A review by cj_lovesbooks
A Story Spun in Scarlet by R. Dugan

4.25

Taking a broad look at this book, I had a good time. There were some things that bugged me but nothing that took away from the overall effect of reading it.
I loved the idea behind the book very unique and enjoyed both the world and magic system. It took me about 15% of the book to really get into it but after that, I was invested. 
The age of the characters was hard to pin down for me because they often acted younger than they were - which I do feel is a common problem in YA books with adult characters. But I still liked our two main characters and found Audra to be if not always likable, a relatable character. And I was totally in love with her and Jaik’s dynamic. 
I liked that the plot was a traveling quest so the plot was always literally and figuratively moving along. The book was long but then described months of traveling in a few paragraphs. It was a weird dynamic cause they book didn’t need to be longer but then I felt like we missed time where we could have been seeing relationships develop.

I am picky with how the memory loss trip is used but I actually really enjoyed it. I think it was really cool trying to figure it out as it unraveled. Though I would have liked more foreshadowing to all the characters that were introduced at the end. It felt weird to meet new characters at 85% because at that point, I didn’t really care to get invested in them.

 
The more I think about the ending, the more I like it.

I thought it was gripping and emotionally fraught. I liked that it wasn’t completely a happy ending but still ended in a hopeful note.