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Review: The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

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The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle #3)
Leslie Vedder
Razorbill
Published February 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Cursed Rose

The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series.

Not all curses should be broken. Not all fairytales end happily ever after.

Fi is a prisoner. Briar, a monster.
Shane’s a warrior. And Red is a traitor.

What was once a formidable group of four fighting to reawaken the kingdom is now ruptured, torn apart by the wicked Spindle Witch.

Confined to a tower with the monstrous Briar Rose, Fi is caught in the Spindle Witch’s ever-tightening web. With the Spindle Witch on the verge of finding the Siphoning Spells and crushing Andar—with Fi’s help, no less—Fi’s only hope lies in decoding the ancient riddle of the Rose Witches before she loses Briar forever.

Shane is desperate to save Andar—and her partner. She’s on the hunt for a weapon left by the mysterious Lord of the Butterflies, which holds the key to the Spindle Witch’s demise. Her love for Red has only fortified. But Red’s betrayal puts her in danger from a new enemy—the Spindle Witch’s executioner, the Wraith, a witch as powerful as he is cruel.

The future of Andar lies in the secrets of its past. Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora.

Filled with vicious bone monsters, new alliances, and surprises at every turn, prepare to be swept away by this taut, clever, and heart-filled series conclusion.

My Review

This is one of the books I’ve been most anticipating for this year. The first book in the series was my favorite in 2022, so I’ve been a fan since page one.

The story began as a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty reimagining, but it’s so much more than that. Not only are there other fairy tales woven in (Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel), but the whole magic system and story world is deeply interesting and original.

The magic system– some characters are witches, born with an innate affinity for a certain kind of magic. A witch might be able to speak to animals or walk in dreams. They’re limited to the specific kind of magic they have, and the witches with the most powerful magic can become Great Witches, which gives them some leadership responsibilities and means they give up their names and are known only by their titles, such as the Dream Witch or the Paper Witch. I thought that whole setup was really cool.

Additionally… I love the characters. This book mostly follows the point of view of three female characters: Fi, Shane, and Red. Fi and Shane have been treasure-hunting partners since the first book, and Shane and Red have a complicated history. They began as enemies but are now on the same team. Before they can face their feelings for one another, Red needs to process her guilt over the things she did as an agent of the Spindle Witch.

Because Briar has become a monstrous version of himself, there aren’t a lot of scenes that show what he thinks and feels. He’s slowly turning into this terrifying bone creature, and Fi isn’t sure she can save him, but she won’t give up trying.

Conclusion

The Bone Spindle series is like a gender-flipped Indiana Jones and Sleeping Beauty mashup. If you like stories about treasure hunters, witches, and magic, definitely check out the series, starting with THE BONE SPINDLE.

I read almost the whole book in a single sitting one evening and then finished reading it first thing the following morning. I loved getting to visit this fantasy world and following Shane, Red, Briar, and Fi all the way to the final pages of their tale. Now I can’t wait to see what Leslie Vedder writes next!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Red and Shane have romantic feelings for one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Kissing between boy and girl. Two (minor characters) boys were once in a romantic relationship with each other.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. One witch has the ability to possess others who are sleeping. Another can walk in their dreams. A different witch can bring back the dead.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle scenes. The Spindle Witch uses golden thread to torture prisoners in her custody. A girl reads a dark fairy tale about a child locked in a tower. The story resembles Rapunzel, and the reader can’t help thinking about the cruelty of isolating someone like that and the trauma that would cause.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE CURSED ROSE in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder

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The Severed Thread (The Bone Spindle #2)
Leslie Vedder
Razorbill
Published February 7, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Severed Thread

Which threads of fate will hold—and which will break?

Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestselling THE BONE SPINDLE, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of SORCERY OF THORNS and THE CRUEL PRINCE.

Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.

Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.

Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.

All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…

Set in a world of twisted fairytales, THE SEVERED THREAD combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.

My Review

Okay, this is easily one of my most-anticipated books coming out this year. I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, THE BONE SPINDLE, and was counting the days until THE SEVERED THREAD came out.

The first couple chapters were a little rough for me. I don’t know if there were a lot of longer sentences (It felt like that reading it, but I haven’t gone back to look.) or if the writing just took a minute to really find a strong voice and get me back into the characters I know and love.

Once I was a few chapters in, though, I was just as hooked on this story as I was the last one. I didn’t think it was possible to love Shane and Fi even more, but I completely did. Red and Briar Rose both grew on me more, too. I totally missed the Red Hiding Hood references with Red in the first book, but at some point in this one, I was like OHHHH. I see it now. (Can we have a Red backstory novella somewhere in the future??? I’d be completely in for that.)

At any rate. I loved the places this story went. I loved the things we learned about the characters, and I loved the setup for the third book in the series. It is, I believe, a trilogy, so the third book should be the last. So now I’m counting down the days until that one comes out!

If you enjoy fairytale retellings or high fantasy, definitely put this series on your list. I can’t recommend it enough.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Shane and Red, two women, are attracted to one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. Briar Rose has a magic that’s connected to the Spindle Witch, a powerful witch who cursed his kingdom more than a hundred years ago, and still seems bent on its destruction. Fi has a curse mark on her hand which means that if she stays in one place for more than three days, harm will befall the people and places she loves the most where she is.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle violence. References to torture.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

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The Bone Spindle
Leslie Vedder
Razorbill
January 11, 2022

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About the Bone Spindle

Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love.

Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.

Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.

Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi–until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.

Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way–not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.

Set in a lush world inspired by beloved fairytales, The Bone Spindle is a fast-paced young adult fantasy full of adventure, romance, found family, and snark.

Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones in this thrilling fairytale retelling for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and All the Stars and Teeth.

My Review

I’m always up for a good fairy tale retelling, especially a gender-flipped story or one that completely reimagines the world in which the fairy tale takes place. So, I couldn’t resist reading THE BONE SPINDLE once I knew it had all those elements. I also loved SORCERY OF THORNS, so, that’s even more points in favor.

Now that I’ve read it, I can honestly say that if I had a time machine, I’d end up being one of those people who seriously annoy my husband on Reddit, the people who would choose to use great power for oddball things. I’d definitely use my time machine to go into the future to read THE BONE SPINDLE’s sequel right now. (And then after that, you know, saving humanity, world peace, all that stuff.)

Favorite Things

I loved the characters in this book. Fi is smart, savvy, adorable and so bookish. I thought for sure she’d have to be my favorite. Then Shane had me with her fierce determination to protect the people she loves, and to do what’s right no matter how hard it is. And then Red with her quick wits and ability to slip in and out of trouble. And Briar with his charm and innocence and humor. They were all my favorites.

One of the fresh elements in this retelling that I couldn’t get enough of is that it takes a character (the sleeping princess, here a prince) who is traditionally a passive character, and turns them into an active supporting character in the story. We mostly follow Fi, who has been chosen to wake the prince, and Shane, her treasure-hunting, warrior partner. But Briar, the prince, visits Fi along the journey using his abilities as a light witch.

Through those visits, they become friends and feel the pull of love, but he also intervenes sometimes in battles (though the girls hold their own plenty of times). I loved that it showed a relationship developing between Fi and Briar and made him a living character rather than a prince waiting to wake up.

Sometimes the first book in a series like this will drop off a cliff at the end, and leave you feeling like you read a whole book only to get cheated out of a real ending– BUT– this book does not do that. It both had a very satisfying ending and also a great setup for the next book in the series.

Conclusion

Honestly, I can’t think of anything about this book that I didn’t like. It’s a completely fresh take on the fairytale, but it has all the elements I love about the original story. For me, this one was a total win. I absolutely recommend it to fantasy lovers and readers who love reimagined fairy tales.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Shane is a lesbian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
A powerful witch has placed a curse on the kingdom of Andar. Other powerful witches gave their lives to transform the curse into something that could be broken. Other witches with magic ability still live among the other kingdoms.

Violent Content
Battle violence and situations of peril.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog. I received a free copy of THE BONE SPINDLE in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Thornwood by Leah Cypess

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

Thornwood (Sisters Ever After #1)
Leah Cypess
Harvey Klinger
Published April 1, 2021

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Thornwood

For years, Briony has lived in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Rosalin, and the curse that has haunted her from birth–that on the day of her sixteenth birthday she would prick her finger on a spindle and cause everyone in the castle to fall into a 100-year sleep. When the day the curse is set to fall over the kingdom finally arrives, nothing–not even Briony–can stop its evil magic.

You know the story.

But here’s something you don’t know. When Briony finally wakes up, it’s up to her to find out what’s really going on, and to save her family and friends from the murderous Thornwood. But who is going to listen to her? This is a story of sisterhood, of friendship, and of the ability of even little sisters to forge their own destiny. The first in a three-book series of fairy tale retellings, these are the stories of the siblings who never made it into the storybook.

This middle grade debut is Sleeping Beauty like you’ve never seen it before, about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth.

My Review

From the first I heard of this book, I was super excited about it. I read a couple of Leah Cypess’s YA books and loved them, so I felt pretty sure I’d adore this one, too. Plus, it’s a book about sisters! I love those! And a reimagined fairytale. I love those, too!

The voice in the story was spot-on. I believed in Briony from the very first line, and loved her fun, determined personality. The sisters have a lot of conflict between them, and it’s really clear that especially for Rosalin, at least part of this is that she’s afraid to get close to people because she knows she’s going to die. I loved that Briony never stops hoping and trying to do something to stop the curse.

There was a moment toward the middle where I wasn’t sure where the story was going. It seemed unclear what Briony’s goal was, and that maybe slowed the story down a little bit. Her goal does become really clear late in the story, and things get pretty intense, so I felt like things pulled together really well in those last few chapters.

I kind of wish there had been a little bit of setup for the next book included in this one, mostly because I’m really curious about it. There’s one brief reference that made me wonder if the next will be a Rumpelstiltskin retelling?? I’m up for that! Or another story, of course.

Fans of The Princess Who Flew with Dragons by Stephanie Burgis or Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George will love the adventure and sister relationships in this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Major characters are white or not described.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
A fairy cursed Rosalin to prick her finger on a magic spinning wheel and sleep for one hundred years. The fairy returns and offers other bargains to Briony and her sister.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Thorny branches attack and grab anyone within reach, trying to kill them.

Drug Content
A man approaches the king and queen while he is drunk.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of THORNWOOD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Princess of Thorns
Stacey Jay
Delacorte Press
Published December 9, 2014

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About Princess of Thorns

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm’s fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty’s daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora’s throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it’s too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

My Review

This book has been on my reading list for YEARS. I don’t know why it took me so long to read it, since it has a lot of things I like: star-crossed romance, references to familiar fairy tales, alternating viewpoints between Aurora and Niklaas, capricious magic, and political intrigue.

I loved how the fairy blessings that Aurora’s mother passed to her also became curses in their way. She meant them for good, but the magic didn’t work quite the way she and Aurora expected. That created some interesting situations for Aurora to navigate.

PRINCESS OF THORNS spins some darker themes into its fairytale story in othere ways, too. Aurora’s mother is THE Sleeping Beauty Princess from the fairytale, only in this story, the prince wasn’t the hero from the original story. Niklaas bears his own curse– one ordered against him and all his brothers by their immortal father– in which he’ll turn into a swan at sunrise on his eighteenth birthday. I liked the ties to other fairy tales and how even those familiar things were reimagined.

The only thing I struggled with at all was a moment in the climax (which I will try not to spoil) that left me feeling a bit let down. It felt like a thing happened because Aurora wanted it badly enough, and I found myself wishing that there had been something more concrete that she had to do instead.

On the whole, though, I really enjoyed this book and I kind of wish that Aurora and Niklaas would go on to try to break his brothers’ curse and confront his father in another book. It looks like there was some discussion of a sequel at one point (there was a Kicktraq fundraiser for one) but I don’t see any recent news about it.

I think readers who enjoyed A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY by Brigid Kemmerer will love this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to sex between boy and girl. Niklaas hints at past sexual exploits. Aurora remembers a boy she kissed and considered doing more with. A young woman makes a sexual advance at Aurora (while she’s dressed as her brother) and grabs her groin. Kissing and touching between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Aurora has been fairy blessed– received powers her mother meant to protect her, which act more as a curse sometimes. A witch cursed Niklaas and his brothers at his father’s request. Ogres consume human souls for their power. Some have the ability to see the future. A woman with a demon feeding on her ear tells Aurora some details about her future.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Several mentions of and some descriptions of torture. A couple battle scenes.

Drug Content
Aurora and Niklaas drink beer together at an inn.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support running this blog. I received a free copy of PRINCESS OF THORNS in exchange for my honest review.

Review and Giveaway: Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

I’m super excited to share this review of the fourth book in the Villains Series by Serena Valentino. Check out my thoughts and be sure to read to the end where you can enter to win the first four books in the series plus a branded mug that changes color in hot water. (Check it out in the prize pack picture below. It’s so cool.) Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for sending me a set of VILLAINS books, and for providing a prize pack!

Mistress of All Evil (Villains #4)
Serena Valentino
Disney Press
Published on October 3, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Mistress of All Evil
The tale is told as if it’s happening once upon a dream: the lovely maiden meets her handsome prince in the woods. The story has been told many times and in many ways. But always the maiden finds out that she is a princess-a princess who has been cursed by a dark fairy to prick her finger on a spindle and fall into an eternal sleep. Though her three good fairies try to protect her, the princess succumbs to the curse. But the power of good endures, as her true love defeats the fire-breathing dragon and awakens the princess with true love’s first kiss. The two live happily ever after.

And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.

My Review
The book started out a little rough for me. It introduced a lot of characters I wasn’t familiar with who I think feature in earlier books in the series. So if I’d read from the beginning, I probably would have had a better frame of reference. Without that, it took me a while to figure out who the odd sisters and Circe were and why they were significant to the story.

The other tricky thing for me was that at times the story jumped around a bit, and I wasn’t always sure I followed what was happening. At one point the story references Princess Tulip as (I think?) Aurora’s daughter and I didn’t understand how that could be. Probably I misunderstood the reference or it’s better explained in an earlier book in the series.

Once I got my bearings, I enjoyed the way the book explained some of Maleficent’s history and wove together the stories of other villains in other fairy tales. That definitely made me want to read the rest of the series. In fact, a couple of times I almost put down Mistress of All Evil in order to go back and get the full backstory on some of the other fairytales. I especially found the story behind Snow White and her relationship with her stepmother compelling. Totally have to add that to my reading list now.

On the whole, I found the concept for the series pretty cool. I liked that it went above and beyond the facts and elements present in the familiar Disney fairy tales to create a larger whole story world connecting them all. I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series if you can, just so you don’t have the confusion I had at the beginning. I think especially younger readers would find that off-putting. Fans of Jennifer Donnelly’s Deep Blue should check out this series.

Recommended for Ages 9 to 12.

Cultural Elements
As in the fairy tale movie, it seems like most of the characters are white. Maleficent, as in the movie, has greenish skin, though here it changes color with her mood.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Infrequent use of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief references to kissing, marriage, or betrothal between a prince and princess.

Spiritual Content
Maleficent grew up in Fairyland with lots of other fairies, like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, the three good fairies who protect Princess Aurora, and the Blue Fairy who guides Pinocchio.

Several reference to nameless gods. Maleficent finds a ruined castle which she learns was once the home of the god Hades. She never meets him but hears about him from her goons, creatures who were once his servants.

Violent Content
Brief descriptions of Ursula’s death and the battle between Maleficent (as a dragon) and the prince who wants to rescue Princess Aurora.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

About Serena Valentino

Website | Facebook |Twitter

Serena Valentino has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, and Mistress of All Evil.

About the Villains Series

The Disney Villains series by Serena Valentino explores how the antagonists in Disney movies became some of storytelling’s most iconic villains. In the first four Villains books, we see how the Evil Queen, the Beast, Ursula, and Maleficent fall into darkness, through the instigation of the mysterious Odd Sisters: Lucinda, Martha, and Ruby.

Enter to Win the Villains Prize Pack

One winner receives a copy of the first four books in the Villains series and a branded mug that changes color in hot water. Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Disney-Hyperion.

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