Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Leighton’s adult debut has all the expected elements of "Sleeping Beauty": the giving of multiple magical gifts, including an affinity for animals; the sudden appearance of an evil witch who places a curse on the newborn; the secreting away of the child until her seventeenth birthday; the freezing of everyone in the castle at the time of the christening; and even a spinning wheel. But they are blended in a unique manner, presenting a wholly different take on the tale. The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of three distinct individuals: Sel, an apprentice master magician; Meredyth, the queen’s fiercely loyal lady-in-waiting; amd Violanna, the queen herself. The different viewpoints expand the story, filling in blanks missing from the original and offering unexpected insights. They examine not only the desperate scheme hatched to save the child but also the background of each character, the politics of ruling a kingdom, and what it means to be a caretaker as opposed to a mother. Fairy-tale-retelling fans will be handsomely rewarded.