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booksandbabble's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
stardustandrockets's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Death of parent
sienna1508's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
This book feels relatively slow-paced for most of the characters' journey, but towards the end, it becomes more fast-paced. However, I really enjoyed this book because it is a fantasy and escapism to the world the characters live in. I would recommend it to people who don't mind reading slower books with long journeys and are looking for escapism to a fantasy world with magic and witches.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
anniereads221's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Spidersjenna36's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was cute. It is definitely on the younger side of YA, which is not usually my thing, but I'm a sucker for a fairytale retelling. Briar was definitely my favorite character and I am looking forward to seeing how he develops in the next book. Fi and Shane grew on me as the book went on. I did not like Red, but I am holding out for some major character development in the next book. For a quest narrative it seemed like surprisingly little happened over the course of the story. There was mainly traveling, which got a little tedious at times. However, I really liked the ending and I think it sets up the next book very nicely. I do plan on continuing the series since I think it is only meant to be a duology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
orchidd's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence and Grief
Minor: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
bookcrushin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was an adventure! Really enjoyed the characters, the quest, and the twist! Can’t wait for more!
CW: eight-legged creatures & silk/webs
CW: eight-legged creatures & silk/webs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
In this genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Fi is looking for a way to stop her own curse when she stumbles finger-first into the curse placed upon Briar Rose and the kingdom of Andarr. With the help of her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, they must traverse the woods and break the curse to wake the prince and free the kingdom.
I loved this book! I was immediately hooked by the dual-POVs of Fi and Shane and how they interacted with each other. The book starts head-first in the mystery of why Fi is cursed and why Shane is no longer at home. They make such good partners and Shane is such a BA axe-wielding sapphic I am seriously in love with her.
I love the addition of Briar Rose. I also think that this book was really clever to handle the intrinsic issues of consent in the tale of Sleeping Beauty--i.e., a sleeping person cannot consent to a kiss--by allowing Briar's sleeping form to magically project and talk to Fi.
This book is so adventurous and high stakes! The witch hunters are wild and I love the witch Red and how she interacts with Shane. I also really love Shane and Fi's backstories and everything that we learn about them as we go. I really can't wait for the sequel!
In this genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Fi is looking for a way to stop her own curse when she stumbles finger-first into the curse placed upon Briar Rose and the kingdom of Andarr. With the help of her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, they must traverse the woods and break the curse to wake the prince and free the kingdom.
I loved this book! I was immediately hooked by the dual-POVs of Fi and Shane and how they interacted with each other. The book starts head-first in the mystery of why Fi is cursed and why Shane is no longer at home. They make such good partners and Shane is such a BA axe-wielding sapphic I am seriously in love with her.
I love the addition of Briar Rose. I also think that this book was really clever to handle the intrinsic issues of consent in the tale of Sleeping Beauty--i.e., a sleeping person cannot consent to a kiss--by allowing Briar's sleeping form to magically project and talk to Fi.
This book is so adventurous and high stakes! The witch hunters are wild and I love the witch Red and how she interacts with Shane. I also really love Shane and Fi's backstories and everything that we learn about them as we go. I really can't wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Thank you Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was so much fun!! The whole time reading this I had a giant smile on my face. I love these characters and this world! I want more queer retellings.
The Bone Spindle is a genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty in a queer normative world. This book follows cursed bookish treasure hunter, Fi, and Shane, a lesbian with an axe (also a fierce warrior)! The two of them team up when Shane finds a strange map that could lead to treasure and/or magic. Along the way, Fi pricks her finger on a bone spindle and wakes Prince Briar Rose. With Briar's spirit in tow, Fi and Shane will have to travel through the magical forest to his kingdom in order to break his curse.
I loved the characters of this book so much. Between Fi and Shane, I knew I was going to be a goner. Fi is the perfect book lover trope and she's so adorable about it! I loved how tough Shane was, but she also had a fierce loyalty and a soft heart for those she loves. Her backstory really got me, I hope we continue to learn more about her and possibly see her brother and ex-fiance in the sequel!
I will say if you've ever experienced an emotional abusive relationship proceed with caution. Fi deals with a lot of past trauma from her past ex who not only was emotional abusive, manipulative and gaslit her, but he also cursed her before parting ways. While all these things happened in the past, Fi is still dealing with the trauma and the aftermath of it. This ex also appears in the book and tries to manipulate and coerce Fi again. So yeah, he's a scum bag.
The magic and worldbuilding was so cool! I really loved learning more about the world and Briar Rose's Kingdom, especially how he ended up being cursed. All in all, I really loved this retelling and I can't wait for its sequel!!
Rep: female MC with PTSD, Lesbian female MC, sapphic female side character, bisexual female side character, vegetarian male side character, queer-normative world.
CWs: Blood, confinement, emotional abuse, fire, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, mental illness (PTSD), misogyny, sexism, toxic relationship (past one), violence.
This was so much fun!! The whole time reading this I had a giant smile on my face. I love these characters and this world! I want more queer retellings.
The Bone Spindle is a genderbent retelling of Sleeping Beauty in a queer normative world. This book follows cursed bookish treasure hunter, Fi, and Shane, a lesbian with an axe (also a fierce warrior)! The two of them team up when Shane finds a strange map that could lead to treasure and/or magic. Along the way, Fi pricks her finger on a bone spindle and wakes Prince Briar Rose. With Briar's spirit in tow, Fi and Shane will have to travel through the magical forest to his kingdom in order to break his curse.
I loved the characters of this book so much. Between Fi and Shane, I knew I was going to be a goner. Fi is the perfect book lover trope and she's so adorable about it! I loved how tough Shane was, but she also had a fierce loyalty and a soft heart for those she loves. Her backstory really got me, I hope we continue to learn more about her and possibly see her brother and ex-fiance in the sequel!
I will say if you've ever experienced an emotional abusive relationship proceed with caution. Fi deals with a lot of past trauma from her past ex who not only was emotional abusive, manipulative and gaslit her, but he also cursed her before parting ways. While all these things happened in the past, Fi is still dealing with the trauma and the aftermath of it. This ex also appears in the book and tries to manipulate and coerce Fi again. So yeah, he's a scum bag.
The magic and worldbuilding was so cool! I really loved learning more about the world and Briar Rose's Kingdom, especially how he ended up being cursed. All in all, I really loved this retelling and I can't wait for its sequel!!
Rep: female MC with PTSD, Lesbian female MC, sapphic female side character, bisexual female side character, vegetarian male side character, queer-normative world.
CWs: Blood, confinement, emotional abuse, fire, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, mental illness (PTSD), misogyny, sexism, toxic relationship (past one), violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail