Torn
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4.2 • 14 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
"A gorgeous weave of romantic fantasy and urgent politics." —Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives
In an enchanting world of sartorial sorcery, court intrigue, and revolutionary royals, a charm caster finds herself torn between loyalty to her brother and her love for a nobleman as a rebellion sweeps the land in this French Revolution-inspired debut historical fantasy.
Sophie, a dressmaker and charm caster, has lifted her family out of poverty with a hard-won reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly embroidered spells. A commission from the royal family could secure her future -- and thrust her into a dangerous new world.
Revolution is brewing. As Sophie's brother, Kristos, rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement, it is only a matter of time before their fortunes collide.
When the unrest erupts into violence, she and Kristos are drawn into a deadly magical plot. Sophie is torn—between her family and her future.
In a time of revolution, everyone must take a side.
Praise for The Unraveled Kingdom:
“Miller places immigrant ambition and women’s lives at the heart of her magical tale of politics and revolution. I was utterly enchanted by this unique, clever, and subtly fierce fantasy. —Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
“Strong research, moral ambiguities, and an innovative magic system....A well-executed historical fantasy debut whose author has a sharp eye for detail.” —Kirkus
“Miller weaves a fresh, richly textured world full of magic-stitched ball gowns and revolutionary pamphlets. The vivid, complex setting and deeply human characters make for an absorbing read!” —Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower
The Unraveled Kingdom
Torn
Rule
Fray
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Miller's disappointing fantasy debut, first of a series, sets an initially promising scene but doesn't live up to it. Sophie Balstrade, a young business owner in class-stratified Galitha, must choose whether and how much to support her brother, Kristos, who heads a rapidly growing movement of the working poor. Sophie is reluctant to rock any boats for fear of losing the business that provides for her and Kristos especially since she is a charmcaster as well as a dressmaker, and her magic is unusual in Galitha. The different factions, ethnicities, and background details of life are clearly and carefully portrayed, and Kristos and Sophie are vibrant characters. However, the evenhanded treatment of class issues soon tips decidedly toward the nobility. The nobles seen on the page are all well developed as characters, genuinely hardworking, and devoted to everyone's best interests, while the leaders of the democracy movement are cardboard-cutout villains. The humanity of Sophie's romance plot (with a noble in line for the throne) is a bright spot, but readers excited by the thought of a fantasy novel about class struggle may be disappointed by this story's implicit lean toward monarchism and apparent distaste for the messiness of revolution.
