McKinley's: Spindle's End

This nap inducing retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty takes us through 21 long years of the well-known cursed princess' life. The original, very simple, tale is drawn out here with long explanations of repeated foreshadowings and roundabout recollections in very long convoluted paragraphs filled with never-ending sentences. Lengthy chapters sprinkled with uncommon words seem to end randomly at times. Characters are often plagued by foggy memories and extended dreamlike experiences sometimes clouding what little action there is. For those who like magic, McKinley's Spindle's End certainly is crammed with it, but "magic can't do everything." It did however help McKinley give us an uncommon but expected ending to the classic tale.

McKinley's: Beauty

A first person account of the tale of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the muddy hazel eyes of the title character Beauty. In other retellings, this tale is about the transformation of Beast; this take focuses on the physical, emotional, and mental changes of Beauty as she grows to love Beast. Gentle, kind, and noble fully-developed characters populate Robin Mckinley's graceful world. McKinley delicately weaves magic into the story effortlessly with such aplomb that it seems almost a part of the natural world. She is deftly able to build and release tension as well as provide a few laugh out loud moments from Beauty's two enchanted chamber maids. I look forward to reading other titles from this author.

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