Neil Gaiman fans aren't going to be disappointed with his newest book, THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE. An inventive retelling of "Sleeping Beauty," this story is just as dark, funny and frightening as you'd expect from the author of COROLINE and THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.

When the young Queen takes her trusty dwarf companions in search of a kingdom that was hit, decades ago, by a plague of sleep, the Queen gets a little more than she bargained for. Fighting her way through a wall of thorns and an army of sleeping zombies, the Queen finds the Sleeper in a tall tower, but in true Gaiman style, things aren't as they seem.

I won't give away any more because this book is better the less you know going in. Clocking in at 66 pages, THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE is an incredibly fast read, best enjoyed on a stormy afternoon with a warm beverage. The story is inventive and full of legitimately surprising twists. One particular bit of masterful storytelling comes in the Queen's own back-story. I was delighted to learn bits and pieces about her as the book went on.

"Riddell's work matches perfectly with Gaiman's…. This is an absolutely beautiful book to read."

More than anything, THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE maintains all of the dark undertones of the original Grimm story but embellishes them to suit Gaiman's style and a modern audience. If you ever poured over a fairy tale book as a child, you will appreciate Gaiman's nods to the original. Like everything he writes, the details make the story come alive.

But as great as the story is, Chris Riddell's illustrations are the real standout of the book. Inky, intricate and incredibly dark (the Queen wears a number of small skulls on her person that are never explained), Riddell's work matches perfectly with Gaiman's. They previously collaborated on THE GRAVEYARD BOOK but the grotesquely medieval motif of this book works even better. This is an absolutely beautiful book to read.

If you're a fan of Neil Gaiman or you're looking for a quick gateway to Neil Gaiman's other books, THE SLEEPER AND THE SPINDLE is a great way to go. Perhaps a little too scary for younger kids, this is the perfect picture book for kids and teens who like their fairy tales a little dark.