Spindles End by Robin McKinley
Enchanting!
Renowned fantasy writer Robin McKinley, author of the lush Beauty and
the Beast retellings Beauty and Rose Daughter, has produced another re-
mastered fairy tale, this time about the dreamy Sleeping Beauty. Much like
in the original story, the infant princess, here named Rosie, is cursed by
an evil fairy to die on her 21st birthday by pricking her finger on a spindle.
That same day, Rosie is whisked away into hiding by a peasant fairy who
raises her and conceals her royal identity. From that point on, McKinleys
plot and characterization become wildly inventive. She i magines Rosie
growing up into a strapping young woman who despises her golden hair,
prefers leather breeches to ball gowns, and can communicate with
animals. And on that fateful birthday, with no help from a prince, Rosie
saves herself and her entire sleeping village from destruction, although
she pays a realistic price. In a final master stroke, McKinley cleverly takes
creative license when the spell-breaking kiss (made famous in Sleeping
Beauty) comes from a surprising source and is bestowed upon the
character least expected. Although the entire novel is well written,
McKinleys characterization of Rosies animal friends is exceptionally fine.
Observations such as ...foxes generally wanted to talk about butterflies
and grasses and weather for a long time while they sized you up, will
spark readers imaginations. It wont be hard to persuade readers of any
age to become lost in this marvelous tale; the difficult part will be
convincing them to come back from McKinleys country, where the magic...
was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk dust....
Highly recommended. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
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Ill start off by stating that the original faery tale of Sleeping Beauty is one of
my least favorites and holds not interest for me. That being said, as I
timorously picked up Spindles End for the first time, I had already expected
to put the book down in a few chapters. Hours later I was closing the book,
at its finish. This wonderfully written masterpiece had enthralled and
captured my heart. Spindles End is by far one of my favorite books of all
time.
McKinley draws you into this strange world where magick coats every
surface and we at first follow one of Rosies faery godmothers. McKinley
goes into fantastic detail of Rosies childhood, with all of her adorable, and
sometimes wicked, quirks, creating a depth to the character I had never
seen before and couldnt help but love. She does this with the setting, each
character, and every event, creating an ocean of meanings into the
friendships, trials, and love, out of the trickle of a stream that I had seen
before.
Beautifully crafted, I purchased this book as soon as I could after reading
it, and have read it many, many times since. I highly recommend it to
anyone who has a love for faery tales.
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