Book Review: Five Magic Spindles

Goodreads // Amazon

When Rooglewood Press published a collection of Cinderella retellings a few years ago, Five Glass Slippers, I snatched it up. To my delight, the creative spins on a tale that's been told hundreds of times blew me away.


And when the next collection of Beauty and the Beast retellings, Five Enchanted Roses, came out, I was even more delighted! It was clear that all these writers deserved to win the contests Rooglewood was hosting; these were talented, creative individuals, all with their own distinctive approach.


Well, I'm happy to report that the third collection, Five Magic Spindles, is just as wonderful as its predecessors! In fact, it might be the most unique set of retellings yet.

The Man on the Buckskin Horse // Rachel Kovaciny

When I first heard that one of the stories was a Western, I was . . . well, skeptical. I don't read Western books or watch Western movies all that often. I'm a fantasy nerd at heart!

But within the first chapter, Rachel Kovaciny had me hooked with her dry humor and the no-nonsense midwife Emma Thornberry. I didn't think it was possible to plunk Sleeping Beauty into a log cabin, toss in a farmer and a gunslinger, and come out with anything remotely like the original fairy tale. But she did it!

"The closer I get to fifty, the rarer sensible folks become."

Favorite Things:

• Emma. She's practical and blunt and hilarious. Why don't we have more books from middle-aged perspectives?
• Snark!
• Palmer, the swoon-worthy gunman, has a deep backstory packed into just a few pages.
• I felt like all the characters had a history--their own stories, their relationships with each other, everything.
• It was such fun picking out all the Sleeping Beauty elements in this wildly different setting. I won't spoil anything for you, but it was definitely creative!
• The heartwarming ending.

Not-so-favorite Things:

• I must have missed a detail, because I thought Palmer was about 20 years older than he actually was, right up until the end. Oops.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and flew right through it. 4.5 stars!

Guardian of Our Beauty // Kathryn McConaughy

I remember when Anne Elisabeth Stengl (the lovely author who runs Rooglewood) shared a collection of first lines from a bunch of writers entering the Five Magic Spindles contests. And I still remember how Kathryn McConaughy's first line about a king drowning in daughters jumped out at me. That same amusing, old fairy tale style is all over her story!


This is possibly the most exotic tale of the collection. Despite being written in a slightly more distant manner, I was fully immersed in the Middle Eastern-inspired setting and its almost mythological flavor.

Palli did not know how she could save anyone. But if all she had to was sleep--well, she could do that! She slept every night. When her other small sisters wondered why Palli went so willingly to bed, Palli only blinked at them and said, "It is good practice."

Favorite Things:

• Palli, the Sleeping Beauty character, was so sweet and altruistic.
• All the cool creatures! They were what gave the story a mythical slant. At first, they seemed random, but I should've known better--they all became important later on.
• The setting. It felt like there was a whole world to explore.
• Political happenings that were realistic, not ideal, but still not dry at all.
• Neriya, the prince: oh my goodness, he's a sweetheart too! So brave and endearing.
• The God Who Answers. I shan't say more. It's best to read it for yourself.

Not-so-favorite Things:

• At times, like when I thought the inclusion of the creatures was random, it felt like the story meandered. But in the end, it did tie together, so this isn't completely a negative!

This was another pleasant surprise! A solid 4 stars.

The Ghost of Briardale // Grace Mullins

I think I was most excited by this middle story when I first read the blurb. I mean, it takes place in an insane asylum! Forgive me, but I have an odd fascination with both crazy characters--both the creepy psychopathic kind and the lovable/gruff/off the rocker kind.


And while there wasn't a lot of those kinds of craziness going on, the delightfully convoluted plot was more than enough to keep me engaged! There's a ghost, a dwarf who can't turn invisible, a miniature prince turned human-sized, a Slavering Swamp Beast, and buckets of enchantment. There's gloomy dungeons, locked towers, and a courtyard full of statues. Doesn't that sound fun?

Never before in his life had Franz wished this much to throttle anyone, but there were important reasons why he couldn't. First, she was a girl, and he would never hit a girl even if she were as annoying as this translucent green creature.

The second reason was that he was helplessly strapped, so, even if she'd been some sort of brute, the only harmful thing he could do was glare.

Favorite Things

• Franz. Dear, dear Franz! He's exactly the kind of unlikely hero that I love to cheer for! As a banker's clerk wrongly committed to the asylum, he tries so very hard to be the True Hero everyone is looking for. He's not strong enough to slay a dragon, he's never saved anyone, and the only thing he has going for him is a big heart.
• While Franz was the kind of hero I love to cheer for, Mara was the kind of antagonist I love to hate.
• Roselee, the green ghost, was adorable.
• The fairies were trapped in the forms of a squirrel, a chicken, and a lizard. (Yep. You read that right.)
• Lots of banter.
• All the magic! It was so layered and complex, with each chapter revealing more and more of the enchantment. I was kept guessing the whole time.
• A certain subplot I won't name was really sweet.
• A satisfying ending.

Not-so-favorite Things

• Not much to say here, except for the very minor disappointment of not including crazy people in the way I expected.

All in all, this was a complete pleasure to read. Props to Grace Mullins for her twisty plot and lovable characters! 5 stars!

Spindle Cursed // Michelle Pennington

Before I knew that all these stories were actually amazing, the presence of a good ol' high fantasy amongst the less-traditional genres was a relief. Spindle Cursed guaranteed at least one story I'd love. And, though all the other stories proved to be far better than I foresaw, I was right about this one--I did love it! It follows the original tale a bit more closely than all the others, but still stands apart in its fleshed-out storyworld and vibrant characters.


The story primarily follows Prince Edmond, a rather dashing, serious, down-to-earth character who completely stole my heart. But all the others were fantastic too! Aaaand this is the only story to include an honest-to-goodness dragon. Instant brownie points right there.

"Martin, I am a fool," Edmond called.

Reining in his horse, Martin turned his craggy face to look back in surprise. As Edmond drew even with him, Martin inquired, "Would Your Highness wish me to agree with you or disagree?"

Favorite Things:

• DRAGON.
• Classic fantasy settings that popped off the page rather than settle into dusty clichés.
• Lona, the fairy who looks after the sleeping princess, lives alone in the thorn-riddled castle and has gone utterly mad. It's wonderful.
• The rapport between Edmond and Martin reminded me of Sage and Mott from The False Prince at times.
• Lady Rhoswen is another one of those love-to-hate-them villains!
• A neat twist on the sleeping curse.
• Arabella was noble and good-hearted and all around a likeable princess.
• I absolutely loved how Michelle Pennington dealt with the romance. There was still the magical kiss, but it required a genuine relationship to develop first. It was done really well!

Not-so-favorite Things:

• At times, some of the action scenes seemed to take a step outside the character's head and became less immersive.

This was a fantastic addition to the collection! It kept a more traditional fairy tale slant, which I loved. 4.5 stars.

Out of the Tomb // Ashley Stangl

Sci-fi is something I haven't read much of either (although there's more of it in my reading diet than there is Westerns), so I wasn't completely sure what to expect. I needn't have worried, because Out of the Tomb was superb! Ashley Stangl thrust me right into a teeming new world full of flora, fauna, and gadgetry I'd never heard of, yet made me feel right at home.


But it was the raw, relatable characters that won me over completely. Tanza, though an alien girl, was a rough-around-the-edges protagonist who wormed her way right into my heart. And her tale flipped Sleeping Beauty upside down, because this time, it's a prince who gets woken!

She turned her back on the spindle and rifled through the boxes of antique medical tools, falling into a quiet rhythm as she searched for anything of value. Most people found tombs eerie, but Tanza luxuriated in the peace.

A man's voice, deep and smooth, flowed through the silence. "I beg your pardon, but are you robbing me?"

Favorite Things:

• Tanza is bacon-flipping SMART. She robs high-tech tombs for a living and definitely knows how to look after herself.
• Prince Auren is absolutely adorable. So confused and old-fashioned and struggling to understand the ways of a world one hundred years ahead of him.
• The concept of virtue names was genius, and it made me love Auren and Tanza even more. I won't explain it, because that's something else you need to read for yourself!
• Maybe it was just the genre, but somehow I got a few Lunar Chronicles vibes . . .
• There's so much culture, history, and worldbuilding jam-packed into this novella, and all without resorting to too much telling.
• Hovercars!
• Plot twist!
• The Moon-Cross Festival scene was my favorite thing ever. So precious!

Not-so-favorite Things:

• Nothing to report here, unless you count my severe distaste for Keffer, Tanza's low-life boss.

I think, surprisingly, this might have been my favorite story in the collection! The ending nearly made me cry, which is difficult to do in less than a hundred pages. I would gladly follow these characters into more adventures. 5 stars!

Overall

A rollicking Western. A world of priests, princes, and flying cats. A castle woven in complex enchantments. A prince brave enough to face a dragon. A sci-fi adventure. Five completely different stories that somehow all paid homage to the original Sleeping Beauty we know and love.


This is a strong collection indeed! Just like the two books before it, there's bound to be something in it for everyone; yet you may be pleasantly surprised by stories you didn't even expect to like. I'm giving Five Magic Spindles a smashing FIVE STARS. This is one book I'll be eager to return to in the future!

If you've read Five Magic Spindles, which was your favorite story? If you haven't, tell me which ones looks most promising! (And then get thee to Amazon and go buy it!)