Title: The Severed Thread
Author: Leslie Vedder
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Hodder Children's books
Pages: 416
Release Date: 16 February 2023
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Hello fellow book lovers, today I'm sharing my review of The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder. Just as thrilling and breathtakingly adventurous as it’s previous instalment, Vedder’s gender-switch, Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones YA Fantasy picks up where The Bone Spindle left off—with our favourite treasure-hunting duo charging headfirst into even more danger.
Synopsis
Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.
Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.
Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.
All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…
Review
I absolutely loved The Bone Spindle with its perfect blend of fantasy, romance and high octane(and often life-threatening) escapades, so was super excited to dive straight in to its sequel. And I’m glad to report that there’s even more heart-stopping action and narrative conflict than its predecessor, I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time!
The world building was once again wonderfully vivid and soo rich in detail and the lore soo beautifully written and intricate that I hoarded every intriguing morsel I could.
Vedder once again cleverly utilises multiple POVs to give us a much appreciated insight into emotions and thought processes of our characters (in this case Shane, Fi, Briar and Red) —which added a depth and dimension that really brought them to life. Particularly Red, whose morally grey, redemptive arc was soo beautifully done.
As one of the characters I wanted to see more of after The Bone Spindle, I was pleased to explore beyond her veneer of flattery and charm, and actually get a good feel for her personal motivations. I also loved seeing a more vulnerable, compelling side to her which definitely subverted all of my previous opinions. Plus, her enemies to lovers-esque chemistry with Shane was soo good!
We also get to delve a little more into Briar’s backstory, his curse and his complicated feelings for Fi, in all their deliciously angsty and swoon-worthy glory. I was really impressed with the nuance and authenticity within both romances and loved how much the slow-burn progression gave both couples the time to emotionally come to terms with their feelings.
Likewise, I enjoyed the immersiveness of the setting and definitely felt like I embarked on this adventure alongside them all. It was also great to see how much Fi and Shane’s friendship was at the forefront of their journey, even in during times of trouble or separated from one another, the strength of their friendship (and partnership) was clear to see. Seriously, I’ve never met two characters more ride or die than these two!
It was soo much fun being back in this dangerous, yet oddly comforting world; with it’s magic, curses and badass treasure hunters—I adored every exhilarating, plot twisty second!
The ending is pretty explosive—which I DID NOT see coming and also a little cliffhanger-y (so do keep this in mind if you don’t enjoy cliffhangers or long waits.) I literally cannot wait to see where Vedder takes us (and our favourite group of adventurers) next.
Fans of fairytale retellings and Lara Croft, Indiana Jones or Evie from The Mummy simply must add this (and the first book, The Bone Spindle) to your TBRs immediately!
A huge thank you to Sarah at Hachette/ Team BKMRK for the incredible physical copies.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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