A review by roxxie
A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fables, #1) ♦ Alix E. Harrow | Review


In A Spindle Splintered, a delightful modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty, the predestined fates of two girls who are destined to die change as their paths cross.


A Spindle Splintered ♦ Alix E. Harrow

Opinion

One with a chronic illness that will probably not keep her alive until she is 22, and another destined to sleep forever. The parallels here were fantastically chosen.

While I really enjoyed the adventures of the protagonists, I was a little overwhelmed with the nature and explanation of travel into the fairy tales. That just couldn’t convince me.
I also found some of the characters a bit annoying, especially the main character made me roll my eyes more than once. I was really glad that it was only a short story.

But the messages in the story are clear: power to the women, because no princess really had to be saved. They simply took the reins into their own hands and saved themselves.

Conclusion

All in all, it’s a playful mockery of fairy tale clichés, complete with the obligatory happy ending, some tilting of uncomfortable fairy tale concepts, and enough heartwarming elements to make for an enjoyable read.


This review was first published at The Art of Reading.