Spinner

by Lucy Tayco Price

What if I told you I was a liar, a thief, and a murderer? What if I told you I got away with it all?

Norie can’t spin flax into gold, and she certainly doesn’t deserve to marry Prince Edwin—even if he is a half-wit. But she’s desperate to be queen. So if that means striking bargains with evil gnomes, pretending to like snakes, and dabbling in a bit of black magic, Norie will give it a try. But when Norie actually has the baby she promised Rump, she’ll have to find a way to wiggle out of their bargain—and he doesn’t do guessing games. After that, there will be a whole new set of getting rid of old ladies, ruling a kingdom, hiding massive amounts of gold, chopping off heads, and trying not to catch the plague. The usual.

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2023

About the author

Lucy Tayco Price is the author of "Spinner", a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and the first book in "The Dova Chronicles." She is a flexible freelance writer whose work includes poetry, short fiction, essays, creative journalism, and other forms of creative nonfiction. Her favorite topics are people, nature, and theology. Her work has appeared in magazines and journals such as Insight, New Era, Kolob Canyon Review, and Scribendi. Lucy graduated from Southern Utah University with a BA in creative writing and currently lives in Cedar City, Utah, with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely not what I was expecting when I read the blurb. I’m not complaining though. I absolutely loved it! Not your normal protagonist at all. I spent much of the book trying to decide if I loved or hated her (which I believe to be the author’s intent) and didn’t want to put the book down. I had to see what she came up with next. Often these retellings follow a predictable path. This didn’t. Knowing the original story doesn’t give many spoilers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to future books from Price.

[Alyssa Leavitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, fun, short read. I loved how the author wrote the book in a way that you kind of like or sympathize with the main character but then have to remind yourself that she is actually the villain. I loved the relation of the book to classic fairy tales.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first “just for fun” book that I have read with my eyes instead of listened to in years. It was so fun!

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very original and I loved the characters. The ending felt a bit abrupt and left me feeling unresolved, but not necessarily in a bad way. Definitely recommend to those who enjoy fantasy.