The Bone Spindle: Volume 1

Equal parts thrilling, magical, and romantic, you will find yourself flying through the pages of this YA fantasy adventure novel. Intelligent and expert treasure hunter Fi's heart is broken, and she's learned the hard way not to trust anyone again. Emotional and impressive fighter Shane knows how to wield an ax, but she's it's just a way for her to hide from the past she's run away from. When the two pair up to find a treasure that might be the key for both of them to move on from their pain, WHOOPS, Fi accidentally becomes the solution to a century-old curse that has Prince Briar locked away in a tower, waiting for true love's kiss to awaken him and his sleeping kingdom. Easier said than done though when there is powerful magic, an evil witch, spying crows, crooked witch hunters, mysterious figures, sharp thorns, and broken hearts in the way of finally breaking the curse. It's the perfect meld of the curse of Sleeping Beauty and all the adventure and puzzle-solving of Indiana Jones, EXCEPT with queer representation too. While I am a die-hard Shane fan, every single character was so loveable AND complex. I was cheering for all of them since page one, wishing for everyone's happiness the moment I met them. Leslie did a fantastic job weaving together emotional and angsty humans and making them seem so rich and full of life on a black and white page. And watching so many of these characters fall in love was a magical journey in itself. Leslie masterfully crafted slow burn and queer romances, making you fall in love with the couples as they also stepped into their stories together. Every kiss made my heart flutter, and every flirt or romantic moment brought a big grin to my face. I will never stop cheering when queer romances are just a normal part of fantasy worlds and not something that needs to be addressed or explained. Hell yeah, two queens can rule a kingdom. Speaking of rich and full of life, the world Leslie created was also dynamic. I found myself sinking right in, thoroughly enjoying every moment of description and world-building. This is one of those books that feels like coming home if you have to stop and pick up later, which is exactly why I was sad when it was over. I loved visiting Leslie's rich and magical world, and I wish I got to spend even more time there. But that doesn't mean this book was all calm and peaceful. Leslie filled the pages to the brim with tension that keeps the pages turning. From great endings on chapters that make you want to read just one more, to so many moments that make you wonder how the heck the characters are going to get out of this mess, trust me when I say this is one quick, thrilling read. Even better, the twists and turns! One towards the end actually made me gasp, and it's hard to surprise me these days. Similarly, Leslie is an expert at writing seamless and action-packed fighting scenes. From battling horrible spiders to evil witch hunters, every throw of an ax or thrust of light magic was thrilling and a piece of cake to follow. It takes a special skill to make it seem so easy, which is exactly why this author's craft spills all over the pages. The bottom line is, this is a marvelous novel full of so much adventure, romance, and beautiful prose. Trust me when I say you're going to want to pick this up the moment it's available (or even better, PREORDER). It will not disappoint you and will likely become one of your favorite books!

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