Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer (ARC)

MY RATING: ★★★ /5

Blurb from Goodreads: Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sight was tithed by faeries; Aurora, beautiful and sheltered, was tithed her sense of touch and her voice on the same day. Despite their differences, the sisters have always been extremely close.
And then everything changes, with a single drop of Aurora’s blood–and a sleep so deep it cannot be broken.
As the faerie queen and her army of Vultures prepare to march, Isabelle must race to find a prince who can awaken her sister with the kiss of true love and seal their two kingdoms in an alliance against the queen.

Fairytale retellings are one of my favourite genre these past years and the concept of the book is original and authentic. It’s built on two sisters, each of them is struggling with a lack of sensory feelings. Aurora can’t feel anything she touches nor can she speak and  her sister, Isbe, is blind.

The worldbuilding is very intriguing, as you read, you are dying to know more about the characters and their surroundings. I love how the romance is not the typical a princess falls for the prince type of clichés. Nowadays, fairytale retellings would focus more about women empowerment and other forms of love than romantic ones. The fact that the author has made her characters with disabilities amplify the struggles that they are having but also fortify their loves for each other. 

Unfortunately, the execution was not up to the challenge. It was very painful to get through it and finish the book. There are almost 6 different POVS (ones that I can remember) and the Fae’s point of view was interrupting the story vibe.

The characters have opposite personalities, and while Aurora have amazing character development but Isabelle not so much. She has a brash attitude since the beginning that’s why it’s harder to get attached to her. I figure, if you have to put two main characters, you should at least give them equal amounts of development. Isbe may be harder to love, but I wish to have more insights on her thoughs, behaviours and the reasons behind her actions.

Overall, the novel has great ideas and concept but was poorly executed. It’s still a 3 stars since I get to enjoy the book a little and I give points for creativity and originality of the plot !

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada Frenzy for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review ! 

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