⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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.

Spellbound by Georgia Leighton is a clever retelling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty where the lives of 3 women get entwined and reshaped by a lethal curse, while trying to save two princesses.
The premise was immediately good, it takes you in with the story of fairy tale that everyone knows, to then launch you into a very different universe, where we find important themes like motherhood, sisterhood and so on.
Leighton’s writing style flows really well and it was very easy to feel and care for the characters.
I was expecting a very different finale, this is an open one and I will definitely keep up with the author to see if we’ll have a sequel.

I really wanted to love Spellbound but it didn't grab me as I hoped it would. The writing style was ok and there was enough descriptions throughout, but something for me was missing

I really enjoyed this one! Perfect fairytale retelling with darker vibes and great atmospheric writing. The multiple POV really added to the storytelling!

Spellbound is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with enough differences to make it seem fresh. Briar grows up away from the castle and with her gifts given at birth being amplified it gave me Ella Enchanted vibes with her having to follow any direct orders. I loved Ella Enchanted growing up so I loved the vibes.
Sel was the standout character for me though. I didnt expect to like her when she was first introduced. I dont know why but I was pleasantly surprised when she ended up being my favourite. She looks after Briar as she grows up and everything she does is for Briar - even with their rocky start.

Ive read what feels like a lot of retellings lately bit this one has been one of my favourites so far!

Fab easy-read. Finished this in two days and loved it. Last 100 pages were intense and great use of split narratives to build the suspense.

Loved the modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty and how the tropes we all know with the fairytale became plot twists and reimagined. Really enjoyed the new histories and backstories that were embedded into the world-building. Would love a sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was amazing! I’ve read quite a few Sleeping Beauty retellings but this one was truly unique. Two princesses are born and whilst the firstborn is cursed, the second born is not, and is raised as the ‘firstborn’ as the real firstborn is brought up as a regular girl elsewhere. I loved seeing the two growing up and figuring out the secrets behind their upbringings, and the side characters along the way. I think Sel was my main favourite and I loved seeing her becoming more magical over time. The ending blew my mind and I would love a follow up to this book to see what will happen!

When I picked this up, I wasn’t expecting it to start out so dark. So I had to re-evaluate quite quickly. The take on Sleeping Beauty was interesting, if a little far from the original story.

The start of the book was really engaging taking me straight into the novel and the action. But then it got slow. And the slowness went on for most of the book. Though I enjoyed the characters, I don’t think we really needed to see some much of Briar and Talia’s childhoods.

The ending was good though, so it did come back around. I really liked the story they told in the end, I just think a lot of the middle stuff could have been cut out.

Although not quite a 5-star read for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and see myself going back to it one day.

The publicity around this book claims that this is Leighton’s debut novel. But I’m not so sure – the writing is far too sure-footed and effective to belong to a complete newbie, especially as this tale spans some seventeen years and is told in multiple viewpoints. The characterisation is wonderful – especially if you like your protagonists with major flaws and vulnerabilities alongside their strengths. I was very impressed with the depiction of Briar and Talia, which could have so easily fallen into far more predictable paths – in fact all the character development is nuanced and intelligent.

But what is masterful is the handling of the story. Like the original Greek myths, fairytales are notorious for principally being about men and any woman with real agency tends to come to a sticky end. Think of all those witches or enchantresses… Leighton turns this story into a feminist retelling. While there is a cast of male characters, they are all in supporting roles and have relatively little impact on the main narrative – and that includes the King. It is the women in this story that drive the narrative forward, for both good and ill.

I love the way the magic entangles the enchanted child, increasingly impeding her as she grows up and getting in the way of her development. Even her astonishing beauty is a major nuisance, drawing far too much unwanted attention as Sel goes into hiding with her. While Talia, who everyone thinks is the cursed princess, grows up in Briar’s place and confined behind the castle walls. I read waaay later than I should have, desperate to discover what would happen as I couldn’t predict where the tale would go.

And the reason why this impressive tale isn’t a solid ten – is that the ending feels rushed and unfinished. While there is a denouement, there are far too many interesting questions raised and unanswered regarding the girls’ ongoing lives. I am fervently hoping that this is the first book in a series which hasn’t been announced because the publishers want to see how this one does. Because a narrative arc this detailed and skilfully wrought deserves to have a far more satisfying conclusion than the one offered so far. We need more of this fascinating world! While I obtained an arc of Spellbound from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Bantam Books for the ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I was really looking forward to this Sleeping Beauty retelling because it sounded so unique but unfortunately I had little connection to the characters (I did like Sel) and found it a struggle to keep my motivation to read. dnf at 40%

I would say that Spellbound is "inspired by" the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty rather than a retelling; it's an imaginative and interesting book otherwise, but the premise is only the same in the basic plot point. Sadly, it didn't grip me as much as I hoped, but I think fans of epic fantasy might be interested in it.

Absolutely spell binding, this was written so beautifully too honestly it your looking for a Cinderella retelling I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed this book, the timing in the book threw me off a little bit but overall a great read

Fantasy novels are not normally my chosen genre, but the fact that this was a retelling of a well known fairytale, coupled with the frankly beautiful cover, convinced me to give it a try.

On the whole I enjoyed the novel. The key characters are interesting and have strong personalities, and the descriptions are vivid without forcing the reader to think in a certain way. My biggest issue, however, was with the pacing. I felt like it just got a "baggy" in the middle and I found myself a bit disinterested in the story at this point. However, it was worth persevering with, as I found the ending satisfying if a little unsurprising.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this story as a twist on the sleeping beauty fairytale. The worldbuilding and plot kept me intrigued but I found it to be a fairly easy read overall. Overall a really good book!

this was so good
his was a gorgeous read that I smashed through in a couple of days. A retelling of the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty, set in a world quite unlike our own and a little different to the original that we know and love too, but it was a very well built world that felt like it could be realistic.

i loved both characters in their way and the world building was amazing

One of my favourite kind of books are myths and fairytale retellings. Tbh I am very picky and it has to grab me from the get go and this certainly did. A retelling of Sleeping Beauty I actually think prefer this version. Told through different POV's this tells the story of a cursed princess and queen but with another twist there's a twin. Told through out the twins lives you see how both of the girls are brought up and the uow and why there's a curse. Beautifully written this is a a book I would recommend if you you are just stepping into this genre. I can't wait to see what else Leighyon produces in the future.

I really enjoyed Spellbound. Although i wasn’t sure whether i would enjoy it (as it’s a bit different to what i generally read), so i was pleased surprised at how i had to keep reading - just one more chapter……
It’s a fairy tale retelling and full of adventure, magic, family secrets and feuds, curses, friendship, self discovery, tragedy, a sprinkling of romance and the importance of loyalty and bonds that develop over time.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.

This book was interesting - I enjoyed the world building and the development of the characters.

It did take me a little while to get into it so I’d urge people to stick with it if they feel similarly.