I love a good Fairytale retelling. Especially Sleeping Beauty or Beauty and the Beast. So I was so excited when I got the ARC of this.
And it did not disappoint. This was a stunning debut with a feminist voice that I truly appreciate. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

In this re-telling of Sleeping Beauty, a princess is born and bestowed with magical gifts – and a terrible curse. But instead of an enchanted sleep and a handsome prince, three women concoct a desperate scheme of misdirection to confuse and escape the curse, which changes the course of the lives of all involved.

I thought this was a really good, original re-telling of a classic fairy tale. While the bones of the story remain the same, everything else is different and new.

The characters were excellently fleshed out and relatable in different ways. I loved the contrast between the two princesses, and the relationships between each of the women throughout the story were brilliantly portrayed and completely understandable in context. I also really enjoyed that the focus of the story was more on Sel in her position as Briar’s guardian, rather than on the princess (who was a child for most of the story).

Overall, I thought Spellbound was a fresh and really well written re-telling of a story which has, frankly, been done to death.

A thoroughly entertaining and well written read, with excellent characterisation. Utterly compelling. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read a copy of Spellbound by Georgia Leighton. This Sleeping Beauty retelling had a few interesting twists. It was very exciting and kept my interest throughout, and I took every free moment to read a little bit of it. We can mainly follow the events from the perspectives of Violanna, Meredyth, and Sel. But later, the girls joined in, too.
I recommend reading Spellbound if you like

– if the story is about twins;

– that magic and curses are key elements of the story

– that it has a bit of a Game of Thrones feeling

– The retellings in general.

The story could have been more developed. I would love to read a possible sequel.

This book gets a ★★★★✰ from me!

This 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'm not going to lie, I picked this for very superficial reasons: the cover was pretty, and the name - Spellbound is my 6 year old daughter's favourite movie at the moment. It's a different story entirely, they have nothing to do with one another, but it was for that reason that it caught my eye! The blurb had me already entranced though, as did the first few pages. I was hooked immediately.

In a castle on an island that is cut off daily by fast creeping tides, a princess is born. The queen hurries to bestow her with the blessing from her homeland, but as the ceremony takes place, someone wishing the royal family evil places a curse on the baby. The story is told from the perspective of a variety of women: the queen who is forced to give up her baby to try to save her; Sel, an apprentice to a master, there to grant her blessing in the master's place, who flees with the baby; Meredyth, the queen's lady in waiting; and the princess herself, fleeing, though she doesn't know it...or, is that stuck in the castle?

I felt the characters were beautifully fleshed out. You could understand every ounce of their pain and were with them for the entire journey. The story weaves together so well, with a few surprises along the way.

I believe it's been positioned as an adult novel, but I think it would be well placed as a young/new adult novel as an introduction to fantasy worlds through a familiar fairytale: it's dark, but never too dark; there is some romance, but it's only a minor side plot that, while beautiful and wholesome, doesn't take up a big role in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved fairy tales and the older I get, I find myself turning to retellings, as they hold the same magical feeling of the original stories but with a twist.

Georgia Leighton did a marvelous job at creating a new, though familiar, world based in Sleeping Beauty. Spellbound tells the story of female solidarity, self-discovery, and the sacrifices of motherhood.

I found myself intrigued with the multiple point of views, which I usually am not a fan of. I found the personalized chapter headings a creative detail that highlighted the fantasy and historical/medieval elements in the story.

I started reading this and had forgotten it was a fairytale retelling but quickly caught onto it.

I enjoyed the different POVs, especially Sel's and loved that they were all from women's perspective. The pacing was good, the characters were interesting but the magic was lacking a little. As in there was often mention of it but I didn´t really feel it in the story, you know.

The villain story also seemed a bit weak to me and could've used more detail and page-time.

All in all I did enjoy Spellbound even though it had some flaws.

I really liked the world-building in this one! I hope we get to see more of these characters.

Spellbound is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty told by the women who are part of this story. It begins with a curse set on the daughter of the Queen of Bavaugh, who's from a land of magic. This is a tale of women helping each other, but also of women cursing one another. The book is told in multiple points of view, so we are really able to get to know all the women trying to break this curse, and the hardships and sacrifices they have to make along the way.

This is quite a long novel, but I do think the format worked really well for this story because it didn't feel rushed at any point. I am not sure if there are any plans for a second book, but I'd personally love to see what these characters do after the ending of Spellbound. Even though it's marketed as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, I think this novel does a great job of going beyond that and really building its own world and magic system. If there is another book, I'd love to know even more about the magic because what we do learn about it here is very intriguing.

Thank you very much to Bantam Books UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

pellbound by Georgia Leighton is an absolute gem of a book! I couldn’t put it down once I started. The magical world that Georgia creates is so captivating and beautifully described, it felt like I was living in it. The perfect mix of enchantment, romance, and mystery kept me hooked from start to finish.

The characters are wonderfully complex and their chemistry is undeniable. I loved how they each brought something unique to the story, and their growth was both touching and believable. The romance had me swooning, but it was the little moments of magic and mystery that truly made this book shine.

The pacing was spot on—everything unfolded just as it should, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. The plot was filled with unexpected surprises, and I was constantly eager to see what would happen next.

I gave Spellbound 5 stars because it was an unforgettable read. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it, leaving you thinking about the characters and the world long after you’ve turned the last page. If you’re a fan of magical, heartwarming stories with just the right touch of romance and intrigue, this is a must-read!

Georgia Leighton’s Spellbound reinvents the "sleeping beauty" myth with feminist flair, trading princes for cunning women who defy fate. When a princess is cursed at birth, three women—the Queen, her Lady-in-Waiting, and apprentice Sel—hatch a risky plan: Sel flees with the child while an ordinary girl, Talia, is raised as the decoy princess.

The dual narratives—Sel raising the ethereal, cursed Briar in hiding, and Talia’s bookish struggles at court—unfold with lush prose and intricate world-building. However, the pacing drags in places, lingering on atmospheric details over plot momentum. Still, the characters shine: Sel’s fierce protectiveness, Talia’s quiet resilience, and the sorceress’s vengeful machinations add depth to this dark fairy tale.

The whole way through this book I was waiting for the plot to start… and then it ended. The finale was rushed, strange and made all the rest of the book absolutely pointless. And none of the multiple POVs felt like main character material.
I also found the writing filled with ‘telling’ and not ‘showing’, when it’s supposed to be the other way around. It would go from one POV to another, telling you what had happened previously in their life or what they’d thought in the past without much of what was happening right now.
It would be one star but I’ve read worse writing so rounded up a little. Even so, very forgettable.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read though.

As a fan of both Disney and romance, I was rather intrigued by this retelling of "Sleeping Beauty". The feminist twist made it feel modern and fresh without losing any of the charm of the original story. For anyone who enjoys fairytales.

4.5stars
I LOVED this witchy, YA, adventurous, mysterious, fairytale, novel. The multi POV elevates the story and really gives the 360 view that we all desire in a story.
The characters are captivating and the story kept me interested until the end.

Will definitely recommend this book

Thank you to NetGalley for the early release of this book.
This has been a lovely book to read, the sleeping beauty retelling worked really well and the multi points of view were really well presented.
There were enough twists and changes to the traditional story that I genuinely wasn’t sure how it was going to end. The found family trope was explored brilliantly and delicately and didn’t take the easy way out that storytelling could have done, this added human realism and true emotion to the story telling.
I loved that all the points of view are from women, mothers and daughters in different stages of motherhood and life.
The timeline jumps all made sense and didn’t make it confusing at all.
Overall I really enjoyed it, I’ve not read many sleeping beauty retellings before, the characters had depth and it works well as a standalone novel although I would be happy to read more from this world. There is scope for world building and I’d be keen to know more.
Solid 4 stars from me, because while the ending was excellent, it seemed a bit rushed compared to the whole book build up to it.

I really enjoyed this one, it had a bit of a slow start but once I got into it I struggled to out it down. I’m a sucker for a retelling and this sleeping beauty one didn’t disappoint.

Georgia Leighton's Spellbound reimagines Sleeping Beauty, centering the perspectives of Queen Violanna, her aide and friend Meredyth, and apprentice sorceress Sel. The narrative weaves their stories, beginning with the known twisted blessing ceremony that sends them into a fight to protect the infant princess. Leighton crafts an atmosphere where magic meets the exploration of female bonds – the love of a mother, loyalty of friendship, and unexpected alliances.
The strength of Spellbound lies in its well-developed characters and their journeys. While the initial intrigue is captivating, the pacing dips in the middle. Despite a slightly rushed conclusion that left me wanting more resolution for certain characters, Spellbound still remains a worthwhile read for those who appreciate fairy tale retellings with a strong emphasis on female characters and complex relationships. It offers a fresh and engaging perspective on a classic story.

I was looking forward to reading Spellbound as the premise sounded so intriguing - a retelling of The Sleeping Beauty. But unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

We follow Queen Violanna who must exile her first born daughter after a magical blessing ceremony ends with the baby being cursed instead. The baby, Briar, is placed in the care of Sel, an apprentice of magic.

The book starts off strong and the plot really gets moving. But then it quickly starts falling off to a glacial pace, despite the short chapters I still found myself skimming it.

The multi pov really makes it difficult to care for any character at all deeper level. And I’ve read tons of multi pov books but for some reason this just didn’t work.

And the world building was pretty non existent, I was constantly seeking answers to questions in my head instead of focusing on the plot.

Maybe I’m not the target audience for this one, as I was expecting something either much more whimsical or much darker.

Thanks to Bantam Books, Random House UK and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

As both a Disney fan and a book lover this was the most perfect, cosy yet intriguing gift any of the faeries could ever bestow!

It's a retelling of sleeping beauty, but with a fresh, modern update, with women supporting each other and fighting for their own future. Parts of the story fused between the traditional tale and this retelling.
Thank you to NetGalley Random House Uk, Transworld publishers for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for approving me for a review copy of Spellbound. Unfortunately, having read 50% of the story I find myself struggling to connect with the characters. This could be a mood thing so to be fair to the author and the book I've now set it to one side and will hopefully return to it in the future - when I will of course let you have my feedback.

So sorry not to be posting a review at this time.

Regards
Lynn