Threadneedle

An unusual story that kept me gripped to the end!

I was unsure about this book, but thought I'd take a chance and expand my reading horizons. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would now pick up anything I see by Cari Thomas.

Wow! This is just beautiful. Some YA books are harder for those that have long left their YA days behind them to read - the things teenagers care about are often not as important to us older folk. But Threadneedle manages to evoke the absolute piquancy of being young and bound by rules you feel trapped by, or having no rules at all and self destructing.
I loved the magical realism, the idea of magic branches having a language, and by the end of the book, was absolutely sure I will be auto-buying the next, because I need to find out what happens! 
(one note, and I'll try to make it as spoiler free as possible - why is it posited that the girls cannot both love the same person? Polyamory is a thing!)

Threadneedle is about a teenage witch named Anna, who has been raised by her aunt to detest and fear her own magic. She has spent her life repressing it, preparing herself for having it cut off entirely by a group called The Binders in order to protect herself from its dangers. But when Selene, an enchanting family friend who flaunts and thrives on magic, comes to visit with her daughter Effie, and Effie’s best friend Attis, everything that Anna has been taught begins to blur. Anna is swept into a world of magical libraries, potions, spells and witches who proudly wreak havoc. And it quickly becomes unclear who she should believe when it comes to her magic.

This book is intimidatingly long but not remotely slow. There’s a lot of character building, scene setting and high-school drama thrown in amongst the magic and the mystery, but it all ties together perfectly. The hugely varied, fascinating cast of characters, and the entertaining mix of romance, angst and dark magic kept me hooked throughout.

I loved a lot about this book, but my favourite thing was that it made me feel completely unsettled the entire way through. With frequent mentions of the dangers of magic, Effie’s recklessness and Anna’s Aunt’s paranoia, it felt like something could go wrong any second. I was constantly grappling with my concerns of who to trust and what could go wrong, and it left me feeling unnerved and completely enthralled- not to mention in love with the vibrant cast and entertained by their high-school revenge plots.

As someone who has only recently discovered the genre of Witchy YA, this book has only made me more desperate for a sequel and, honestly, anything else about magic that I can get my hands on.

I doubt I am the reader that this book was aimed at, being elderly and male and not used to reading YA novels, but I was captivated by Anna's story which jolted me out of my usual detached attitude to a novel.  I really felt for her as she was held in thrall to her aunt by bonds of magic and indeed love.  It's a thoroughly satifying novel even if the denoument is a little obvious.  I shall certainly read the sequel

What an utter treat this was! There is a particular joy for bookworms, especially life long bookworms, when they find a new book that instantly feels as familiar as a favourite pair of pyjamas and yet is all new, waiting to be discovered. An instant classic, which becomes part of the lexicon of books that make up you as a reader. Threadneedle is that kind of discovery, a dash of Diana Wynne Jones, a hint of A Little Princess, a soupcon of school stories, and a darkness that's all it's own. I loved it, as enthralled as those under spell in the book.

Anna is a witch with no magic. No matter, if she had magic it would be bound during her sixteenth year when she joined her aunt as A Binder, a group of witches whose mission is to protect themselves by locking magic away, haunted by The Hunters, a shadowy group responsible for witch trials throughout history. It's a joyless, painful existence, with all emotion as tightly bound as magic, especially love.  Anna has been in training all her life, hiding away from everyone and everything. Her one brightness is Selene, an old friend of her dead mother's whose occasional visits bring much needed joy, and so she's delighted when Selene mentions she is moving back to London. But the delight turns to dread when she meets Selene's daughter, Effie, and boarder Attis and learns they will be coming to her school. Because Anna spends her life pretending magic doesn't exist and that she barely exists whilst larger than life Effie and Attis use magic in plain view and command attention. Despite herself Anna is drawn to them both, and emboldened starts to investigate what really happened to her mother, and to ask, is her magic nonexistent, suppressed or cursed?

Meanwhile London is buzzing about six mysterious deaths and soon rumours of witchcraft start to circulate, fanned by an an academic Institute. Are the Hunters just a myth like Effie and Selene claim or is a force more powerful than them all waiting to rise? 

Threadneedle is the first in a series and I for one will be at the front of the queue for the sequel. This was a tense, shadowy delight of a novel. Highly recommended.

I love books about magic, it would seem most of  us do with the success of Harry Potter.  This book really does not disappoint.  I loved the characters, the author weaves each individual story so well.  The story is set in modern day London rather than a totally fantasy world and there are some very Harry Potter like parallels with the two worlds of magic and non magic living side by side.  That is where the similarity ends.  It is a book for young adults and my young adult years are well behind me and I loved it.  The central character is torn between magic, love and loyalty - it is well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

I adored this book! My teenage years are well behind me, and I wouldn't ordinarily read a YA book but the synopsis intrigued me. Everyone is familiar with the awkwardness of being a teenager, combining this with trying to hide your magical abilities and gradual uncertainty about who to trust meant I couldn't put the book down. I haven't read Harry Potter but have seen one or two of the films, and I would consider this a more grownup, less earnest and less clear-cut take on teen magic.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this. 

Cari Thomas creates a magical world here that grows and grows as you read, and has the potential to grow still further. She gives us a truly frightening villain - Aunt is part of a magical/anti-magical cult that believes in chaining magic. That's the only way to be safe. Aunt is scary and conflicted and cruel, but Anna loves her. Anna is an orphan, in a bleak world, surviving school by becoming invisible, surviving at home with Aunt by being absolutely compliant. And she has no magic. Effie and Attis burst into her life and change things - utterly, gloriously and terrifyingly. 

There is a fantastic world here, that we get to explore with Anna as she starts to try to find a way to be herself. 

I am so excited that this is the first of four books. I really recommend it. It's a magical world that I found more exciting than J K Rowling. There's cosiness and sexiness and downright nastiness. Definitely recommended.

This was a spellbinding fantasy debut that had me reading it as fast as I could! Sometimes fantasy can feel a little overwrought and difficult to get into in my opinion but this was as engaging as it gets and gets a full 5 star recommendation from me!

At first this seemed a little intimidatingly long and gloomy, with the talk of magic as a sin and Aunt as a puritanical bound witch. It soon picked up though with Anna discovering more to life than binding, and that being a nobody at school could burst out into friendships and magic. I loved her discovering her friends and getting deeper into the mysteries of magical London, as well as the increasing pace towards the revealing of secrets. Yes, the book was long but it flew by and I'm really looking forward to the next in the series.

The book is great on friendships and the difficult aspects of being a teenage girl, albeit one with magical powers, as well as conveying the abusive relationship between Aunt and Anna. Many of the scenes in the house felt really oppressive, and Anna's powerlessness really comes across, as well as her conviction that she can't admit what is happening to her - it's an excellent portrayal of a damaging family relationship, even if it is very much overlaid with the fantasy magical elements. There's a lot to this book and I really hope it gets the reception it deserves.

I enjoyed this story of witches and witchcraft very much. It was set mostly in a school, was dark and sinister at times and yet at others, it made me smile and reminded me of what it felt like to suffer the angst of teenage love!  
I was intrigued by what was in the room on the third floor at Anna’s aunts house. The revelation was not what I’d been expecting and came as a bit of a shock when the reveal finally comes. 
How would it all end? My imagination created so many possibilities but none matched the reality and when the story ended, I was left wondering ‘what next?’  Maybe we’ll get a sequel and find out?  That would be excellent. Great book.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (there are plenty of reviews like that out there already).

This book is probably aimed at young adults/teenagers, but as a lover of magical tales I couldn't resist.

I'm glad the publishers granted my wish, as the book was spellbinding (if you'll pardon the pun!).  I wasn't sure what to expect to begin with - poor Anna had a gloomy existence and seemingly an even gloomier future!  However the tale (and Anna's life) picked up with the arrival of Selene, Effie and Attis, and I could't put the book down.

I loved the fact that there's a magical world running alongside the "ordinary" world, intersecting in ways I didn't always expect (planning a trip to the British Library!), and that there are many different types of magic being practiced by different "groves" - each with their own language.  The relationships between the main characters are believable, as unfortunately is the horridness of some of the other characters towards them!

As well as the magical elements, the author has captured the uncertainties and anxieties of being a teenager.  There are some great characters - a splendid main baddie (Aunt), a mixed cast of fellow pupils, the uber-chilling Binders, the warm and welcoming Wort-Cunnings ... and the mysterious Seven...

This novel is the first in the series, and I cannot wait for the sequel.  It's definitely not all sweetness and light, and it's clear that there are dark forces at work, but the wider plot is yet to be revealed.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.  All opinions my own.

Magic is a sin. It must be bound. Anna Everdell knows this. She knows her place. Her life has been one long lesson in restraint and control. Aunt has made sure of it.
Magic killed her mother, magic is dangerous. Anna’s knotting ceremony looms and she can do nothing to stop it. 

But what if magic isn’t dangerous? What if there is more to her mother’s death than her aunt’s acid words?



Anna does her chores, she goes to school and yet she does not live. She is shrunken. Suppressed, turned inside herself. Soon, her power, the tiny crumb of it deep inside her, will be gone. 


When Effie and Attis transfer to her school, she is drawn into their circle of magic. Soon she realises that there is another London, another world she did not know existed: of libraries made entirely of books, corridors of pages, leather volumes that listen and whisper; of half-hidden emporiums that sell fantasies and and dreams and the memories of strangers; of keys that can open any doors: of clubs that pulse with spells, ancient and strange: of magic that can draw in the stars and slow time. 


Across London whisperings of witches, sacrifice and ritual hang in the air, heralding strange and dark times to come. And Anna must decide to fight for her magic or lose it forever. 


The characters are diverse and richly-drawn! Despite them being witches, they have human complexities - and this makes them very relatable. Each of them are bound up in a knot of love and fear and with each page, this knot tightens. 


Aunt is a frightful character, as cruel as she is powerful but she is also an enigma, one that will have you trying to puzzle out her secrets and motivations. In Effie, there is a fire that can warm those around her but could just as easily burn their fingertips. And Attis, for all his charm, battles with his own shocking demons. (I have to quickly mention Rowena. In all the turmoil and darkness bubbling up, she is the lifting presence. She is bright and loud and hilarious! And I loved each and every scene she was in!)


One of THE most imaginative books I’ve read! Threadneedle is feast for the heart and for the senses. With a strong, compelling protagonist and rich, seductive prose, I don’t think I could pick a favourite scene if I tried. It is truly incredible! It’s an ode to the magic of books. I loved the characters, the plot, the twists laid seamlessly along the way. It is transportive, enchanting. This book casts its own special spell upon the reader! One that will have you eagerly awaiting the next book in the series! I CAN’T WAIT!

A modern fantasy, with dark and dangerous  magic set in modern London. 
Filled with witches, none of whom are quite what they seem, this is cleverly crafted and imaginative tale which I struggled to put down.
An unexpected ending with secrets revealed, this was a highly satisfying read, which still left me wanting more. 
Well worth adding to the book shelves

Anna has lived with her aunt in London since her parent’s horrific deaths when she was a baby. She is a witch but has been brought up with stories of the dangers of magic and has been in constant training to control her magic, repress it and tie it up with unbreakable knots. But when the daughter of a family friend enrolls at Anna’s school, Anna begins to question what she’s always been told about magic. Effie is an effervescent character who brings chaos, liberation and a mysterious boy called Attis into Anna’s life, but Anna can’t escape the suspicion that she is cursed and must bind her magic away for everyone’s safety.

Anna’s cruel, repressive aunt is a horrible character, with just enough maternal concern to make her truly sinister. Effie and Attis are a delightfully charismatic duo who tempt Anna away from the security of what she’s always known. The different forms of magic are beautifully wrought—Anna’s compulsive knot tying is particularly compelling and draws you into the story before you understand anything about the world.  
 
I loved this book and I couldn’t put it down—an enchanting, thoroughly gripping tale of magic, family curses and surviving secondary school. Brilliantly done. Can’t wait for book 2.

This is unlike any book that I have read. Cari Thomas’s imagination is incredible. I was totally caught up in the story and spent most of today reading. I got completely lost in this magical wonderful story. I love different stories like this and I would definitely recommend this one. 

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Threadneedle (The Language of Magic, #1) by Cari Thomas introduces the reader to a world of magic. But this is not the world of excitement and joyful magic that we have grown familiar with through childhood fairytales. No, this is a world of fear where magic is dangerous, a sin and must be bound. Or at least, so fifteen year old Anna Everdell is lead to believe. Orphaned at the age of 3 months, Anna is raised by her cruel and strict Aunt. Spending her life following the edicts of the Binders; a strict secret group that seeks to ‘bind’ the power of all witches for their own safety. Subdued into following this way of life, Anna does as she is told, without question. But deep in her heart the wish for magic still burns – after all she is a teenage girl and like many teenagers, she is curious about the world around her. 
As Anna’s 16th birthday approaches, she is excited to discover that her aunt Selene is coming to visit.  And now, our tale really starts to move as we learn that Selene is a practising witch, and raising her daughter Effie in the craft. The possibility of actual magic in her life both excites and scares Anna but surely Selene wouldn’t lead her astray? And then Effie, and friend Attis, joins Anna’s school and magic takes on a newer and distinctly more dangerous dimension. 
Meanwhile, the world outside their immediate circle is becoming more aware of the presence of magic and witchcraft in society and it appears that ‘The Hunters’ might not be far behind. Leading the Binders to be increasing manic in their decision to bind Anna. 
With the influence of Effie, the novel takes a distinct move towards the territory of the popular 1990s movie ‘The Craft’ as the girls create their own coven and fight back against their tormentors, but the elements of darkness and drawing out of Anna’s character, help to elevate this story line from a standard YA to one that is much deeper and exciting. Thomas has conveyed the powerlessness of the relationship between Anna and her aunt, along with the development of her emotions and powers. The portrayal of the family and their relationships is very well done and I think that many teenagers will find themselves able to relate to the feelings of this richly drawn characters. 
In Summary: Threadneedle is a delicious treat of a novel, to a savored. And I’m excitedly looking forward to the next step in the adventures of Anna and Effie. 
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Sixteen-year-old Anna lived with her Aunt in London. She never knew her parents they died eshe was a few months old. But her Aunt said that they died because of magic. But it is cursed. So, since Anna can remember, her aunt has been preparing her for her magic to be bound and in a year’s time and join her aunt and become a Binder. As her aunt believes that magic is a sin, and it is cursed and should not be used. But as a teenager, they don’t always do what they say they going to do. So, with her friend Effie and Atticus and some other girls from school they build their own Coven.
Thank you, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for a copy of Threadneedle the first in The Language of Magic series.  This is not only a great debut novel but, also a great start for a new fantasy series. This is aimed at adults but to honest more of a Young adult story of a group of teenagers. Who are on the brink of adulthood and discovering who they are and magic, curses, witches, and magical libraries and evil aunts.  The school and library parts reminded me a bit of a Harry Potter vibe, but the rest was original an unique storyline that I enjoyed very much. 5 stars from me.

Raised by an Aunt who has brought her up to believe that magic is sin and needs to be repressed (or 'bound'), teenager Anna finds herself questioning this teaching when she meets Effie and Attis who practice magic openly, and without shame. Tensions rise as she enacts minor rebellions against her Aunt, prompted by the the effusive, carefree nature of Effie, the daughter of her late mother's best friend. Meanwhile, magic is starting to become talked about in wider London society as six women are found hanging under Big Ben with no explanation as to how they got there...

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, and I sped through it in a couple of days. Cari Thomas has captured the angst of teenager-hood without over blowing it, and has created a cast of compelling characters who take use through an engaging and magical story of adolesence, family, and love, of rebellion, discovery, and mystery. It is fast-paced, beautifully written, with stunning world0building, and a dark thread running through (no pun intended) which raises the stakes higher and higher as the book progresses. Can't wait to see how this series develops!

Wow, this book has gone straight into my top 10 favourite books ever, I absolutely loved it! There's been a lot of hype on social media about this book and rightfully so, this will be a spoiler free review.

Threadneedle has such an interesting premise, I feel like the blurb doesn't give a lot up and you're kinda left interpreting what it's about but honestly I think it's best if you go in completely unaware. I feel like it's hard to find books that are wholly unique, but I feel like Threadneedle comes pretty close. 

I've been really enjoying books with witches in at the moment, this is the third book within the last few weeks I've read about witches but this has to be my favourite, there's something different about Threadneedle, it's just a really brilliant read. Threadneedle has the perfect blend of magic, witches, drama, friendship, love, betrayal. There is your typical teenage high school drama in Threadneedle and there's also similarities with the cult classic movie "The Craft" ( I won't spoil it) but there's a much larger game in play. 

I really loved the main character Anna and I thought she had great character development, it was great to see how she grew into herself and deal with some of the issues presented in the book. I liked the unlikely friendships in this book and I'm intrigued how they'll develop in the later books. 

I really loved the magic system in Threadneedle and the magical realism of London in this book. The magical elements Cari Thomas has added to London are brilliant, from magical libraries to stores to objects such as magical scissors that can temporarily cut your hair (where can I buy these?!), it's the little details like these that really make a book feel that little more believable.

You will read this book in one of two ways; you'll either take your time and savour the experience or you'll devour it like I did. I ended up staying up till silly o'clock in the morning reading over 80% in one sitting, I could not stop reading it, I absolutely loved it! I will eagerly read whatever Cari Thomas writes, I'm so glad this is the first book in a series.

You will read this book in one of two ways; you'll either take your time and savour the experience or you'll devour it like I did. I ended up staying up till silly o'clock in the morning reading over 80% in one sitting, I could not stop reading it, I absolutely loved it!

This novel is overwhelmingly good and has left me in a book hangover. It is intense. There is tension throughout which builds up to a crescendo of a climax that I would never have guessed despite all the clues cleverly threaded throughout. It’s beautiful, dark and the imagery is vivid and stunning. It has depth and is multi-layered so could easily reread and reveal more about the characters and setting. Some of the imagery of the magic and punishments endured is so powerful it made me believe the book was created by magic itself. I felt Anna’s emotions, her confusion and pain while living with her controlling Aunt and her wonderment at the magic beneath her fingertips. It has angst with teenage revenge, shows the innocence of love and the hurt it can wield. The characters are memorable and know them they are real while reading and beyond. And wow, what a climax. 
I love witch and magic themed books but this one is worlds ahead of the best. It has left me reeling in shock and in awe. It is reminiscent of Carrie, Heathers and The Craft but has an original feel. It left me wanting to read more and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book is unique in a lot of ways. The writing, combined with the mythology and characters of course, creates a really gripping atmosphere. At times it felt like I was reading a poem. There was a rhythm in the sentences. There was magic in the sentences. It brought the story to life in a very special way. I didn't really see it, but I felt it. I felt what Anna felt. I felt the power of music. I felt the fear. The doubts. The thickening mystery. I felt the weight of the choice that had to be made.

Thomas really takes her time to craft her world and to show us her characters and who they are. It makes the book detailed and maybe a little slow, but this magical world is amazing and very well thought out. Exploring it with Anna, being surprised by its beauty and being scared by its ugliness, was a truly magical experience. I love the idea that this world full of magic, all those different witches, are living among us. And all the build up, all the storytelling and all the explaining leads somewhere. The finale was breathtaking and it was impossible to put the book down.

On top of that we meet a lot of amazing and layered characters. Even though we only see everyone through Anna's eyes, I still feel like I really know them. And all those characters, including Anna herself, are beautifully human. Even the best people make mistakes and do almost unforgivable things. And until the very last moment we keep on wondering if maybe people who we thought were wrong could have been right.

I could tell a lot more about this book, but I most of all can't wait until the characters and I will reunite in the next book.

I enjoyed the book, and my enjoyment doubled even more after its second half. The magical fringes of Threadneedle's London come to life in such a vibrant world, and its full-of-wonder nature beautifully contrasts with the main protagonist Anna's cynicism after a lifetime of emotional abuse. There were subtle threads planted in the first half, but the second half propelled the series to much darker territory with some disturbing reveals. I can't wait to see how the rest of the series unfolds.

Thank you Harper Voyager for granting my wish!

I have spent the whole of my Sunday in bed finishing Threadneedle and watching the snow fall and it was magical (both the weather and the book). Threadneedle was full of witch covens, mysterious curses and teen drama and I am 100% here for it. The only problem is the I keep on reading all these amazing books and then have to wait a year for sequels (probably not the worst problem to have).

Absolutely spellbound! This book was so wonderful and exceeded my expectations. It's like a mix of The Craft and the Wicca book series, but London set and infinitely more detailed. Anna lives with her aunt after the tragic and brutal death of her parents. Her aunt's main aim is to bind her magic, and has spent a lifetime raising her to be emotionless, to withdraw from the joyful things in life, like love, fun, beauty and magic. But when her mother's friend Selene signs up her daughter at Anna's school, everything changes.

The characters were so wonderfully built out and there were all the elements of teen life alongside the joyful, magical elements. The details of the magical spaces hidden in plain sight were brilliant, and made you feel like you were right there with Anna, discovering this whole new world.

The ending/explanation was more complex than I'd expected and it shows real skill in the author's storytelling ability, how everything was laid out so carefully, so subtly. I hope this will become a series and I'll be first in line to buy the next one!

A thrilling and enthralling tale of modern-day witches and magic

"Magic is the first sin; we must bear it silently."

Six women, all eerily similar in looks, are found hanging from the shattered windows of Big Ben, with a seventh noose empty. They become known as the Faceless Women. No one knows who they are or what they were doing in the clock tower at midnight.

Since her parents' tragic deaths when she was a baby, teenager Anna Everdell has lived with her Aunt Vivienne in a cold, spartan, rigidly ordered London house. Its pots of tightly closed rosebuds never open, conveying the joylessness contained within. Vivienne is a Binder, a member of a much-feared group of the magical community who seek to keep magic secret and suppressed. Vivienne's magic is powerful but kept buried deep within her, all her emotions and impulses controlled, tied up in intricate threads and knots she weaves with different coloured cords. Strict, intransigent, and abusive, Vivienne uses her Binder magic to hurt and punish Anna in cruel, horrible ways under the guise of 'discipline' and 'protection'. Determined that Anna will become a Binder like herself, Vivienne trains her niece and keeps her on a narrow path, but Anna's magic appears weak and threadbare, constantly failing her. Anna can only express herself through her love of music and piano playing and through her embroidery – the stitches serving as notes of the songs and desires to which she dare not give voice.

On Anna's sixteenth birthday, the vibrant, glamorous Selene, a friend of Vivienne and Anna's late mother, returns from New York to London with her rebellious teenage daughter, Effie, and their mysterious young male friend, Attis. All three - practise magic freely in a way Anna is forbidden to do, opening a whole new world and outlook. When Effie and Attis join Anna as sixth form pupils at her school, the teenager's life inexorably begins to change. Gradually, Effie's defiant nature helps release Anna's subdued spirit, enabling her slowly to begin resisting her aunt's sadistic constraints. She finds friends among other unpopular, secretly magic pupils at school, discovers how to unlock her true potential, and begins questioning everything she has always been told. Is she truly destined to be a Binder? How did her parents really die? What secrets is her aunt keeping that she will stop at nothing to prevent Anna from finding out?

An intriguing, absorbing, and exciting tale, Threadneedle immediately draws the reader into Anna's life, evoking an extraordinary world in which starkly contrasting elements of contemporary teenage difficulties and dark fairy tales are sewn together into a seamless whole. Anna herself is a very believable, multi-faceted, and sympathetic POV heroine. Ground down by the years of her aunt's cruelty and obsessive control, she has nonetheless developed a power and goodness that she at first cannot recognise or call upon due to constant psychological and physical abuse and her eroding self-esteem. What makes her especially intriguing and unusual is that she is not a standard heroine. Of the two teenage girls, the fiery and devil-may-care Effie would seem to be the more typical 'rebel' heroine, but the tables are turned here unexpectedly and effectively. Anna's hidden strength and intense inner life render her silent stoicism far more compelling as the plot unfolds, and how she blossoms and comes into her own throughout the story is a joy to read. 

As multiple mysteries unravel, realisation dawns that nothing and no one is what they appear to be, creating a riveting and suspenseful page-turner that slowly but surely ratchets up the tension delivers some choice twists along the way. Rival branches of magic are revealed to give the world depicted a convincing breadth and synergy. These range from Rowan, the bullied yet relentlessly cheerful school gossip with hidden depths, to Darcey, the 'cool girl' adversary and tormenter so awful that she makes Harry Potter's Draco Malfoy look benign. The characters are wonderfully drawn, reflecting the novel's outstanding balance of light and dark (even Aunt Vivienne is graced with a hint of complexity beneath her overall monstrousness). As the first in a series, Threadneedle keeps the reader on tenterhooks throughout, caught up in Anna's plight, and the spell of magical realism the author skilfully weaves, creating along the way further questions to be answered in future books. 

Highly recommended.

Jo-Anne Blanco / Arwen Evenstar

Elite Group received a copy of the book to review

‘Curdle and coil, serpents of spite, How you hiss and rattle, with tongues that bite. Gossip and spoil, rumour fly and infest – Swallow them whole at our behest.’

Imagine a combination of The Craft, AHS Coven, Sabrina, Practical Magic and Charmed, and you’ll have an inkling of what a treat this is. It’s got a little bit of everything - magic, mystery and a little bit of mischief.

Set in modern day London, the story follows Anna Everdell who lives with her controlling and domineering aunt, who believes magic leads to nothing but doom. It’s her aunt’s intention to have Anna’s magic bound in order to prevent public exposure, but when the opportunity to join a coven and explore her magic presents itself, Anna cannot resist. Threadneedle spins a tale of witchcraft amongst the turbulence of high school antics and buried family secrets.

Despite it being a slow starter and taking its time to get me invested, Threadneedle is one of those books that lingered in my mind and I found I was missing its world and characters long after finishing. 

The tale of a teenage coven set in high school was gripping and scandalous. We have the classic antics of student rivalries, catty gossip, social outcasts and peer pressure. But mix all of that with a little bit of magic? Well, that’s when the fun and disasters begins!

In a world of casting spells as simple as pouring wine, to getting revenge, to then enchanting magical trinkets like a comb that sorts hair perfectly, and visiting a living library full of books that eat hair and so much more, it was so impressive how lusciously drawn it was. I really enjoyed this world and I’m desperate for more. 

The troupe of characters that make up the Coven of the Dark Moon were likeable and all have the potential for decent character development as the series goes forward. There’s the shy and sensible Anna, the daring and defiant Effie, the loud and bubbly Rowan and the quiet and anxious Miranda. It was fun to see the group of girls grow closer, and it feels like it could really progress into a sisterhood. 

And, the romance. Oooooh yes it’s here and it’s very enticing and daunting. I’m afraid we’re all in for a likely sordid and addictive love triangle, and as much as I usually don’t have the patience for them, what Thomas has set up has me very curious on where it’ll lead.

It’s an excellent debut and series starter. It might even be in my favourite reads of 2021. I was thoroughly spellbound by the climax, I didn’t see the ultimate twist coming and I’m really excited for the sequel. It’s clear there’s a lot of history to be uncovered and there’s more magic and covens to discover. Honestly I’m like a kid at Christmas excited for what this series could deliver from a fantastic new voice in YA fantasy. 

Thank you kindly to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Although I am not in the intended age-range target for this book, I found it absolutely captivating and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories. 

I rarely give 5 stars but this beautifully written tale, darker than Harry Potter, which it will no doubt be compared to, deserves every star. As the first book in The Language of Magic series, I eagerly await the follow up. 

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.