I received an ARC of Spellbound from NetGalley—thank you!

I’ve not read many fairytale retellings, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in. I did struggle a little to get into it at first (around the first 25–30%), but I think that may have been more of a me issue than the book itself. Once I hit that point, though, I was hooked. I devoured the rest in a single day!

The writing flows well and there’s a lovely fairytale tone throughout. I personally enjoyed the multiple POVs—it helped build the world and emotional layers—but I do think it might have worked just as effectively with three instead of five. That said, it didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment.

The pacing overall is solid, and the ending was genuinely heartwarming. If you’re a fan of fairytales with a slightly modern edge, layered characters, and a magical atmosphere, this one’s worth picking up.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for providing access to an ebook ARC for this book.

I loved the premise and the build up to this story. The twisting of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale was done in a way I hadn’t seen before, and I found all of the POV characters very distinct and lovable.

However, the villain was very underbaked, and the twist involving her was very obvious. Her defeat was also very rushed and unexplained. The entire climax was very disappointing and confusing. Most of the romances had no payoff, which I don’t usually care about but it felt strange to leave so many loose ends. I suspect there’ll be a sequel, but I believe each book in a series should be satisfying by itself. Luckily my favourite couple and character got a sweet ending in the last chapter, which made up for some of the disappointment.

When i requested this book I found it interesting and before I started reading I was like what did I request lol. But jokes on me once I started reading it I was hooked. I really enjoyed the plot and the characters and I particularly liked the ending as it was not sugar coated or anything and it was realistic. Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to read an alternative universe to the sleeping beauty.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐ rounded down.

Spellbound is marketed as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. And whilst the story has aspects from the fairytale I'd say it's more loosely based on it. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourite fairytales so I did find this slightly disappointing. I wish I'd gone in blind!

I don't have too much to say about the book to be honest Everything was just okay. I enjoyed the story but didn't ever find myself reaching to pick it up. The writing is strong and I enjoyed the feminist, modern take on the fairytale. However, when you compare against the retelling queens like T Kingfisher and Naomi Novik, the story could be shorter and the writing punchier. The pacing dipped in the middle Andi wish it about 50 pages shorter.

Spellbound is currently set as a standalone but the ending wasn't overly satisfying. I felt like the author has left it open enough for a sequel. I was happy that my favourite character got a HEA though!

I absolutely was hooked from the start of this book and I am a sucker for fairy tale retellings. I loved the characters and how they had their own POVs. The three main characters were Queen Violanna, Meredyth who is the Queens lady in waiting and the there is Sel who arrives to the blessing of the princess in place of her magical master. There was a twist that I didn’t expect and I audibly gasped. This retelling of sleeping beauty has the tagline “What if beauty never went to sleep”. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and it’s the author’s debut adult book. I can’t wait to see what she has planned as her next book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the review copy of this exciting fantasy standalone.

Spellbound is a unique retelling of Sleeping Beauty with all the focus on five women at the centre of the story. There is no prince to save the princess or break the curse, but three women with a plan to attempt to thwart a sorceress' revenge. Nobody in the kingdom other them knows that two twin princesses were actually born on the day the curse was cast, and they can work that to their advantage... second.born Talia is raised behind castle wall, believed to be the only (and therefore cursed) princess, while the true cursed princess, Briar, is secretly raised on the road by Sel, who puts her life on the line to keep the beautiful and otherworldly girl safe. But as the end of the curse draws closer, nothing is as smooth as they would like it to be...

I enjoyed reading this retelling and loved the feminist twist, where no prince is needed to break a curse but the women can save themselves! All the characters had their own intriguing features, but Sel and Talia have to be my favourites. Sel, because she gave up her career and plans to look after a newborn she'd just met and protect her from a heinous curse. Her fierce protection of Briar and her affection for her ward was heart-warming, and I loved seeing how her story developed. Talia because... growing up in the shadow of a cursed, missing sister must have been incredibly hard, and yet she blossomed and developed into such a bright, resourceful woman. the dynamics between certain pairs of characters were also really nice to read, including the friendship between Violanna and Meredyth, and that between Briar and Jacken.

Overall, I can't say there was anything I actively disliked in the book, but the pacing felt a little slow throughout the story, and the climax and ending weren't quite as I hoped. But as I said, I didn't dislike either of those things - I just didn't love them as much as I could have. The build-up to the end of the curse was rather exciting, so I had my hopes quite high there.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings, multi-POV stories and determined, strong women that can save themselves.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for providing me the advanced copy to read and review!

I enjoyed this captivating and magical retelling of the well-known fairytale that I’d loved in my childhood, and found the world both compelling and mysterious.

I liked getting the multiple POVs from the different female characters, as it gave us an understanding of the decisions made and repercussions for the wider story.

Unfortunately for me, I felt the pacing was a little off and the characters themselves a little frustrating. I loved Sel, and felt her journey was both brave and selfless to give up her life to help shelter and protect Briar.

I wasn’t a fan of both Talia or Violanna and thought they were both quite petulant and irritating. They were both products of their circumstances but I just didn’t gain much from their POV.

I also didn’t love the ending at all, and felt it was very rushed and hashed together quite abruptly. I’d liked to have seen more resolution to the story and maybe even have an epilogue to see where they ended up in a few years? It left me with a lot of questions.

Overall I think Spellbound was a solid debut as a fantasy book, but needed more to help develop the characters, and finish it out in terms of a full story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Georgia Leighton for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I love a fairy tale retelling, and from the very first page, Spellbound did not disappoint. Georgia Leighton’s spin on this classic fairy tale is original and refreshing.

I love the multiple povs, and especially that these were all from women of different ages, statuses and positions in life.

The portrayal of magic is interesting but not fully explored - however the level of depth achieved is more than enough to enjoy the story and not get confused or bogged down in the details.

The cast of characters are multi-layered and felt real - no one (perhaps with the exception of Gaddeous) is perfect, they all have their own flaws.

I find Sel’s character the most interesting - how she is forced into motherhood, and yet the care she has for the child comes across clearly in the story. Having to put her own dreams on the back burner for a future she never saw for herself is an interesting concept, and the way she bonds with Briar is beautiful to watch unfold.

An enthralling retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. I loved this heart breaking story of three women who are fighting against the curse of the Queen's dark witch sister, the painful indifference of her husband the King and her struggle to protect her enchanted daughter. In this story there are twin princesses, one born in secret just after her elder twin is cursed, They are swapped at birth in secret in a desperate attempt to fool the curse, with the elder sent into hiding with her fairy godmother. The twins grow up apart - one quite ordinary and one an enchanted beauty - whose fateful meeting brings the story to an emotional and dramatic resolution.

While I did enjoy this one, I felt that the fairytale storytelling was quite dominant, and the typical action that I would anticipate and enjoy from a fantasy book just weren’t there enough for me! I also felt that the culmination at the end of the book felt a little rushed, but it’s certainly a good one for people who enjoying fairytale retellings!

I loved the premise of this Sleeping beauty retelling and the different take it had on the traditional fairytale.

The characters were interesting although didn’t always feel fully fleshed out. The relationships between the characters were also a highlight of this book.

I did feel the dialogue was a little stilted at times and didn’t seem very natural. But the idea of the story really carried this book and made it more enjoyable.

Spellbound is a fresh and feminist take on the classic Sleeping Beauty story, but with a big twist—what if the princess never fell asleep at all? The book is told from the perspectives of five different women over 17 years, which gives it a rich, layered feel as their lives and choices slowly weave together.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the way the plot focuses on female power, choices, and complexity—these women aren’t just reacting to events, they’re shaping them. The writing itself is very much in keeping with traditional fairy tales being both poetic and descriptive , with an atmosphere that pulls you into a magical but slightly dark world. The story is lyrical with a slow-burn fantasy vibe, however the sedate pacing may be frustrating for some readers.

What if the Queen knew her daughter was likely to be cursed? What if she had a hope for a second chance, a loophole that might distort the curse, even if she couldn't break it?

Spellbound is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty following the choices of the Queen, her lady in waiting, and a master of magic.. Between them, two girls grow into their own, confused and angry by the fates thrust upon them by people unwilling to give them the whole story. It's a slow paced story, weaving together five different perspectives which are, for the most part, fairly well balanced. Each character has unique ambitions and drives, and has their own idea of what a happy ending looks like.

I did sometimes feel that I wanted something more from this story; more of the worldbuilding, perhaps, or more depth to some of the hints and rumours. But overall, this was an engaging read.

A beautiful retelling of Sleeping Beauty, where the princess never goes to sleep!

This book uses multiple POVs to follow the lives of our FMC’s.
The Queen, her lady in waiting, Sel (a Master’s apprentice) who show us the lengths mothers will go to to protect their children and friends will go to to be supportive.
You also see the viewpoints of Talia and Briar, who are living very different lives but both in the shadows of the curse they know nothing about.

The pacing was quite slow but I was driven to find out how the curse would conclude. The POVs definitely made the plot more interesting as you could see how each of our character’s lives were panning out

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was a good story. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, though at times it felt like something was missing. I struggled to like the vast majority of the characters - though maybe that’s the point? I always think it’s difficult to read a story where I already know the ending or the concept in this case, but there were enough differences to make it so that it didn’t feel like a chore to read. I felt like I wanted a little more from some parts of the story - to understand how we got here and the history of it more and other parts felt like they were longer than necessary.

This retelling of Sleeping Beauty brings its own twist to the traditional fairy tale.

I really enjoyed the first third of the book but then felt as though the pacing slowed. There are some interesting concepts and characters, but the world-building gets put to the side as the book progresses. The ending hints at a potential sequel and leaves several issues unresolved. All in all this was a quick read, but it left me wanting more.

A recommended read for fans of fairytale retellings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but poised differently than other retellings I have read. Georgia Leighton focuses not on the beginning and end of the curse but instead on the three women who are working together in different ways during the years after the curse was placed upon a baby princess. Later into the story, we get POVs of the princess themselves and their lives. I don’t want to give too much away so there is a pretty early on plot twist that makes a difference in the whole story.

I enjoyed this almost slice of life in a cursed world. I liked Sel especially, and I was happy with her ending. I also liked Brair and Talia, and I’m interested to see how they grow apart and together. I am assuming that there will be a sequel, I don’t know for sure, but I really enjoyed this fantasy story. Leighton’s writing was easy to read and immersive, keeping me entertained. As the climax of the book was rising, I found myself unable to put it down.

The blurb sounded really good, a feminist retelling of the Sleeping Beauty. However, it fell flat for me, I didn't find the characters interesting enough and it didn't hold my attention, so sadly I DNFed

Spellbound is a new retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I enjoyed the new twists and turns of this story, and the writing was easy enough to read through quickly to find out what happened to the characters. The multiple POVs of the main female characters kept it interesting, although I didn’t have much empathy for some of them, it would’ve been good to delve deeper into their personalities and feelings. The pace dips in the middle and is slightly repetitive but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and wanting to know how it turned out. I was slightly disappointed with the ending but it seemed to be leading into another story which I’d definitely pick up to find out how these characters’ lives unfold. The magic system was also really interesting but sadly we didn’t get much explanation of it. Overall I’d recommend this as an easy read for lovers of fairy tale retellings.

DNF @ 40% - YA fantasy

Advanced reader copy from NetGalley and I only try to request books that sound really good and I know for certain I will enjoy. The blurb of this one sounded great - a sleeping beauty feminist retelling, however I found the story really slow paced and for the most part, boring.

I contemplated even naming this YA fantasy as there is very little fantasy involved, other than the magical blessings the baby receives at birth, the land in which its set in is against magic, as such we see very little. Obviously, I only read part of the story so this may pick up.

The story focuses on the Queen, her ladies maid and the apprentice magician (who swears off magic) who takes Briar and a little before 40%, we get the added POVS of Briar and Talia. I kept pushing myself to read until Briar came into the story, thinking it would pick up, but it never. I found myself dreading picking the book up so decided to DNF. I found no action or adventure, very little story and character progression and the no depth to the characters that made any of them likeable.