Spellbound

Brought to you by Penguin.

'They had not known there would be so much magic.'

In a remote castle perched atop a windswept island, a long-awaited royal heir is born. In accordance with ancient custom, a blessing ceremony takes place to bestow the princess with magical gifts – along with a terrible curse.

Except this is not the love story you may think you know. There is no enchanted sleep for the princess, and no handsome prince to save the day. Just three women, who together concoct a desperate plan of misdirect that changes the course of all their lives.

But dark magic cannot be tricked, and as the end of the curse edges closer, each of the women has a choice to make. They can wait to find out if the worst will happen, or they can turn to face the coming storm . . .

An atmospheric, feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale that asks, What if Beauty never went to sleep?

© Georgia Leighton 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025