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

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-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

5.0

This is dare I say it, a perfect novella. Concise in that not a word or punctuation mark more than is necessary is on the page, each bit of ink the exact right one, yet never feeling rushed or sparse. It’s lyrical without devolving into purple prose, heartfelt & wry without being melancholic or twee. I want a century more with each of the characters, yet don’t think *this* story of theirs needed one more page. I’ll be back for the sequel novella, A Mirror Mended, & hope to see everyone we met again but also feel content that if we don’t - if only Zinnia is on page again - I feel content with the path the others are on at the end.

And speaking of characters other than Zinnia, somehow the background characters are 3 dimensional with just a few sentences each to bring them to life, because again: novella. 

The art by David Curtis is an homage to those threatening, elegant, fascinating silhouettes in the best of the Grimm collections, & did I mention whole things is queer af?
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