Robin McKinley has won various awards and citations for her writing, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword. Her other books include Sunshine; the New York Times bestseller Spindle's End; two novel-length retellings of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and Rose Daughter; and a retelling of the Robin Hood legend, The Outlaws of Sherwood. She lives with her husband, the English writer Peter Dickinson.

"Brilliant . . . [McKinley] succeeds in turning the story of Sleeping Beauty into something literal--in other words, she makes its magic an everyday affair, so that the tale of the cursed princess unfolds as if it were realistic."--The New York Times Book Review

"We think we know the end of the story, but still we're drawn forward by the small variations and twists . . . satisfying reading, pleasing in the depth of the weaving and elaboration."--The Chicago Tribune

"Dense with magical detail and all-too-human feeling, this luscious, lengthy novel is almost impossible to rush through. By the end of this journey through an enchanted land--so thick with magic dust that good housekeeping remains a constant challenge--readers will feel that they know it as well as their own backyards."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A richly imagined, vividly depicted novel. . . . The language evokes ancient bards and stories of long ago, with arcane and invented words that create an otherworldly atmosphere that blends the real and the magical. . . . The compelling climax reinforces the triumph of good over evil, and the transformative power of love."--School Library Journal

Publisher: Firebird

Pub date: 2002-05-13

Length: 432 pages