TW: Child abuse (physical, mental, emotional), murder, suicide, enslavement (using magic), teacher/student (age 16) relationship, underage drinking, death, estrangement, fatphobia (body shaming)

Looking for a book to fill the void left by Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina?

​Threadneedle perfectly combines the dark, twisted magic and teen drama that will satisfy fans of Sabrina and Gossip Girl.

Anna is sixteen years old, living with her aunt in London and training to become a Binder. Since her father murdered her mother, and then killed himself when she was just a baby, Anna has been raised by her aunt. She's a cruel woman who teaches Anna that magic and love are the greatest sins that must be stamped out at all costs.

Through daily punishments and pain, Anna is taught to fear magic and love, suppressing herself until she is nobody.

Anna's only ray of light is the infrequent visits from her mother's best friend, Selene, who calls every few years to see Anna and to leave magical gifts in secret. This year, Selene is back for good, it seems, bringing her daughter Effie, and a mysterious boy, Attis to stay, and changing Anna's life completely.

Anna is a complex character. She's suffered through years of abuse at the hands of the woman who raised her. She's controlled, manipulated, and ridiculed, and simply going through the motions until the binding ceremony set to lock away her magic.

Despite the years of misery, Anna has a quiet resilience, determination, and a strong curiosity that causes her to ask questions and seek truths, even as she fights with what's right and wrong. She's an easy character to root for as she's morally good and after suffering for so long, she deserves to be free.

The cast of characters soon builds and makes for a fun, diverse cast that adds drama and tension to the plot, which definitely helps to keep things moving. I had no problems staying gripped from start to finish.

In Anna's Aunt, the author has created a disturbing villain, one who is vindictive and cruel whilst believing her actions are just and necessary to protect Anna from all that she fears.

I loved the magic system the author has created. The different languages of magic, and how the magical world entwines with the 'real' London, make for a really compelling, fantastical story that holds threads of danger and threat.

I also loved that the characters acted their age and were, for much of the time, focused on somewhat typical troubles like bullies and crushes which, when dealt with through magic, deliver interesting consequences.

There were so many things I loved about this book; the magic, the characters (and their relationships to each other), the pacing, the library, and the twists and shocks at the end, which were not at all what I expected.

The only thing I felt a little disappointed by was the ending, which I just wanted more from but which has now left me waiting, hanging on for book two so I can find out what on earth will happen next!

Overall, Threadneedle is a really gripping, darkly magical read filled with interesting, realistic characters, that's perfect for fans of Sabrina and Gossip Girl.

Anna is a witch being raised by her Aunt who is extremely strict and believes magic to be dark and dangerous. She is a binder and is teaching Anna how to supress her magic. In a year’s time she will be bound and lose the little bit of ability she has for good.
Family friend Selene and her daughter Effie have completely different views and use magic more freely. Anna and Effie make friends at school and she is easily drawn into Effie’s world of spells, potions and enchantments. Anna starts to question her aunts cruel punishments, views and the motives behind her actions.
Throughout the book there’s an ominous threat looming over Anna, its tangible. Each chapter played in my head like an episode of a tv show, I was engrossed! The plot is extremely well planned out and the writing is phenomenal, with so many twist and turns that I absolutely did not expect!
I look forward to the next instalment!

This novel is set in London where Anna is nearly 16 and is being raised by her aunt who is very harsh and cruel with her. She is excited that her aunt Selena is coming for her birthday. However this set up is not your usual dysfunctional family .They are all practitioners of magic. Anna is being taught how to be a binder and this will keep her magical abilities in check. Binders can stop others from practising magic. Anna’s Aunt has always warned that magic is dangerous and the arrival of other relatives with Selena the stage is set for a showdown between magical groups.
The story is exciting and there is an air of menace and violence hanging over the events that happen and it is frightening in parts.
This is the first in the series of the language of magic stories and I look forward to seeing how events progress for Anna.

Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect but I was really happy with what I read!

Anna's character was interesting and I really enjoyed the character development she went though. I felt like I was on the edge of paranoia the whole way through, which only added to the atmosphere of the whole book. I can't wait to read the sequel!

One of the easiest 5 stars I’ve awarded.
Great characters, great ... immersive, drag you in and keep you there ...plot, great writing and witches, witches, witches.

Anna lives with her Aunt, she has ever since she can remember and ever since she can remember she has suffered emotional and physical abuse by her hands, all in the name of love and magic. She has always known that once she reaches 16 her magic (what there is of it) will be ‘bound’, and this, according to her Aunt, is for her own protection.

‘Magic is the first sin, we must bear it silently’.

As with any first instalment all plot points are not resolved and don’t be misled by the ages of the protagonists in this book, it sounds like YA fantasy but it doesn’t really feel that way. The world building has a complexity not generally seen in YA fantasy and there is a real darkness present throughout.

I loved this book and can’t wait for instalment number 2. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even if it wasn't what I expected as it's a mix of YA and adult fantasy and I felt that the two part were a bit unbalanced as one moment you are reading about teen drama and after few pages the tone is darker and more adult.
The other objection is that some parts were dragging and some cuts would have made it more gripping.
That said there a lot of potential and this could become a great fantasy series.
I'm a huge fan of fantasy set in an alternate London and I was fascinated by the setting and how the author mixes fantasy with contemporary life.
The Binder magic system was another plus as it's the first time that I read a magical system inspired by ceremonial magic. Correspondences, timing, the control of emotions are part of ceremonial magic and the author described them very well.
There's a lot of angst, abuse and anger in this book but there are also very interesting characters and a well developed plot (expect for the parts where it drags).
The author is a good storyteller, the character development is excellent and the world building fascinating.
One last note: I fell in love with the cover that I find amazing
It's an enjoyable and engrossing story that I recommend.
Many thanks to HarperVoyager and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Anna has always been told by her aunt that magic is a dangerous, sinful thing, that it was responsible for the death of her parents, and that it should never be used. Anna's now a teenager and although she shows little ability for magic, when she turns seventeen the little magic she does possess will be 'bound' to prevent its use.

Then Selene, an old friend of both Anna's aunt and mother, arrives in London, accompanied by her daughter Effie, and a curious young man, a friend of the family, named Attis. Where Anna's aunt is severe and strict, Selene is charismatic and full of life - and more to the point she believes magic should be used to enjoy life to the full. She, Effie and Attis open Anna's eyes to a different side of the magical world (and perhaps the world in general), one full of fun. At school Effie and Attis discover other witches mixing unrecognised among the students, and set up a coven, drawing Anna into their disruptive plans.

At first it's all fun, but the coven's actions take a dark, destructive turn and Anna begins to wonder if her aunt was maybe right all along - that magic is a curse and shouldn't be practised at all.

Threadneedle is the first book in great new urban fantasy series. Although aimed perhaps mainly at YA readers, with its share of teenage rebellion, and the school culture of 'Queen Bee' cliques, the style and its thread of dark, twisted family secrets to engage older readers. It's easy to sympthise with Anna and her desire for a more fun-filled life (whether than involves magic or not) but at the same time there's a distinct feeling that Effie and Attis will just lure her into trouble. And as events unfold, it's clear that neither her aunt nor Selene are quite as Anna sees them. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The mystery behind Anna and her magic intrigued me greatly and I enjoyed how magic was weaved into the story and how it controlled a lot of Anna and her family's life.

It took me a while to get into it the story at first, but as I read on, I became attached to the characters, especially Anna, Attis, and Rowan. The story was drawn out, with brief bursts of excitement leading back into the slower parts of the narrative. This confused me at times while reading because I was in the midst of being curious and wanting to learn more, only to have it pushed aside.

I can definitely admit that I didn't expect the ending. It both shocked and surprised me. I was so stunned by what occurred but also overwhelmed by how much that happened in the last 10% of the novel. I would have liked to see some more of what happened to be a bit more spaced out, but that's just my opinion!

The character of Effie is an interesting one for me. I don't know whether I like her or not, I was quite indifferent to her and her actions. I think it was interesting the see the difference between her and Anna and how others treated them.

Anna's Aunt is a character I didn't know what to think of. I think, by the end, I was conflicted about what to feel.

Headlines:
Fantasy in a contemporary London setting
Coming of age
Magic exploration

I enjoyed the setting of Threadneedle immensely, I thought the idea of a contemporary London as the backdrop for this tale added an interesting layer. Anna was a mousey, scared character on first glance but she was living in a controlling household where free-thinking, never mind free actions were not permissable. Anna had a lot of character development through the book.

I don’t know why, but I thought this was adult fantasy when it was overtly YA from the off. That meant some teen drama and behaviour I wasn’t expecting and I don’t know if it was just that change to my expectations that brought this read down a bit. I wasn’t always keen on Anna’s grudging companions through the story although some did grow on me.

The themes of freedom, exploration and finding yourself were welcome ones and that was interesting reading in a magical context. This is a long book and the pacing had moments of slowness but then it picked up with gusto and I was enthused to continue.

Overall, this was an appealing concept, a good start to a series and it has a fantastic cover . It will be interesting to see where the series goes.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the early review copy.

It’s so lovely when a publisher invites you to review a book that’s been on your to be read since they announced it, and ho boy was I excited to immerse myself in a modern witch aesthetic set in London. It’s also really rather nice when the book actually manages to live up to the pre-release hype, which for me Threadneedle managed to do.

Firstly, I think it should be mentioned that Threadneedle has the feel of a young adult novel rather than the adult fantasy it’s been marketed as; it is a first in series so maybe it’ll get more adult as it goes along, but for now, this book reads a little young to sit firmly in the adult fantasy category. That’s not to say that this detracted from the story, Threadneedle is excellent, but if you’re not a lover of a very teenage voice then it’s something to consider.

Threadneedle is a fantastic debut novel and I was pulled in by the fascinating (and mildly chaotic) magic system. You get the whole kit and caboodle with lots of different forms of magic ranging from your usual nature magic all the way through to Anna’s knot magic, and a teenage coven trying to muddle their way through becoming authentic witches. It comes with a dark narrative with some rather unexpected twists, and happily, no painful cliffhanger at the end; Thomas wraps up everything neatly while leaving enough loose threads that I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel. Threadneedle has such a rock-solid plot with everything you read being used to build strong three-dimensional characters, and if I’m honest, Anna discovering the hidden magical parts of London was a major hit for me. The threat of Anna’s binding is interwoven throughout the novel and Anna’s unnamed Aunt and her group of binders are impressively sinister, it gives the book a much darker tone that contrasts with Anna’s teenage worries about romance and friendship.

Alright, I’m going to bring us back round to the whole young adult energy thing and let’s talk about the characters. This book is full of “petty high-school bullshit” we’re talking love triangles, mean girls, and your teenage traditional cliques which is why I think some adult fantasy readers won’t take to Threadneedle. If, like me, you don’t mind a bit of teen drama in your literature then this is some pretty darn good drama, plus the characters really feel like teens with Anna’s perspective on her classmates and wanting desperately to just blend into the background. The addition of her cousin Effie and the mildly shady Attis push her out of her comfort zone, and force her to challenge her Aunt’s teachings allowing her to grow into something new. Anna makes for a fantastic protagonist, her journey to uncover the truth about herself and her place in this magical world is gripping and I really did struggle to put this down and go back to work; she becomes more confident in not just her magic but she begins to stand up for herself and challenge those around her which was wonderful to read.

Cari Thomas’s debut novel Threadneedle is absolutely electrifying and, in a rare turn, I don’t have anything truly negative to say. This book is gripping and such a fun read, it combines an insidious darkness around Anna with a fantastic magic system and excellent world-building; it really was, and I hate to say it, unputdownable.

Recommend: If you love a good urban fantasy with a young adult feel, that combines a fascinating magic system with an engaging plot then Threadneedle is for you.

Threadneedle - Cari Thomas

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley.

Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic.

Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.

Ever since Anna can remember, her aunt has warned her of the dangers of magic. She has taught her to fear how it twists and knots and turns into something dark and deadly.

It was, after all, magic that killed her parents and left her in her aunt’s care. It’s why she has been protected from the magical world and, in one year’s time, what little magic she has will be bound. She will join her aunt alongside the other Binders who believe magic is a sin not to be used, but denied. Only one more year and she will be free of the curse of magic, her aunt’s teachings and the disappointment of the little she is capable of.

Anna, who was made an orphan as a young girl, is from a family of witches who believe that magic is evil. When Anna is given a chance to join a coven she is unable to resist the call of magic, however she is convinced that she is a witch with no magic.

London is alive with rumours of witchcraft surrounding the mysterious death of six faceless women. The author manages to use magic to bring a group of misfits together, even though they all have very different personalities.

A fantastic debut novel and the only negative I could find to this book is that I have to wait for the next one to be released.

Rating 5/5

A great opening book to the series.

What a wild ride. I absolutely loved it. This was the first book in quite some time that I found myself falling head over heels into. I would start “just one chapter” and look up from the page only to find that I have read more than one chapter and been stuck inside this story for a good two hours. Although it is a lengthy read it flew by as the mysteries unravelled and the dark and twisty corners were brought into the light. I adored the seemingly endless possibilities of the magic in this alternative London, the magic of the witches being based on anything that pulls on their heart strings, be it musical, emotional or even that of an opening petal. The creative little magical corners of this hidden London that made an appearance throughout, were spectacular, yet believable. It had me yearning for a world where massive libraries were waiting to be discovered underground, a world where a glittering party was held on May day. The fairy tale feel that was dispersed throughout the story was absolutely perfect and just added to the edgy and gritty feel of this hidden, yet magical London. The characters were all such relatable individuals with their own struggles, dreams and ambitions. Their own secrets and hidden desires. The veins of cruelty that comes in the guise of love was particularly apt in this darkly twisting story. I found the information that was dangled in front of us and Anna our leading lady to be particularly intriguing and enjoyed watching her grow into herself and into her birth right of the wonderous. The language used also set the tone, and fit the mood of the tale perfectly. With the backdrop of a gruesome murder, an abusive aunt and the removal of free will, this was a magical mystery that confronted all the hard to look at realities when it comes to drawing the line between what is protective love and what is mania.
All in all I enjoyed every single moment of this read and feel like my soul may remain in limbo until I get my hands on the next instalment, anything to alleviate the curiosity that has bubbled up after that cliff-hanger of an ending.

My expectations were extremely high when starting this book, and they were definitely met! This book has everything you expect from a witchy fantasy: alluring characters, and engaging plot and buckets of magic. At times the story was slow, but I wasn't bothered by this. I can highly recommend this spellbinding debut!

Anna is living with her aunt who wants her to be a binder and protected from the evil of magic that lives around them. Anna isnt so sure and soone begins to experiment with her own magic. Suddenly its fun not scary and she begins betraying her aunt for the chance at a better life and time at school. She even joins a coven but things soon get out of hand. Could her aunt have been right was magic evil or is there something else she needs to learn.

This was an interesting first book and I'm assuming there will be more to follow as it ends on a bit of a clffhanger. I like the world building and the magic that comes through in this. There's still lots that needs to be devloped which I'm hoping will become more clear in future books. I love the idea of a magic library though, that sounds amazing. The plot is a slow, steady burn to a very dramatic climax to the story. This could only end in a battle. Anna may be the main character but my favourite had to be Rowan, she's instantly likeable and fun. A good beginning and I look forward to more.

This full review will be posted to my blog, and a shortened version will be posted to my bookstagram (due to word limit on Instagram). These posts will be up during the week before publication.

Book Review | Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

{ad - review copy]
Received via NetGalley.

TW: injury detail, blood, emotional and physical abuse

Anna has spent her life training to become a binder under the supervision and teaching of her aunt. Her training has taught her that magic is a sin and she should be bound, but there is a magical world that Anna has never been able to explore...until Effie and Attis begin to show her the possibilities of her magical abilities. As Anna is opened up to the magical world, she also begins to uncover secrets about herself and her past. When the time comes, will Anna decide that Aunt was right all along and join the binders? Or will she be unable to turn her back on the new world she has discovered?

Set in London, Thomas has created a magical world within the world that we already know. I loved the fact that this novel didn't feel separate from our world, but felt like something hidden that could exist, if only we knew how to access it.

Thomas creates well-rounded and complex characters who all have their own background to unravel. I tried to work out which characters Anna could truly trust, but Thomas knows exactly when to give us more information or a plot line that will send you guessing again. I liked Anna's character development and look forward to that continuing as the series unfolds.

The plot of this novel was exciting and kept me guessing. I was not sure which characters to trust, and who may be lying or withholding the truth. The novel begins with six women being hanged, and that part of the plot really intrigued me, whilst I also tried to work out what secrets Anna may uncover about herself.

As a YA novel about teenagers, a substantial amount of the plot took place at, or revolved around, the school, which I did not necessarily expect. This part of the plot started to lose me a little bit at times, but it was interesting to think about how someone with magical abilities would handle the ordinary issues of growing up.

Despite that, the intrigue, twists and revelations in the narrative kept me reading and I love the imaginative story and world that Thomas has woven through this novel. Her plot has been cleverly crafted to keep up suspense and intrigue and I had to keep reading to find out what would happen and to get the answers that I needed.

The final ten percent of the novel had me gripped, and I could not put the book down. There were a number of revelations and twists that had me glued to the pages, and I very much look forward to finding out where the narrative will go in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed Threadneedle and would recommend giving it a read when it is released on 27th May. I am intrigued to see what the next installment will bring and look forward to being back with Anna.

I love magical books, and this one has a great story - gripping and thrilling.

Anna lives with her Aunt, and is destined to follow in her footsteps as a Binder, she's awaiting her Knotting when her magic will be bound and she'll be free of its curse.

However this year is a bit different - a new girl at school, somehow related to Anna, brings together a group of girls in a coven and they start to learn how to harness and use their magic. Is magic really as terrible as Anna has always been taught?

I enjoyed this book immensely all the way through, but suddenly about 2/3 of the way in it really picked up pace and became unputdownable. What a great discovery in Cari Thomas.

Wow-what an amazing book this was. I had such high hopes for this book as I was really in the mood for a witchy fantasy type story and this is what I got and so much more.

Anna has been warned about the dangers of magic and its use. Rather than risking the danger, it would be better if Anna had her magic bound, in other words, has it blocked so she cannot use it. Anna sort of goes along with this until she discovers that she is not alone in this magical world. That others have powers and that they do use them. They are not all of the same opinions as Anna's guardian and Aunt. I have to say, thank goodness they don't share her opinion.

Mysterious deaths are reported in the paper, with a range of far-fetched sounding rumours. I mean there are no switches, it is a myth, right? Well, as far as the author, Anna and her friends are concerned there are witches, they are not myths, they are just good at hiding themselves.

I adored everything about this book apart from one thing... it ended and I have to wait for more! This was such an easy book to get caught up in, the story of Anna and her Aunt is at times brutal. The author really does have a great way of expressing the term "tough love", there is more to this than first meets the eye though. Safety, fear and danger have a large part to play.

I do like how the author brings a group of misfits together and how she uses them to good effect to deal with being a teen and the problems that come with it. In some respect, this is a story about a group of teens who are dealing with life, school and the whole rebel thing but this group has a little more up their sleeves than your average teen.

I like the way the author gave various traits and characteristics to the group but then challenges their characters. I am not revealing how this occurs, while it isn't exactly a major part of the story it does show the progress that the group makes as a whole.

This is a coming of age story, it is about learning lessons in life and that actions have consequences. Yes, it is a young adult read that I do think those readers would love, but also the older readers. I did at times feel a hint of A Discovery of Witches, as Anna learns more about the magic and (I love that series of books btw).

This is a wonderful fantasy book that mixes magic with the real world. It is simply a brilliant book and as I read it over a couple of days I was hooked, addicted and didn't want it to end. It really didn't feel like a book over 500 pages long. It is one I would definitely recommend and I am eager to see more in this exciting new series.

I loved this book of Anna’s personal journey of self discovery. Although she knows she is a witch, living with her controlling Aunt, Anna believes her magic is dormant until she meets her Effie and Attis , and joins a coven with other witches from her school. Her powers develop and she discovers the truth of her family’s history, a curse and the danger of dark magic. This brilliantly told story ends with a cliffhanger and the promise of further dark magic to be revealed.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

Anna is a far-from-ordinary 16-year-old living with her aunt Vivienne in a slightly alternative London. She is a witch, orphaned as a baby when, she is told, her father strangled her mother and killed himself in a fit of passion as a result of cursed magic. She leads a rather bleak existence, schooled by her aunt to suppress all emotions along with any magic. This is necessary in order for her binding ceremony, when her magic will be bound to protect her from herself and to avoid drawing the public's attention to the supernatural.

Into this scenario comes her mother's best friend Selene along with her daughter Effie and a beautiful young man called Attis. Selene is everything Aunt Vivienne is not - pretty, impulsive, flirty, revelling in her magical abilities, allowing Effie unimaginable freedoms, giver of interesting and impractical birthday presents, a much more exciting mother figure. Although there is no love lost between Selene and Vivienne, Anna is allowed to spend time with Selene and Effie - but why?

On one level, this is a coming-of-age story with a twist, as Anna, under Effie and Attis' influence, begins to experiment with casting spells and throwing off the mantle of invisibility she has carefully cultivated at school. But there are some seriously dark undertones to the story as Anna investigates her parents' death and watches with horror as her magic appears to be cursed. There are secrets and riddles that nobody will explain to her, as her binding looms and she has to decide whether to let it go ahead or try to break free.

Reading this novel was a slightly strange experience. It was billed as adult fantasy, but it is more suited to a young adult audience. In spirit it owes a debt to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the later Harry Potter books, with its mix of a school setting and its supernatural twist descending into quite a dark place. It is also very long - nearly 600 pages - and would have benefited from being edited more tightly. Saying that though, it is well plotted and constructed and the mysteries at its heart keep the reader going as they join Anna in her race to find answers before she is bound and all emotions and joy suppressed for ever. I can imagine teenage girls loving it, with its exploration of the complexities of family bonds, female friendships and burgeoning love. The characters are well drawn, the plot is imaginative and satisfying, and there's a magical library far below the British Library, which I thought was a rather wonderful idea.

Threadneedle is the perfect witchy tale that I’ve been needing on my shelf. I’ve always been fascinated by witch craft and magic, and this book captures that world perfectly. It is full of wonder, friendship, betrayals, love and mystery. It grips you from page one and carries on drawing you further and further in to Anna’s world.
The plot is unpredictable, well thought out and addictive to read. Once you start you won’t be able to put it down!
It is full of the most amazing characters that you’ll fall in love with, empathise with and even hate. It’s a roller coaster of emotions!
Would highly recommend.