This book was absolute chaos... and I mean that in both the best and worst ways. 😂

A Teller's Tale is packed with dark humour, found family, and just about every mythical and magical being/creature you can think of. The world is incredibly imaginative, and I genuinely admire how fearless the author was in throwing everything into the mix. It was weird, quirky, and unlike anything I've ever read before.

Where it lost me was in the execution. There were quite a few scene changes that felt so abrupt I had to flip back and make sure I hadn't missed a page, and it happened often enough to pull me out of the story. The swearing also felt really overdone. I'm definitely not bothered by strong language, but after a while it started to feel like it was there for shock value instead of adding to the dialogue or characters.

Honestly, I think this book was so close to being a 4+ star read for me. With a little more editing and refinement, all of the creativity and heart behind this story would have had so much more room to shine. Though it wasn't a perfect fit for me, I can absolutely see this finding the right audience—especially if you love portal fantasy that's a little chaotic, a little unhinged, and isn't afraid to embrace the weird.

Even with my criticisms, I'm still planning to pick up the second book. I became invested enough in the characters and the world that I want to see where the story goes next, and I'm curious to see how the writing evolves as the series continues.

Thank you to Nicki Pary, The Book Guild, and NetGalley for the ARC.

A Teller's Tale completely immersed me in its magical world. I loved how the story slowly unfolded, revealing its mysteries one piece at a time while allowing the characters room to grow naturally. Every chapter seemed to add another layer to the world, making it feel rich and fully realized.

The characters quickly became my favorite part of the story. Their friendships, struggles, and determination made it easy to become emotionally invested in everything they experienced. I found myself rooting for them through every challenge and celebrating every victory right alongside them.

By the time I reached the ending, I wasn't ready for the adventure to be over. This is exactly the kind of fantasy I love beautiful world-building, memorable characters, and a story that leaves me excited for what's next.

Gut rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: Open door
ARC publication date: April 28th 2026

Tropes: Fourth wall breaks, narrator insert, whimsical fantasy world, quest, found family, LGBTQ+ representation, sentient library, multi POV

Quote: Stuck in a fantasy land on steroids, how in the mother fucking Jesus titty fucking Christ am I supposed to navigate this crap on my own?


My synopsis
When 27yo struggling writer Dina is hit by a van, she wakes up in a magical fantasy world to see a drunk centaur taking a piss. So begins her chaotic adventure to find a way home, teaming up with the centaur and a frail apprentice knight plus many new friends along the way. But Dina's quest isn't as straightforward as she'd hoped, as they're followed by a dangerous man in a yellow suit whose chaotic magic has been wreaking havoc in this world. Can Dina find her way home?


My review
A chaotic imaginative story that the author clearly had a lot of fun writing.

I love exploring a new world alongside the characters, and Dina was a very fun FMC to follow as a total stranger learning everything for the first time. This was definitely a quirky fantastical world with a mythological smorgasbord of characters and places, all seemingly cobbled together in a fun, whimsical way. I adored the ragtag group Dina acquired and how they quickly became a little found family.

I liked the fourth wall breaks and meta writing, with the author self inserting herself into the story. Dina's dry almost absurd and crude humour paired really well with the story, too, but did become a little grating after a while. Persian was woven through the story but I wish it had been a bit more prominent at she start because it felt like it came out of nowhere about halfway through and then became important to the story.

There were a few teething issues at the start with the writing feeling clunky, and the ARC I received still had editing corrections in it which was a little disappointing. The crude humour and Dina's over exaggerated behaviour grated after a while and felt a little exasperating, too. But this is worth sticking through to enjoy the story underneath.

With things not wrapped up by the end of the story, this is evidently the start of a series. However, this book could have been split once more for a more cohesive feeling, as the adventure to find the missing secret library felt like a distinct change in the story.


With thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Trigger warnings: Cursing, blood, injury detail, murder, death, animal death, sexual assault, sexual content, infidelity, bullying, kidnapping, torture, death of parent, mental health disorder, alcoholism, alcohol, classism, confinement, xenophobia, toxic relationship, war, grief, suicide, fire injury, vomit

I loved this book - Dina is a human from our world, I think she is having a hard time - she is a writer, and things aren't going so well here. She crosses the street, bam, gets hit by a white van and winds up in a magical land with Centaurs, Unicorns, magical libraries, God's, magical spiders, fae - you name it that is in this book.

Dina first comes across Greg, a Centaur who has a drinking issue - it has to do with the unicorn, and she is like "boy you got a big ...." lol. He takes her back to the inn that he is staying at - that has one of many children of the king in it, a magical spider (who she is terrified of but actually has a tie back to the library).

Dina throughout the story is trying to help people - the king and 99.9 percent of his children are hateful vile "beings" and she happens to make friends with the future King. She is always trying to get home - but .......


Great story I hope that there is a book two so that we get some kind of closure - I would like to see Dina get together with Callista -

This was such an imaginative take on the portal fantasy genre! The concept of a 'Library of the Untold' containing every story ever lived is a bibliophile’s dream, and having the protagonist be a struggling author added a fantastic layer of irony

Thank you Netgalley and Book Guild Publishing for the ARC

This book was a wild ride and I was happy to be on it.

The story starts when our MC Dina gets hit by a van and is transported isekai style to another world, Zagras.
The world is rich and colourful. There's a diversity of characters, all plucked from various myths and stories. Fantasy lovers will recognize many classics (and not so classic).
The author is of Persian descent and has added many references and stories from her culture in the story.

This brings me to one of my favourite parts of the book: the side characters. They are diverse and very loveable. I love found family and this book did deliver. Greg, Drustan and Calliste all have character growth and add so much flavour to the story.

The author uses a lot of sacrasm, pop culture references and 4th wall breaking. If that is not your thing, then I'm afraid this story won't be for you. But I ate it up, together with the witty banter and the silly jokes.

It is true that the story is quite chaotic and a bit long, there are tons of quests and different places that follow each other in a quick tempo. That didn't bother me much once I realized that this reminded me of a bunch of friends playing a crazy D&D campaign.

Is this book for everyone? Probably not. But it was very much for me.
If you like a good laugh, found family, silly chaos and loveable characters than this is very much for you.

PS: where can I adopt a Gonk?

A beautifully written portal fantasy that manages to feel both nostalgic and entirely fresh.

The story follows Dina, a writer who finds herself trapped within the mythical world of Zagras, where she is forced to navigate a landscape built from forgotten legends. Pary’s prose is evocative, painting a world that is as dangerous as it is enchanting, particularly when the journey leads to the Library of the Untold. This setting serves as a brilliant metaphor for the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we fear to write, providing a hauntingly clever backdrop for the protagonist’s growth.

The strength of the novel lies in its unconventional trio of travelers. Dina’s internal struggle as a writer seeking her own voice is perfectly balanced by the grit and dark humour of Greg, a cynical centaur, and the quiet dignity of the dethroned Prince Drustan. Their interactions provide the heart of the book, grounding the high-concept magic in genuine human emotion. While the narrative moves at a breakneck speed that occasionally leaves some of the secondary lore feeling slightly unexplored, the emotional payoff is undeniably strong.

Ultimately, this is a must-read for fans of lyrical, character-driven fantasy like The Starless Sea. It is a poignant meditation on what it means to take control of your own narrative rather than remaining a character in someone else’s story.

Despite the brisk pacing of the finale, the book leaves a lasting impression, making it a standout debut for anyone who loves stories about the power of books themselves.

Thank you for the ARC!