The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder | ARC Review

 

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder

Series: The Bone Spindle #1

Publisher: Hodder

Publication Date: 3rd February 2022

Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling

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Buy Link: Kinokuniya Malaysia

Rating: 4★

Blurb

A pacey, fractured twist on a classic fairy tale!

Filore, a treasure hunter with a knack for riddles, is busy running from her own deadly curse, when she pricks her finger on a spindle. Bound to the sleeping prince Briar Rose with the spindle's magic - and chosen as the only person who can wake him - Fi is stuck with the prince's ghost until she can break his ancient curse and save his kingdom.

She's going to need a partner. A warrior huntswoman with an axe to grind (literally), Shane couldn't care less about curses and ancient texts. But instead of riches, the two girls find trouble.

Dark magic, witch hunters, nightmarish beasts - and of course, curses - all stand in their way as Fi and Shane undertake the dangerous journey into a forgotten kingdom where the sleeping prince's body waits.

Review

"Kiss the prince, break the curse."

It is a retelling of a sleeping beauty but in this case, it is not a beauty instead it is a handsome man who falls to sleep for over 100 years and only a kiss can wake him up. It is a gender-flipped! That twist I love that!

The Bone Spindle story follows with a young prince name Briar Rose was curse by an evil witch which has put him into a sleep for 100 years and only a kiss can wake him. Fi is a knowledgeable treasure hunter who is currently running from her parents because of the butterfly curse that might affect the people around her. Hence, be as far as she can from the people she love is the only option until she can break the curse. Then she met Shane who invited her to be her partner to hunt a treasure. That is when her finger got prick by the spindle and she is bound to help the prince.

"A drop of blood, a drop of hope. The sleep of death broken with a single kiss."

It is been a while since I enjoy reading a fantasy retelling book. Sleeping beauty is one of my favourite childhood classic fairytale. A story get a retelling with a twist; I'm definitely in! I love following Fi and Shane adventure. Every adventure always has a challenge that need to face and so are they. It is epic with their bickering, being cynical to one another, and eventually, they started to get use with one another and seems that it is a start of a wonderful friendship. 

The world-building is amazing. I love when Fi and Shane in the castle with the riddle; it remind me of a National Treasure movie that I've watch for umpteenth times and never get bored. The fact that the initial story is to help the prince to break the curse which makes that the treasure hunting been pushed to the side. But it is not an issue anyway.

I love the interaction between Fi and Briar also interaction between Fi and Shane. Although, there are times I find that I was annoyed with Fi and Shane's attitude. Kinda feels a little bit immature like hold on, can we just stop and focus what is need to be focus on. That is what I felt. I guess that is how one bonded with each other. Am I right?

Overall, I love the world-building, I love the magic and the witch but I'm hoping for more. I guess we need to wait for it in the next installation? Anyway, this is a fun, love the gender swapping, the friendship, the cute romance. I guess I need to wait for the book 2 to be out to know what happened next and what is their next adventure. Nevertheless, I enjoy and I love this fantasy retelling book!

Thank you Definitely Books for the review copy in return for an honest review.