This is one of the best fiction books I have read in a long time!

It is fantasy in the tradition of C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. I was hooked from the start and plowed through the book in 3 days. The main character, Tannie, is believable. She acts how a real person would in her less than ordinary situations. All of the characters have dimensions. You don't just love the good guys and hate the bad guys. You relate to them via their good points and their flaws. I can't wait for the next book to come out and see how the story continues!

I want to gush! Can I gush?
Wowwwwwww

"“Most people’s lives were stories with mysterious endings. Mine was a story with a beginning I could never make sense of. It was like fifty different unrelated strands I couldn’t weave into a solid crystal."

This is by far one of my favorite books of the year! Captivating writing, unique plot and endearing characters.
I was completely lost in this setting full of story peddlers, fluff-hoppers, marsh-grazers, colormasters and enough mystery to keep you up at night!

I truly believe this is a book for all ages!

This one was amazing! I loved the world building and characters, and the surprising twists to the story. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Last night I stayed up a little late just to finish this off, because I really couldn't leave it hanging until today with only one chapter to go. There is a lot to like in here, and I am definitely in for #2, but I did have a few hang-ups. Let's talk about the good:

Tanwen is not as wishy-washy as some of the female protagonists I've read, and while she's not yet the "strong woman" figure I like to see, she's on her way. The way she figures out her powers on her own, just by thinking about it - some would say that's a bit deus-ex-machina, but I read it more as she was discovering herself, by herself, instead of anyone else showing her who she is.

The story itself is interesting. Tanwen gets caught up in a scandal without realizing how or why (I still don't understand why the white strands were alarming; I assume we'll find out in book 2 - I hope), and finds herself on the run with a band of rebels who claim she needs to be protected. Her journey from there is somewhat predictable, but it was written well, with a lot of struggle and twists and turns.

Braith is about the strongest woman we get to see in this book. While I haaaaaaate her name (and the naming structure in general - it was very confusing and didn't make much sense to me), I absolutely adored her character. She was one of the few I felt got fleshed out to the "real" point, where she's not just words on a page but a breathing, evolving character.

There were some interesting foils in Sir Dray and High Priest Naith (or whatever his title was, I couldn't keep track of everyone). The little surprise with Naith in the end was completely unexpected, while I saw most of the other twists coming.

So let's talk about those twists. From the start I had a feeling that Tanwen was somehow related to the previous royal family, although admittedly I first pegged her as the king's bastard daughter because that's where most YA fantasies go with this kind of storyline. She wasn't nearly so important as that, but she was still pretty high up there. I still can't figure out why she specifically was a threat to the kingdom with her white strands, but there you go. Finding out who her father is/was (which was so super spoiled by the "The One In The Dark" chapters) led to a bit of an interesting revelation. But just about everything leading up to it was so obviously foreshadowed that it was impossible to be surprised.

If we're talking about wishy-washy characters, look no farther than Brac, the farmboy who loves Tanwen so blindly that he's willing to join the royal guard to convince her to marry him (a boneheaded move if I ever saw one, he's not too bright really). It's almost stalkerish how he practically begs Tanwen to marry him every time he sees her. She obviously doesn't want to marry him, and she's told him no several times, but he keeps persisting. Sad puppy stuff. Drove me nuts. (view spoiler)

The characters were also not that great. I had a hard time getting to know any of them. When I left the book last night, intending to write the review today, I knew I needed to stew on it a bit. Because I liked it, but there was something bugging me. I realized that I didn't remember any of the sideline characters. They never became real enough that they jumped off the page. They felt like background, filler, thrown in just to complete the gang. I really wanted to love them, because they're the good guys, but I never connected. Plus everyone kept telling Tanwen that they'd reveal all their secrets about her identity "in good time," and of course that time never came. Personally, I think the only reason to do that is to delay the surprise, when in reality the perfect time to tell someone about who she really is is right now, not three weeks down the line just because you don't feel like doing it right then. If you're driving the plot based on purposefully withheld necessary information, there's a problem there.

And lastly, let's talk about that ending. (view spoiler)

The negative seems like it should outweigh the positive, but I really did like reading this book. The adventure was interesting, the story strands was something I'd never seen before, and I love a good adventure. Predictable, not great characterization, and a bit of a rush-job ending, but I enjoyed the ride more than the specifics. Looking forward to book 2, hoping there's a bit more clean-up and deeper delving into characters.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! The magic was enthralling and I loved that it started out as a job for the main character but became so much more! Speaking of main characters, Tanwen is a wonderful storyteller and her voice throughout the novel is wonderful because you feel her bringing you along on her story, What I didn’t expect was that there would be secrets, pirates, and a completely second voice telling her story. We meet Braith along the way and her story is the perfect companion to Tanwen.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories like Percy Jackson, The Looking Glass Wars, or even Harry Potter!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Story Peddler was a lovely book. The main character is Tanwen. She is apprenticing to be a story peddler and dreams of being able to tell stories to the king. I loved the concept described in the synopsis of this book. Stories told weave light from the story peddlers hands and form a glass object at the end that is sold to the highest bidder. So neat! Tanwen is getting good at telling the crown stories but one day her stories take over and do things she's no longer controlling. They weave their own stories and those stories are forbidden! Unfortunately, this gets her noticed by the King but not in the way she wants. What happens after I'll let you read about.

Tanwen is a young girl. She was orphaned at a young age. She is naive. The world she lives in is a small one out in a quaint town. This is reflected throughout the book. I know this book is listed as Christian. I would not call it that. It does hint at a creator but its definitely not God. No big deal, just throwing this out there. Also, there are a few touchy subjects briefly mentioned. One to do with race and the other with rape/unwanted advances from an older man to a young girl.

Overall I fully enjoyed the Story Peddler. I will be looking for the next one!

Tanwen has a gift--when she tells stories, magical strands come from her hands and weave the colors of the tale into a beautiful glass picture...which she can then sell to a member of the audience. Tanwen's lifelong ambition has been to become a royal storyteller and weave her stories for the king and his court, but it's an unlikely chance for an orphan raised in a little village who doesn't even know who her parents were. Ever since the reign of the current king, story peddlers have only been allowed to tell certain tales, and they must tell them in the approved way. Anything else is sedition or blasphemy.

But as Tanwen continues to tell stories, a strange white light begins to appear in them and the story strands take on a life of their own. Soon, the king's soldiers are beating down her front door to take her dead or alive while at the same time a mysterious band of renegades hurries her out the back door to save her life and initiate her into their company. It's time for Tanwen to learn just how powerful her gift really is and just why the king wants to suppress it....

This young adult novel has a beautiful cover and an interesting premise. It illustrates how story and all forms of art must reflect truth and shows how disaster will follow for the individual and society if we try to suppress that truth. The story had overtly Christian themes with the priests of a goddess-based religion trying to suppress knowledge of the real Creator. The dialogue was awkwardly written in many places, and Tanwen as narrator was at points annoying and immature.  Parts of the world building were unique, but some of the phrases and descriptive language pulled me right out of that world and back into the twenty-first century. All in all, The Story Peddler is a credible start to a fantasy trilogy that many young people will enjoy.

I’d heard a lot of hype about this book, so I was excited to get to read it. The Story Peddler was a neat tale about how art reveals truth. It balanced allegory with action, and reminded me a lot of writers such as Serena Chase and Nicole Sager.
While I didn’t find it quite as enthralling as I’d hoped, it was a pretty good read. The plot had a good bit of action, and tied up neatly enough at the end (no horrible cliffhangers here!) while still leaving room for a sequel. Plus, Tanwen was such a fun character to read about! She had so much spunk and personality, and it was fun to see most of the story play out through her eyes. The one quibble I have with characters is about the love triangle—I didn’t feel like it was realistic, and it seemed to spring out of nowhere. One other thing: while the author was very creative in describing plants and animals (“fluff-hoppers” for rabbits, and “bitter-bean brew” for coffee), it did get kinda confusing at times. I didn’t care for it as much, but it might not bother all readers.

Overall, I’d rate this book 3 and a half stars. I liked it, but it didn’t enthrall me like I’d hoped. Fans of allegories and characters with plenty of spunk will definitely want to pick this one up.

Content:

Language: none

Sexual: mentions of mistresses, sleeping around, a forced kiss between a young lady and an older man, hints at taking advantage of women, hints at prostitutes.

Violence: injuries and attacks from both men and beasts, non-graphic.

Diversity: The enslaved Meridioni people are described as having dark skin. A legend explains this as being caused by their pride. The Tirian people are described as being fair.

Religion: The Tirian people have three goddesses, though the story says that only the most uneducated peasant believes in them. A Creator is mentioned, and a dark force is hinted at.

For more reviews, see GabrielleNBlog.Wordpress.com, or TheStorySanctuary.com.

The Story Peddler is about a young woman who has a special talent to weave stories where her words create beautiful representation of the story to please her audience's eyes. When she finishes, they crystalize into a lovely object, which she hopes to sell. She is kind-hearted and hard-headed. She dreams to become the Royal Storyteller and live happily ever after. Of course, she is in for a rude awakening.

The story is engaging and well-written. The characters are personable, driving us to turn the page to see how it will all end. While the story wraps up nicely, it also promises us more adventures to come. I look forward to seeing where Tanwen goes next and how her decisions will play out. Highly recommended for those who love stories like Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul, The Last Motley by DJ Edwardson, and Orphan's Song by Gillian Bronte Adams.

*I received a free copy from Netgalley to read and review.

Gorgeous, imaginative, and solidly places Franklin on my must read list! Completely believable world building and engaging, lively characters converge with one of the most original and fun concepts I’ve had the pleasure of reading! Lindsay A. Franklin is an author to watch!

This book was well written with excellent world building! The writing was very accessible to a teen audience and also managed to convey a vivid illustration of the tale for the reader. Tammie is an excellent character who is unapologetically herself and is a great example to younger readers. The plot weaving was quite clever, and although perhaps predictable to older readers will be sure to engage the teen audience. All in all an excellent read!

The Story Peddler is a strong start in the new Weaver Trilogy. Tanwen is a story peddler; she weaves stories with her hands, ribbons of light becoming crystallised sculptures. But she is only permitted to tell royally-approved stories for small-town folk, so she dreams of becoming storyteller to the King. But Tanwen’s gifts cannot be controlled, putting her in danger. She meets a band of outlaw story weavers, discovering more about her story telling powers, as well as shocking secrets.

I found this a wonderfully imaginative story. The magic system created for this series is enchanting and original. I loved the beautiful descriptions of the stories being woven in the air. There world-building is simple and strong, leaving it open to expansion in future stories.

I found Tanwen to be a very endearing character and narrator and enjoyed the mixture of interesting characters and the relationships between them. The book is a complete and fulfilling story on its own, but ends with a hint of what will happen next. I look forward to meeting the characters again for the next book and am eager to follow them on their adventures.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

The Story Peddler Is a great fantasy story. It is about a big hearted Tanwen. It is also about determination, gifting, genuiness, jam packed, lasting and hidden Christian messaging. Courage because Tanwen gave a dire story to the king. Demanding because a mentor demands she does certain story peddling. Determination because she wanted to get away from him and be a story teller to the king. Gifting because she was gifted with story telling - so were others. Genuineness because that is what she is - genuine. Jam packed - the story is jam packed with new mystery action stories. Lasting and hidden Christian messaging - that is what it says. I can't wait for book to.

Lindsay A. Franklin is one imaginative and talented writer. The Story Peddler may not have crystallized in my hand, but the descriptions came to life in my head. The characters are fantastic, the setting spectacular, and the story is amazing. I love that Tanwen is a spunky character ready to discover her life. The many folks she meets along the way add a flair that only a good fantasy can boast. The Christian truths woven throughout the story add an element of depth and wisdom. The Story Peddler reminds me of one of my favorite fantasy books, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (but written for adults.) This book is every bit as good. The first book in the trilogy, I guarantee, will leave you wanting more. I received this e-book free from NetGalley with no expectation of a good or bad review.

I can so picture this.
This would make a spectacular movie or series. Animators would have a blast!

From farmland to palace, simple clothes to gowns, secrets and an orphan looking for guidance. Set in a syfy world, this author is a master weaver. In this story some characters have a talent to tell a story and make it visual, with swirls of colors and objects flowing from their hands as they speak. Tanwen aspires to a life telling stories for the king, not realizing at first the tyrant he is. She did know that he has outlawed stories not sanctioned by him and found it hard to comply, which put her and those around her in great danger. His kingdom is full of goddess worship by force, but some still only worship the Creator. This story is very well written and is a place I am looking forward to seeing more of.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Story Peddler
by Lindsay A. Franklin
Gilead Publishing
Enclave
Christian , Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 01 May 2018
I am reviewing a copy of The Story Peddler through Enclave and Netgalley:


The Story Peddler is the story of Tanween she is a storyteller who does far more than just tell stories, she creates them into crystal sculptures that sell for a good deal of money. But there is only one way that she can get out of the grips of her cruel mentor and get out of poverty, she must become the storyteller to the King, it is then that she can become free.



Will Tanween become storyteller to the king, ensuring her freedom and security? Or Will she continue to have to work for her Cruel Mentor?


Find out in The Story Peddler !

Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

This book was amazing! I'm not sure how am I am going to wait for the next one to come out because I am already so anxious! There is a reason this book has such high ratings! It is the best book I have read in awhile!!

Tanwen is a story peddler that creates sculptures from the stories she creates for audiences in the small villages she visits. She dreams to one day become the Royal Storyteller, yet after a big mishap where some unauthorized threads appear, she is a wanted woman and the king will stop at nothing to get her, dead or alive. Tanwen, along with a host of other rebel weavers who come to her rescue are such enticing characters. They are fun to read about and Franklin has truly created a masterpiece with the way the characters come to life in the story. In fact, the whole story is so masterfully depicted. I loved the dialect of the people and this new and interesting world she creates through the story.

Braith, the other protagonist in the story, is just as likable and tenacious and fascinating as Tanwen. Despite the heinous individuals that surround her, she is so wholesome and refreshing next to the other members at court. Each of the characters are so well thought out and dynamic in their own right.

This book was also clean and totally appropriate for children for all ages too. This is always a plus for me as I do not enjoy when books are too crude or use foul language. She had none of either though!

I truly could not put this book down and upon finishing it, it was one of those books where it is hard to come back to reality as your mind is still wrapped around the story and entwined with the plot and characters. I was amazed to not find a whole collection of other novels from Franklin as I found her to be a very skillful and brilliant writer. Yes, my very first thought was that I needed to acquire all of her other books to immediately read and fuel my obsession with her addicting writing! I will definitely be watching for her second book to this series like a hawk! I can't wait to see where this thrilling fantasy series will go next!!

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Gilead Publishing for the review copy!

A story about a girl who weaves stories into crystallized sculptures. This is what caught my attention when I looked this book up. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a book like this before!
It was a bit slow at first but I was really interested to know what would happen, that I didn't even notice that I got halfway through the book. It was quite a unique journey and I’m really glad that I got the chance to read it.

Tanwen is our main character here. She’s a story peddler and everything is going her way until treason is revealed through her story strands. It was really interesting to see the story unfold and develop. I especially loved the characters we met on the way, the weavers. A group of rebels who more or less have something in common. They were very lovable and easy to connect with especially, Mor *Heart eyes*

The story was told from Tanwen’s point of view but a few chapters were about Princess Briath the Kings daughter, and I thoroughly enjoyed her chapters too. The writing was easy to get into and interesting to follow. The names might have been a tiny bit difficult to remember (and pronounce) but after a while I got familiar and used to it.

I’m really looking forward to the next two books in this trilogy, especially with the mysterious way the book ended. Wonderful work!

The Story Peddler was a delightfully creative read. The ability to turn a story into a piece of art is just one of the many creative delights of the world of The Weaver Trilogy.

Tanwen’s character felt young, particularly in her understanding of herself and the world in which she inhabits, which is appropriate as this book is marketed as young adult fantasy. Yet, we are able to join Tanwen on her journey to discover more about who she is, the gift of art that she possesses and her place in the world.

Through danger, treason, and Tanwen’s complicated choices on who to trust the author develops an intricate tale. The character’s were well rounded and the ending wasn’t what I expected.

I will certainly be looking for the next installment