A review by natashaleighton_
The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The heart-stoppingly magical conclusion to The Bone Spindle Trilogy was everything I wanted it to be and more! 

With the stakes even higher, and our endearing protagonists (Fi and Shane) facing near impossible odds to save the Kingdom (and Briar) from the Spindle Witch’s deadly schemes, they must first look to the past if they have any hope of securing Andar’s future…. 

This was phenomenal! Leslie Vedder weaves a satisfyingly compelling ending that not only manages to incorporate several well known fairytales (Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and The Beast and Rapunzel to name a few) but also makes them feel fresh and unique — something that not many fairytale retellings are able to successfully achieve. 

The prose is pacy yet still vividly rich and full of emotion, which, if you’re anything like me, will have you throughly immersed and on the edge of your seat. 

Fi and Shane do spend a lot of time separate this time around, which I did find quite interesting as it gave us a chance to observe just how important and integral they’ve both become to one another, in a found family, ride or die kind of way. Though I will say if you loved Shane’s sense of humour, not to worry! We still get a good amount bickering and fun loving banter to break up the plot’s more intense scenes, with the added bonus of more page time with Perrin, Red and The Paper Witch. 

I also really enjoyed delving more into the lore surrounding The Butterfly Curse, The Lord of The Butterflies (whose magic crafted the curse) and the origins of The Spindle Witch. It definitely helped expand the world in my opinion and I can definitely see potential in a prequel series surrounding The Lord of Butterflies and Briar’s ancestor.

However, I was a little disappointed we didn’t get more page time with Briar, as his flirtatious nature and chemistry with Fi in the previous instalments was soo good. Though I will say Vedder makes up for it in the epilogue which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I can’t say much else without spoiling the plot, but I will say adventure seeking fantasy lovers (or fans of Indiana Jones) should definitely consider checking this series out! 

Also a huge thank you to Karis over at Hachette children’s/ Team BKMRK for the gorgeous finished copy. 
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