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kaitebooktoklady's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Let me tell you a story…
A story about a woman who feels abandoned, lost, and as though she’s not enough. Who has traveled for ages to try and find her path, only to get caught up with a man she’s just met, who seems to affect her powers in a way she never expected.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. Audra and Jaik’s tale was incredibly captivating, an adventure full of twists and turns, and I couldn’t get enough. Getting to experience their journey took me through all of the emotions, and all of the stories within the story were so well told. R. Dugan, thank you for sharing this story!
I give this book 4.5 stars. The characters, the storyline, the writing all went together beautifully in my head, and it was so easy to picture the locations, fights, and love between the characters. Can’t wait for book two!
A story about a woman who feels abandoned, lost, and as though she’s not enough. Who has traveled for ages to try and find her path, only to get caught up with a man she’s just met, who seems to affect her powers in a way she never expected.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. Audra and Jaik’s tale was incredibly captivating, an adventure full of twists and turns, and I couldn’t get enough. Getting to experience their journey took me through all of the emotions, and all of the stories within the story were so well told. R. Dugan, thank you for sharing this story!
I give this book 4.5 stars. The characters, the storyline, the writing all went together beautifully in my head, and it was so easy to picture the locations, fights, and love between the characters. Can’t wait for book two!
adrihean's review
5.0
“The things we held onto the hardest were the things we’d brought with us into this strange, broken world.”
“A Story Spun in Scarlet” by R. Dugan
A world where storytellers bear the burden of lost endings. Audra is a storyteller and the loss of her family and friends haunts her. Audra, attempting to forge a new path, finds herself entangled in a web of mystery and consequences. Audra is talked into telling a story one day and with the arrival of a mysterious man she finally ends a story causing the end of new the life she built. Jaik, the mysterious man, is thrown into Audra’s world, they are on the run to seek for the reason the world lost the endings.
Wow… just wow. This book might end up being the best book of the year. The concept immediately drew me into the story. The story was so full of world building and character development. Not only do the characters transform from their current characters to their characters before the loss of endings, but they also undergo a secondary character development as they strive to rectify the chaos they unintentionally caused. The layered character growth is a unique dimension that is uncommon in the books I’ve read before. The characters were perfect, Audra and Jaik relationship felt authentic. The map page was so nice, gotta love a good map page. The book was long and it strengths the book without adding unnecessary things. The ending was absolutely perfect as well. I gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.
-Storyteller/Story Weaver
-Magic
-Panic Attacks
-Enemies To Lovers
-Slow Burn
abbyv115's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I cannot remember the last time that I was so intrigued by a premise to a book. A world where the magic system is entirely tied to peoples ability to finish a story and their words are able to create and help the kingdom prosper, but something happened to cause all those endings to cease. In the beginning were met with Audra who is a storyteller. She shares with us a few stories she attempts and you can feel the hurt in her as she is unable to finish them.
I enjoyed the humor in the characters relationship as she meets and begins to travel on adventure with Jaik, but other than the main characters, everyone else felt more like a prop. A big theme in the story is Audra not remembering a certain time in her life and this leads to many plot points being brought in abruptly that left me confused and in some cases think that I skipped a page.
With Audra's character, I did still want more. I felt as though her selfishness drove her in many aspects, but she wasn't ever allowed to be fully selfish leaving her to turn on a dime between polar opposite emotions that didn't feel organic.
The writing within this book is extremely descriptive in painting the picture of the world, but this can sometimes be to distracting degree and leave the story falling into a rut where nothing is happening for pages. This impacted the pacing since I felt everything was moving along too slowly only to have us jump from one situation to the next before there was even much resolution or parts were just far too rushed not allowing for the emotional connection. While the descriptives of the setting were overflowing with prose, I never was drawn to the emotions. I couldn't buy in to their feelings especially with the romance. The entire book felt more like two friends traveling and far less romantic connection. I wish there was more character focus on these relationships both with the main characters and all the friends met along the way.
In the end, I did enjoy this story, though I was left thinking the execution could have been better. I think this book is too long and could have been parsed down and it would have made the reader experience more enjoyable.
I enjoyed the humor in the characters relationship as she meets and begins to travel on adventure with Jaik, but other than the main characters, everyone else felt more like a prop. A big theme in the story is Audra not remembering a certain time in her life and this leads to many plot points being brought in abruptly that left me confused and in some cases think that I skipped a page.
With Audra's character, I did still want more. I felt as though her selfishness drove her in many aspects, but she wasn't ever allowed to be fully selfish leaving her to turn on a dime between polar opposite emotions that didn't feel organic.
The writing within this book is extremely descriptive in painting the picture of the world, but this can sometimes be to distracting degree and leave the story falling into a rut where nothing is happening for pages. This impacted the pacing since I felt everything was moving along too slowly only to have us jump from one situation to the next before there was even much resolution or parts were just far too rushed not allowing for the emotional connection. While the descriptives of the setting were overflowing with prose, I never was drawn to the emotions. I couldn't buy in to their feelings especially with the romance. The entire book felt more like two friends traveling and far less romantic connection. I wish there was more character focus on these relationships both with the main characters and all the friends met along the way.
In the end, I did enjoy this story, though I was left thinking the execution could have been better. I think this book is too long and could have been parsed down and it would have made the reader experience more enjoyable.
sarah_georges13's review
5.0
Thank you Wave Walker Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
"And love, as we are all aware, is a force strong enough to alter the shape of the world."
A Story Spun in Scarlet is about Audra, a storycrafter, who lives in Mithra-Shaw. In this world, storytellers have lost the ability to finish their stories and because of this, magic has disappeared. We read as Audra tries to survive in a world that is ultimately against her. While working in a tavern, she meet Jaik, a farmhand. Jaik's mere presence gives Audra the ability to finally finish a story at long last. However, this means trouble for the two of them as officers track them and aim to take them down for this.
From the beginning, I was hooked. For a book about storytelling, Dugan really does have a way with words. This book felt magical from start to end. The banter, world building, and general humor was refreshing and made for an incredible reading experience. I'm such a sucker for stories within stories too, and Audra did not disappoint when it came to spinning some magnificent tales as a storycrafter.
This is a book I will be thinking about for a long while. Dugan is the Master Storycrafter.
"And love, as we are all aware, is a force strong enough to alter the shape of the world."
A Story Spun in Scarlet is about Audra, a storycrafter, who lives in Mithra-Shaw. In this world, storytellers have lost the ability to finish their stories and because of this, magic has disappeared. We read as Audra tries to survive in a world that is ultimately against her. While working in a tavern, she meet Jaik, a farmhand. Jaik's mere presence gives Audra the ability to finally finish a story at long last. However, this means trouble for the two of them as officers track them and aim to take them down for this.
From the beginning, I was hooked. For a book about storytelling, Dugan really does have a way with words. This book felt magical from start to end. The banter, world building, and general humor was refreshing and made for an incredible reading experience. I'm such a sucker for stories within stories too, and Audra did not disappoint when it came to spinning some magnificent tales as a storycrafter.
This is a book I will be thinking about for a long while. Dugan is the Master Storycrafter.
thebookedcookie's review
5.0
I love this book! It’s lyrical and metaphorical. It stole my heart with its stories in a story. Can you imagine a world where magic is woven through stories, and these stories can’t be finished? The concept is devastating.
Audra is a storyteller who can no longer finish her tales. She’s forced to find out why. Her journey is full of magic both beautiful and devastating. She finds friends, new and old, and falls in love with Jaik. The slow burn of this romance is delightful. Jaik is delightful. The entire book is delightful!
Renee’s writing is unique. In this book, her descriptions usually revolve around writing and stories. I find them so clever. They add to the magic of the story.
I was swept away by the imagery, the main characters, the friendships, and the ending. I want more of this world. I want more of this writing style.
This book contains no profanity and kissing.
Audra is a storyteller who can no longer finish her tales. She’s forced to find out why. Her journey is full of magic both beautiful and devastating. She finds friends, new and old, and falls in love with Jaik. The slow burn of this romance is delightful. Jaik is delightful. The entire book is delightful!
Renee’s writing is unique. In this book, her descriptions usually revolve around writing and stories. I find them so clever. They add to the magic of the story.
I was swept away by the imagery, the main characters, the friendships, and the ending. I want more of this world. I want more of this writing style.
This book contains no profanity and kissing.
cathwolfiereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-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
5.0
(Thank you to R. Dugan, Wave Walker Press and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC)
Holy moly was this book amazing. And if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I very much would. Not only did it have an (in my opinion) very unique story but also a very captivating writing style and lovable characters.
On top of that it was a whole lot of action and also see how the two main characters start from strangers to friends and maybe even more.
On top of that we also have loveable characters, a cool world where everything takes place and a whole lot of emotions during the entirety of the book.
HOWEVER; I do have a tiny bit of complaint about the book even though I loved it from start to finish, which is that I wished that the rulers of the country this story takes place in would be described a tiny bit better because it took me a while before it was fully comprehended for me. But that might also be a personal thing.
On top of that I urge the readers of this book to have tissues at the ready for the emotional rollercoaster that the epilogue will be coming at you with, because the author really pulled at our strings there and it showed (take it from a person who rarely cries at books and who sobbed their heart out after reading the end of this book).
I will definitely be rereading this again since this was such an amazing read. And I will also be checking out the author’s other books that they have written.
Holy moly was this book amazing. And if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I very much would. Not only did it have an (in my opinion) very unique story but also a very captivating writing style and lovable characters.
On top of that it was a whole lot of action and also see how the two main characters start from strangers to friends and maybe even more.
On top of that we also have loveable characters, a cool world where everything takes place and a whole lot of emotions during the entirety of the book.
HOWEVER; I do have a tiny bit of complaint about the book even though I loved it from start to finish, which is that I wished that the rulers of the country this story takes place in would be described a tiny bit better because it took me a while before it was fully comprehended for me. But that might also be a personal thing.
On top of that I urge the readers of this book to have tissues at the ready for the emotional rollercoaster that the epilogue will be coming at you with, because the author really pulled at our strings there and it showed (take it from a person who rarely cries at books and who sobbed their heart out after reading the end of this book).
I will definitely be rereading this again since this was such an amazing read. And I will also be checking out the author’s other books that they have written.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Hate crime, Vomit, Grief, and Murder
jessicabeel's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
carolibrary's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
mackim's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
A world and magic system unlike any I have read before. A Story Spun in Scarlet is a beautifully written story about a storyteller, Audra, who can no longer finish her stories until she encounters a farmer, Jaik. Jaik acts as a human amplifier whose presence allows Audra to finish her stories. Together, they go on great adventures in order to get the answers they both crave.
I really loved Audra and Jaik as individuals and together. They are so endearing and have you rooting for them the whole time. In addition, I loved that luck is so important that it becomes a character itself. While the story did feel too long at times, the amazing world building and the love I had for the characters helped combat ever being disinterested in the story. I will definitely be checking out other work by R. Dugan.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own.
daisylo's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Take all of the emotion you felt while reading your favorite fantasy trilogy and combine it into one book. This story had me tearing up throughout the entire final chapters and I'm not mad about it. It was heartbreaking and overwhelming and inspiring and way too relatable than I expected it'd be when I started reading. I personally found it a bit difficult to get used to the author's more literary and metaphorical writing style, which could sometimes pull me out of the story entirely due to my utter confusion regarding what was actually going on in a scene, as the colorful phrases (especially during the chase scene on the Isle) were too complicated for me, a simpleton, to understand or appreciate. I'm so glad I pushed through the complicated (to me, at least) first few chapters, because the beautiful and honest story of Jaik and Audra finding their own ways to connect with each other, coupled with extravagant twists in the plot and a perfect amount of foreshadowing to keep me playing detective, made this a book I will recommend to anyone who will listen.
The choice to use only 2 major main characters allowed the plot to really expand and explore many different dimensions and environments, teaching us about these characters in an encompassing and intimate way. We also get to see these characters come together in a purely beautiful and human way that doesn't rely on romance or sex but instead on trust and friendship, and the establishment of that between the two of them (a bond that they both desperately need) is so meaningful. Their "ending" is absolutely heartbreaking but also so crucial and functionally perfect in order to tell the story that is their love.
Also, to the author, I give my genuine praise, as I’ve never related so much to a character. Addie's desperate need to be important and wanted, coupled with her need to be selfless and help others, while also having so little love or support that she feels the need to apologize for every small thing, who is also incredibly honest and doesn’t filter out her own dark past and emotions but is simultaneously terrified that people she wants to stay will leave, who gets irrationally angry when people can't read her mind (even though she can simultaneously logically address that that is an unfair thing to be mad about, but is still mad anyways), who gets overly emotional at the littlest kindness someone shows her (even though she had a relatively supportive childhood and family life growing up), altogether forms a person I've never seen described on paper before and one so specifically relatable to me that I couldn't help but be grateful for your ability to put words to the clashing turmoil I feel in my own life. It so deeply validates my feelings that I am still allowed to feel unworthy and guilt-ridden even if, on paper, my life story says I shouldn't need to feel these things because I've been so blessed. So in the future, if I ever need to explain my thought processes or why I do certain things, I will bring out this book and point to Audra as the most accurate funnel of my own personality and struggles that I've ever seen.
The choice to use only 2 major main characters allowed the plot to really expand and explore many different dimensions and environments, teaching us about these characters in an encompassing and intimate way. We also get to see these characters come together in a purely beautiful and human way that doesn't rely on romance or sex but instead on trust and friendship, and the establishment of that between the two of them (a bond that they both desperately need) is so meaningful. Their "ending" is absolutely heartbreaking but also so crucial and functionally perfect in order to tell the story that is their love.
Also, to the author, I give my genuine praise, as I’ve never related so much to a character. Addie's desperate need to be important and wanted, coupled with her need to be selfless and help others, while also having so little love or support that she feels the need to apologize for every small thing, who is also incredibly honest and doesn’t filter out her own dark past and emotions but is simultaneously terrified that people she wants to stay will leave, who gets irrationally angry when people can't read her mind (even though she can simultaneously logically address that that is an unfair thing to be mad about, but is still mad anyways), who gets overly emotional at the littlest kindness someone shows her (even though she had a relatively supportive childhood and family life growing up), altogether forms a person I've never seen described on paper before and one so specifically relatable to me that I couldn't help but be grateful for your ability to put words to the clashing turmoil I feel in my own life. It so deeply validates my feelings that I am still allowed to feel unworthy and guilt-ridden even if, on paper, my life story says I shouldn't need to feel these things because I've been so blessed. So in the future, if I ever need to explain my thought processes or why I do certain things, I will bring out this book and point to Audra as the most accurate funnel of my own personality and struggles that I've ever seen.