YA Fantasy
A curse comes undone. A kingdom shatters. But some bonds can’t be broken.
Princess Aurora, torn from the dream world, plots to assassinate the faerie queen Malfleur, only to confront temptations she never expected. Isabelle, meanwhile, opens her heart to Prince William as they attempt to unite their kingdoms and wage war against Malfleur’s army. But when the appearance of an unbreakable glass slipper prompts Isabelle to discover more about her lineage, her true identity begins to take shape and her legacy becomes as clear as ice.
Devoted half-sisters Isabelle and Aurora will grapple with their understanding of love and loyalty as they face a threat even greater than that of the evil queen—the threat of losing each other forever.
When I first read Spindle Fire, I fell in love with Aurora and Isbe, of how much they loved each other and how far they’d go to make sure they were okay. Sisterly affection is rarely seen in books, and I was happy to continue their stories in this new installment.
I must say my favorite character has always been Isbe, her journey throughout both books has been full of so many twists and turns. And romance! But most importantly, this has been a character who sacrifices everything for her sister, who dares to embark on an impossible journey throughout kingdoms in order to save Aurora and a kingdom that shunned her since she was an infant, and now in Winter Glass, through a darker journey where she needs to learn about who she really is. Following along her footsteps is NEVER boring, and I would gladly read more of her if there was ever another opportunity! ♥
However, I do love Aurora as well! Her quest to find true love and understand what true love really means takes us on a surprising twist I never would have guessed based on what we read in Spindle Fire! It felt natural, though I must admit that I wept for a certain character I had fallen for in book 1. Won’t say more about it though 😉
Spindle Fire starts as a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with Aurora, but Winter Glass evolves into a Cinderella retelling focusing on Isbe! I LOVE retellings, and author Lexa Hillyer does a fantastic job developing both tales into something unique. I particularly enjoyed how we even get the point of views of the antagonists, learning about their own side of the stories, dark motivations and all.
Aaah, there’s just so much that I loved about this book! Even the epic conclusion that somehow broke my heart. I just cannot stop thinking about this imaginative story that give me everything that I wanted (Isbe and William!!! ♥) I was expecting to enjoy Winter Glass as much as Spindle Fire, but no, my love for it goes beyond! It is now an all-time favorite and gosh, I hope I can learn to live without more.
Final Verdict:
Magic! Romance! Non-stop adventure! Winter Glass gives it all and WILL destroy you. It’s a book about true love, of finding and discovering yourself, as well as doing what it takes to not lose what matters the most.
What are your favorite quotes from Spindle Fire and Winter Glass?
Here’s one from Spindle Fire!
“She can’t sleep. She’s afraid that if she does, this will all go away and she’ll lose what it felt like to be beautiful, to be chosen. That if she sleeps, she will dream, and in that dream she will hear her mother singing, and the song will lure her to stay asleep forever, where it’s safe—or else, worse, that waking from it will shatter her.”
What scene from Winter Glass are you most excited for readers to experience?
I love the end of Part One – it’s very romantic! – and I think there’s a fun surprise in the scene where Malfleur throws a party. I also love Malfleur’s flashback, and the chapter we get to see from King Verglas’s POV. And the action scenes in the middle! And the final scene! I guess I can’t decide which part I’m most excited about J
If you were suddenly drawn into your books and got to tag along with either Princess Aurora’s or Isabelle’s journey, whose path would you most likely take?
It would have to be Isabelle’s. In book 1, Aurora is trapped, which is pretty scary. In book 2, her journey goes quite dark at times! Plus I would really love to visit the palace of King Verglas, as Isbe does in Winter Glass!
Is there a particular place/setting that gave you inspiration for Winter Glass (and Spindle Fire)?
The series is set in a magical version of medieval France, where some of the earliest iterations of the Sleeping Beauty tale emerged. I’m super into moody cliff-side settings, old castles and convents, so I had fun making mood boards for this!
What song strongly reminds you of Winter Glass?
Runaway, by Aurora. Also: Love me Like I’m Not Made of Stone, Lykke Li
Which characters’ development are you most proud of in this installment?
ALL of them! Except Wren – I think she deserves her own novel and more space to go deeper.
Lexa Hillyer is the author of the young adult novels Spindle Fire, Winter Glass, and Proof of Forever, as well as the poetry collection, Acquainted with the Cold (Bona Fide Books), the 2012 gold prize winner of the Foreword Book of the Year Award for Poetry, and a recipient of the Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize. Her work has been featured in Best New Poets 2012, and she has received various other prizes and honors for poetry. Lexa earned her BA in English from Vassar College and her MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She worked as an editor at both Harper Collins and Penguin, before founding the production company Glasstown Entertainment along with bestselling author Lauren Oliver. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, their daughter, and a very skinny orange tree.
I still really need to pick up Spindle Fire–this interview and everything is a fantastic reminder of how much I want to read these books. Hopefully soon! 🙂