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A review by melaniesreads
The Book Binder's Daughter by Jessica Thorne
4.0
I normally avoid fantasy books as I’ve never quite got along with them but the draw of a magical library and the mystery of her missing mother was so strong that I decided to take another chance.
I am glad I did as there was a lot I loved about this book plus it had a black cat and they are my eternal downfall. Want me to read a book, stick a cat in it.
Sophie was a great protagonist, her life isn’t making her happy except for her job and after the death of her father she only has her boyfriend Victor. He has been screening phone calls and not passing on letters so she is shocked when she receives an unexpected visit from a long lost uncle with a job offer at The Ayredale Special Collection, a coveted role prized by many and where her mum went missing. After leaving work early to think about it she catches Victor and his pa in a very compromising position and flees to a hotel. With nowhere else to go, her uncle’s invitation feels like destiny and she’s being pulled home again.
The author has managed to create an exquisite world for book lovers and her descriptive, lyrical writing brought it to life on the page. The mystery was like a shadow seen from the corner of your eye and every time you turn around it vanishes and you are left questioning if it was real.
The characters were wonderfully eccentric my only little quibble was the romance element with childhood friend Will. I personally would have preferred the book without it but that’s down to me and not the author and I know many fantasy readers will love it.
The star of this book though is the quality of the writing and the imagery it conjures is just magical.
I am glad I did as there was a lot I loved about this book plus it had a black cat and they are my eternal downfall. Want me to read a book, stick a cat in it.
Sophie was a great protagonist, her life isn’t making her happy except for her job and after the death of her father she only has her boyfriend Victor. He has been screening phone calls and not passing on letters so she is shocked when she receives an unexpected visit from a long lost uncle with a job offer at The Ayredale Special Collection, a coveted role prized by many and where her mum went missing. After leaving work early to think about it she catches Victor and his pa in a very compromising position and flees to a hotel. With nowhere else to go, her uncle’s invitation feels like destiny and she’s being pulled home again.
The author has managed to create an exquisite world for book lovers and her descriptive, lyrical writing brought it to life on the page. The mystery was like a shadow seen from the corner of your eye and every time you turn around it vanishes and you are left questioning if it was real.
The characters were wonderfully eccentric my only little quibble was the romance element with childhood friend Will. I personally would have preferred the book without it but that’s down to me and not the author and I know many fantasy readers will love it.
The star of this book though is the quality of the writing and the imagery it conjures is just magical.