Wow, this was fantastic! What an incredible fantasy book based on Mexican and German folklore/mythology.
Jade Aguilar, like her mother, is a thread speaker in the queendom of Mérecal, This means she has the unique ability to stitch love, beauty, intelligence and to unravel even death. When her mother goes missing, the queen orders Jade to find her or be conscripted into a life of servitude.

Lukas Keller is desperate to feed his family and makes a deal with a vicious gang leader. Though he swore never to seek the help of a thread speaker, he's in over his head and it might be his only option.
Jade and Lukas form a mistrustful alliance, as they try to solve the mystery of the serial killer on the loose in Merecal.
So let’s talk world building and magic systems. Soul weaving as a tapestry is such a beautiful concept. Different threads are used for the soul’s different characteristics. And the world building is top notch. The Queen and the Underworld Queen are NOT what they seem to be.
Jade’s development was my favorite part of the book. She battles trauma, PTSD, and a stranger who is after her in order to save the boy she has come to love. Nice development on their romance in my opinion – I didn’t feel that it became rushed or happened too quickly.
An Embroidery of Souls is a must read for everyone who loves fantasy.

An Embroidery of souls

5 ⭐️/ 5

“True bravery isn’t the absence of fear but standing up despite the weight of it pushing you down.”

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book altered my brain chemistry in the best way possible. If you’re looking for an enticing, jaw dropping, tension filled, and adrenaline pumping book. This book is 100% for you.

Beginning with the protagonists. I loved both Jade and Lukas. Their backstory’s were so genuine and raw, and I truly felt like I understood them and was able to relate to them. I loved how they both had such beautiful souls (no pun intended) and how they both cared so deeply for one another and those around them. Lukas is definitely a new book bf for me.

The relationship between them was amazing, super wholesome, and sweet. They truly had such a love for each other that surpassed all issues and made them able to overcome hardships. I loved how they always were there for each other, I loved it. Literally can’t stop thinking of them.

The magic system in this book also was very intriguing and it was amazing to see how it all tied together (once again no pun intended.) the plot was very well paced and done perfectly, it didn’t feel so at any point and I could not stop reading.

I also loved the mental health rep and how they healed and learned to accept their pasts and grow from it. There were some issues mentally with some of the characters but the way they overcame it was so amazing it brought me to tears. Literally bawled my eyes out for 15 minutes.

Truly I recommend this book in every way shape and form. Please go read this. Thank you once again NetGalley for providing me with this arc!

-moodreader@heart

This book is Six of Crows if the characters actually acted like teenagers.

Front and center of An Embroidery of Souls is its fascinating magic system, Thread Speaking, which is a cross between sewing and tattooing that allows the practitioner to "steal" attributes from one person and impart them to another. Like the Grisha of Leigh Bardugo's universe, Thread Speakers live precarious lives in Martinez's world, at once coveted and feared for their power. Our main character, Jade, is one such Speaker, thrust into the undesirable role of Royal Speaker for the Queen of Merecal by her mother's untimely disappearance. Jade's only chance to escape this fate is to track her mother down, a mission that has her teaming up with working-class immigrant teen, Lukas. Murders ensue, as do feels as these two teens from opposite sides of the tracks begin to fall for each other.

As mentioned above, Jade and Lukas truly feel like teenagers, with all the self-doubt, awkwardness, and vulnerability that comes with young love. Jade grapples with anxiety stemming from her traumatic childhood, and Lukas' gentle, nonjudgmental way of comforting her is incredibly endearing. The pairs' internal journeys are equally sweet as they both come to understand and define their own self-worth apart from their families. At times the youthfulness of the narrative voice does drag the story down a bit, especially the dialogue, which (despite quite a few expletives) I can only describe as overly polite (so many pleases, thank yous, and sorrys, even from slum lords!). For those looking for a heart-warming first-love story, however, this one hits all the marks.

One last note: the world building is intriguing (what we see of it, at least) but does take a back seat to the romance, and I was left wanting far more details about this world and Merecal in particular. This may be a symptom of this being a debut, which has less room for table-setting. I'd be interested to read more stories set in this world, which Martinez will hopefully get more opportunities to expand!

This book has such unique magic, it's like nothing I've seen before and I loved it! This is seriously my top read of 2025, Ruby has a reader for life!

A Soul-Stirring Fantasy Full of Magic, Mystery, and Heart
Ruby Martinez’s debut absolutely blew me away. Jade Is a Thread Speaker is a breathtaking mix of emotional depth, lush worldbuilding, and one of the coolest magic systems I’ve ever read. It’s a story about power, sacrifice, and healing, but at its core, it’s about two broken people learning they are worthy of love, even with the cracks.
Jade is a thread speaker, someone who can manipulate the very fabric of a person’s soul, tugging at the threads that make them who they are. Strength, beauty, health… all of it can be rewoven, but every change has a cost. And whether someone gives it willingly or not is another story entirely. Lukas, on the other hand, is a boy born into hardship, working himself to the bone just to keep his family afloat. When a series of brutal murders begins stealing not just lives, but souls, Jade and Lukas are thrown together on a journey that spans cities, secrets, and simmering feelings neither of them saw coming.
Let’s talk magic first, it’s incredible. The soul-as-tapestry concept is beautifully executed, with each thread color symbolizing a different aspect of the self. It’s as poetic as it is powerful, and it adds layers of emotional weight to every use of magic. And the way the magic is tied into themes of classism and control? So smart and so timely.
What really hit home for me, though, were the characters. Jade’s character arc is a standout. She battles deep-rooted fear, anxiety, and the trauma of being used for what she can do instead of loved for who she is. Watching her come into her own was inspiring and beautifully written. Lukas is grieving and weighed down by responsibility, but his quiet strength and deep empathy make him the perfect complement to Jade. They’re both navigating self-worth struggles, and their emotional growth is raw, real, and far from rushed. I loved that healing wasn’t instant—it’s messy, and it takes time.
The romance? Chef’s kiss. It’s tender, slightly fast-paced but never superficial. There’s tension, vulnerability, banter, and so much heart. They feel meant for each other, like two puzzle pieces slowly learning how to fit together, flaws and all. Their journey isn’t perfect, but it’s full of genuine love and earned intimacy (and yes, the romance is closed-door, but still beautifully emotional).
I’d recommend checking content warnings if you’re sensitive to certain themes like grief, trauma, or panic attacks. But overall, this is a deeply human story wrapped in gorgeous fantasy.
If you love magic that means something, character-driven fantasy, slow-burn healing, and love stories that stay with you long after the final page, this book is for you. I laughed, I cried (happy tears!), and I’m already itching to read more from Ruby Martinez. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best read of 2025!

Wow! An incredible YA fantasy with action, adventure, romance, and lore rooted in Mexican and German culture.

Jade is a once orphaned young woman who has magic to see the souls of others, and speak life into thread. She can use her magic to embroider soul gifting them traits, like stealth, health, and courage, or taking these traits away. Although special, Jade’s childhood trauma had left her a shadow of herself, living with so much fear that she rarely leaves her home.

Her mother, also a thread speaker, is an advisor to the queen. A role Jade will one day be expected to fulfill. Additionally the town is currently plagued by a serial killer, legend to be monster. Who is killing people and killing gouging out their eyes.

When her mother goes missing, the day for Jade to step into her mother’s role comes sooner than she expects, and she is summoned by the queen. Upon meeting with the queen Jade is given two month to handle affairs before she is expected to start her new role, and help the queen find the murder. Terrified that her mother maybe dead, and that she is not capable of filing her role, she has a panic attack on her way home, and is saved by a young man with a beautiful soul, named Lukas.

Lukas, also a survivor of trauma, loss, and oppression is immediately drawn to Jade. However he has a secret past that makes him not trust thread speakers, and specifically her mother.

Upon meeting Lukas and Jade have an instead bond, and together they embark on a adventure to figure out what happens to Jade’s mother, identify the murder, and get Jade back before she is expected to start her role with the queen.

I LOVED everything about this book. It was packed with action and adventure, romantic tension, strength in morals, and culture! As a Chicana in the US whose language, identity, and family is under attack right now, I feel like this book found me in a perfect moment. Reminding me to be strong in the face of fear, to not let my trauma steal my present joy, and to stay good in the face of evil.

If I could give this book 10 stars I would, and I hope that this becomes a recommends read for students in my state.

I got this book as an ARC through Net Gallery in exchange for my honey review. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to be an advanced reader.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

AN EMROIDERY OF SOULS by Ruby Martinez (Sept 9)

Thank you Netgalley, RHC, and GetUnderlined for the earc

Jade can manipulate souls with thread---literally end a life. When a string of m*rders happens, she teams up with Lukas to solve them.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is a YA romantasy-esque book that is told across two points of view. The first thing that stood out to me---before I even dived in---was the cover. It's so colorful and so pretty. Going into this, I didn't know what to expect.
This book weaves equal amounts of romance, mystery, and drama to seemingly create a masterpiece. The imagery created was phenomenal, painting a picture in my mind like I was there.
I found these characters to be likeable, though it took a moment for me to warm up to Luka---he started out okay, but his grudge against [REDACTED] was a little annoying.
I'm not generally a fan of pov shifts in chapters, but I do think that, in this case, it added to the story because it allowed the author to go into more depth with these two characters.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is easily devourable, and I flew through it---though, by part four, I was ready for it to be over with. Not why you might think...it was because of the events that happened in the last few chapters of part three. So much is revealed, and so much was hanging on by a thread. I just needed to know everything. It's emotional as Jade and Lukas embark on their journey and what they learn along the way. It's full of shock and betrayal on top of the romance and fantasy element in just the right amount of quantities. AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is quite fast-paced despite it being a fantasy (we all know some times fantasy novels are drawn out.)
It's definitely a must-read for those looking to dive into a new world where it's not the cliche prince/princess/thief falling for one another while saving the world.

Every time I say I dislike fantasy I find another one that I enjoy. Although this was a slow start for me, I got sucked into the world of Mérecal and Kabrück easily and was entranced by the unique magic systems and the somehow seamless blend of Mexican and German mythology and culture. Jade and Lukas's alternating perspectives made it fun to follow their romance back and forth, but it never overpowered the more dramatic plot lines involving the Unseen Death killer and Jade's ability as a thread weaver. There were so many twists, but none too outlandish, and the ending was wonderful. At times I found the writing style a bit cheesy, but overall it was wonderful.

This book hooked me from chapter one. I did not expect such good plot and writing from a debut novel but was very surprised! Things were going great, I was loving the action and the "embroidery of souls," I could easily imagine scenes but then towards the middle of the book, things changed. Curse words popped up and the main characters got a little too cheesy and cliche, and I just wasn't as into the book as I was at the beginning. :/

Content: six f-words, d-word, b-word, s-word, p-word, sexual tension, implied sex, death, blood, fighting, and underage drinking.

The content is more than a little iffy and what made me take off three stars (the fourth was for the mediocre writing towards the end of the book). 🥴

I was gifted an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest thoughts.

" True bravery isn't the absence of fear but standing up despite the weight of it pushing you down."

This book blew me away. It follows the story of Jade, a thread speaker, and Lukas, the poor boy from the wrong side of town, as they work together to solve a mystery and save countless lives. Jade is a refreshing representation of true social anxiety. A perfectly imperfect main character. Her struggles with her internal battle for control over her emotions and fear lead to an incredible story of personal growth in which she learns to push past her fears, rather than having them just magically disappear. Lukas is kind and genuine, a truly courageous character who helps Jade on her path to self improvement while realizing his own personal needs as well. Their innocent romance is highlighted in a sweet way. The rich world building is underscored by the cultural representation apparent in the descriptions of characters, clothing, names and surroundings. A complex and unique magic system makes the story stand out in the best of ways. Several twists and turns kept me guessing throughout, culminating in the perfect happy ending.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this e-arc.

This book grabs your attention right at the start and holds it throughout. The author's creativity in developing the setting and magical concepts was well thought out and unique, and was a refreshing change from many other YA books. An enjoyable read!

For the writing, I gave that a 7 out of 10. I think it was excellent, and I really liked the writing style. I thought it flowed very well. I normally am not a huge fan of first person point-of-view, but I feel this was well executed and the story benefited from it. It had a way of drawing you in and immersing you in the world.

For the plot, I gave that a 7 out of 10. I really enjoyed the murder-mystery aspect of the story in a fantasy setting. This book is YA, so for me, the plot was a bit predictable but not in a bad way. The person who ended up being the murderer made sense to me when it was revealed, and I wasn’t shocked but the story was still interesting.

For the characters, I gave that an 8 out of 10. I connected with both characters in different ways. As an eldest child, especially an eldest daughter, I felt Luckas’s guilt for choosing anything for himself. As an adult, it’s easy to say that it’s not selfish to choose to do things for yourself, but when you’re a teenager and have lived your life for other people, it’s very hard to move away from that guilty feeling. I have lived away from home for over 10 years, and I still feel that way. For Jade, I really felt her fear and anxiety of the world coupled with the traumatic event she experienced. It’s difficult to will yourself to not feel a certain way in situations like that. You logically know you are fine, but your body goes into fight - or - flight and it’s difficult to bring yourself out of it. I admired her ability to push through it anyway and not let it stop her from living her life. Also, their relationship is adorable. I generally have a hard time with YA books and feeling the connection between the love interests, but I thought the two were great for each other.

For the world-building, I gave that a 9 out of 10. That was my favorite part of the book. I loved the Mexican influences in the world, and I thought the magic system was incredibly interesting. I liked that people’s souls were more complicated in this book. In many books, people will talk about an “aura” and it’s just one color. However, this book showed multiple colors and shapes that made up a person’s soul because people are multi-faceted. We are not just one trait. I really appreciated that. I liked the idea that these thread speakers had the ability to not only see the souls but could recreate them and manipulate them, and I loved that the author showed that it could be used for good and evil.

Overall, I gave this 3.87 stars. I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was incredibly interesting and unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! 4 1/2 stars!

Jade is a thread speaker. She has the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into the tapestry of their soul. To receive heath, beauty or agility someone has to give it up, willingly or unwillingly. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family often at the expense of his own wants and needs. The two come together to solve the mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but will secrets from the past and their own insecurities keep them apart?

I really enjoyed the magic system. The cost of magic teaches important lessons and is also a tool of classism through the story.

Both of our main characters, Jade and Lukas has self worth struggles. On top of that Jade has panic attacks and Lukas is grieving. I love the journey they both go on towards healing. I also appreciate they weren't insta better.

The love story is lovely. Not quite insta love, but quick. However, the love journey isn't all smooth sailing.

The physical intimacy is closed door. There's a little bit of cursing (f-bombs, not many). As always check content warnings for your comfort level.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ruby Martinez!

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

A part of me thinks I'm the problem. I really liked the magical system, but Jade and Lukas seem very...tweenish. They're both supposed to be 18, but they don't act that way. Jade is a sheltered girl with major anxiety problems, so I get why she is emotionally stunted. Lukas, though... Meh. When an action scene is supposed to be a high-stress, the characters take their time thinking and plotting instead of reacting. That was the final straw for me.

I do like the mythology, and I'm willing to try this again another time. The author is super creative, and for that, I give this 2 stars. However, I am DNFing this for now.

There are a lot of things to like about this book, but I found that it just wasn't for me! There is definitely nothing wrong with it, I just found that it wasn't to my personal tastes.

4.25 stars. “True bravery ain’t the absence of fear but standing up despite the weight of it pushing you down.” This book was so beautifully written and I have quite a bit to say, starting with thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Overview: Jade is a thread speaker, someone with the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into their soul. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family. The two are thrown together to solve a mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but are they right for each other? Can they find the killer before they take more lives?
Favorite character: Jade. I love her character arc, and witnessing her discover herself and learn she isn’t defined by her fear, but is better for it, was so amazing. While I feel bad for the poor girls stomach, nothing stays in it for long, she is truly brave, loving, and smart, and I love her for that.

Thoughts: First, the magic is SO COOL. I love the idea of depicting souls as tapestries and all of the colors describe a different aspect of the person. Second, the romance is AMAZING. I love Jade and Lukas and they are 100% a happy-forever couple. And the mystery and the plot twists? So well done. The cherry on top for me is really the writing style. The author chooses the most beautiful words to describe everything and I am so here for it. Definitely engaging from cover to cover. And I may have shed a tear or two at the end there, but out of happiness. All that to say, pick this up ASAP! 💕

I really enjoyed reading this book! The author did a fabulous job with keeping the story interesting and flowing. I never really liked books that drag on but this book never did! The characters were very unique and I really enjoyed there journey. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!