Spindle's End
Robin McKinley
Horse connection:
In a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Rosie is apprenticed to the smith and horse-doctor
Description:
Rosie was whisked away from her royal naming-day by the young fairy Katriona, after an evil fairy cast a hideous spell dooming the princess to be killed by a spindle's end on (or before) her 21st birthday. Hidden in Katriona's village as an ordinary girl, Rosie has nevertheless been gifted accidentally with the ability to speak to animals, unusual given that the royal family is specifically selected to be as unmagical as possible. She is attracted to the village smithy, where she proves invaluable at steadying and treating the horses there.
This is only very loosely a horse book, although two horses have key roles in the climax. McKinley drops in her horses casually, but accurately, with a clear affection and understanding.
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Non-Fiction Narrative
| Mystery
| Historical/General Fiction
| Fantasy
| Questing Fantasy
| Romance
| Science Fiction
| Young Adult
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