Item: Spindle Fire
Rating: 3.00
Author: kait

by Lexa Hillyer

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.

Isabelle crosses land and sea; unearthly, thorny vines rise up the palace walls: and whispers of revolt travel in the ashes on the wind. The kingdom falls to ruin under layers of snow. Meanwhile, Aurora wakes up in a strange and enchanted world, where a mysterious hunter may be the secret to her escape . . . or the reason for her to stay.

Spindle Fire is a lush fantasy set in the dwindling, deliciously corrupt world of the fae and featuring two truly unforgettable heroines.

I’m not sure about this book — its concept as well as its whimsical fairy-tale-esque voice were right up my alley, but the execution fell flat for me. I think my main problems were that the two main characters, Isabelle and Aurora, felt only vaguely sketched out to me, and the world building left a lot to be desired. It’s disappointing because Hillyer was really on to something with two main characters who aren’t fully able-bodied as well as a plot that primarily celebrated female friendship while exploring the complicated relationships between sisters through their rivalries and intense love. I think Hillyer can stand to grow a lot as a writer, but I would be interested in checking out the follow-up to this when it comes out.

Spindle Fire (Spindle Fire, #1)

by Lexa Hillyer

Reviewed by Kait ✨ on May 14, 2017

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