Spindle's End: Amazon.co.uk: Robin McKinley: Books

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Product Description

The Sunday Times, 31st March 2002

Written with rich inventiveness, good characters and real stylistic skill and flair - a fat treat in which to lose yourself. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

The Financial Times, 23rd March 2002

Electrifying storytelling, a must read for fans of quality fantasy of any age --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

3.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very real characters and a good storyline, 14 Mar 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Spindle's End (School & Library Binding)

Even though I may be a little older than the target audience, I have always enjoyed RM's storycraft. This book is an honourable addition to a fine collection of stories. The characters are drawn with considerable insight and observation into the way in which real people might react in the unreal situations portrayed, with a good deal of humour in the process. I also liked the descriptions of the cat, Flinx - surely RM is a cat owner?

The story is essentially that of Sleeping Beauty but with many a twist to make it both interesting and relevant to today. The princess, her young foster-mother, and her aunt-by-adoption are all girls and women for whom it is possible to feel real liking. The male characters are also sympathetically drawn and one can see why particular partners get together rather than feeling that they have been joined just for the sake of a particular development in the plot. The magical bits are perhaps a little similar in concept to The Hero and the Crown, but not to the extent that one feels it's just a repeat.

All in all, a very enjoyable and oddly comforting read.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bring back Aerin!!, 1 Aug 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Spindle's End (Hardcover)

Having waited excitedly (and for too long) for the next book from Robin McKinley, I read Spindle's End the day it arrived. Having given myself a severe headache in doing so (due to the involved nature of the plot) I am torn between recommendation and reservation. As I expected, it is very difficult to put down, but it is also difficult to read. The characters do not draw you in the way Aerin, Harimad and Beauty (the first one!) do with their doubts, flaws and normality. Rosie is flawed, but a little two-dimensional. The curse hanging over her is never fully explained (although in fairness the original fairy tale was illogical also) and despite showing McKinley's usual flashes of brilliance, I did not feel this was sustained throughout the story. No real tension is created by the evil fairy - Maur was a much more awe-inspiring and well-drawn foe, and yet Rosie's surroundings are so beautifully evoked, and the people who love her so nicely characterised that I still recommend you read it. I cried my eyes out at the end when all the threads are finally spun together (in a quite unexpected fashion), which proves what a consummate storyteller Robin McKinley is - even when you have your doubts about her tale, she can still tug at your heart! If a litle more thought had been given to the detail, and and she had been less obsessed with brackets (an annoying but addictive habit!)to explain all the details that had been missed out I would have given this book five stars. But four by McKinley's standard is about 13 by anyone else's, so read it, enjoy it, and keep campaigning for another tale about Aerin!

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting if slightly dragging book., 5 Aug 2003

By	"dorothy913" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spindle's End (Paperback)

I picked this book up on my second day of work experience and still had it at the end, I thought it was a brilliant read and the heroin was unusual, not the beautiful demure girl of the Disney stories. I was a little disappointed with some plot lines (including her friend who was everything the girl didn't want to be) but happy they fitted into the story well. I liked the usage of animals in this book and found it funny most of the time.

I've already recommended this book to some friends and think it is an excellent book for anyone who enjoys this genre or who'd like to read a sleeping beauty story that isn't sickly sweet.

I was also greatly pleased that the love story I wanted happened, there's nothing worse than an unfulfilling love story.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, if a tad confusing
This is my third exploration of Robin Mckinley's work (my first two being Beauty and Rose Daughter) and i was, as usual, impressed by her ability to create truly vivid scenes... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Tara Protheroe

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, to long.
I thought that the story line was quite good but it was to long about 5 chapters to long and the ending was a bit rushed. I don't think this is one of her best books.

Published on 3 Mar 2006

4.0 out of 5 stars Spindle's end
I think this book is very well written, i got into it straight away and couldn't put it down!This is a definet read there is always something going on in it and i think that all... Read more

Published on 4 Feb 2005 by Robyn

4.0 out of 5 stars Re-telling of Sleeping Beauty
I must admit, I was curious about a modern re-telling of the story of Sleeping Beauty so I picked this book up. Read more

Published on 19 Aug 2004 by girl running

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Good book ending was VERY confusing! though and quite unbelievable and confusing but dont get me wrong its a brilliant book and a must own for ANY fairy tail lover but a word of... Read more

Published on 28 Jun 2004 by Loopy_Lou

4.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic complex fairy tale
A complex story of Cinderella.
Brilliant. Im looking forward to reading some more work by Robin Mckinley. Read more

Published on 7 Sep 2003 by Kelly Blandford

4.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting if slightly dragging book.
I picked this book up on my second day of work experience and still had it at the end, I thought it was a brilliant read and the heroin was unusual, not the beautiful demure girl... Read more

Published on 5 Aug 2003 by dorothy913

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't judge an author by one BIG mistake
Firstly, yes I agree; this book is dissapointment taken to a whole new level.

You expect more from a well established YA author like McKinley. Read more

Published on 25 Jul 2003 by beckyteen

3.0 out of 5 stars i am undecided abouot this book
This is the first book I have read by Robin McKinley and I'm not sure i enjoyed it. The storyline was great- but it was bound to be when it was the classic novel of Sleeping... Read more

Published on 5 Jun 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Not bad
This book is basically a spin off of sleeping beauty with the same basic idea but with a different story which in my opinion is not as good as the original. Read more

Published on 12 May 2003

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	40% buy the item featured on this page: Spindle's End 3.6 out of 5 stars (13)
	29% buy Beauty 4.9 out of 5 stars (21) �4.28
	13% buy Sunshine 4.3 out of 5 stars (47) �5.97
	11% buy Deerskin 4.4 out of 5 stars (52) �4.83

Spindle's End (Hardcover)

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The Sunday Times, 31st March 2002

The Financial Times, 23rd March 2002

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