over it as well as getting the back story of the two main characters.
I cried when I found out Fi’s backstory and recommend you proceed with caution on this one especially if you find emotional abuse triggering. When you find out about Fi’s curse and how that happened to her, you see into her past and see how she was emotionally abused, manipulated, and gaslit.
Characters: In this book you get to meet several different characters through their different interactions with Fi and Shane. You get to meet both of their love interests along with Fi’s ex.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Fi and Shane and the snarky banter between them. I liked how they both have to learn to trust the other but they both are the kind of people who want to accomplish everything on their own.
I liked the love interests that are included in this story for both of our main characters and how those relationships come to be. I liked getting to know more about Briar Rose throughout the whole story and through his interactions with Fi. I liked their interactions with each other and how snarky they are towards each other. I liked the way their romance develops throughout the story and how it wasn’t something that was immediate but took a while for Fi to even consider him as a potential love interest.
I do wish that we got more of a love story for Shane since I feel we didn’t get that relationship as developed as Fi’s relationship was. I do hope that we get to see more of this relationship in the next book and we get more of a romance arc for Shane since she deserves this too.
I was searching for a villain this whole time and I think while there’s some villainous characters, it was more about their adventure. I think that you really don’t get to meet the villains of this story until the last 20% of the book and even then it isn’t all about them.
Writing Style: This story is told in third person dual point of view, alternating between Fi and Shane’s perspectives. You also get a few sections with Briar Rose’s perspective thrown in there as well but those are shorter sections than the other two. I liked getting to see this story from all three of these perspectives as it adds to their adventure. I would have liked to hear more from Briar Rose though to see his story before this all takes place. There are also portions where I would have liked to see Shane’s point of view more too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Confinement
Moderate: Blood, Sexism, and Misogyny
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
Drowningforeverinastory's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
Thank you Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was so much fun!! The whole time reading this I had a giant smile on my face. I love these characters and this world! I want more queer retellings.
The Bone Spindle is a genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty in a queer normative world. This book follows cursed bookish treasure hunter, Fi, and Shane, a lesbian with an axe (also a fierce warrior)! The two of them team up when Shane finds a strange map that could lead to treasure and/or magic. Along the way, Fi pricks her finger on a bone spindle and wakes Prince Briar Rose. With Briar's spirit in tow, Fi and Shane will have to travel through the magical forest to his kingdom in order to break his curse.
I loved the characters of this book so much. Between Fi and Shane, I knew I was going to be a goner. Fi is the perfect book lover trope and she's so adorable about it! I loved how tough Shane was, but she also had a fierce loyalty and a soft heart for those she loves. Her backstory really got me, I hope we continue to learn more about her and possibly see her brother and ex-fiance in the sequel!
I will say if you've ever experienced an emotional abusive relationship proceed with caution. Fi deals with a lot of past trauma from her past ex who not only was emotional abusive, manipulative and gaslit her, but he also cursed her before parting ways. While all these things happened in the past, Fi is still dealing with the trauma and the aftermath of it. This ex also appears in the book and tries to manipulate and coerce Fi again. So yeah, he's a scum bag.
The magic and worldbuilding was so cool! I really loved learning more about the world and Briar Rose's Kingdom, especially how he ended up being cursed. All in all, I really loved this retelling and I can't wait for its sequel!!
Rep: female MC with PTSD, Lesbian female MC, sapphic female side character, bisexual female side character, vegetarian male side character, queer-normative world.
CWs: Blood, confinement, emotional abuse, fire, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, mental illness (PTSD), misogyny, sexism, toxic relationship (past one), violence.
This was so much fun!! The whole time reading this I had a giant smile on my face. I love these characters and this world! I want more queer retellings.
The Bone Spindle is a genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty in a queer normative world. This book follows cursed bookish treasure hunter, Fi, and Shane, a lesbian with an axe (also a fierce warrior)! The two of them team up when Shane finds a strange map that could lead to treasure and/or magic. Along the way, Fi pricks her finger on a bone spindle and wakes Prince Briar Rose. With Briar's spirit in tow, Fi and Shane will have to travel through the magical forest to his kingdom in order to break his curse.
I loved the characters of this book so much. Between Fi and Shane, I knew I was going to be a goner. Fi is the perfect book lover trope and she's so adorable about it! I loved how tough Shane was, but she also had a fierce loyalty and a soft heart for those she loves. Her backstory really got me, I hope we continue to learn more about her and possibly see her brother and ex-fiance in the sequel!
I will say if you've ever experienced an emotional abusive relationship proceed with caution. Fi deals with a lot of past trauma from her past ex who not only was emotional abusive, manipulative and gaslit her, but he also cursed her before parting ways. While all these things happened in the past, Fi is still dealing with the trauma and the aftermath of it. This ex also appears in the book and tries to manipulate and coerce Fi again. So yeah, he's a scum bag.
The magic and worldbuilding was so cool! I really loved learning more about the world and Briar Rose's Kingdom, especially how he ended up being cursed. All in all, I really loved this retelling and I can't wait for its sequel!!
Rep: female MC with PTSD, Lesbian female MC, sapphic female side character, bisexual female side character, vegetarian male side character, queer-normative world.
CWs: Blood, confinement, emotional abuse, fire, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, mental illness (PTSD), misogyny, sexism, toxic relationship (past one), violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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