Search - Spindle's End

A very enjoyable view of Sleeping Beauty. Robin McKinley writes another wonderful book.

I was actually disappointed in this book of McKinley's. All of her books have been fun of great adventure and much fantasy and while this book had all the usual content it was very, very hard to get into and moved really slow. I really liked her beauty and the beast adaptation MUCH better. I would not recommend this novel, not when her other books are so outstanding! I guess since her books are usually so wonderful this one fell flat, I didn't end up finishing it.

I love Spindle's End. While some might find it hard to get into (the first chapter is mostly just description), I was enchanted by it. McKinley slowly draws the reader into the story, and then adds layer after layer to make this world and these characters very real and very life-like. It's a lavish and beautifully told story...and an old one--the story of Sleeping Beauty--but McKinley puts a twist on it that makes it uniquely hers.

McKinley just does a masterful job of fleshing out a fairy tale and making it a believable, if fantasy, story. I love her work! This is, of course, Sleeping Beauty.

This was my least favorite book of all of McKinley's writings! While I love the new twist on the original Sleeping Beauty, it was a slow and often confusing read for me. I found the first half of the book slow and the second half confusing! I finished the whole book because I have much loved McKinely's other books, but I would not recommend this one. McKinley is a very talented writer and I encourage you to read her other books!

Robin McKinley does a wonderful job portraying the Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose fairy tale in a fresh light. By delving into the people's attempt to thwart the evil fairy Pernicia, she expands the story so that when I got to the inevitable confrontation, I was rooting for Rosie and her friends, both human and animal.