Robin McKinley: Spindle's End

Spindle's End is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The princess, who has about two dozen names, is nicknamed Rosie. She's spirited off to a tiny village called Foggy Bottom by Katriona, a fairy-in-training who attended the 'christening' of the child. After the twenty (out of twenty-one) fairies chosen as godparents call out their wishes for the newborn infant, Maleficent shows up and performs her curse. Katriona takes the princess, with the Queen's servant's blessing, and hides Rosie safe away.

The world of Spindle's End is delightfully whimsical. Before all of the hullabaloo about Rosie--or a princess at all--occurs, McKinley gives a taste of the world. Magic isn't really governed by a set of rules; it's just there, in the same way that you oughtn't eat fish, only really crazy people (or people who become insane) do so. Fish live in the water, which tends to be most infested with magic, you see. Katriona and her aunt are both fairies and can deal with magic, and are therefore the people that are approached when uncontrollable magic happens--when a fairy child starts exhibiting their magic, when strange things happen in the village, and if you need your kettle descaled from magic. There are all sorts of little anecdotes told about the world of Spindle's End, which make the whole thing really very charming.

I really loved about 80% of this book, which covers Rosie's growing-up and the early years. Characters like Katriona and Aunt and Peony are somewhat subversive, in both ways--both considering how Sleeping Beauty plays out and simply for characterization. Peony, for example, I especially liked, because she's described as a paragon, but instead of being empty-headed or hated by the heroine (if the heroine is not a paragon herself) she's Rosie's best friend. I liked that Rosie was still raised by three fairies, although I didn't realize till way after the reveal. And then the climax and resolution happened, and I finished the book and honestly thought there might be a sequel, because that's not resolution.

( Spoilers under the cut )