Spindle's End

"This was one of my most recent rereads of this book. I thought the story was very enjoyable.<br/><br/>This was a rewriting of the story of Sleeping Beauty.<br/><br/>Summary:<br/><br/>The story plays out, in the first few chapters, to be very close to the folk tale, taking some similar elements from Disney's. The fairy, Katriona was so sweet but frazzled. She takes care of the infant princess while running back home. Because Briar-Rose (called Rosie) was nursed on fox's milk (it was strange but I suppose it worked) she could talk to and understand animals. That came in to play in the book when Rosie grew up.<br/><br/>The story, up until Part 3, was in Katriona's perspective. (Because Rosie was a baby until then). It tells of Rosie's childhood and Katriona's and Barder's - the village's carpenter- engagement. Six year old Rosie, on one pursuit to the village, ends up at the Smithy and talking at Narl, the Blacksmith. Narl ends up to be the babysitter of Rosie but he doesn't mind. <br/><br/>Katriona and Barder get married in part 3 and both take a step back from the spotlight. Posey is then introduced and becomes Rosie's best and closest friend. They finish growing up together. Posey and Narl's apprentice Rowland fall in love one day at the Smithy, which Narl and Rosie both witness. Rosie realizes that she's in love with Narl. (Rowland is the prince of the neighboring kingdom and is engaged to the cursed princess) <br/><br/>That part makes me very concerned because Narl is quite a bit older than Rosie, enough so he was an adult when she was a baby. It never said his exact age, just that he was a seer and therefore ages slower, I guess? Narl and Rosie do end up together in the end. <br/><br/>Soon after (skipping a lot of fluff in the book), Posey is realized that she is the princess. She and Rosie (since she had to take her best friend) go to the castle where the curse plays out after a few months. <br/><br/>From this point onward, there is a lot of action in order to get rid of the evil fairy who cursed Rosie. Rosie's curse spread to Posey because they were such close friends and confused the curse. Rosie and Narl defeat the evil fairy and everything is set right... Except for Rosie and Narl's relationship. It ends up that Narl loves Rosie back. <br/><br/>After this, I think Rowland and Posey marry each other. <br/><br/><br/>There isn't really anything to be concerned about except the age difference between Narl and Rosie."

"Fun and unique retelling of a classic story"

"Sleeping Beauty, the Lost Years.<br/><br/>In her creative reimagining of how the story might have gone, McKinley provides backstory and context to a familiar tale. In a magical kingdom, an evil fairy has sworn revenge on the queen (not king, notably) who once defeated her. When the next female heir is born, Pernicia (what a fantastic evil fairy name!) curses the baby: spindles, enchanted sleep of death, yada yada.<br/><br/>Now here's where it gets interesting. Katriona, an obscure young village fairy attending the christening, spontaneously runs up to comfort the crying baby princess...and is given the responsibility for raising the child as her own to keep her safe, "as safe as ordinariness can make her". The next 3/4 of the book recounts the princess's life as an ordinary child in an ordinary small town.<br/><br/>While the Disney films take a similar approach, <I>Spindles' End</I> dives deeper into what a princess raised in such circumstances would have been like. Briar Rose ("Rosie" as she is quickly named) has few princess-y virtues: she impatiently cuts off her fairy godmother enchanted hair; refuses to wear dresses; or to learn to embroider, dance or sing; and grows into a tall, athletic but not particularly graceful young woman . Her one noticeable fairy quality is her ability to talk to animals, a gift not from her christening, but imbibed from the milk of various animals who suckled her during the dangerous journey home with Katriona. This makes her an ideal blacksmith and veterinarian's assistant, patiently (and hilariously) listening to the complaints and carping of various local horses and the gossip of village cats and dogs. It will also prove to be a useful source of information...and power.<br/><br/>There is much to love about this book: the richness of a world so imbued with magic that fairies are seen more as IT consultants than as figures of wonder. The animals have species-appropriate personalities and speech patterns, and their contentious sparring with Rosie is a welcome contrast to the fatuous princess adoration in your typical Disney movie. The human characters are distinctive and personable: kind and courageous Katriona, whose growth in self confidence mirrors Rosie's; Katriona's wise and supportive fairy Aunt, Rosie's mentor Narl, the flinty village blacksmith who may be more than he seems. The male/female dynamics are quietly feminist; queens are preferred for their superior judgement, and even though the royal couple have produced 3 sons after Rosie's disappearance, there is no question of one of them supplanting her in the succession. Unlike the flighty and befuddled fairy godmothers in <I>Sleeping Beauty</I> and <I>Maleficent</I>, Aunt and Katriona are highly skilled and powerful guardians, and when Katriona eventually marries it is clear that this will be a union of equals. Finally there is Peony, another adopted village girl, who is so lovely, graceful, charming and perfect that Rosie hates her on sight...until they become best friends. That this novel celebrates and revels in several different expressions of femininity is one of its many strengths.<br/><br/>Of course the ending will involve a final knockdown, drag out with Pernicia, evil magic defeated by good, and heroic animals to the rescue, but Rosie remains true to herself and her destiny until the very happy end."

"I love this book so much! Perfect balance of witty humor and serious plot lines. Definitely worth the read!"

"Amazing book.. "

"My least favorite Robin McKinley retelling. It's just really slow moving and it feels like it takes hundreds of pages for anything to happen."

"Heavy on the fantasy world building. Feisty sleeping beauty."