The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder April Spisak Vedder, Leslie The Bone Spindle. Razorbill, 2022 [416p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593325827 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593325834 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 8-10 Sleeping Beauty is the breathtakingly handsome prince, Briar Rose; other than the gender swap, the rest of his story is familiar—he and his kingdom have been sleeping for 100 years after being cursed by a witch, and it's going to take an outsider to set things right. Enter Filore, an extremely reluctant hero who has her own stuff going on (she's also cursed by an ex-partner) and did not need to find out she is fated to wake the prince. Destiny is destiny, however, and Fi finds herself, and her treasure-hunting partner, Shane, moving toward the place where Briar sleeps. At the same time, Shane, the daughter of a War King, is running away from her own demons, striving to carve out an existence that she determines, outside of the expectations of others. Both women fall in love, Fi with Briar, who appears regularly in her sleep as a sardonic, supportive companion, and Shane with Red, a mystery woman who somehow keeps crossing paths with them on their journey. Indeed, love is at the center of this novel: what do we owe to those we love, when do their needs become our own, and how do we retain individuality when our hearts are tied to others. It's a thoughtful, albeit breathy exploration, and Shane and Fi are different enough in how they fall in love that romance buffs will likely be pleased to have two love stories within the same cover. The conclusion is frustratingly unresolved as a sequel is obviously anticipated, but that is a fairly minor quibble with an otherwise splendid upheaval of a familiar fairy tale. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois