I really enjoyed this story, but I the writing and some of the characters hold the book back from being a 4 or 5 star pick for me.

The main character, Tanwen, who is also known as Tannie, is a prodigy story peddler. I was bothered by her since she seems really.. indecisive. Her background is also very transparent. You mean to tell me a gifted story teller who can’t remember her past but has a very nice cottage to stay in which is filled with nice things has parents who are unimportant? Please.

The best part of the novel was definitely the magic system. One of the most unique and wonderful systems I’ve encountered. In the world of the novel, story peddlers have the ability to create actual objects and the end of their story telling, which being a crystallized symbol of what they have told. I really loved this idea! It is wonderfully creative, but it generated a lot of questions. Why do people look down on story peddlers? In the beginning Tanwen is telling a story to a small child and the child’s father rips the child away from Tanwen, out of disgust. It is not explicitly stated why people don’t like them. Rather than story peddlers being “poor” and “raggedy” the by-line should have been that they are spreading the King’s propaganda (since they are only allowed to tell crown-approved stories). This kind of thing bothered me throughout the novel, there was so many missed opportunities to bring the novel up to the next level.
So many decisions in this book were dumb ones, made by bother the writer and the characters. When Tanwen is taken to <spoiler>Corysth, I can’t believe she wants to go back to her town! That is wanted criminal trope 101. And why does everyone else let her go? Thank god she gets captured by the guardsman I was getting very frustrated. </spoiler>
The main love interests, Brac and <spoiler>Mor</spoiler> were walking clichés. One is the (boring) farm boy that Tanwen has grown up with and loves as both a brother and a friend, the other is a mysterious <spoiler>pirate</spoiler>. Brac is so transparent and bland that I skipped most of his lines. The other character was also so-so, since I had not reason to root for them.. if anything I ship <spoiler>Gryfelle and Mor</spoiler>! <spoiler>So I’m disappointed that the next novel will seem like it follows Mor and Tanwen trying to find a cure for Gryfelle. I already foresee some kind of romantic tension. Tanwen just needs to find another romantic interest.</spoiler>
I also have issues with other characters, such as Braith and Sir Dray, but let’s not go into them lest this turns into a 1000 word essay.

As mentioned before, the best part of the novel was the creative magic. I really liked this idea of story peddling. However, as the book progresses we discover <spoiler> other types of magic, and these are.. not expanded on enough. Nor even hinted at enough in the beginning of the book. I assumed that story telling was the only kind of magic, but it is clear that actually many kinds of creative art produce magic. Which is amazing. HOWEVER, how did these other characters (the rebels) even develop or find out about their skills? It seems like each one has a different skill, and they are really good at using them. This book would have benefited from a “wise old” character who had a lot of past knowledge about this skills. Also they should have been hinted at earlier in the novel).

Overall.. the magic of this book was.. magic. I loved it. However, the characters, the writing and parts of the story let it down. I have a feeling I’ll like the next book less than this one.

I tried really hard to like this book, but I couldn't. And judging from all the 5 star reviews, I am clearly in the minority. I up to about halfway and then realized I'd much rather spend time reading books I actually enjoy.

My biggest issue with this was the language - I just couldn't get past the fact that the author had to use the word 'wee' so many fucking times. JUST SAY SMALL! The language didn't add to the story at all, it just made everything seem like a joke. I also didn't like Tanwen at all. She just seemed really dumb, and was so irritating. The only chapters I liked were Braith's, and halfway through the book I'd only read about 4 of those.

The plot was so slow and the writing lazy that I just could not finish this book

This book managed to sneak a dystopia onto my reading list, which is quite a feat; and, even more impressively, it also managed to make me enjoy it.

The trope of forbidden magic is overplayed, but this was a good variation on it: magic users/artists who are given the choice by an oppressive regime of being either co-opted or suppressed. The protagonist, a determined and capable young woman (my favourite kind of protagonist), takes the option "neither of the above" and connects up with other dissidents, while the despot's daughter struggles to temper his tyranny. Eventually, the two story threads connect, leading to a climax which took me by surprise with its suddenness.

Well crafted, with characters that deepen beyond their stereotypes because they all have a backstory and all want something, which they're prepared to pursue at personal cost. There's no softpedaling in terms of the outcomes for the characters - several of them come to tragic ends - but it skillfully avoids becoming dark, hopeless, or cynical.

Not quite amazing enough to make it to five stars, but certainly very good, and I expect to include it in my Year's Best list this year.

Overall, this is a fantastic story. The book has so many elements that it will appeal to a wide audience. Magic, adventure, and secrecy are just a few of them. The unique story is refreshing and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.
I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

<strong>Opinión: </strong>Seguimos con peticiones a NetGalley. En este caso, lo que me llamó la atención y me hizo querer leerlo fue la idea de las historias narradas que se cristalizaban en figuritas. Me parecía una analogía muy bonita que podía dar mucho juego bien empleada. La historia no me decepcionó, aunque no fue en ningún caso por donde me esperaba que fuera. Su ritmo no es constante sino que tiene una primera parte un tanto lenta para presentarnos al personaje que sirve para establecer todo el worldbuilding que este conoce.

La trama parte de una joven con ambición, que quiere ganarse el pan con su don para las historias en un reino aplastado bajo el puño de hierro del usurpador. Lo que empieza como una historia de viajes y costumbrista de la zona, pronto se convierte en preparación para la rebelión y en un oscuro secreto que desvelar. Nada sorprendente, por tanto, que hablemos de una historia que, aunque bastante típica y centrada en las emociones y en los secretos de cada uno, tenga una cierta relevancia al pensar en cómo las historias que contamos marcan lo que se conoce y se acepta del sistema en el que vivimos. Así, por ejemplo, aceptar o no la expresión de Consejo de Ministras implica cuán especial consideramos dicha situación. Esto, en el caso de la historia, viene a raíz de que solo haya una forma de contar las historias que sean aceptadas, casualmente las que apoyan a las deidades de los templos con poder político así como al rey. Nada extraño por aquí.

Los personajes están bien definidos, pese a que, para mí, va demasiado rápido de un grupo a otro y solo se nos queda el poso de la protagonista, a la que conocemos y vemos cómo va descubriéndose a sí misma. Es interesante, también, por cómo marca la diferencia entre aceptar los sentimientos y no plantearse que haya algo más allá, algo que no le corte las alas. También es interesante cómo establece en la figura de la princesa, cuyo punto de vista se nos muestra, el tema de la justicia y su lugar en la lucha contra la opresión sistemática que ejerce su padre. Hay varios secretos que se desvelan hacia el final del libro que dejan en el aire por dónde pueden ir las continuaciones, tanto en cuanto a nivel de aventura como a sentimientos.

El estilo de la autora es brillante en muchas ocasiones, con unas descripciones maravillosas de lo especial, pero le fallan las descripciones de lo prosaico, como si todos debiéramos tener claro cómo es un salón del trono o las habitaciones de un castillo. Por suerte, sí que nos presenta y nos recuerda a menudo qué ven las protagonistas al ver a los distintos personajes, cosa que ayuda a que les cojamos cariño a los secundarios.

En definitiva, es un buen libro que hará las delicias de aquellos que buscan una fantasía juvenil con cierto mensaje pero que se queda un tanto en la superficie, permitiendo al lector no sopesar del todo aquellos que lee contra la sociedad en la que vive.

The Story Peddler by Lindsay A. Franklin released 01/05/2018

Has anyone else read this book? Its incredible!

It has one of the most original magic systems I've ever read. The magic brought by art - this book follows a story peddler, Tanwen who accidentally upsets the king with outlawed story strands, and the stories are created by weaving light together to create tangible items, such as a fir tree crystal figure, etc. It also follows Braith who is the kings daughter who wants to make a difference between the outlawed and the people.

I'm not doing a great description of this book, and I don't feel as though I can wait for the next books, so I'm gushing over what I've read so far and I'm enamoured with it because of the originality of the story itself. I like the characters and I like what I've read so far! I do recommend this book completely.

Sent to me as an ARC from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really cute, clean fantasy. I loved the adventure and the characters.I am super excited to read the next book.

The Story Peddler

Actual rating: 2 3/4 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Story Peddler by Lindsay Franklin is a perfect blend of fantasy and religion. I loved the fact that the religion aspects of this book were not overbearing. In fact, I found the Christianity parts of this book were very subtle and complimented the world building and religious oppression seen in the novel. The fantasy aspects of this novel were also interesting and worked well for the plot of the novel. The basis of the storytellers as well as the other people gifted with the “arts” was intriguing. I agree with the book on the fact that arts reveal a certain kind of truth and in this novel the arts truly do have the ability to overthrow a tyrant king who stole his throne.

The characters of the novel were average in my opinion. I really thought that Tanwen was going to impress me (mainly due to the description) but instead I found her to be very average. She was the typical village girl who wants more to life. After expressing these desires she learns that she has a special gift/talent or she finds that her parents were special/important people. In Tanwen’s case she is special and her parents were important. I also found that her way of speaking got on my nerves. This is not necessarily an issue because it states in the book that she would get in trouble with her mentor for talking like a country bumpkin/farm girl (therefore this is a personal preference and I cannot fault the book for it).

I thought Brac was also average. He was the typical country boy who loves the girl but wants her to give up her dreams. Mor was very much the same except he was the boy who is emotionally unavailable to the main character, but encourages her to follow her dreams and doesn’t try to force her into a traditional role as wife and caretaker.

Braith on the other hand really surprised me. Her love for her people and her desire to help everyone her father harmed blew me away. She was gentle and kind, but she was willing to go against what others wanted and do things that could get her in serious trouble with her father (the king) in order to do what she thought was right. In all honesty I loved Braith the most and cheered for her the entire novel. Braith’s father on the other hand was despicable; he was cruel and cold and willing to do anything and hurt anyone in order to control his people and maintain his power.

The plot of this novel was very enjoyable. The whole concept of people telling stories and thus creating a physical embodiment of the tale and selling them was fascinating. However, the fact that the people are so oppressed that they can only tell specific stories (ones that benefit the king and the goddesses), only know two songs, and can only create painting of the king really demonstrates the extent to which the government abuses its power. I admired the group of rebels who fought against the oppression and sought out freedom for everyone. Even though they were very outnumbered and suffered losses within their community even before the intense fighting began. The intrigue of discovering just what happened to the original king and what happened to Tanwen's family kept me reading well into the night.

The almost instant love felt by Tanwen for Mor was frustrating, but then again, I prefer a slow burning romance. I personally felt that there was not enough time for Tanwen to develop feeling for him in the short amount of time they were together. The sort of love triangle between Tanwen, Mor, and Brac was also frustrating but once again love triangles are a cliché that I personally don’t enjoy.

Braith’s story arc was my favorite of all the other characters. She was always trying to do what she thought would benefit the people the most. While she was doing this she had to play the part of spy and obedient daughter. Even though Braith played the part of obedient daughter she was not afraid to challenge her father on certain issues and more often than not he would listen to her to an extent. Overall, I loved Braith as a person and I loved the parts she played through out the entire novel. I only wish I could have read more about her.

Even though the characters were average (except Braith) the premise of the story and the plot made up for the lack of originality of the characters. While there was some fighting there was nothing in this novel that was overly graphic. I will mention that Christianity/God (the creator) is involved in this book. With that being said the references are subtle and not overbearing. I believe that people who are not of the Christian faith could still enjoy this novel very much. Overall, I found this novel to be enjoyable. I would recommend this book to children as well as adults looking for a good fantasy book.

4.5

A really enjoyable clean fantasy read. I loved the way the main character could create real objects from her stories and the emphasis on the power of stories to change the world. It was also refreshing to have female characters I really liked - especially Braith who kept trying to do her best under difficult circumstances, but also Tanwen.

The ending was great especially in relation to Braith. I was definitely cheering.

I am curious about how the Tanwen / Brac / Mor situation will pan out in the next book, but I’m shipping Brac and Tanwen. Any one else? Or are we all supposed to be Mor fans???

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this. All thoughts are my own.

The story peddler is a fantasy with a unique magical system where when weavers paint, sing or tell stories it comes to life through threads for the weavers themselves.

The story peddler is steeped in political intrigue and Franklin makes you absolutely despise Gareth in this by showing what his reign has done to the people of the kingdom.

My favourite character in the book has to be Braith, she is strong fighting against her father daily for what is right and never loses sight of what she wants to do for her people.

I would definitely recommend this book for readers who are interested in a quick fantasy with strong characters.

Rich and imaginative fantasy novel in which the main character is a story peddler/story teller and the tales create a physical manifestation which can be sold, in order to earn a story peddler's living. Lots of creativity went into both the characters and the stories told.

First off, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the GORGEOUS cover!
The story which Franklin spun was unique in so many ways. I mean, a story peddler who creates strands of color with her hands then crystalizes those into something solid? Just beautiful. Then there were also the names of animals; for example, fluff-hoppers. Obviously rabbits, but it made these mundanes creatures seem magical. Another interesting thing was the last names. Like En-Yestin and Bo-Bradwir. It took me a bit to get used to, but this was a unique twist as well. And finally, what about phrases like, “Mind your own onions?” Honestly, I had to reread that one the first time it came up. It’s too good to be true :)
Okay, enough rambling… The heroine, Tanwen, was very down to earth and I could easily relate to her. I had expected her to end up as some superhero who single-handedly saves the day; however, it wasn’t like that at all. Yes, she was brave, selfless, and kind, but - to put it simply - it was natural. The other characters in this novel were colorfully portrayed as well and I quickly fell in love with each of the Corsyth Weavers as well as Princess Braith.
Moving on to the plot. It ambled along at a nice pace, not boring me with details and not moving so quickly I was left behind in the dust. In addition, the ending was exquisite. It left me satisfied, yet at the same time wanting to read the next book.
One thing, though, which I found slightly confusing, was the essence of the story strands. I’m still not 100% sure what they are. Are they supposed to be some sort of gifting? Some sort of magic? Art that is in the form of color? The book began with Tanwen telling a story and I realized right away that the color thingies were coming from her fingers because that’s what the cover shows, but I didn’t know why or how?
Lastly, this was a wonderfully clean read and as a result, I was able to fully enjoy it.
I definitely recommend this book!

Interesting idea for a book, I found this book interesting and enjoyable, reminds me of another series I've read, but with different magical abilities. I didn't realize it was a trilogy at first but looking forward to the next one.

The premise of the book was interesting, especially the magic system. Unfortunately story wise this book didn't hold my intrest and it seemed like other booms Ive read about an orphan girl with magical powers who has a mysterious heritage. Oh an there is a love triangle....wwee..
A lot of pepole loked this book and I would recommend it as it did have an interesting magic system.

What a great story - a teenage girl, Tanwen, is a storyteller and an artist. But her art comes from her fingers in ribbons of colored light that turn into a solid object, which can transform into other things according to the plot of the story. Tanwen is only supposed to tell kingdom-sanctioned stories, she usually does, but sometimes she adds her own endings, which can get her into trouble with the kings soldiers or even the king himself!
Tanwen told a story about the King’s daughter, Braith, and how she was the hope of the kingdom, and while she was telling it, a forbidden strand of light appeared in her story, and a man wearing a hood bought the flower that appeared at the end of her story. The hooded man sent a message to the king and he was angry about what Tanwen did, but his daughter Braith, a wise and compassionate young woman, tried to ask her father to show mercy to Tanwen.
Tanwen finally got the king’s attention when she told a treasonous story. You will have to read the book for yourself to find out about the storyteller’s abilities, Tanwen’s flight, and her miraculous new friends

Absolutely adored this debut novel from Lindsay A. Franklin. Stunning world-building and engrossing characters make it easy to slip into the pages of this fantasy and forget about the world. Rather than the epic fantasies like A Game of Thrones, Franklin's storytelling steps along the path of a realistic, whimsical reverie. I've put it on the shelf alongside my favorite books like Dodger by Terry Pratchett, Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon, and Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

I read this book in less than 24 hours because I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the rest of the trilogy to come out!