Author: R. C. Lewis

Series: n/a

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, romance

Publication date: October 6^th, 2015 by Disney Hyperion

This book was given to me for review via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

SPINNING STARLIGHT is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s tale The Wild Swans. In this wonderful new spin on a lovely classic fairytale, Liddi is set to inherit a gigantic company that rules the technology world, despite having 8 genius older brothers. One night, a group of men try to capture her, and following her escape she discovers that all of her brothers have found themselves stuck between the planets. In an attempt to save them, Liddi ends up on another planet (one she never knew really existed) and is thrown into a dangerous, confusing situation. The only problem: she has been implanted with a device that will kill her brothers if she speaks a single word. Her only hope is working with Tiav, a stranger who she can’t even speak to, yet who seems to understand her better than anyone before. Liddi must help fix the problem with the conduits between the planets, but more importantly she needs to save her brothers before they are lost forever.

First off, I am so happy that this is a standalone. Add that to being a fairytale retelling of one of my favorite fairytale authors, H. C. Anderson, with a strong theme of family, and it’s safe to say I was looking forward to this!

I decided to refresh my memory and read The Wild Swans by H.C. Anderson before diving in to Spinning Starlight. It’s a short one, and I am so glad I read it beforehand, because I feel like I had a better grasp on where the story was heading the entire time as a result. R. C. Lewis does a fantastic job at staying true to the original tale, but translating it to a tech-filled futuristic world.

The world in which Spinning Starlight takes place is not entirely familiar to the reader, and personally I was very confused for a little while. By the end, I was impressed with the world building that was going on. The conflict of the story added many intricate details of the world this takes place in, one that has 7 known planets in which there is frequent travel.

One of the strengths of this book is the interesting world Lewis built around the classic tale, but giving the reader a bit more explanation earlier on would make it even better.

I also loved the strong focus on family. I love a good romance, but lately I’ve really enjoyed books where the familial relationships are in the spotlight. Liddi is a very strong girl, and she risks her life for her brothers. Liddi grew into a more confident character throughout the course of the novel, and has become someone I believe has proven herself as capable of taking over her late-father’s technology empire.

Despite knowing how it was going to end, I did not find this too predictable, and I would recommend it to fans of YA sci-fi and fantasy or fairytale retellings. It was great having a story that was a bit different than the classic tales that we tend to focus on, like Snow White or Little Red Riding Hood (not that those are bad).