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A review by sarahmreads
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder
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