Book Description: TORN is the first book in an enchanting debut fantasy series featuring a seamstress who stitches magic into clothing, and the mounting political uprising that forces her to choose between her family and her ambitions, for fans of The Queen of the Tearling.
Sophie is a dressmaker who has managed to open her own shop and lift herself and her brother, Kristos, out of poverty. Her reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly-embroidered charms for luck, love, and protection secures her a commission from the royal family itself — and the commission earns her the attentions of a dashing but entirely unattainable duke.
Meanwhile, Kristos rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement. Their worlds collide when the revolution’s shadow leader takes him hostage and demands that Sophie place a curse on the queen’s Midwinter costume — or Kristos will die at their hand.
As the proletariat uprising comes to a violent climax, Sophie is torn: between her brother and the community of her birth, and her lover and the life she’s striven to build.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought Torn was a fun book to read and felt that the story although not completely unique (there have been quite a few of the poor oppressed people trying to take over the wealthy out lately, however I still love to read them) it had unique parts to it. Never have I read a book where the power that someone has is that they can stitch charms into clothing! I mean personally I think that it a pretty cool power to have and just something we haven’t seen. I also liked that ____ was of the poorer class but the nobles were pulling her into their circle not caring that she wasn’t one of them. So you really got to see both sides of the people in this. You got to see that really not all nobles thought the way that the government did, that they did agree there should be some change, but that the red caps were just going about it the wrong way. The Red Caps also just weren’t willing to listen, I thought it was very interesting that Sophie was not completely with her brother in that she just wanted to be able to do what she enjoyed doing and she saw both sides of the problem.
I thought that the characters were well developed, you really got to know more than just the main characters, you got a background of all the supporting characters as well. I felt like I was caring about most of the people in the book. Except the bad guy of course I just wanted him to get what was coming to him. I did think though he was a fairly decent bad guy role and there was a twist that at first you didn’t realize, although I did kind of figure it out before it was revealed but I thought it was a good twist in the story to take it in another direction.
I liked that Sophie was actually willing to try and do what she had to do in order to save her brother and also find a way to stop the bad buy Pyrod from getting what he wanted. She didn’t really play into the typical woe is me I can’t do this heroine role that seems to be a thing where they just cry and complain while doing what they have to and then finally realize they can do it. Yes she had moments where she was like I can’t do this, but they didn’t last long because she would be like but you have to and so you are going to figure it out.
I thought the writing was great it flowed well and there were no mistakes. There wasn’t so much detail that it just dragged on it had just enough for you to picture what was going on but keep the story moving. I am definitely excited to see what is in store in the next book and can’t wait till it comes out!
Book Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Leave A Comment