THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE by Neil Gaiman
The dwarves discovered the sleeping sickness by accident. They had traveled to the other side of the mountain to get a gift for the queen on her wedding day. But what they found in the neighboring kingdom was nothing but fear of the plague of sleep that was traveling faster and faster across the land. There were rumours of a princess sleep in a castle and an evil enchantress, and the dwarves know that the only person who could possibly travel through the land of sleep, besides magic creatures like themselves, is the queen who slept for a hundred years before she was awakened with a kiss. Eager to postpone her wedding day, the queen travel with the dwarves to the neighboring kingdom to search for the princess and a cure for the sleep.
This novella is a quick but engrossing read. As usual, Gaiman has created a vivid world rooted in the darker side of traditional folklore. I enjoyed this short novel immensely and would highly recommend it to adult, teen, and middle grade readers who enjoy dark fairytales.
Susan the Librarian 