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bbookmylife's review against another edition
Dragging a little, want to finish later.
ranialg's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Its rare to find authors such as Renee Dugan, who slowly, patiently and completely, weave you into a fantasy world, leaving no doubt in your mind that you are about to live through an amazing story. Audra is a storyteller, a teller of tales so magical that it brightens the world, it makes the sun shine, the crops grow, prosperity reign high, until the story endings are lost. Colour fades from Audra’s life. She is barely living, moving from place to place, trying to finish her stories, and trying to avoid the Mithra-Sha soldiers. Until she arrives at Krylan – magical Krylan – and nasty Galan. What else is in store for Audra?
I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next story!! A true fantasy novel that lets you live in another world!
lcp_99's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m writing this straight after finishing and my thoughts are a mess.
I’ll start at the beginning - it took a while for me to fully get into this story. It felt a bit like the introduction may have gone on a bit long for me as I wasn’t engaged in the story until Jaik appeared and then the pace picked up and I began to get more into he’s tory. That said, it did feel a little long in places throughout.
The characters were well fleshed out, including side characters and Audra and Jaik’s friendship and banter was great to read and the way their relationship developed felt so genuine.
The prose was a little more flowery than I usually like but given who the POV character was it made sense and really fitted well.
The plot was engaging although a little confusing at times and a lot happens in the last 20-30% of the book so I was kind of scrambling to keep up. The plot twist was hinted at but I’ll be honest did not see the full extent of that coming whatsoever and in some ways it may have dulled some of the events from earlier briefly although it was well foreshadowed. I will say the ending absolutely gut punched me and was absolutely beautifully done.
I would like to thank Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
bookwyrms_shelf's review against another edition
5.0
This was so expertly woven together that I could not step away. I was so invested in Audra figuring out what felt off, and was rooting for her from page one. No one knows why, but the Storycrafter magic no longer works to give stories their endings, and has caused devastation for the people. Crops no longer flourish, goods no longer sail across the oceans with safety and experience, and mistakes are far worse than ever before, resulting in death and destruction.
When Audra meets Jaik and is finally able to finish a story, she doesn't know what to do, except that she absolutely needs to escape the town she's on, and she MUST take him with her. Of course, he thinks she's a creep and refuses...but she has her ways. Now they're on the run from the soldiers inevitably send by the Sha to capture them, and realize that they will need to work together much better if they're going to outrun word of her finished story and get to safety.
With a plan on place, Audra and Jaik face the wilds and travel towards the coast where Jaik knows someone who can sail them to where they need to go. Along they way they're plagued by a mysterious soldier who seems to know them, but while Jaik vaguely knows him, Audra has no memory of him at all. Something is very wrong, and she will stop at nothing to find out what.
Audra and Jaik grow undeniably closer on their quest to find answers, and the truth that is revealed is bigger than they ever thought possible, yet drawn down to a single Master Storyteller. It's been clear that information has been missing in weird ways, but they never expected everything to change upon their meeting in a Tavern the night she was able to finish a story, all because of Jaik's presence in the room.
This was a long one, but it was riveting and compelling and kept me coming back for more. The emotion of the characters was so real, and I felt the agony and pain over the decisions to be made; the love they had for each other, and the impossible sacrifices they must make. The ending absolutely destroyed me and I had to finish it with tears!
When Audra meets Jaik and is finally able to finish a story, she doesn't know what to do, except that she absolutely needs to escape the town she's on, and she MUST take him with her. Of course, he thinks she's a creep and refuses...but she has her ways. Now they're on the run from the soldiers inevitably send by the Sha to capture them, and realize that they will need to work together much better if they're going to outrun word of her finished story and get to safety.
With a plan on place, Audra and Jaik face the wilds and travel towards the coast where Jaik knows someone who can sail them to where they need to go. Along they way they're plagued by a mysterious soldier who seems to know them, but while Jaik vaguely knows him, Audra has no memory of him at all. Something is very wrong, and she will stop at nothing to find out what.
Audra and Jaik grow undeniably closer on their quest to find answers, and the truth that is revealed is bigger than they ever thought possible, yet drawn down to a single Master Storyteller. It's been clear that information has been missing in weird ways, but they never expected everything to change upon their meeting in a Tavern the night she was able to finish a story, all because of Jaik's presence in the room.
This was a long one, but it was riveting and compelling and kept me coming back for more. The emotion of the characters was so real, and I felt the agony and pain over the decisions to be made; the love they had for each other, and the impossible sacrifices they must make. The ending absolutely destroyed me and I had to finish it with tears!
mhmrose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A storyteller who lost her purpose, Audra Jashowin runs from the unending stories of Mithra-Sha and hopes to start fresh with her stories (even if she has no endings). That is until she meets farmhand, Jaik Grissom; a person who seems to bring out the creativity in her and helps her unlock the endings of her stories.
This was such an amazing read! Filled with compelling lore and an intriguing plot, R. Dugan's A Story Spun in Scarlet has such a uniqueness to it that allows it to stand out as a Fantasy novel and prove itself a strong start to a series I never knew I needed. Telling a tale without an end is every storyteller's worst nightmare and Dugan weaves this into an amazing story that had me devouring it from cover to cover. Audra is a compelling protagonist who feels very three-dimensional with her personality fiery and witty as well as compassionate and caring; she doesn't hold back her true self and doesn't apologise for it. Jaik is just as memorable with a snarky, confident personality that dominates each scene he's in.
If you're a high fantasy fan who wants to explore a world with neverending tales, the dangers that come with an ending and a new series that is on par with Stephanie Garber, Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas (to name a few) then A Story Spun in Scarlet is the perfect book to read.
Thank you, NetGalley, Wave Walker Press and author, R. Dugan, for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was such an amazing read! Filled with compelling lore and an intriguing plot, R. Dugan's A Story Spun in Scarlet has such a uniqueness to it that allows it to stand out as a Fantasy novel and prove itself a strong start to a series I never knew I needed. Telling a tale without an end is every storyteller's worst nightmare and Dugan weaves this into an amazing story that had me devouring it from cover to cover. Audra is a compelling protagonist who feels very three-dimensional with her personality fiery and witty as well as compassionate and caring; she doesn't hold back her true self and doesn't apologise for it. Jaik is just as memorable with a snarky, confident personality that dominates each scene he's in.
If you're a high fantasy fan who wants to explore a world with neverending tales, the dangers that come with an ending and a new series that is on par with Stephanie Garber, Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas (to name a few) then A Story Spun in Scarlet is the perfect book to read.
Thank you, NetGalley, Wave Walker Press and author, R. Dugan, for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
cestnicka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars. This a story about stories, and how the spoken word can be magical all on its own!
Audra Jashowin is a storyteller without a purpose.
When all the tales in the land of Mithra-Sha lose their endings, Audra flees from her family and the only home she ever knew and she arrives at long last in a city of fresh starts and second chances.
There, she finds an adventure greater than she ever dreamed... jaik grissom might be the key to bringing back the power of all stories. Together they must discover the truth of the lost stories of mithra-sha.
I loved the unique storyline of this book! The idea that people can speak stories into existence was super cool! And then the journey of figuring out what happened to all the story crafters of the land was a cool idea. However it was just too long. The book feels really dragged out and I wish she would have shortened it a bit and made this a series with a huge cliffhanger!
I can tell Renee is a great writer, the prose is really poetic and beautiful, but sometimes I felt myself getting pulled out of the story as it started to feel too wordy. I wish she would have done a bit more to explain the world and the magic system as it felt a bit underdeveloped. I could tell she knew the world but it didn't always come across. Stuff didn't always seem to fit the same "era". It seems like this is a medival type of era, however they also have airships and rifles but it's not explained how they came to be. Which again comes back to I feel like the world building and magic system could have been explained more.
I really liked the two main characters, I think she did a great job of making them lovable characters and I was rooting for them the whole way! I wish there was a bit more spice .. it doesn't say whether this is supposed to be YA or adult so I think that also needs to be more clear. But even for a YA book the romance was not enough and I think she needed to have more tension filled moment between these characters.
I liked the idea of the epilogue ... but unfortunately I didn't love the way she ended it! Since I got the arc so early, I know she changed the ending. And I actually was able to read both endings and the new one is much better. Super glad she changed it as it feels more like it's leaving it open to be part of a series where the original felt like the story was over and it was very abrupt. So I'm glad she made the change! But it did feel a bit confusing, as I don't quite understand if she does or doesn't remember them and is just pretending because when he walks in she says "and all at once, I remembered"
I definitely liked this enough that and I want to read the second one cause I do want to know what happens to our two main characters!
Thank you NetGalley for the sending me the ARC digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
If this is now gonna be a see
Audra Jashowin is a storyteller without a purpose.
When all the tales in the land of Mithra-Sha lose their endings, Audra flees from her family and the only home she ever knew and she arrives at long last in a city of fresh starts and second chances.
There, she finds an adventure greater than she ever dreamed... jaik grissom might be the key to bringing back the power of all stories. Together they must discover the truth of the lost stories of mithra-sha.
I loved the unique storyline of this book! The idea that people can speak stories into existence was super cool! And then the journey of figuring out what happened to all the story crafters of the land was a cool idea. However it was just too long. The book feels really dragged out and I wish she would have shortened it a bit and made this a series with a huge cliffhanger!
I can tell Renee is a great writer, the prose is really poetic and beautiful, but sometimes I felt myself getting pulled out of the story as it started to feel too wordy. I wish she would have done a bit more to explain the world and the magic system as it felt a bit underdeveloped. I could tell she knew the world but it didn't always come across. Stuff didn't always seem to fit the same "era". It seems like this is a medival type of era, however they also have airships and rifles but it's not explained how they came to be. Which again comes back to I feel like the world building and magic system could have been explained more.
I really liked the two main characters, I think she did a great job of making them lovable characters and I was rooting for them the whole way! I wish there was a bit more spice .. it doesn't say whether this is supposed to be YA or adult so I think that also needs to be more clear. But even for a YA book the romance was not enough and I think she needed to have more tension filled moment between these characters.
I liked the idea of the epilogue ... but unfortunately I didn't love the way she ended it! Since I got the arc so early, I know she changed the ending. And I actually was able to read both endings and the new one is much better. Super glad she changed it as it feels more like it's leaving it open to be part of a series where the original felt like the story was over and it was very abrupt. So I'm glad she made the change! But it did feel a bit confusing, as I don't quite understand if she does or doesn't remember them and is just pretending because when he walks in she says "and all at once, I remembered"
I definitely liked this enough that and I want to read the second one cause I do want to know what happens to our two main characters!
Thank you NetGalley for the sending me the ARC digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
If this is now gonna be a see
brunchatiffanys's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for this ARC copy!
The instant that I saw this cover I knew it was going to be a book that I wanted to read and after the synopsis I was completely sold. A story about stories, fantasy, unique magic system, realistic forced proximity sitationship. If you are looking for spicy this is not the book for you but if you want to smile and kick your feet and also hold your breath action and stress then you will definitely enjoy this book.
My only complain about this book, and why it is a 4 and not a 5 star read, is that it could have been 350-400 pages easily. The intricate and beautiful descriptions were wonderful in the beginning but over time it became cumbersome. It would go from slow, to complete chaos, and then suddenly we are just back on the road again learning bits and pieces about the characters at a time. If the pacing had been just a little smoother this definitely would have been a 5 star read for me.
I still highly recommend this book book, but just go into it knowing that it is a very long story, and you will travel from one end of the world to the other with many different stops and stories in between.
The instant that I saw this cover I knew it was going to be a book that I wanted to read and after the synopsis I was completely sold. A story about stories, fantasy, unique magic system, realistic forced proximity sitationship. If you are looking for spicy this is not the book for you but if you want to smile and kick your feet and also hold your breath action and stress then you will definitely enjoy this book.
My only complain about this book, and why it is a 4 and not a 5 star read, is that it could have been 350-400 pages easily. The intricate and beautiful descriptions were wonderful in the beginning but over time it became cumbersome. It would go from slow, to complete chaos, and then suddenly we are just back on the road again learning bits and pieces about the characters at a time. If the pacing had been just a little smoother this definitely would have been a 5 star read for me.
I still highly recommend this book book, but just go into it knowing that it is a very long story, and you will travel from one end of the world to the other with many different stops and stories in between.
jadedfrrog's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
book_leigh's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a beautiful tribute to the true power of words. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is not an idiom that can be used in this book. Words can certainly harm. Sword and story indeed. Jaik and Audra are a fantastic pair on the hunt for what happened to the Storycrafter power, leading them to danger and narrow escapes. The imagery, the similes, the alliteration, the world-building. The storycrafting of a storycrafter by a master storycrafter. Nothing I can say will ever do this book justice. The prose brought me to tears. It was and is beyond beautiful.
booksnapsandcatnaps's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
With its intriguing concept and plot, R. Dugan's fantasy novel "A Story Spun in Scarlet" had a lot of potential. Our captivating heroes, Audra and Jaik, have a journey that is easy to follow. Their connection is made more complex by the tension that exists between them. But this is more on the YA side of fantasy if you're looking for a New Adult hot romance.
My main issue with the book is its detail and speed. I found some passages to be redundantly descriptive, which made it difficult for me to get fully immersed in the narrative. I understand that Audra's a storyteller, but we didn't need everything described in such detail. It often felt like Dugan had a great outline for a chapter and then stretched out the narrative. This made the plot feel disjointed, which is a shame because the story is quite intriguing.
I couldn't help but wish there had been more depth and explanation, despite the fact the setting and magic system were fairly easy to understand. Although the explanations of concepts such as airships and guns were clear, the overall kingdom and magic system appeared somewhat incomplete. Dugan was an insider in the world, but struggled to put their knowledge on paper. I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in the environment because of this lack of depth, which left me wanting more.
Being intertwined with the action, Audra's stories were a unique way of incorporating them into the plot. This narrative style was interesting, even though it seemed a little jumbled at first. I liked how they subsequently connected to the main plot and made the tale more intricate.
"A Story Spun in Scarlet" lacks world-building and pacing overall, yet it has a strong overall base. For those seeking a lighter fantasy book, it's a good read.
My main issue with the book is its detail and speed. I found some passages to be redundantly descriptive, which made it difficult for me to get fully immersed in the narrative. I understand that Audra's a storyteller, but we didn't need everything described in such detail. It often felt like Dugan had a great outline for a chapter and then stretched out the narrative. This made the plot feel disjointed, which is a shame because the story is quite intriguing.
I couldn't help but wish there had been more depth and explanation, despite the fact the setting and magic system were fairly easy to understand. Although the explanations of concepts such as airships and guns were clear, the overall kingdom and magic system appeared somewhat incomplete. Dugan was an insider in the world, but struggled to put their knowledge on paper. I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in the environment because of this lack of depth, which left me wanting more.
Being intertwined with the action, Audra's stories were a unique way of incorporating them into the plot. This narrative style was interesting, even though it seemed a little jumbled at first. I liked how they subsequently connected to the main plot and made the tale more intricate.
"A Story Spun in Scarlet" lacks world-building and pacing overall, yet it has a strong overall base. For those seeking a lighter fantasy book, it's a good read.