BOOK REVIEW: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman and Illustrated by Chris Riddell ★★★★☆

I’ve been a fan of Riddell’s illustrations ever since reading (and collecting) the Edge Chronicles series written by Paul Stewart. I haven’t read anything from Gaiman (I just watched Stardust and Coraline movie).

It’s a classic tale of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty but with a dark twist. A sleeping curse sweeps across the kingdom, the Queen (Snow White) postpones her wedding and sets off with three dwarves to free the sleeping princess and end the curse. I love it already because the Queen doesn’t rely on anyone else, leaves her fiancé and get this problem sorted.

Honestly, I only read this book because of Riddell's illustrations. As ever they are stunning, emulating a traditional and magical feel to a very modern fairytale. His works are presented in black, white with a hint of and gold.

This is a short story and I’m expecting not so much great in-depth detail of developed characters. The villain isn’t quite memorable, a bit one-dimensional kind that longs for youth and power (lol don’t we all!). Anyway, I was expecting a twist but not a twist like that.

It is creepy and I wouldn’t think this would be suitable for children. Plus I don’t know why people are saying this is a lesbian story. Ok, she awakens the princess with a kiss on the lips but there’s nothing lesbian about it. They do not fancy each other. And another note – this is not a graphic novel at all. Nearly all the pages have an illustration but that’s about it. A graphic novel is actually a narrative work conveyed through a traditional comic format. I just wanted to stress those points out.

Other than that I definitely recommend this to those who are fans of Riddell’s illustrations and Gaiman’s storytelling.

Rating: 4.5 /5
Publishers: Bloomsbury Publishing
First Published: May 3rd 2014)
Second Publication Date: October 23rd 2014
Genre: Fairy Tale/Fantasy/Short Story