Spindle

A blonde, brown-skinned princess, cursed at a birthday party to a certain death and saved by a weak magic that promises sleep instead, all tied to a spindle: you know where this one is going, although this is as much reinterpretation as retelling. Generations after the Storyteller Queen defeated the demon who controlled a king and killed his many wives (A Thousand Nights, 2015), demons remain imprisoned, but one has spent the time plotting and growing stronger. Kharuf and Qamih, rival kingdoms, are the demon's pawns, particularly cruel Prince Maram and lovely Princess Zahrah, the Little Rose, cursed to become a vehicle for the demon. Narrated by spinner and fighter Yashaa, who, with the help of three friends, rescues and then eventually falls in love with Zahrah, this retelling is needlessly complicated. It depends too much on familiarity with the companion novel and does little with its Middle Eastern influences; indeed, such flourishes as gold-dust-trailing piskeys and sprites seem Disney-fied, while the demons here are purely evil rather than complex natural forces. The often lovely writing and the surprising and original ending can't redeem the underdeveloped characters, unsubtle repeat imagery, or bland romance. This companion to the stellar A Thousand Nights shares the trappings but not the spirit. (Fantasy. 12 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 6 Up-Following in the footsteps of Johnston's A Thousand Nights, this is a new spin on "Sleeping Beauty." Despite taking the perspective of Little Rose's potential savior, the story has a decidedly feminist slant, focusing on the princess's growth, power, autonomy, and eventual self-rescue. Johnston fleshes out the narrative with an adventuring party of two additional boys, a girl, and a malevolent female spirit manipulating a prince. Of particular note, this fairy-tale retelling describes characters as having dark skin. There are additional feminist touches, such as making spinning a creative (and gender-neutral) national occupation. The writing is a mix of stately prose and a conversational tone. The balance of fantastical elements and modern sensibilities, though awkward at times, will intrigue most middle to high school readers. VERDICT Hand this clever work to fans of the companion book.-Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 Not for the first time, Johnston turns a familiar story on its head. In this companion to A Thousand Nights (2015), a demon has waited many generations to seek vengeance for her banishment. Kharuf, one of two twin kingdoms, is all but ruined when the demon curses its five-year-old princess, called the Little Rose. If she resists, then her people suffer; if she gives in, then the land will be ruled by a demon queen. A decade after the curse is placed, a young, exiled spinner named Yashaa returns to Kharuf with three companions, carrying much anger against the Little Rose. But the girl herself is not what he expected, and Yashaa becomes entangled in a quest to help her. The dramatic ending is perhaps too sudden after the gentler pace of most of the story, but spare text, subtle romance, and Arabian folklore make this an evocative reworking of Sleeping Beauty where sleep, for the heroine, is less a side effect and more a power. Quietly lovely and unique.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)