1. Title,
Author, and Cover
Five Magic Spindles: A
Collection of Sleeping Beauty Stories
By Rachel
Kovaciny, Kathryn McConaughy, Grace Mullins, Michelle Pennington, and Ashley
Stangl
2. Genre and
Reading Level
Fairy Tale Retellings
– Western, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi
Teenage and up
3. My Summary
Five Magic Spindles is a collection of Sleeping Beauty retellings.
These are the five short stories:
“The Man on the
Buckskin Horse” by Rachel Kovaciny
When a paid killer rides
into Emma’s town, she is not about to let him threaten her friend or his
daughter. As the local midwife, Emma has
a fair share of medical knowledge, but even she has a daunting task ahead of
her when a dramatic life-and-death situation comes upon her friend’s house.
“The Guardian of our
Beauty” by Kathryn McConaughy
Even before her birth,
Palli has been entrenched in the middle of an epic showdown between a power-hungry
high priest of numerous gods and a true deity who actually answers those who
call on him. The sorcerer priest curses
Palli at her naming ceremony, but a prophet of the God Who Answers comes with a
different message. Still, Palli is left
with questions as she faces the inevitable fulfillment of the curse.
“The Ghost of
Briardale” by Grace Mullins
When poor Franz
Happernickle is sent to Briardale Asylum for the Mentally Infirm, he is
astounded by the unfairness of it all.
After all, it is not his fault the green ghost Rosalee is haunting him,
but she needs to find a hero, and she is convinced he fits the bill, despite
his complete disbelief in the existence of heroes or ghosts either, for that
matter.
“Spindle Cursed” by Michelle
Pennington
After more than one
hundred years trapped in her own sleeping body, Arabella still is determined to
live and save her war-torn nation, and Prince Edmond may be her last hope for
freedom from her slumber. However,
swamps, sinking sands, thorns, a dragon, and scheming royals battle against
them at every turn.
“Out of the Tomb”, by Ashley
Stangl
While robbing a long-forgotten
tomb, Tanza encounters a living, breathing historical figure who transforms her
life and plunges her into a battle for the good of her planet.
4. My Opinion
(With a rating)
Overall: 6 Stars
“The Man on the
Buckskin Horse” by Rachel Kovaciny: 6 stars
As a feisty and
headstrong midwife, Emma makes an involved and sage narrator, but my favorite
characters were Rosalind and the gunslinger Luke Palmer. These two characters undergo their own
significant transformations which lends the story a lovely bit of sparkle. While Scripture is not explicitly mentioned,
there are still strong morals and the triumph of good over evil, and the steel
element is also strong with the battle of wills between Rosalind’s father and
the woman who hired Luke Palmer and other gunmen to take him down. I just would have liked to have read a bit
more about Luke Palmer and Rosalind rather than so much of Emma.
“The Guardian of our
Beauty” by Kathryn McConaughy: 7 stars
I absolutely adored
this story with its outstanding setting reminiscent of the myths of the ancient
Middle East. The poetry of the curses
and blessings in this retelling reminded me of ancient Hebrew poetry found in
the Bible, and the “God Who Answers” in this story clearly points to the true
God who reveals himself in Scripture. Princess
Palli feels like a typical girl despite the curses and blessings spoken at her
naming ceremony, but she is extraordinary in her kindness, generosity, and
determination to defend her nation and her family. Both she and Prince Neriya shoulder their
person burdens and hardships without complaint.
“The Ghost of
Briardale” by Grace Mullins: 7 stars
Humor and adventure
run hand and hand in this retelling set in a Victorian-like land which has
forgotten its magical past. Franz,
Rosalee, and their band of heroes and fairies are memorable, and their
encounters sparkle with humor and sweetness.
Again, the battle between good and evil is fierce, but the heroes are stronger
than they suspect.
“Spindle Cursed” by Michelle
Pennington: 6 stars
Arabella and Edmond
have not led simple lives. Although
Arabella has slumbered for more than a hundred years, she has remained fully
aware of everything that happens to her body, and she is stuck watching over
her war-torn nation from her small tower room, completely powerless but
refusing to give up hope. Edmond was
trained from his youth to enter Arabella’s dangerous land to wake her and bring
her to become his brother’s bride, even if he loves her himself. The struggle between good and evil colors the
entire story, and both protagonists realize their future will not be easy, but
they are still willing to fight for what is good and right.
“Out of the Tomb”, by Ashley
Stangl: 6 stars
Tanza and Prince Auren’s
adventure on a futuristic planet may seem far from earth, but it touches on
many relevant ideas including colonialism, political unrest, terrorism, and the
skewing of the national concept of virtue.
References to myths, history, and fairy tales all lend sparkle to this
tale, and the other-worldly setting and terrorist enemies provide almost too
much steel. Still, the story is
extremely enjoyable, particularly with Prince Auren and his idealistic nature.
5. Who would
love this book?
I think anyone who enjoys
fairy tale retellings will love this book, especially with its diverse
settings.
