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harukoreads 's review for:
Spindle's End
by Robin McKinley
So this is my second time reading this book, first time reading via audiobook, and I have to say the audiobook is perfect! The narrator does a good job with the different character voices and also develops a nice rhythm to the winding narration.
This book is really, really heavy on the descriptive prose, like most of McKinley's works. If you prefer quippy dialogue and fast-paced action, this book will probably frustrate you. That being said, I think this book is one of McKinley's best - it has one of the most memorable opening descriptions of magic I've ever read (although I don't know if the unique magic's potential is ever reached) and some wonderful, involved worldbuilding.
On the other hand, the characters are not particularly memorable and I think the story would be more powerful if their relationships had developed through direct interaction and dialogue as opposed to the narrator telling us how much they care about one another. In particular, Rosie and Peony's relationship felt a little lacking, which was disappointing since it's so central to the plot. Even so, it's easy to get swept up in this story and as a retelling this book has a nice balance of homage vs. new material. If you like fairy tale retellings, this is well worth your time.
This book is really, really heavy on the descriptive prose, like most of McKinley's works. If you prefer quippy dialogue and fast-paced action, this book will probably frustrate you. That being said, I think this book is one of McKinley's best - it has one of the most memorable opening descriptions of magic I've ever read (although I don't know if the unique magic's potential is ever reached) and some wonderful, involved worldbuilding.
On the other hand, the characters are not particularly memorable and I think the story would be more powerful if their relationships had developed through direct interaction and dialogue as opposed to the narrator telling us how much they care about one another. In particular, Rosie and Peony's relationship felt a little lacking, which was disappointing since it's so central to the plot. Even so, it's easy to get swept up in this story and as a retelling this book has a nice balance of homage vs. new material. If you like fairy tale retellings, this is well worth your time.