Spindle by W.R. Gingell – I have discovered another favorite indie author. This was the first book I read by Gingell, and it’s a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. That was never my favorite fairytale, and I haven’t really jumped into the fairytale retelling trend anyway. But I decided to take a chance, and I’m so glad I did. This book seemed to start off a little slowly; my initial thought was that Gingell took a while to find her stride with the story, but in retrospect I think it was more a result of the narrator’s personality and the curse/situation than a writing issue. Nevertheless, be forewarned… it doesn’t start out with grab-you-by-the-throat tension, but rather with funny interactions and some not-entirely-urgent story questions. Just go with it and enjoy the ride. Also, if you’re a Whovian, you’ll find that Luck may seem irritatingly and endearingly familiar.
“A roller-coaster ride of creative and fantastic fairy tale retelling! I think I just found a new favourite author!” -Wishful Endings Book Blog
She’s not a princess . . . but then, he’s no prince.
Polyhymnia is deep in enchanted sleep. High in a tower, behind an impenetrable barrier of magical thorns, she sleeps, dreams, and falls ever deeper into her curse.
Woken by a kiss, Poly finds herself in an alien world where three hundred years have passed and everyone she has ever known is dead. Luck, the enchanter who woke her, seems to think she is the princess. Understandable, since he found her asleep on the princess’ bed, in the royal suite, and dressed in the princess’ clothes.
Who cursed Poly? Why is someone trying to kill her and Luck? Why can’t she stop falling asleep?
And why does her hair keep growing?
Sometimes breaking the curse is just the beginning of the journey.
This book review originally appeared on C. J. Brightley’s blog.
