As with most McKinley books, Spindle's End contains intriguing, strong female characters. Though there is a romance, it's not the central thrust of the book's plot. The world is deftly created, and she weaves in more humor than in some of her other novels. The great downfall of the book is it's climax which, when stretched over 100 pages, becomes increasingly anticlimactic. I ended up scanning through the long fight with the main antagonist in an attempt to keep my interest up.