Spindle Fire

Gr 7 Up—Sisters Aurora and Isabelle have always been close, even though Isabelle is reviled as the king's stubborn illegitimate daughter and beautiful Aurora is poised to marry the prince and become a dutiful queen. They even have their own secret language; they must, for faeries took Isbe's sight and Aurora's voice when both were small. After a moment of anger between them causes Isbe to run away, Aurora pursues her, only to be caught in the magic web of a faerie queen thought long dead. Tensions rise as Isbe desperately works to save her sister while beginning to see the larger magical forces at work, and the women start to understand the powerful ways they can shape their own futures. While there isn't much new ground covered here, fantasy fans and fractured fairy tale lovers will easily fall into Isbe and Aurora's world. Fast-paced and full of mystery, danger, and romance, this title will appeal to voracious and reluctant readers alike. Aurora and Isbe grow from sheltered palace dwellers to strong women becoming aware of their own ignorance and the ways they have been manipulated. A cliff-hanger ending leaves the futures of several characters unknown, and readers will surely want to find out the fates of the two heroines, their love interests, and the corrupt fae who rule the land.