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wisecraic 's review for:
Night Spinner
by Addie Thorley
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
Addie Thorley begins a new young adult fantasy series with Night Spinner. Marketed as a Hunchback of Notre Dame retelling, Thorley introduces a magic system that is sure to please fans of the Grishaverse. Our titular Night Spinner is Enebish, a girl who was once a warrior in the Imperial Army. After losing control of her power, causing a massacre, and gaining the cognomen "the Destroyer", Enebish is sequestered in a monastery. Her foster sister, Ghoa, is an Ice Herald and becomes Commander of the Kalima (magically-gifted) portion of the Imperial Army. Enebish is surviving with the mental and physical scars from the day of the massacre when her sister comes to her with an offer. Infiltrate the rebellion called the Shoniin. Lead to the capture of the notorious criminal Temujin. Earn a pardon and reinstatement as a warrior.
Thorley manages to balance fast paced action with character development. I found myself very much invested in both Serik and Temujin, and enjoyed the way she introduced Kartok and his place in the story. Enebish came across as inherently good-natured, if naive, and was an accessible and relatable narrator. While I didn't exactly like Ghoa(nor do I think I was meant to), her ambition and manipulative tendencies were well-written.
This story was good fun, and it was easy to identify various roles being fulfilled from Hunchback. I understand that retellings are the fad of the moment, and this one is done well. But I almost wish it hadn't been marketed as a retelling, but evolved to stand on its own merit. It was a very quick read, and a solid introduction to a series. I do find myself eager to read the next installment, and am excited for how the story will grow outside of the Hunchback framework.
Addie Thorley begins a new young adult fantasy series with Night Spinner. Marketed as a Hunchback of Notre Dame retelling, Thorley introduces a magic system that is sure to please fans of the Grishaverse. Our titular Night Spinner is Enebish, a girl who was once a warrior in the Imperial Army. After losing control of her power, causing a massacre, and gaining the cognomen "the Destroyer", Enebish is sequestered in a monastery. Her foster sister, Ghoa, is an Ice Herald and becomes Commander of the Kalima (magically-gifted) portion of the Imperial Army. Enebish is surviving with the mental and physical scars from the day of the massacre when her sister comes to her with an offer. Infiltrate the rebellion called the Shoniin. Lead to the capture of the notorious criminal Temujin. Earn a pardon and reinstatement as a warrior.
Thorley manages to balance fast paced action with character development. I found myself very much invested in both Serik and Temujin, and enjoyed the way she introduced Kartok and his place in the story. Enebish came across as inherently good-natured, if naive, and was an accessible and relatable narrator. While I didn't exactly like Ghoa(nor do I think I was meant to), her ambition and manipulative tendencies were well-written.
This story was good fun, and it was easy to identify various roles being fulfilled from Hunchback. I understand that retellings are the fad of the moment, and this one is done well. But I almost wish it hadn't been marketed as a retelling, but evolved to stand on its own merit. It was a very quick read, and a solid introduction to a series. I do find myself eager to read the next installment, and am excited for how the story will grow outside of the Hunchback framework.