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sageling's review
challenging
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
nonesensed's review
5.0
Sophie owns an atelier where she makes dresses for well to-do women, sometimes with a magical charm for good luck sewn in, if the patron wishes for it and can pay. She's worked hard to get where she is and she'd very much like for things to keep chugging along on this forward, upward path, please and thank you. Sadly, her dear brother is prone to rocking boats. Always following his latest impulse, he's now joined in with talk of revolution. Maybe it would be good for the common people to have a say in what happens in the country - but Sophie fear the road there will run through the burning remains of the city.
Wonderfully thrilling story! Not mainly in the action-y sense (though we do get a couple of pulse pounding scenes where people need to fight or run for their lives) but in the "how will the main character react to/get out of this situation?"-way. All around a great read! We got interesting plot, a sweet romance that compliments and contrasts the main revolution plot, a believable villain you love to hate, a nuanced look at "both sides" of a revolution, and excellent world building. Can't wait to read book 2!
Wonderfully thrilling story! Not mainly in the action-y sense (though we do get a couple of pulse pounding scenes where people need to fight or run for their lives) but in the "how will the main character react to/get out of this situation?"-way. All around a great read! We got interesting plot, a sweet romance that compliments and contrasts the main revolution plot, a believable villain you love to hate, a nuanced look at "both sides" of a revolution, and excellent world building. Can't wait to read book 2!
carolynnolmstead_author's review
2.0
This started out as a great read. Great plot, interesting characters, a well-written villain, and a cute romance. I was so invested in this book! And then, the sweet little romance got graphic without any warning!
bethriley's review
5.0
Highly enjoyable read! I read a lot of fantasy, and this one was refreshing with its approach on magic through practical sewing and its integration in the non-magic world. I also appreciated that our main character, Sophie, who is gifted in the magical trade cares about more than just magic - she cares for her family, her career, her community, her independence, (and yes, a beau). I've read countless fantasy books about magical prodigies who are obsessed with magic, which are wondrous but can be tiring in their characters' easy infallibility. Sophie is grounded, is challenged by daily strife, and has to practice and study long hours to become slightly better than mediocre at magic. She's not starting at the top - she has a long road ahead of her to see where her potential flourishes or flounders. Very excited to see where this goes in the next book!
lalexvp's review
4.0
This book was the perfect blend of fantasy and historical fiction with a dash of romance (though I could have used more, personally). I will always find myself joyously lost in novels like these and this one was actually clever and well written with unique ideas.
However, our heroine was a bit too tunnel visioned and shortsighted for me, though attempts were made to explain this with her background. The biggest flaw was the time span - a whole lot happens in a very little time which doesn’t really allow for adequate or realistic character development. Lastly, it was fairly predictable.
Onto the 2nd in the series!
However, our heroine was a bit too tunnel visioned and shortsighted for me, though attempts were made to explain this with her background. The biggest flaw was the time span - a whole lot happens in a very little time which doesn’t really allow for adequate or realistic character development. Lastly, it was fairly predictable.
Onto the 2nd in the series!
lostinagoodbook's review
1.0
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s not often I feel the need to DNF a book. I always feel bad when it happens. This book was just not for me. I was excited by the idea.
Sign me up! A young, entrepreneurial woman who is able to sew charms into the clothes that she makes. I love that idea. I like to sew myself as a matter of fact, and my Christmas presents for friends always include a couple of homemade items. I wanted to see some magic. I wanted descriptions of lovely clothing interlaced with spells and artistry. That was my expectation. However, that is not what this book is about and that may be why I did not respond well to it.
There was no magic, at least not enough in the part I read. There was no artistry, at least not in the clothing as described. Torn lacked charm. Too much politics and not enough enchantment. It featured quite a few scenes of students fomenting rebellion in dark cafe corners than there was magic sewing needles. How shall I put it … if your favorite scene in Les Miserables was Red and Black, then this book might be for you, but I was promised A Heart Full of Love dammit! Who is to blame for that? The cover blurb writer? Maybe.
The book was not badly written, but it felt like a slog and I could not push myself to finish. Maybe you will like it better. Now excuse me, it’s time for a YouTube Les Miserables spiral.
Song for this book: Red and Black from Les Miserables
It’s not often I feel the need to DNF a book. I always feel bad when it happens. This book was just not for me. I was excited by the idea.
Sign me up! A young, entrepreneurial woman who is able to sew charms into the clothes that she makes. I love that idea. I like to sew myself as a matter of fact, and my Christmas presents for friends always include a couple of homemade items. I wanted to see some magic. I wanted descriptions of lovely clothing interlaced with spells and artistry. That was my expectation. However, that is not what this book is about and that may be why I did not respond well to it.
There was no magic, at least not enough in the part I read. There was no artistry, at least not in the clothing as described. Torn lacked charm. Too much politics and not enough enchantment. It featured quite a few scenes of students fomenting rebellion in dark cafe corners than there was magic sewing needles. How shall I put it … if your favorite scene in Les Miserables was Red and Black, then this book might be for you, but I was promised A Heart Full of Love dammit! Who is to blame for that? The cover blurb writer? Maybe.
The book was not badly written, but it felt like a slog and I could not push myself to finish. Maybe you will like it better. Now excuse me, it’s time for a YouTube Les Miserables spiral.
Song for this book: Red and Black from Les Miserables
underscorelsa's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I don’t know what I think about this book. I didn’t really like it, yet I wanted to know how the story ended. I just wanted the story to conclude. So imagine my surprise when I found out this was not a standalone……
The first half was way too slow for me, then it got decent. It was pretty mediocre, I guess.
The first half was way too slow for me, then it got decent. It was pretty mediocre, I guess.
se_wigget's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I never thought of Phrygian caps as phallic, but... yeah, now I see it. Especially if they're lying flat and unfolded on a table.
My first sewing and embroidery projects date back to when I was five years old. I made most of my clothing (including historical costuming) for years. Last year I made some 1910s-style clothing—dressed like a suffragist because of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. So... I wish I'd thought of writing a novel with a seamstress whose sewing is tied in with magic! Also, I love the costume details.
This book drew me in. The sewing combined with magic, the characters, the class conflicts. The protagonist's internal conflict--she's caught between her career and class conflict--she's a dressmakers for nobles and grew up poor, so she sympathizes with both them and the working class. I love the feminist aspects and female camaraderie.
The aesthetic in my head was 1780s France. It's a richly developed fantasy world, but it reminds me of the start of the French Revolution.
Sophie seems like she might be an empath. She's a good person who's trying to survive and also trying to make ethical choices and do her best, in any case. I appreciate that people recognize her work as art.
When both sides are run by power-tripping patriarchal batshits, of course you don't want to take either side.
The sister-brother relationship is so realistic. She walks on eggshells while he bites her head off if she disagrees with him. He's self-entitled and thankless and takes her for granted. She has blind loyalty toward him and he doesn't give a shit... yeah, it sucks to have blind loyalty for a narcissist brother. He's an abusive piece of shit and has no right to be in her life.
It's striking that other reviewers point out that it's an abusive relationship and she takes too much shit. Well, I took worse shit from my brother before I finally woke the fuck up. Relatives. Sometimes it takes decades for you to snap out of it, no longer have blind loyalty for your psychologically abusive relatives, and take your boundaries seriously. Like I said, how the author portrays that strikes me as realistic. If it's a little too much so, that's not poor writing.
I guess the people who can't comprehend why Sophie is loyal to her asshole brother must not have any siblings. Maybe they grew up in the foster care system, for that matter, because otherwise surely they'd understand the hold relatives have other us.
Of course, I'm speaking from an empath's perspective, and another alternative: either people who don't get that about family have no family, or they're not empaths. The arrogant white males who couldn't understand how I could have loyalty to my toxic relatives even though I'm college-educated (as if getting degrees magically makes you impervious to the mindfuckery of narcissists and sociopaths) were assholes who have an insufficient quantity of empathy (in addition to being patriarchal shits who smugly take their privileges for granted). Fuck them.
It's unfortunate that the empathy-challenged affect book ratings on Goodreads. I think everyone on Goodreads who gave this book only one or two stars has a shortage of empathy.
backsong's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5