This one very nearly made it onto this year's reading schedule.
McKinley is known for her luxe retellings, which either soar or sink in near equal measure.
Anyone read this?
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
400 pages
Published January 28th 2000 by Putnam Juvenile
All the creatures of the forest and field and riverbank knew the infant was special. She was the princess Briar-Rose, spirited away from the evil fairy Pernicia on her name-day. But the curse was cast: some unknown time in the future, Rosie would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a poisoned sleep from which no one could rouse her.
Katriona is the princess's kidnapper - and saviour. A young fairy, she is apprenticed to, and lives with, her aunt in the small village of Foggy Bottom. The two of them raise the princess as if she were their own in order to protect her. No other human, not even Rosie herself, knows her true identity.
But Pernicia is looking for her and Pernicia is formidably powerful and tirelessly intent on revenge for a defeat four hundred years old. Two village fairies and all the animals in the realm may not be able to save Rosie...
 |
| Click the button to be taken to the Fairy Tale Fortnight Main Page & Schedule (button image via) |
The cover on this is fabulous. I tried reading Pegasus by R.M. and couldn't finish it. Perhaps her style of writing is not to my liking. However, this book may be written in a completely different manner.
ReplyDeleteI have this one sitting on my TBR pile, can't wait to get to it. :]
ReplyDeleteI am a McKinley junkie and have been for years. This is my favorite retelling of Sleeping Beauty because of her consummate worldbuilding and because of the twist she gives to "the kiss." Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI've dropped at least 7 of McKinley's books because of lack of interest. This is the only one of McKinley's books that I've been able to get through. It was pretty good and left me wondering why in the world I couldn't make it through the rest of her books!
ReplyDeleteI love Robin McKinley. This book is delicious, but I hated the ending. I don't mean I didn't understand the ending or think it made sense, but it wouldn't have been the ending I'd have chosen. I've devoured all of McKinley's books, and and currently impatiently awaiting Pegasus 2. <3
ReplyDelete