Here's a book for you, an unexpected joy of a re-written Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Yes, I didn't expect that either.
When I look for books, I often skim the review. SPINDLE was both up and down. With the mixed
reviews, I almost didn't give it a chance. However, I loved 12 DAYS OF
FAERY and WOLFSKIN, also by W.R. Gingell, so I continued on to this book. I won't give you a summary of the book; you can head off to the link below for that. I want to persuade you
to give this book a chance.
The first 10% percent of the book made me unhappy: a cursed princess confused by everything, a hero who is not heroic but definitely full of himself. Then into the story came Onepiece, a boy hiding by shapeshifting into a dog, and I lingered in the story, enjoying his charming interactions with Poly.
The pacing is quick, the dialogue amusing, the characters attractive even for their problematic behaviors. Without those three elements--and Onepiece--I would have abandoned this book as I have others.
By the 25% mark of the book I was extremely unhappy with our hero Luck ... and then something happened to help me realize his treatment of Poly was designed to ferret out the tangle of curse still clinging to her.
At 30%, I realized that Luck's absentminded thoughtlessness was designed to prod Poly toward recovering her absent memories and thought-less-ness caused by the curse.
Fortunately, as we rollick along to the midpoint, we have more charming characters as Poly recovers more and more of her self that was stolen when the curse descended on her, stealing memory and thus her life, Onepiece ventures more and more into adorable boy, and Luck reveals more and more that he is not ignoring Poly, he is ... well, he's an enchanter who's not interested in someone less than him in age ... and magic and cleverness.
By this time the threads of SPINDLE have me caught, and I can't put it down. And I didn't put it down until the end, an ending that I found very satisfying. (My Kindle was even down to 5% battery.)
If you need more than Love's Kiss that fizzes, then pass this up until you need enduring charm more than a flash-bang-thank you, ma'am. Those do have their place. SPINDLE, however, is a special that will survive a re-read. I can tell that I will enjoy another, slower reading so I will catch everything I missed first time through. I will enjoy reading it many, many more times.
SPINDLE is a magic of its own: a shocking surprise, a charming lure, an energetic twist to the expected, all with hints of danger if things go wrong.
The first 10% percent of the book made me unhappy: a cursed princess confused by everything, a hero who is not heroic but definitely full of himself. Then into the story came Onepiece, a boy hiding by shapeshifting into a dog, and I lingered in the story, enjoying his charming interactions with Poly.
The pacing is quick, the dialogue amusing, the characters attractive even for their problematic behaviors. Without those three elements--and Onepiece--I would have abandoned this book as I have others.
By the 25% mark of the book I was extremely unhappy with our hero Luck ... and then something happened to help me realize his treatment of Poly was designed to ferret out the tangle of curse still clinging to her.
At 30%, I realized that Luck's absentminded thoughtlessness was designed to prod Poly toward recovering her absent memories and thought-less-ness caused by the curse.
Fortunately, as we rollick along to the midpoint, we have more charming characters as Poly recovers more and more of her self that was stolen when the curse descended on her, stealing memory and thus her life, Onepiece ventures more and more into adorable boy, and Luck reveals more and more that he is not ignoring Poly, he is ... well, he's an enchanter who's not interested in someone less than him in age ... and magic and cleverness.
By this time the threads of SPINDLE have me caught, and I can't put it down. And I didn't put it down until the end, an ending that I found very satisfying. (My Kindle was even down to 5% battery.)
If you need more than Love's Kiss that fizzes, then pass this up until you need enduring charm more than a flash-bang-thank you, ma'am. Those do have their place. SPINDLE, however, is a special that will survive a re-read. I can tell that I will enjoy another, slower reading so I will catch everything I missed first time through. I will enjoy reading it many, many more times.
SPINDLE is a magic of its own: a shocking surprise, a charming lure, an energetic twist to the expected, all with hints of danger if things go wrong.
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