Spinner

Spun Again Tales

by Tabi Card

Tomorrow morning I am going to die. My limbs are straight, my hair a dull, flaxseed brown – magic’s strange curse doesn't touch me. I can't spin straw into gold any more than a magic user can escape deformity.

Greta is trapped by a lie. When the king hears her father’s claim of her spinning magic, he takes her and promises to end her life if she cannot spin a room of straw into gold by morning.

But then the mysterious, magical spinner comes. His nightly appearance saves her life…and further tangles the web of lies she has woven for her survival. As Greta finds her heart slipping towards a love both dangerous and impossible, a question haunts her: how long will the charade last?

Genres: Retellings, Fantasy, Fiction

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2015

About the author

Tabi Card [she/her] adores fictional worlds a little too much, writes a little less than she probably should, and definitely doesn't spend enough time sleeping. She is an aficionado of many things, but her first love will always be fantastical stories with angsty characters. While waiting for her next adventure, she lives in Florida.

♠ Bookstagram & Twitter ♠

Reviews

[Shawna Finnigan]

I'm not always the hugest fan of retellings, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Spinner is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling that puts a spin on the original story and adds a beautiful romance to the story. It's a quick, light read and I'm happy that I got the chance to read it.

[Rafia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! Tabi Card is an exceptionally great writer. For anyone that wants to read a short and cute retelling, this is a great book. I was so happy when I found out that this book was on Kindle Unlimited. Tabi Card is an inspiration to everyone. Her works are really great so if you have not checked her books out yet....what are you doing?????

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

It would be rather odd if I could articulate the love I have for this story and the excitement I feel when I think about releasing it into the world, so I shall stick to these few words: I do hope you will enjoy my humble scribblings.

*insert tooth-sparkling grin*

[Nesly Clerge · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more creative short stories that I’ve read in a while! Spinner is a story about romance, greed and the complexities of human interaction. I’m a fan of psychological thrillers and suspense; I enjoy thought-provoking novels that have substance, and I’m not inferring that the story lacked substance, but this was a very short and enjoyable read for me. Tabi has an exceptional talent for storytelling. A very captivating story indeed, it felt like a well-crafted cinematic production. The characters were well-developed, and the writing was quite engaging. Short but sweet!

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

Revising and expanding upon the first story I ever published!

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully-written version of the fairytale classic 'Rumpelstiltskin', with said character being very different from the little imp-like creature of the original tale.
Told from the main character's point-of-view -Greta - the suspense was raised with each of the spinner's visits. I loved Card's use of language, and I hope to read more of her work in the future.

[g.vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 3.5 stars
To sum everything up, this was a short and fun filled read.
I really enjoyed reading this.
The story is ordinary. The writing is not.
Tabi C. has done an excellent job writing this retelling. I loved the characters, and their interactions.
Greta was confident and a nice person. She was lovable, so I loved her.
The king. I hate him. I was supposed to, and I did. And this proves that the author really did a great job.
The spinner, well I wanted to see more of him. He was a mysterious and nice character, so why not?

The writing of this book was also very engaging.
Oh, and the cover is so beautiful!

I loved this book.

[Italia8989 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a free copy in return for an honest review.

It's a relief that this wasn't atrocious because I am honest in reviews--to the point of awkward brutality.

I am not a fan of fairy tales or re-tellings. People might assume that I am a miserable person, but that is not always true. With Spinner, there is a different type of spin-off (get it, "spin") that is more original than most.

It is clear from the beginning of the story that this piece is written with someone who has a passion for the written word. This is important in a beginning piece of work because it will show if improvement is possible.

The writing aspect of this novella is used with a flowing technique which all readers enjoy. One will not be delayed while reading and not become frustrated. First person, present tense is almost overused, but it keeps the money rolling in for YA authors, so go ahead at it. Everything is explained well but not too simply. The writing has a prose aspect but is not over-descriptive. There were also a lot of adages that I thought were brilliant, if not witty.

The only problem that I have with the writing is its lack of being proofread. I say this because there are many typos, such as the word "too" (it should be "to") somewhere within the story (I apologize for not being specific but I employ lassitude). At the end of two parts, there is no period at all. This is never the author's fault. The editor or publisher should have caught these errors.

When I rate my books, I can give 5 stars for something that happened in the epilogue (The Age of Innocence), or one star for what happened in the end (The Alchemist). The reason why the rating was docked is because of how I felt about a certain aspect. 'Tis the beauty of art, what may be unbalanced.

I hate forced romance, and this felt forced to me. This romantic aspect to the plot made the entire story move a certain way, thus ruining a bit of it. There have been too many stories with sympathetic, dark characters pining to be pitied.

The additional elements of the father/daughter relationship and the King should have been more explored because they were much more original. Believe it or not, these are realer, more complex psychological aspects that are important. It was great how the father was discovered not to be a total antagonist.

The way the King treated Greta is much more important than her feelings towards the spinner. He rests on a real borderline between being a controlling man and a person who would pose a serious threat to a woman. What would have happened if Greta had not figured out the spinner's name? Would she have acquiesced to someone who was so disgusting he could not even be totally possessive of her? This is why the romance takes away of what the true colors of the main character are.

It is often avoided in life of how people manage to find excuses for everything. Immorality is glossed over. This concept is brought up in the book The Thorn Birds, where the priest claims his lust for a woman was the reason why he deviated from his vows. (Of course it wasn't love!) It is a pride factor of everything less than par a person does in life. The King has this issue with his wealth when he claims his reasons for greed are for his kingdom. I wish this was brought out more, because I believe it is more captivating than a romance.

There were a few extra little things enjoyable about Spinner. Beautiful quotes, such as, "Magic is strong, but some say love is even stronger." Even the kiss between the spinner and Greta because it worked to change her perspective in the culminating rising action. (Although I still wonder how she would have acted without him.) I also love the few moments when she has biting sarcasm, such as when she thinks of the King, "He shouldn't worry." The more sarcasm, angst, and saltiness, the more readers will love it.

The spinning concept at the end was beautiful and a perfect way to finish with prettily spun (intended) bow.

[Trish Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a bit of disclosure. Tabi is one of my very good friends. I love her devilishly clever author mind, and we have a great time discussing the demise of our characters. I will also admit that she gave me the great honor of helping in this book's creation by allowing me to edit and do some layout. Though all the credit goes to her for any and all successes, and I will claim any and all mistakes. :)

Now to the review. I love retellings, and I believe them to be successful only when the author can show us completely new things about the characters we know and love. Tabi has masterfully brought together many complex human interactions. Father to daughter, woman to her new lover, slave to his master, and owner to his greed. Her tale betrays the relationship Greta and her scheming father, but more than that it is a tale of power. Father over daughter, king over gold, magic over the magic wielder, and love over all. In the end, it is love that prevails and love that conquers all. She has painstakingly woven these complexities into her tale with the skill of a writer many years her senior.

Spinner is a tale worth the read. I for one look forward to more of the Spun Again Tales series. :)

[Els]

*bonks myself over the head*
When, oh when will I learn not to dive into a genre I know I dislike merely because I love the author. It's happened before with Dandelion Dust and Once: Six Historically Inspired Fairytales and by this point you'd think I'd get the memo.

I don't like 99.99999999999% of romances, or 99.99999% of fairytale retellings.

I'm not leaving a rating because you, dear reader, may love this! It's unique, the writing is wonderful as always (I told you I came for the author!) but . . . it's not for me. I'll just go away and cry now. (Or, in greater likelihood, curl up with The Redwoods, which is a little more in my vein. ;) )

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for a unique, interesting, but too quickly paced story!

[Gene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - Tabi Card was one of my first Goodreads friends. I've found her to be a well-read, very smart lady and I'm excited to have the opportunity to read her first book.

This is a short story/novella in which young Greta is sold to slavery by her greedy father. She is sold to the king, no less. As we endure her trials, we find that what each character thought they wanted isn't without its price. And we learn that what's truly of value is best purchased with currency from our hearts.

Bonding with characters and looking forward to what happens next are two hallmarks of a good story. Spinner has them both. Greta and the spinner are likable characters, both with good character development. All of the characters play an important role and you'll either love or hate each of them. The story keeps moving and progresses the plot at a steady pace. Tabi throws in an occasional surprise to keep things really interesting, then wraps the story up nicely at the end.

As I read, I really liked how the "magic" demanded payment and I thought that the characterization of the magic users was cool. There are some excellent messages buried within this tale. There is a lot of potential to expand this story, or to play off the world of magic that is developing. I'd love to see the threads of multiple characters, woven into a larger book. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Cons ... well, I couldn't find a physical copy that I could get the author to autograph!

[Michelle Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting twist on the Rumpelstiltskin tale. I absolutely adored it! It takes the spooky fairy tale and turns it into a beautiful love story. Tabi's writing skill is impressive and you can't help but love the characters. This is the first time I have read this author's work, but it definitely will not be the last. Great story!!

[Squeaky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely short story/ fairytale

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t often read stories of this style, so I’d have to say one of the things I liked most about Spinner by Tabi Card was its uniqueness. It was a nice new take on a fairytale I grew up reading. I liked the way the magic worked, the way the spinner was literally bound to it and couldn’t stop.

That being said, I felt like the romance was a little forced and predictable. The moment we were introduced to the spinner, my brain went, “he’s going to be aloof, but slowly warm up to her, and she’s going to see that even though he’s really beautiful even though he’s disfigured.” Sure enough, several pages later that exact thing happened. I also felt like the whole part where the king actually falls in love with the protagonist was confusing. It seemed to contradict his character.

Something I appreciated very much about the story was the writing style. I can’t even express how overjoyed I was to never see the word “okay.” I feel like that’s a common mistake with writers when they make stories that aren’t modern, but Tabi kept the dialogue very in touch with the time period.

The writing style in general I liked as well. It had an artistic feel to it, especially the introductory sentence. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes fairytales or fantasy stories, or basically anything of the sort.

[A.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spinner is a wonderfully creative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story. The novella turns the familiar old tale into a new story of love and magic.
I may have given this novella 5 stars instead of 4 if it hadn’t been for the fact that the story is written in first person present tense. Unfortunately, that makes the writing seem choppy and quite jarring in places, especially when the main character is telling of something she remembered from the past. In those scenes, the verb tense shifts from present to past to present. It would have been much better if the story had been written in third person past tense. Even first person past tense would have been an improvement. There were also several typos and grammatical errors that briefly brought me back into the real world when I was enjoying the tale. The book could benefit from another editing session.
However, overall, I really enjoyed the story. I look forward to seeing what other work this author creates.

[Oliver Tooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this reboot of a classic children's tale.
Shifting the focus to the young woman is a masterstroke. Developing the magical spinner's character is beautiful and poignant; but the best bit is showing the king in all his true, unpleasant, colours.
The ending was perfect but not quite as I anticipated.
I feel that this is the true story, and the one I was told as a child is the official line that the authorities want me to believe.
Like this only came out as a result of the thirty years rule.

[grace duck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I loved reading this retelling of Rumplestiltskin and how the girl doesn't want to marry and fall in love the king and how the story is both dark and sweet.

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting retelling of Rumpelstiltskin but the biggest instance of violence was too much for me and felt out of place in the way it was carried out (no pun intended). Personally I didn't feel like the grotesque way it was written added anything to the story. I also felt like the father/daughter relationship needed a little more depth as it seemed like her father's treatment of her was rationalized in the end.

Sexual: kissing only
Violence: medium [head in a sack]
Language: none

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Lissa X]

It was good, nice short story with a flip on the rumpelstiltskin story~

[Jersey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was rushed towards the end quite a bit. Besides that though it was a cute story that I enjoyed reading.