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a_little_teacup's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Animal death
bee_a_friend's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, and Violence
natashaleighton_'s review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Frances Hardinge’s Unraveller is a beautifully written and richly imagined fantasy with a deliciously twisted, dark fairytale-esque aesthetic I couldn’t get enough of!
I loved every single second of this immersive (and utterly addictive) masterpiece. And reading this genuinely felt like one of those vivid dreams that you find soo beautiful you desperately hope never to leave. It’s only on closer inspection do you realise you’ve actually stumbled into a nightmare of the strange and magical—that’s what Unraveller felt like, but in the most glorious way.
I absolutely loved how detailed and lush the world-building was, the spellbindingly strange, sprawling landscape was just exquisite and the inhabitants really added a depth that truly made reading this an immersive experience.
I really liked both main characters we’re introduced to. Kellen is a rash, flawed and complex character who finds himself with a gift to unravel the curses that are inflicted from “cursed eggs”, formed from the build up of people’s long buried hatred and spite. I really enjoyed exploring his concept of justice, but his anger issues (one of his biggest flaws) were also really interesting to watch as his “gift” of unravelling can cause everything in his vicinity (garments, furniture, objects) to unravel when he experiences heightened emotions. Most of the narrative revolves around his impulsive tendencies and the result of his rash decisions—most of which do get him into a spot of trouble on more than one occasion. But his journey does involve some self reflection and I enjoyed seeing him learn the importance of having a little patience.
Nettle, our other protagonist is the complete antithesis to Kellen, she’s methodical and cautious in her approach to most situations but also caring, which I felt definitely helped to balance out some of Kellen’s chaotic, callous and unpredictable tendencies. She internalises a lot of her problems which does make her seem a little colder/ uncaring to begin with however, we do learn why she’s soo guarded and I genuinely felt emotional over what she had to endure (having been cursed by her stepmother.)
The supporting cast of characters were also really well crafted and the uniqueness (and detail) that Hardinge imbues into each one was pretty impressive. Whether unjustly cursed, the person doing the cursing, or even just one of the beings or creatures from the magic infested wilds—I was fascinated by them all. I could easily read a novel based on every single one of them, but I did have a soft spot for Gall and Yannick who I found especially fascinating.
Having given up an eye to control the fiery (and deadly) marsh horse, marsh rider Gall was a character I spent the most time on the fence about —he’s a morally ambiguous character (due in part to his bond with such a wild and dangerous creature) but given the mystery surrounding him I was a little unsure where his loyalties would eventually lie. I did, however, really enjoy what little of his backstory we did unravel which really made me see him in a new light.
Likewise, Yannick really came into his own as character in the second half of the book as we learn a little more about his life beyond being Nettle’s similarly cursed brother. And his interactions with Kellen in the later chapters were soo entertaining.
Overall, a beautifully written and genuinely compelling, fantasy with a unique magic system, plenty of intriguing characters and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. It wraps up nicely with a pretty satisfying and—more the most part—fairly uplifting ending. If you love your fantasy dark and deliciously twisted then I definitely recommend picking this up.
Also, a huge thank you to Bethan at Macmillan Kids UK for this stunning finished copy.
I loved every single second of this immersive (and utterly addictive) masterpiece. And reading this genuinely felt like one of those vivid dreams that you find soo beautiful you desperately hope never to leave. It’s only on closer inspection do you realise you’ve actually stumbled into a nightmare of the strange and magical—that’s what Unraveller felt like, but in the most glorious way.
I absolutely loved how detailed and lush the world-building was, the spellbindingly strange, sprawling landscape was just exquisite and the inhabitants really added a depth that truly made reading this an immersive experience.
I really liked both main characters we’re introduced to. Kellen is a rash, flawed and complex character who finds himself with a gift to unravel the curses that are inflicted from “cursed eggs”, formed from the build up of people’s long buried hatred and spite. I really enjoyed exploring his concept of justice, but his anger issues (one of his biggest flaws) were also really interesting to watch as his “gift” of unravelling can cause everything in his vicinity (garments, furniture, objects) to unravel when he experiences heightened emotions. Most of the narrative revolves around his impulsive tendencies and the result of his rash decisions—most of which do get him into a spot of trouble on more than one occasion. But his journey does involve some self reflection and I enjoyed seeing him learn the importance of having a little patience.
Nettle, our other protagonist is the complete antithesis to Kellen, she’s methodical and cautious in her approach to most situations but also caring, which I felt definitely helped to balance out some of Kellen’s chaotic, callous and unpredictable tendencies. She internalises a lot of her problems which does make her seem a little colder/ uncaring to begin with however, we do learn why she’s soo guarded and I genuinely felt emotional over what she had to endure (having been cursed by her stepmother.)
The supporting cast of characters were also really well crafted and the uniqueness (and detail) that Hardinge imbues into each one was pretty impressive. Whether unjustly cursed, the person doing the cursing, or even just one of the beings or creatures from the magic infested wilds—I was fascinated by them all. I could easily read a novel based on every single one of them, but I did have a soft spot for Gall and Yannick who I found especially fascinating.
Having given up an eye to control the fiery (and deadly) marsh horse, marsh rider Gall was a character I spent the most time on the fence about —he’s a morally ambiguous character (due in part to his bond with such a wild and dangerous creature) but given the mystery surrounding him I was a little unsure where his loyalties would eventually lie. I did, however, really enjoy what little of his backstory we did unravel which really made me see him in a new light.
Likewise, Yannick really came into his own as character in the second half of the book as we learn a little more about his life beyond being Nettle’s similarly cursed brother. And his interactions with Kellen in the later chapters were soo entertaining.
Overall, a beautifully written and genuinely compelling, fantasy with a unique magic system, plenty of intriguing characters and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. It wraps up nicely with a pretty satisfying and—more the most part—fairly uplifting ending. If you love your fantasy dark and deliciously twisted then I definitely recommend picking this up.
Also, a huge thank you to Bethan at Macmillan Kids UK for this stunning finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence, Gore, and Blood
maaikereadsbooks_'s review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Many thanks to Macmillan UK Audio and Frances Hardinge for the advanced audio copy of Unraveller via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
Unraveller is an epic story weaving fantasy folklore with the concepts of grievance, redemption, trust, love, hate, manipulation, empathy, (mis)understanding and navigating the world.
I was blown away by the sheer amount of imagination encompassed within the story. The tale moved from one fantastical piece of lore to the next, but they all blended seamlessly, beautifully in a masterful way.
This book is suitable for children through to adults. I will certainly be getting a hard copy for my children to enjoy when they’re a little older, and it will be a story that I’m sure I’ll glean more from upon each re-read.
The narrator, Eleanor Bennett, was a lovely choice and was a pleasure to listen to. There were many sound descriptions (“swish swash”, “splish”) within the story which were done beautifully and really added to the story. The pace of the narration is quite slow and, as the book is a long one, this makes the whole mood of the story one to sit back and just close your eyes and listen to the story. Often I listen to my audiobooks whilst I’m working, walking or doing things. But this book and narration was so intense, but gentle at the same time, that I really just wanted to sit or lie back, close my eyes, and just immerse myself in the world of Kellen, Nettle and the Little Brothers.
I really hope this is picked up and optioned for a film adaptation.
NOTE: if you have genuine arachnophobia, I would not recommend this book.
Spice: 0/5
Rating
Story: 5/5
Audio: 5/5
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Death, and Kidnapping
rcsreads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
This was like a little mental health parable to teach the children to discuss their emotions before they get out of hand. It's also an excellent fantasy story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Grief, and Kidnapping
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