They make mistakes and have consequences for those mistakes. All three (and the other characters) are relatable. Rosie, Kat, and Peony are all strong characters in different ways. Spindle’s End is a fun book because there are so many strong female characters, but they are all strong in different ways. At the celebration for the princess’ 21st birthday, Rosie finds herself locked in an unexpected battle with Pernicia to save her family, her friends, and her kingdom.

Things get complicated when Rosie meets Peony, a girl her own age who would be a much better princess. RELATED | YA Book Review: Beauty-A Classic Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast Keeping her hidden, Pernicia is still searching, looking to fulfill her curse and take her revenge on the royal family. Kat and Aunt raise the baby, now called Rosie, who has a few unexpected gifts. Determined to save her, Kat kidnaps the baby princess and brings her to Foggy Bottom. An evil fairy, Pernicia, arrives at the Christening, cursing the young princess. When the King and Queen have a little girl, a fairy from each village is invited to attend the Christening and Katriona, or Kat, is selected from Foggy Bottom. Her stories are always a unique twist on fairy tales, and this is a fresh and original take on a classic story.īased on the story of “Sleeping Beauty ,” Spindle’s End follows two fairies, Katriona, and her Aunt, who live in Foggy Bottom, in a place called the Gig in a very magical kingdom. She usually writes fantasy and stories based on fairy tales, and Spindle’s End is one of the later. Robin McKinley is one of my favorite authors.

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley