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blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I had a good feeling about this book when I first saw the cover, and it proved to be correct. I really enjoyed Fi and Shane's partnership and I loved that their relationship was a platonic friendship, and the romance elements of the story came from other characters. I liked the bookish and brawler combination they had, it reminded me a little of Gideon and Harrow from The Locked Tomb. I quite liked Briar as well, he was so earnest. I thought the prose and plotting were solid, they provided a great backdrop for the characters to shine in. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy the fantasy fairy tale retelling sub-genre, and if you liked this book I'd recommend The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
📖
I think this was my favorite fairytale re-telling/re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty I've read. I loved the gender swap with Briar Rose being the prince cursed into slumber and Fi being the one destined to save him.
I adored the relationship between Fi and Shane, evolving from reluctant partners/allies into friends. I liked how the relationship between Fi and Briar developed and the way they saw each others.
I liked the writing style, and I liked that the POV switched between Fi and Shane for most of the book with some Briar. The plot was a little predictable with a few twists, and it kept me entertained.
I think this was my favorite fairytale re-telling/re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty I've read. I loved the gender swap with Briar Rose being the prince cursed into slumber and Fi being the one destined to save him.
I adored the relationship between Fi and Shane, evolving from reluctant partners/allies into friends. I liked how the relationship between Fi and Briar developed and the way they saw each others.
I liked the writing style, and I liked that the POV switched between Fi and Shane for most of the book with some Briar. The plot was a little predictable with a few twists, and it kept me entertained.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief
matildag00's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
The banter is top tier! The characters are loveable and the world is filled with so much magic and I love it. The story dragged a bit for me, as you can see, it took me forever to read this cause it just kept putting me in a reading slump. I can't fully explain it cause there were times while reading this book I absolutely loved it but sometimes it just felt so boring. But a good read nonetheless and I will (some time in the future) be picking up the second and eventually the third book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
evelynyle_88's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
OMG.. how to start leaving review for this amazing fantasy fairytale book? At first, I still feel a bit confused with everything. But, as I went on, I didn't think I will fall in love more and more with this book; especially Filore, Shane... and of course the prince himself; Briar Rose.
Their adventure was no joke. From the start to finish, I gasped several times because how intense the battle was. And Leslie put this book details perfectly even this was the fast-paced book. As much as I love Disney's fairytale and Sleeping Beauty, Aurora and Maleficent... The Bone Spindle is a perfect book for everyone who love magic, Sleeping Beauty genderbent, Indiana Jones and riddles.
I love how Fi always connect everything based on what she had read in a storybook and folktales. Once again, this book is brilliant! Thank you, Leslie! Can't wait to continue my journey with Filore, Shane and Briar Rose in The Severed Thread!
5⭐
Their adventure was no joke. From the start to finish, I gasped several times because how intense the battle was. And Leslie put this book details perfectly even this was the fast-paced book. As much as I love Disney's fairytale and Sleeping Beauty, Aurora and Maleficent... The Bone Spindle is a perfect book for everyone who love magic, Sleeping Beauty genderbent, Indiana Jones and riddles.
I love how Fi always connect everything based on what she had read in a storybook and folktales. Once again, this book is brilliant! Thank you, Leslie! Can't wait to continue my journey with Filore, Shane and Briar Rose in The Severed Thread!
5⭐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
lanid's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
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
sophieissapphhic's review against another edition
adventurous
3.25
Fairytale mashups meet Indiana Jones in this immersive fantasy.
Content Warnings: spiders, death, manipulation and emotional abuse, curses, confinement
The Bone Spindle is a fun YA adventure book that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you’re wanting action and fun character dynamics, you should consider picking this up!
Fi is a book-loving treasure hunter who has been working alone since her last relationship ended badly.
Shane is a tough, axe-wielding lesbian who convinces Fi to become her partner for one quest.
However, the two get stuck with each other for longer than they bargained for when Fi pricks her finger on a spindle while exploring ruins. After pricking her finger, Fi is bonded to the spirit of Prince Briar Rose, who has been sleeping under a curse for a century. Against her will, Fi experiences growing feelings for Briar while Shane is attracted to a mysterious girl she meets by chance during their journey. Witch Hunters, exes, and dark magic all stand in the way of Fi breaking the prince’s curse, but Shane is determined to help.
My favorite aspect of The Bone Spindle was, without a doubt, the dynamic between Fi and Shane. They start as reluctant business partners who end up appreciating each other more than a bit by the end of the book. Together, they fill the pages with lots of wit and snark to keep the reader entertained.
This book immersed me in its fairytale energy very early on- however, I wish there was more worldbuilding. Some of the worldbuilding felt hastily constructed and inserted in the story in places where it felt unnatural.
The author describes the book as her “love letter to… action movies that are like one long chase scene from beginning to end,” and I would agree that that statement is accurate. The endless action allows the reader to become fully lost within the pages of this book.
Overall, I was left with some mixed feelings. I didn’t love the writing style, worldbuilding, or romances, but I enjoyed the evolution of Shane and Fi’s relationship, so my overall rating is 3.25.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Confinement
spiders,arthur_ant18's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent