I love a good fairytale retelling and the premise of this- what if Sleeping Beauty never went to sleep? It drew me in and the world building was beautiful.
However I found it really hard to keep my interest in the story, it was a little slow, predictable and characters lacked depth in places. The plot didn’t hook me in as much as it should have done which was a shame. It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love this! I always enjoy a fairytale retelling, and although this diverges massively from The Sleeping Beauty (which is mentioned as the tale it is retelling) there are nonetheless a couple of things that spell out that we are in fairytale land: the curse from the sorceress, the spinning wheel. But it was very enjoyable as a tale in its own right, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I made it through to about 60% but really had no interest in finishing. The concept was original with the author's rather unique take on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. It must be really hard to take a story that's been retold in so many ways and new spin on it. That was one thing that was done quite well. However, I did get rather bored and there were quite a a lot of characters to keep track of. I found it harder and harder to keep an interest. While it was well written just not to my taste.

I wanted to love this book but was unable to get into it. It sounded promising with a fairytale esc feel but a modern twist. The world building was beautifully done but the plot didn't hook me like I had hoped. The pacing felt slow and with a lot of fairytale retellings about this didn't feel like anything new or special.

Spellbound is an original and fantastically retelling of sleeping beauty. Told from multiple female perspectives this story is beautifully and originally portrayed. I really enjoyed the narrative the author chose for this book having multiple strong female characters was incredibly endearing.

The world building is magical and has a definite eerie presence, I would absolutely love more from this world as I found the world building to be one of my favourite parts of the book.

Highly recommend if you’re a fan of retellings but are bored of the same copy and paste, rinse and repeat of some other retellings.

Thrilling and original I cannot wait for more from this author!

I love a good fairytale retelling and this is no exception. Spellbound is one of those retellings where there are some of the elements from the original fairytale (Sleeping Beauty) but the story itself takes on an originality that transcends its inspiration. There is an evil sorceress who places a curse on a princess that when she turns 17 she will die, but there’s a twist the Queen has a second baby (a twin) after the curse has been placed that the Sorceress does not know about. Desperate to save her daughters she sends the cursed twin away and keeps the one who is not cursed to raise in her place as the first born. I liked the way family relationships were explored in this book, are our parents the ones who gave life to us or the ones who raised us?

There is no prince to save the day in this one, only a desperate Queen, a runaway Master’s apprentice (a magic user) and the princess herself. And as it says on the cover no one goes to sleep for 100 years.

Spellbound is an enchanting, atmospheric read that had me hooked from the first page. Georgia Leighton’s writing is both lyrical and immersive, pulling me deep into a world brimming with magic, secrets, and emotion. The characters are layered and compelling, each with their own voice and motivations, and the relationships between them added so much depth to the story. The pacing struck a perfect balance between tension and quiet, emotional moments, making it impossible to put down. A spellbinding (pun intended) tale that’s as beautiful as it is gripping.

It was a good read even not my cup of tea. I assume I read too many fairy tale retelling and this was good but it didn't always keep my attention.
I liked the style of writing.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Spellbound is a retelling of the classic fairytale, Sleeping Beauty. it was a tricky one to rate - really it's probably between 2-3 stars.While I did mostly enjoy this book, I struggled a little to get into the writing style and I felt most of the characters had a lot more potential that wasn't utilised. The pacing was a little off at times too. If you like fairytale retelling, I'd still recommend checking this one out.

A glorious, magical fantasy with 4 female main characters, as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
However, no knight in shining armour is needed. These women use the power of spells, love and belief in themselves to right wrongs and find their rightful places.

Spellbound is a fresh and emotionally rich reimagining of Sleeping Beauty that centers not on the cursed princess herself, but on the women whose lives are bound to hers. Told through multiple perspectives—most notably that of Sel, the loyal and heart-worn guardian—this retelling leans into themes of sacrifice, agency, and the quiet strength of women rewriting their own narratives.

Georgia Leighton’s prose is lyrical and immersive, and the story offers a darker, more grounded version of the fairy tale we think we know. While there’s magic, prophecy, and enchantment, what lingers most is the weight of impossible choices and the fierce love that binds this chosen family together.

That said, the pacing falters in the second half, and the book sometimes struggles to fully explore the emotional depth it sets up early on. Though it flirts with adult themes, the tone and structure lean closer to YA, which may not match all readers’ expectations.

Still, Spellbound is a beautifully written, thoughtful retelling that stands out for its focus on female relationships and inner strength—perfect for fans of fairy tales with a sharp edge and a beating heart.

Spellbound by Georgia Leighton is the kind of fairy tale retelling that takes everything you *think* you know and spins it into something beautifully unexpected. Yes, it has all the familiar pieces - a cursed princess, magical gifts at birth, a dark prophecy - but don’t expect your classic “true love’s kiss” and a neat little happily ever after. This version leans into the *desperation* and *sacrifice* behind the myth, and I absolutely loved it for that.

At its heart, this story isn’t really about the sleeping princess. It’s about the women around her, fierce, complicated, flawed women, who decide to rewrite the story they’ve been handed. Sel, especially, completely stole the show for me. As Briar’s guardian, her strength, loyalty, and quiet heartbreak were written with such care that I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. And the relationships between the three central women? Nuanced, messy, and so achingly real. There’s something incredibly refreshing about a tale that prioritises chosen family, female agency, and the weight of impossible decisions over romance.

That’s not to say it doesn’t have a touch of magic and wonder...it absolutely does. The atmosphere is dreamy but grounded, and the twists in the narrative kept me fully engaged even though I *thought* I knew where it was going. Turns out? I didn’t.

I also really appreciated the dynamic between the two princesses - there’s a sharp contrast in their personalities and roles, and it added depth to a story that easily could’ve fallen into the trap of simplicity. Leighton avoids that completely, giving each character their own arcs, motivations, and quiet moments of rebellion or grief.

So, if you’re tired of the same dusty fairy tale tropes and want a Sleeping Beauty retelling with teeth, heart, and beautifully crafted prose, Spellbound might just be your next favourite. 4 out of 5 stars for this fresh, emotionally rich spin on a classic. No prince required.

Spellbound

The beautiful cover was enough to draw me in for this one.

Spellbound is a retelling of one of my favourite fairytales; Sleeping Beauty and I am always here for any and all fairytale retellings. Told through the perspective of various women whose lives revolve around the princess, such as her mother the queen and her caretaker Sel, what follows is a very different tale from the one we remember.

The writing was wonderful and the characters were so fleshed out. This was such a unique take on sleeping beauty, as told by the women in her life. You could’ve really empathised with the Queen who gave up her baby to protect her. Or sel who was raising a cursed child but I feel like the exploration of this missed the mark.

I don’t think this was quite an adult novel and I felt it read more as YA. And after the strong beginning, I felt like the momentum began to taper off as it was a struggle to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and. Georgia Leighton for a copy to review.

Spellbound by Georgia Leighton is basically Sleeping Beauty if you kicked out the prince and let the women handle everything themselves.

Three women—a queen, her lady-in-waiting, and a magic apprentice—cook up a wild plan when a princess is born cursed. Cue baby-swapping, secret identities, and two girls growing up on opposite sides of the kingdom while a deadly curse counts down.

This retelling actually surprised me! Instead of the usual princess-in-a-tower waiting for rescue, we get multiple POVs and women making messy, complicated choices. It's a quick, fun read that takes the fairy tale in directions you won't see coming. Perfect if you love retellings that aren't afraid to shake things up.

This is a retelling of sleeping beauty, a classic fairy tale. I really enjoy multiple POVs but I felt like there was a lot going on and maybe characters could have been a bit more fleshed out if there weren’t as many POVs.
I enjoyed the female power vibes but don’t want to spoil any more than that. Would be interested in reading more from this author, thank you for the arc

Vengeful fairytale fantasy
—
There have always been fairytales and there have always been tellers to re-tell them, to shape them for their audiences old and new. In this masterful retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a huge dose of epic fantasy, there is no prince and instead only the women involved—the queen, her lady-in-waiting and a desperate sorceress’s apprentice—have any hope to defeat the curse laid on the newborn princess by a vengeful enchantress.

Told in a fantasy narration, not a fairytale one, this novel will draw you in with its well-rounded characters, the world-building and the twists and turns before the final denouement, which is not as might be expected from the fairytale, nor from the narrative before it, but is set up well by the author as the thing that rightly draws all the threads together. A good, solid debut and a strong addition to the library of fairytale fantasy fiction.

I loved this, a bit slow paced in the middle but the vibes were there. Would have really liked to see more of Talia, but loved what we got with Briar and Sel

I was so looking forward to this book and tried so hard to keep going. Kept convincing myself that it would get more pacey and at many times I was enjoying it and there were pages-turning sections of the book. However, the plot seemed to get lost amid trying to present the Queen as “mad” when she was worried about her daughters after the curse. The magic and fantasy that I was hoping would be a huge part of the book was not as present and seemed to be lost between medieval attitudes and other debates irrelevant to the storyline. Sadly this book was a dnf for me due to this. If you are into heavy fantasy then it’s maybe worth some thought before reading this, however for those that are looking for a more historical and less fantasy type of story this is worth a read.

Beautifully written and atmospheric twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. With a feminist edge to it, this book was so immersive, I couldn't put it down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A dark, clever Sleeping Beauty retelling with a feminist edge

Spellbound reimagines the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty with fresh perspective and quiet power. Set on a remote island castle, the story begins with a blessing ceremony for a long-awaited royal heir—only for an ancient curse to twist her fate. But in this version, there’s no enchanted sleep, no charming prince riding in to save the day.

A smart, emotional twist on a well-worn tale. Highly recommended for fans of fairytale retellings, quiet magic, and strong female leads.