Something I could cross off my list-and hopefully enjoy in the process. At least I knew this one would be a quick read. No matter how many books I read in a month, I can never catch up on my TBR list. When I picked up this novella, I was relieved to see it was under 150 pages. The end result is full of crowns and towers and, yes, even a spinning wheel.īut when Zin pricks her finger on the end of the spindle, she’s transported into another place and time-one where Sleeping Beauty is more than just a fairy tale.

Zin might be a little older for a Disney princess birthday party, but that’s not going to stop Charm. Therefore, Zinnia’s best friend, Charm, vows to make her 21st birthday the best one ever. No matter how you spin it, the story of Sleeping Beauty is about a woman cursed, one who had no say in her own future, one destined to succumb to sleep before her time. Briar Rose and Aurora and Zellandine, just to name a few. It makes sense, then, that Zinnia grew up obsessed with the story of Sleeping Beauty. You see, she’s been diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease, and while none of us will live forever, her countdown clock is shorter than most. It’s her 21st birthday, which will probably be her last. Our heroine is Zinnia Gray, and she’s not likely to get a happy ending. There are few things I like more in this universe (or the next) than multiple realities and twisted tales.Ī Spindle Splintered gave me both in the same book. And it’s that concept that made me instantly add this book to my to-be-read list. It’s that concept-a fairy tale Spider-Verse-that started author Alix E. And, of course, we can’t forget Into the Spider-Verse. The multiverse is all the rage these days, with Loki and What If…? season 1 coming to their respective conclusions and Doctor Strange 2 on the horizon.

Harrow pits the modern against the classic as we see the tale of Sleeping Beauty in a completely different light.

A spindle splintered