My new favourite book by the unrivalled Frances Hardinge.

Unraveller is spun from the rich detail and deep worldbuilding that we have learned to expect and admire in Hardinge’s writing but it has an emotional maturity, depth and warmth that I was equally delighted by. The relationships between main characters Nettle and Kellen, between Nettle and her gull brother and between even the minor characters in the book are nuanced and difficult at times, as all deep relationships are, and yet they offer light throughout what is at times a dark and twisted tale of anger and pain.

Hardinge’s sentences are beautifully crafted. Her vast cast of characters both human and ‘wild’ are vividly brought to life. It is a stunning book and I have immediately started to read it again which is something that I never do.

The plot moves from a series of engrossing mini-mysteries towards a breath-taking climax in a setting so surreal and otherworldly that I felt that part of my own brain had unravelled as I read it! The Unraveller unravelled me. A superb book from a writer at the height of her powers.