The Bone Spindle, Book 1
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Based on 2 reviews
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Bone Spindle is the first in a planned fantasy-adventure series that imagines the Sleeping Beauty myth with the characters' genders reversed. The enchanted sleeper is male, and his rescuer is female. Sexy stuff is pretty light with some mild innuendo, flirting, and a few kisses. There's romance between both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and same-sex and both-sexes attraction, romance, and marriage are normal in this fantasy world. Violence in the real world involves fighting with swords, knives, crossbows, punches, and kicks. There's no gore but pain, blood, and the crunching sound of a broken nose are mentioned or briefly described. In the fantasy realm, fights involve huge monster wolves and spiders, and mentions blood gushing from killed fantasy creatures. A main character's ex continues to try and control her through a curse. An older teen drinks wine at a party but excess isn't shown. A few settings are taverns where adults drinking are mentioned and some excess is shown negatively, like slurred speech. There's no strong language, just one use of "butt."
Community Reviews
Great flipped-role retelling with some romance
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What's the Story?
THE BONE SPINDLE is about a young treasure hunter, Fi, who accidentally pricks her finger on a spindle she finds in the ruins of an old castle. This finger prick, and the mark it leaves behind on her finger, bind her magically to the young prince Briar Rose, who was cursed into an enchanted sleep 100 years in the past by a vengeful witch. Fi is now Briar's only hope of waking himself and the rest of his kingdom from their long sleep. But before Fi can get to the room in the castle where Briar lies, she and her treasure-hunting partner Shane will have to outrun the Witch Hunters, cross treacherous landscapes, and battle monsters in the forest of thorns, while putting their beliefs about destiny and true love to the test.
Is It Any Good?
Fantasy fans will enjoy this exciting adventure that nicely combines a familiar fairy tale with a refreshing twist on gender roles. In The Bone Spindle, it's the women battling monsters, bounty hunters, and evil spells while the man waits for rescue in a far-off castle. There's plenty of humor as characters banter, bicker, and drive each other crazy along the way, and a good dose of magic and mystery. Alternating points of view help balance the plot with revelations about the well-developed characters' pasts, and keep the pages turning. Older tweens and teens will relate to the characters as they test their beliefs in destiny, love at first sight, and true love. The cliffhanger ending will have fans eager for the next installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in The Bone Spindle. How much is too much? Is reading it different from seeing in movies, videos, and other media?
Do you like new or different takes on old, familiar stories, or would you rather they stay the same? How does swapping genders change this story? Does it give you any new insights into the story itself, or what people are capable of?
Why are fantasies so popular? What do we love about them?
Book Details
- Author: Leslie Vedder
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Razorbill
- Publication date: January 11, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 416
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 18, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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The Sleeper and the Spindle
Sly combo of two fairy tales makes for literary magic.
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Egg & Spoon
A beautifully written, wildly imaginative modern fairy tale.
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Sorcery of Thorns
Book-loving girl fights demons in captivating high fantasy.
For kids who love fantasy and strong girls
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