Rating: 
Summary: Potent fairy-tale adapation
Review: I forget between her books, just how much I enjoy Robin McKinley's fairy tale adaptations. It's been a few years since I read the last one (and I confess there are a few more on my bookshelves waiting their turn). I guess I'll have to move them closer to the top of the pile.This is a fresh look at Sleeping Beauty, but still a fairy tale, rather than a gritty new-age urban fantasy adaptation. There's still a fairy princess receiving gifts from the fairies, including the curse to prick her finger on a spinning wheel spindle. But thereafter the tale starts to change and goes in directions unexpected. Rosie (the princess) is 'kidnapped' by Katriona with the blessing of the royal family fairy, Sigil. Katriona takes Rosie home to the far reaches of the kingdom, staying well off the beaten trails, and aided along the way by animals of all sizes and natures. Rosie grows up knowing nothing about her origins, and never suspecting she's the princess because Katriona gave Rosie her gift to speak with animals, and everyone knows the royal family has no magical talents in his lineage. She studies the art of animal healing with the local smith, has a best friend (Peony) who is far more princess-like, hones her small magical talents and avoids discovery by the evil fairy who is still searching for her to insure the curse is fulfilled in a kingdom now without any pointed spindles. So she is less than pleased when, several months before her birthday, she's informed she's the royal heir. With the help of some fairies and Peony, they set a trap for the evil fairy. And being a fairytale, evil is defeated and everyone lives happily ever after. But, being a McKinley tale, there are twists and turns, and unexpected endings. By the time I finished Spindle's End, I felt like these characters were friends. They are fully drawn people, rather than the usual fairytale fare. Details make the world and its inhabitants clear and easily remembered. And although the broad tale is well known, the middle parts are new territory and pleasing to explore. Did I mention love yet? It's a palpable force: love of parents to children, friends to friends, animals to people and back, and lovers to lovers. All are strong and help shape the characters and each lend their strength to the defeat of evil. Potent tale-telling. Give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fairy Tale Read
Review: I really enjoyed the book "Spindles End" by Robin Mckinly. It is a different version of the classic tale of "Sleeping Beauty."
I would recomend this book to anyone who likes romances, adventures, or fairy tales. This book combines all three perfectly. I loved how the main character(Rosie) was very different than you would think a princess would be like. She is not so pretty, she is a smiths apprentice, and hates wearing dresses. My favorite Rosie moment was when she cut her long blond curly hair short.
On the Princesses name day Briar Rose was cursed by the evil fairy Percinica. the curse was that on the princesses 21st birthday she would prik her finger on a spinning weel and fall into a poisoned sleep. The story is about Rosies life growing up in hiding,yet she doesn't know that she is the princess. I rated this book a four, because it was exiting, heart warming, romantic, and kept you on the edge of your seat.
Rating: 
Summary: I *loved* this book & think you will too!
Review: But I have some caveats: it's not for young/ less experienced readers like Napoli's fairy tale retellings or McKinley's own _Beauty_. This is denser with lots of difficult words and concepts. Perhaps this is a perfect book for a young teen and her/ his parent to share/ read aloud together. McKinley is world building in this novel, it's quite successful, but not simple. It's similar to McKinley's _Deerskin_ in that Rosie and the heroine of that book are transformed and make magic by their knowledge of animals. This book's magic comes from simple things: the magic of wood carving, the magic of blacksmithing, the magic of simple charms, the magic of love. It's a very special book, one I have bought an exrta copy of to put in my classroom so my students can read it.
Rating:
Summary: "McKinley has woven a majestic tapestry with her words. "
Review: In the days of old, many activities would take place at the hearthside, the heart of any true home. The telling of tales and the spinning of thread were two of the most common. These were often even interwoven with each other. This is evident in the language that we use to describe storytelling: "weaving" a tale, "spinning" a story, telling a "yarn." Robin McKinley is a mistress of storytelling as she weaves us the enchanting tale of the spindle-allergic Sleeping Beauty in "Spindle's End". In her new take on the tale, McKinley's heroine has her usual dual roles, with names as different as her royal heritage and her ordinary upbringing. Twenty-one names are bestowed upon this tiny child, twenty-one fairy godmothers bestowing twenty-one gifts, determining her future for her as they see fit. On her name day, past meets future in the awe-inspiring arrival of Pernicia- a fairy, once defeated by one of the princess's ancestors, that had sworn revenge to ruin the royal family and their country. With the granting of the curse/gift of an unending sleep in the young baby's future, the similarities to other versions ends. A final gift of speaking with animals, hastily given by one of the attendees, and a new name, become the start to a new life- as ordinary a life as a child in a
village can have. Rosie grows to be a child, an adolescent, a young woman--with fears, joy, love, annoyance, friendship and family. She cares about the poor princess, when she hears how she's moved about, wonders at her imposed loneliness, wishes to be her friend. Through marriages and births, learning to be a horse-leech and a friend, Rosie grows into her life as a briar rose grows around a wall- knowing that it belongs to her, but that, somehow, she is not truly a part of it. As her twenty-first birthday draws near, so does her destiny, despite it's avoidance. Yet all is not lost--Rosie and her best friend, Peony, (who by now, like the two flowers they are named after, resemble each other in so many ways they are almost indistinguishable) trade places to trick the magic. In the end, a kiss is the seal that breaks instead of binds (though not as you might expect), love does conquer all, and many live happier than ever, after. McKinley has woven a majestic tapestry with her words. The detail she goes into describing the emotions and thoughts of her characters, the country, it's magic, is magic itself. She brings out the humanity in the people and animals through the details of everyday life that we often overlook--surviving from meal to meal, dealing with children (with magic or without), expressing concerns, displeasure, desires--this is what life is about. Kerrie Colantonio, Author of TWISTING THE GLASS
Rating:
Summary: spindle's end
Review: Spindle's End is the retold story of Sleeping Beauty, written wonderfully by author Robin McKinely. Rosie is the princess, she is hidden away in the little town of Foggy Bottom unknown to everyone except for Katriona and Aunt, fairies dedicated to raising Rosie. They are happy, but the evil fairy Pernicia is at every corner waiting for Rosie's 21st birthday where she will prick her finger on the spinning wheel. The book has the main points of Sleeping Beauty but with more life story about Rosie, more emotions, and more characters. Rosie grows up with her forests friends, her best friend Peony, and Narl the smith. Rosie is wild and energetic, not at all like a princess so with the book told in her point of view it is exciting and interesting. Though the book is not hard to read, I found it took awhile for me to start to enjoy it, but I would defiantly recommend this book to people who are interested in fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book!
Review: I loved this book! I wasn't very old when I read it but I understood every word of it! Robin Mckinley captured me with her words. The adventure, the magic, it pulls you in! I couldn't put the book down for three days! Anyone who loves Robin Mckinley's work should read this book! I hope I get the chance to read more of her work and soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring beginning, good middle, and confusing ending
Review: Spindle's End is the first book I've read by Robin McKinley since Deerskin. I prefer it to Deerskin, but I also prefer The Blue Sword to Spindle's End. Like Deerskin, Spindle's End is the retelling of a fairy tale. This time around, it's about Sleeping Beauty. McKinley takes all sorts of liberties with the tale. All the main elements are there: a beautiful princess, an evil fairy, a handsome prince, good fairies, magical sleep, and an enchanted castle blocked by thorns. However, that's about where the similarities end. At the onset, I thought the main plot twist would be the homosexuality of the princess, but it just didn't shape up that way despite the hints of tribadic inclinations. Nonetheless, the ending isn't as straight as traditional tellings of the tale would have it. I liked the cute little references to other stories and folktales, such as King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, Christianity, and Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword. Plenty of talking animals show up, but this isn't gratuitous anthropomorphics. It all fits in with a vital plot element: magical abilities possessed by someone who should have none. The book is slow to start (the first chapter or so is mostly scenery), but takes off when the evil fairy Pernicia makes her appearance. That's when the action begins, and the characters become more engaging. Near the end, I had a difficult time understanding what was going on, but at least the characters in the book seem to know what they were doing....
Rating:
Summary: Sleeping Beauty: Reborn
Review: This book is awesome. A complete, in depth story of Sleeping Beauty in the years between her birth, and her 21st birthday. As for the evil fairy, she had better watch out! The Princess is coming....
Rating:
Summary: Boring in some parts, Little story, Shadowy persons.
Review: I borrowed this book from local library. The begining was interesting with such a description about the magin in the country in which the story would be unfolded. But when I read on and on, I got the feeling there was too much, redundant descriptin and too little story. Not that the description was not good at all. However sometimes they were boring and distracting with so slow, slow progression of the story itself.
And I didn't like the confrontation scene of the heroine and her enemy, the bad fairy. It was not exciting as I expected and furthermore somewhat confusing. Both of them were not so realistic and rather shadowy. Frankly speaking, all the persons in the story were shadowy.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: It wasn't her best work, but it was still good. She twisted the fairy tale into something I'd never think of. The ending was interesting but a little disappointing. I also found myself getting lost in the words at times, like I didn't know what was going on. Still it was nice story.
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