DNF - I was looking forward to this but I just couldn't get into it. I'm not sure why.
Maybe I'll try again another time.

This book was SO MUCH FUN! Fast paced, with brilliant characters and sparkling banter, it felt like a Tangled-esque romp, and I loved seeing the two main characters slowly going from begrudging allies to willing to die for each other as the story developed (my favourite character dynamic of all time).

It's been a long time since I received this book on netgallley so I will not be reviewing this, I am a mood reader and I have really struggled to pick this book up- when I do eventually read I will make sure to leave an honest and thorough review

Okay so why did I leave it so long to read this book?

A gender- reverse telling of Sleeping Beauty with treasure hunters and fantastic story telling, A Bone Spindle is one fantasy lovers need to pick up right away especially if you love retellings!

I loved our main characters and the banter and wit was just perfect. I loved that this has multiple povs as I think it just helped us understand Fi and Shane so much more.

Full of adventure and magic, The Bone Spindle was a fast-paced and addictive book! I cannot wait for the next one!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A thoroughly enjoyable gender swapped reimagining of Sleeping Beauty.

Fi used to be one of the most successful treasure hunters in the kingdom, until she was betrayed and cursed by her partner. Shane was the heir to an island throne until she chose to walk away to become a huntsman for hire. After a job they’re on takes an unexpected turn, they find themselves united in a quest to wake a sleeping prince and save his kingdom a hundred years after he was spelled to sleep to avoid a curse.

I really loved Fi and Shane’s dynamic, and the way that Briar and Fi’s relationship developed throughout the book.
I found the magic interesting and the story intriguing despite being familiar with the story it’s based on, because enough is changed that it’s not a straight retelling.
I will definitely be reading the sequel, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

The Bone Spindle was a quick read which sucked me in and kept me wondering.

The Bone Spindle is such a beautifully written YA fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. Leslie Vedder has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy authors list. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out The Bone Spindle today.

Cute gender flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling. This was fun and very creative with great sapphic representation. However something about it fell flat for me. It was kind of predictable. There was some beautiful writing but the whole story was missing g something. That being said I’m interested in seeing where this series is going.

This book was so hyped up, that I think maybe when it came to actually reading it, there was no way it could have lived up to what I was hoping for. I did enjoy it, but nowhere near as much as I had hoped to.

I would still recommend it for those looking for adventures and quirky stories.

Sadly I had a hard time getting into this book.
I really enjoyed the story potential but I think my issue came with the formatting which granted may be different when published.

For me, I had issues with "flashbacks" not being introduced leading to me having to reread pages that I didn't realise were memories or flashbacks.
In addition to that I also read parts that just didn't seem to make sense.

Again that might be an issue with the ARC rather than the book

The Bone Spindle is kind of like Indiana Jones meets Sleeping Beauty, but add in a lot more magic and a sapphic relationship.

For the majority of this debut, I fell in love with the world. And, if it wasn't for one personal phobia I have, then I'd probably be here raving about and just never shutting up about it!

If we ignore that part though... The Bone Spindle has two very interesting main characters, one of whom is straightforward and careful, the other is a bit of a rebel and likes to cut corners. It's always a fun dynamic to see in a duo and seeing how Fi and Shane affect each other and help each other grow was one of my favourite elements of this story. Add into that Briar Rose, our male Sleeping Beauty who is a fairly cheeky Prince and Fi's love interest? It was just so cute.

In this fantasy world, there are entire magical cities left to become ruins. Briar's curse has resulted in people no longer trusting magic, and the witches in control of it.

Fi and Shane initially set off to search one of these ruins for any treasure that's been left behind, but Fi ends up getting more than she bargained for when she ends up with her fate tied to Briar instead...

The Bone Spindle is the perfect retelling of the much loved fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. It oozes charm and is so original. It's a fantastic read for the summer.

As soon as I saw this was a gender-reversed retelling of classic fairytales I was SOLD! I thought the world building was done really well in this one that made it easy enough to follow, and this is one I recommend if you are looking to get lost in some fantasy over the summer holidays.

i know i picked this book for the cover as there was a hot girl with an axe on it and as many of my friends will tell you that is my fictional crush type.

this book was a debut and a half, i didnt know it was a debut until i finished it and read the authors bio. its such a soild read and it was like the author had been doing this for years. Yes its a retelling of sleeping beauty but it was a gender swap, the characters are amazing and the growth of them apart and together is natural and easy, there isnt a sudden change in one of them to fit the story line. the sapphic romance is low key and was just enough to make me heart happy.

cant wait for the next book by this author as if this is anything to go by she is going to be on my to buy instantly lists

This book was really fun and was action packed! It felt like a classic action movie throughout and has great LGBTQA rep. Full of amazing characters and great character development, I really can't wait to see what happens next! The world is what hooked me the most in this, there was so much to explore and the history and magic really had me wanting more. A solid debut book, looking forward to seeing what else the author comes out with next!

Fairy tale retellings and I don't often get along. I just find that the stories are <em>too</em> familiar, the beats too well known, so that there's little surprising or new feeling in them - I know how it will end before I even begin.

That didn't happen with THE BONE SPINDLE - in fact, I am rather surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. <em>Indiana Jones meets a gender-swapped Sleeping Beauty</em> is an absolutely spot-on description for the book, and it works so well.

It starts with the prologue - which is another thing that's not usually for me - but we get the classic Sleeping Beauty (well, the Disney version!) opening. The big chance you notice immediately? It's <em>Prince</em> Briar Rose as the one getting blessed and cursed. I don't know how I missed the Prince's name in the blurb, but seeing that in the prologue was what told me I was about to be in for a real treat, full of nods to the animated movie.

And there are so many nods. My absolute favourite (cue the silent squealing) was the fact that there's a scene that parallels Aurora dancing with the animals in the clothes to mimic a man from the Disney film. I mean!!? That would have been so easy to miss out and yet the magic is cleverly used to get it to work.

The plot itself is a lot of fun - booby traps and puzzles in old forgotten studies/houses of witches. Trying to get into the old kingdom and avoid the witch hunters - not to mention a truly awful ex (<em>please</em> can he get his comeuppance in the sequel?!) The two girls go from reluctant allies to friends while also grappling with their own demons. It's a dynamic that works to well.

And, of course, there's the romance between Fi and Briar. (There's also Shane and the witch, and the witch just steals scenes like no one's business. But there's not too much I can say about that relationship without spoilers! But, yeah, trust your gut on Red the witch, and just enjoy all her scenes.)

Back to Fi and Briar. I really liked the way he was brought into the story so that they had plenty of time to interact and come to trust one another. It makes the romance more believable than "oh look, kissed him and bam! in love." Plus it doesn't end at the "all in love", but in a "tentative possibility of it becoming something real now", ready to deepen with more time in the sequel.

And yes, there is a sequel! Not sure if it's a duology or more, but either way, I will certainly be reading it

I loved the dark fairy tale vibes this book gave me! I felt like it was such a mass up of lots of different stories and takes on each one, I really got a female Indiana Jones vibe mixed with sleeping beauty and i was LIVING for it!

this book gripped me from its description but while reading I was slightly let down. I couldn't warm to the characters, I loved the concept but the plot only gets going around half way through the story. I did like the similarities between the book and the classic fairy tales we all know and love. This book was an excellent debut no matter what my own opinion was I can appreciate that even if it wasn't my own taste, it was a very good book.

Sadly I just could not finish this one, I made it almost 200 pages in but it's just not for me.

I loved the premises of the story but it just didn't grip me, I wasn't drawn in and dragged into the world enough to care about the characters enough to carry on.

Think this was more a me thing than the book.

I do like a good fairy tale twist.
Sleeping Beauty is one of my fave Disney movies and i liked the Maleficent twist too, but this was such a good read. Was refreshing that the princess was not the damsel in distress and the prince needed saving.
The relationship between Shane and Fi was great and to see them grow working together.

The Bone Spindle reads like a classic action movie. Think Indiana Jones but with teenage girls, a gender swapped sleeping beauty retelling and an axe wielding lesbian. A fast paced, adventurous story full of magic, curses and a wonderful friendship.

I was in the mood for action, for something to grip me and not let me go and The Bone Spindle delivered. Right from the beginning I was hooked by the characters, the adventure and the action. It was fast paced and entertaining, even as our characters took on long journeys across kingdoms which I can often find boring in books. I loved this spin on the classic fairy tale and thought that it really brought something new to the table while remaining true to the essence of the Sleeping Beauty story.

I really enjoyed that this world was so entrenched in history and magic. I found the worldbuilding really interesting and was always eager to learn more about the witches and lost kingdom of Andar. This was aided by one of our protagonists, Fi, who was equally fascinated by the history she uncovered.

I enjoyed both romances in this book, though they both felt a little instant and I would have liked to see some more development, especially of the sapphic pairing. But what stood out to me most was the friendship between Fi and Shane. I really loved following their relationship as they grew from reluctant allies into good friends who were completely supportive of one another and trusted each other’s decisions. I felt that both characters were well developed and I also enjoyed reading their back stories and learning more about their histories and seeing the ways this influenced their characters in the present.

Overall, The Bone Spindle was a fun adventure focused fantasy novel. The world and its histories were beautifully developed and the plot kept me on my toes. I can’t wait to read the sequel!