Thank you Bantam and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I did enjoy this book, fantasy retellings are always a fun time, especially when you haven't read a certain fantasy retelling before. This one being sleeping beauty which I've never read a retelling of, it was fun, magical and a very interesting concept. It made for a magical and quick read, the multiple POVs definitely helped with that. The settings were interesting too.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc
3.5 Stars rounded up

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I loved the retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty. I did have a few issues with the pacing of the story. Some parts in the middle seemed slow compared to the rest of the book. I do wish the ending had been developed more. I would've like more of an insight into what happened next.

I did like the characters and the writing of them. I would've liked the characters of Briar and Violanna to be more developed. I feel like we got more of an insight into Talia as a character than Briar.

Overall, I liked the story and the magical aspect of the world.

This book drew me in straightaway. I love a good fairy tale retelling and this did not disappoint. The author is very skilled at world building and setting the scene. Her descriptions of the scene and her characters are fantastically written. It is a slow paced book but it is worth sticking with! The characters personalities are very descriptive.
This is an incredible retelling and I look forward to what else the author has for us.

📚I was able to read an advanced copy of title thanks to NetGalley, Georgia Leighton and Random House UK📚
📚All reviews and opinions are entirely my own📚

I'm always on the lookout for fairytale retellings so was incredibly excited to pick up Spellbound. GL has put a new spin on the story of sleeping beauty that I found engaging and heartfelt throughout. I particularly enjoyed the POVs of Talia and Briar

Thank you NetGalley & Bantam for the ARC. 2.5⭐ rounded down.

I'll preface that I will commend the concept of the women-centric focus of this retelling. This is a multi-POV novel of 5 women: Briar AKA "Sleeping Beauty" herself, her fraternal twin Talia who is not cursed, their mother Queen Violanna, the Queen's lady-in-waiting Meredyth, and Sel a magic-wielder-in-training who is the analogue for the "Fairy Who Raises Sleeping Beauty". That's really all the praise I have for this novel. Ultimately, the prose didn't even grip me and worse, it's a pretty dull affair—largely because I felt the distribution of POVs didn't do the potential of this story justice.

Queen Violanna's POV COULD'VE been a fascinating read. You have a mother grappling her complex feelings of desperation, guilt, and love. She sent away her cursed firstborn child to save her. I would've loved to read about Violanna grieving that child while simultaneously finding joy in at least having her secondborn to love and care for. Instead, she's almost a non-factor for most of the book; wallowing in self-pity and being an absurdly and awfully neglectful mother to Talia. I couldn't stand her most of the time. We didn't get enough of the woman who is essentially the catalyst of all this, given that the sorceress who cursed her child in the first place did it out of revenge to hurt Violanna.

Briar's POV also didn't get enough focus, especially as a teenager when she's internally stifled by "Aunt" Sel's overprotectiveness. I get that the novel wanted to focus more on the other women who affect Sleeping Beauty's story rather than the titular character. But then it makes me wish the author didn't include Briar chapters at all, as now it feels really lacking. Talia at least was a interesting addition; kind of like a What If Sleeping Beauty Wasn't Blessed With Gifts analogue. I'd prefer we got MORE of her feelings over being essentially used as a part-decoy, part-sacrificial lamb to save the sister she never knew. And then at the end, we got the slimmest of pickings when it comes to these sisters interacting. I would rather Meredyth get less chapters to supplement the princesses. Sel on the hand received an apt amount of POV chapters, so no issue there.

The pacing feels slow and draggy, which I wouldn't have necessarily minded had the resolution didn't feel so rushed and abrupt.

So all in all, rife with potential, but a yawn.

'And before seventeen winters have passed, I will return for you. On that day the spell will end and you will die'. This is the curse placed on a royal baby by a mysterious sorceress. An echo of a very well known fairy tale
The book evokes a magical world that draws the reader in for some welcome escapism. The familiarity of the story, the straightforward narrative account and the simple language make this an easy and comforting read.
However, by defying literary norms, this retelling challenges the reader. In 'Spellbound' there will be no sleeping for a hundred years; the female characters are far too spirited for that. A handsome prince will not save the day. In fact sometimes, it seems, marriage can be jolly unpleasant. In this version of the tale, it is three women Sel, Meredyth and Violanna who strive to save the baby from her fate. Although ultimately Talia and Briar, the two young women at the centre of the tale, take control of their own lives

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Bantam for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

3.5 Stars rounded up

This is a really creative retelling of Sleeping Beauty and I ended up really enjoying it! I thought I might DNF at first, but I'm glad I didn't as I ended up quite enjoying it. The characters are really fleshed out and their relationships are complicated and flawed, the writing is very fairytale esque and the worldbuilding is really well thought out and creative.
I had a few issues stopping this from becomming a new favourite, mostly the writing style, the pacing, and how the plot ended. I thought the pacing was a bit slow in the middle, with the plot ending quickly and leaving a few loose ends untied and things that didn't leave me satisfied. I also found the writing a bit simplistic for my taste (I prefer more evocative and sensory writing), but I didn't mind it and it did have a very fairytale essence to it.

Overall I recommend this if you're looking for a sleeping beauty retelling that focuses more on the relationships between mother and daughter, sisters, and the bonds of family.

This book gave me the most utterly delightful feelings of nostalgia. When I was poorly and off school as a child, I’d curl up on the sofa drinking lots of soup and watching Sleeping Beauty, Spellbound really transported me back to that time in my life and awakened my inner child, while also having enough grit and depth to keep adult me engaged.

The story instantly feels familiar and comforting but the authors spin on the tale keeps you turning the pages. Often with multi POV books I’ll find myself wanting to skip through certain parts but I loved hearing from every character in this one. Each POV was unique and I like that their individual journeys took them in such different directions. Sel was my favourite, her development was beautiful.

I recommend this to anyone who has ever loved fairytales, and wishes their adult lives had a little more childlike wonder.

Fairy tale retellings are my bread and butter, so I dove into Spellbound with high hopes. A Sleeping Beauty reimagining with secret identities, political intrigue, and magic? Count me in. And while this book certainly delivered on accessibility, pace, and fun, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was holding back—teasing me with the promise of depth but never fully diving in.

The story crams sixteen years into a single novel, and that compression takes its toll. With multiple POVs jostling for space, character development often feels rushed, and the emotional beats don’t land as powerfully as they could. Briar, our cursed princess, never quite leaps off the page. She’s beautiful, she’s angry, she craves attention—but beyond that? I wanted more. Talia, the decoy princess raised in her place, had a much stronger arc, but even she felt constrained by the sheer volume of plot the book was trying to juggle.

And then there’s Sel. The woman who steals the show. If this book belonged to anyone, it was her. Flawed, layered, and endlessly compelling, she made the best of an impossible situation and carried the emotional weight of the story on her shoulders. I only wish the same level of care had been given to the magic system, which felt more like a vague background force than an integral part of the world. So many tantalizing elements—dark magic, the Masters, the island—remained frustratingly surface-level, never explored with the richness they deserved.

The pacing is uneven, with a strong first half giving way to a more meandering second. And then there’s the ending, which rushes to tie up loose threads with the flick of a wand. Memory erasure? Convenient. The curse resolving in a way that doesn’t fully acknowledge Briar’s existence? Disappointing. Characters making monumental life changes with little emotional payoff? Frustrating. If this were a duology, I could see these issues being resolved with more room to breathe. But as it stands, Spellbound felt like it was sprinting toward a finish line instead of truly allowing its characters and conflicts to develop.

That being said, it’s still a fun, fast read. If you’re looking for a light, accessible fantasy that plays with fairy tale tropes and doesn’t demand too much from its readers, this one delivers. I just wish it had trusted itself to go deeper.

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the ARC. Spellbound will be published on April 24, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was cosy and whimsical and revolved around female lead characters.

Definitely more character driven, with a lot of character development and a slight hint of romance.

The pacing was easy, quick to get into the book with the help of short chapters and I enjoyed the writing style. I did feel like it ended rather suddenly, it could’ve been explored more as I felt like 80% of the book was a build up to the big finale and then the finale was sudden and short.

Overall a good read and what I would class as a cosy, easy book

I enjoyed Spellbound, the female characters and the world building being my favourite aspects.

I do wish there was much more detail on the magic system. It sounded interesting - there was mentions of the written form of magic, symbols which could be layered into spells - but not much other detail.

I liked the political element, but there could have been more on this too!

The ending was a bit unsatisfying for me and left me with a lot of questions, but I would definitely read more if this was a series as I did overall enjoy the story and the setting.

Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A beautiful and fantastical story! I loved every second of this book and I already have a physical copy pre ordered! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thank you to Bantam Books for the free proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Spellbound is a moving and compelling reimagining of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty, wherein three women hatch a desperate plan to avoid the deadly curse laid by an evil sorceress on a baby princess. As a girl I loved this fairytale, but as I got older there were elements of the original that left an unsavoury taste in my mouth. I was thrilled when I first heard the premise of this book and the delivery lived up to my hopes.

There is a classic simplicity to the writing style reminiscent of fairytales, which was refreshing and made this comforting and easy to read. Although some of the beats of the plot will be familiar to most, I really enjoyed where Leighton expanded upon or adapted elements of the story to fit this narrative. To me, this read like a fantasy crossed with a fairy tale crossed with historical fiction; a Tudor wouldn't have been out of place in some parts of the story, and the author blended these elements well with the modern feminist themes. Leighton gives the characters of this tale depth and agency, and while they are not always likeable they are all the more interesting for that. Although the pacing is slow at the start, I found it ramped up from the halfway point along with my investment in the characters. As the pages went on I was increasingly dreading the completion of the ever looming curse.

I found the character arc of Sel particularly compelling and moving, and the themes of found family and motherhood were most prevalent in her POV to me. I think she will be the favourite for a lot of readers of this book.

My favourite part of this story was the conclusion; it was satisfying and yet also bittersweet.

I will definitely be recommending this to those who enjoy fairytale reimaginings and I am excited to see what this author does next.

I was very excited to read this one! I love a good fairy tale retelling and this one kept me hooked the whole time!

I found some of the writing style and content to not be for me as much as I would have hoped but this was still a fun and captivating time!

I love love loved the Sleeping Beauty inspired story through the lens of what the modern day woman is fighting for. I was engaged the whole story and couldn't put it down.

I truly enjoyed this book. 
It is a lovely retelling of sleeping beauty, with plenty of hints to other fairy tales as well. 
It starts strong but quickly becomes a little slow, and I struggled reading up until the 50% point when it stars to pick up again,  in order to take us to the conclusion. I am glad I stuck to it. It is a great first book, both as a debut and the first of a series. I don't know if it is intended to be a series, but the ending kind of let us think it will. I also got really curious about the magic system, the politics, and the conflicts between the kingdom, and I would enjoy reading about it in future books. (Spoiler alert) I would also love to read Jacken and Briar story. What Talia does as a queen and how Sel becomes a great master.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a lovely retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with twists and turns along the way to the events that everyone in the story had been dreading. The characters are believable, with many of them very likeable and relatable, even with their own individual issues and concerns.

In this book, we start on Mont Isle, where a royal baby is about to be born. When their daughter arrives, the Queen is determined to have a ceremony to welcome the new arrival. It is a tradition in her homeland, but there is something she is hiding. At the ceremony, a sorceress arrives to curse their daughter - in seventeen winters, the sorceress will return to kill the princess. Although devastated, the Queen leaves the ceremony, followed by her lady-in-waiting and a Masters Apprentice, who is training in the ways of magic to become a Master. The Queen goes back into labour and delivers another daughter. They agree that the Masters Apprentice will take the firstborn princess and keep her safe from the curse. If the sorceress can't find her, she can't kill her.

Taking the princess, the apprentice roams the kingdom, keeping them hidden and keeping the truth of her identity from the princess in her care. Life goes on for both parties until the seventeenth winter comes, and things reach a crescendo. Will the truth come out? Will the princess find out who she is? And can they stop the curse from being realised?

This is the debut novel from Georgia Leighton, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

2.5/5 Stars

I enjoyed parts of this book.

The world building and politics. I was intrigued by the tidbits we were given. I wanted to know more about the larger conflicts at play in the background, and more about the different kings. I realise this story wasn’t about them, but the crumbs we were giving really left me wanting to know more about the bigger picture.

The magic system was unique, and I enjoyed the way it was portrayed, would have liked more.

I really liked Sel, she was a well fleshed out, flawed character, and honestly, this story was HER story wasn’t it? You felt her frustration, her fear and her conflict. She did her best with the shite hand she was dealt. I was really glad when a bit later in the story she got to do something that gave her a bit of happiness among all her self sacrificing. And although I see WHY it was necessary to move the plot forward that she didn’t explain anything to the child she was raising, but, goodness me, just have a heart to heart with the kid that is clearly struggling.

I also liked Talia. She ended up thriving despite her circumstances. Did she manage to become well adjusted? Not exactly. But she turned out pretty well considering.

The first half of this book really had me honestly. I liked hearing from the different characters and how they were struggling with the knock on effect of the curse and where it was taking them, either emotionally or physically.
However…
The second half, things seem to stagnate a bit.

We see Briar growing up, but she felt lacking? There wasn’t much going on with her besides, she likes attention and she’s mad at Sel, which she has every right to be. But beyond that? The character just feels a bit flat.

The Queen never develops past her despair at what she’s done to save her daughters. “I don’t deserve my child’s love.” Okay, but could you make some sort of attempt? Like, at all? I mean, I get it. I’m a mother, giving up a child would destroy me, but you still have a child in front of you in need of love and guidance. Thank god Talia had her maid and teacher.

Who was Iver? Was he just an imaginary friend? He seemed like he would have some sort of significance? I kept wondering if that was going to get a call back ever.

The ending. I thought the build up was good, Briar picking up just enough context to go right to where she needed to NOT be, and then being called to the island once it was in sight. Good.
Then all the things falling into place for the curse to happen at the worst possible moment. Also good.
The sorceress, again, another flat character. When it was revealed that the queen and the sorceress were twins, I thought it was foreshadowing a nice foil for Briar and Talia. Something a bit more complex than, “I let my anger fester for 20+ years, so I’m going to kill your children.”
We get no explanation as to why Briar is able to spin all the dark magic? What happened there?
The masters show up and just erase everyone’s memory of everything?
Everyone is just told the curse is miraculously broken and everything is okay now? Briar’s existence isn’t revealed and she’s just swept under the rug? It just felt a bit anticlimactic.
Then everything is just awkward. We don’t get to see Talia and Briar’s first interaction, or Briar’s with her mother.
Sel has to leave the child she raised, during a time when she needs her the most?
We last see Briar and Jacken just, talking about travelling and the air between them also awkward?
Talia finally leaves the only place she’s ever known to prepare to rule a whole country?
The Queen is going to die soon from her injuries?
Is there going to be another book? Because if there isn’t, all these things just make for an unsatisfying ending for these characters.
The only character who does seem to have a decently wrapped up ending is Sel. Reuniting with her husband and going to claim her inheritance.

Overall the book is okay. I’m going to assume all these plot points left flying in the wind are for the story to be continued, but I would have still liked a little more wrap up.

Spellbound is a modern retelling of a classic fairytale with a twist. Focusing on the women in the story, Spellbound tells the story of Sleeping Beauty. We have multiple POVs, a spattering of magic, and a women-centric story.

On paper, this should have been right up my street. However, much like Sleeping Beauty, I slept on this one. The storytelling, while richly detailed and descriptive, is slow-paced and heavy. Knowing the story of Sleeping Beauty already, I was hoping for either a new angle or a faster pace and recieved neither, resulting in me having to pick up and put down the book several times. Ultimately, not my cup of tea, but might be better suited to those not as familiar with the fairy tale.

thank you Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in return for my honest review! :)

i love a fairytale retelling, and this sleeping beauty retelling hit the mark. we have multiple POV’s spanning over 15 years that poses the question of “what if sleeping beauty didn’t go to sleep?”.

there are some beautiful themes of found family, but the overarching theme is the art of the female power, and that a mother will stop at nothing to protect her own flesh and blood. we have a sprinkling of magic, a small (and i mean SMALL) romance and lots of strong female characters.

i enjoyed the characters, specifically Sel. i think she is the stronger character with the most depth but i just loved her happily ever after, as she was the only one who deserved it, alongside talia. i loved the subtle nods to the original fairytale, specifically with the use of the loom and being able to talk to animals!

i do think the ending was the only thing that let this book down, the book went from slow pace to suddenly 50mph and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as i had hoped for. and sadly i just couldn’t connect with briars character, but i have a feeling that maybe that was intentional from the author!

overall this was a 4 ⭐️ read for me and i would recommend to everyone who loves fairytales and women basically haha.