Here is the summary of the book:
A kingdom burns. A princess sleeps. This is no fairy tale.
It all started with the burning of the spindles.
No.
It all started with a curse…
Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.
And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood—and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.
As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.
Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls; and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape…or the reason for her to stay.
REVIEW ==
Fantasy.... Such a fantastic bounty. Yikes..... *LOL* Sorry before I go off on a tangent and start spouting nonsense. Fantasy, Fairytales, Folk-lores and the like have always been the stepping stones to a different world. A brand new world, every new book at a time. Not only do they offer us a magnificent escape from the mundane but there is still loads that can be learned from such stories. The meaning of family, friendship, sacrifice, wonder, dread..... there is a plethora of emotions contained within such stories.
Likewise, Spindle Fire is just the same. A re-invention, re-telling of Sleeping Beauty. Something old ..... and lots of New. Spindle Fire tells us the story of two sisters Aurora and Isabella. Half-sisters but never far from each other. When tragedy strikes as we are familiar with the story of the Beauty who slept. Aurora sleeps and Isabella scours the land for a Prince who might wrestle with the thorns that imprison Aurora in its deep slumber. All the while strengthening their defenses against the marching Faerie Queen and her army..... But of course Aurora herself is not one to stay down, all the while looking for a way to be free of that enchanted world.
Spindle Fire has loads to recommend itself for. All the while there is a lot it seems to fall short of. I did love the author for reinventing Sleepy Beauty. But this story is much more than a fairy tale retelling. There is conflict, treachery, vicious and vivacious Fae and all the pesky little human feelings that stop this book from being just a re-telling. It is really not. At the same time it also felt lack-lustre. Having read more than enough re-tellings, and re-inventions of these popular tales, the modern readers (and I) have pretty much saturated it all and are on the lookout to read something new, to feel something new.
Maybe this was just the beginning. Yes there is a sequel coming out soon. And I will check that out as well and maybe what felt lacking but be rectified when we get to know more of this wonderful world Lexa Hillyer created within the pages of Spindle Fire.
"A few spells short of spellbinding but definitely packs a punch"
Genre : Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Re-telling, Romance
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 11th April, 2017
My Copy: publisher & edelweiss
Rate: 4/5 (Really Liked It)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 11th April, 2017
My Copy: publisher & edelweiss
Rate: 4/5 (Really Liked It)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository
