I actually really enjoyed this book. I felt the world was rich and interesting. There is some TW for family abuse, Anna’s aunt is a piece of work. She also deals with bullying at school, which so relatable on a different level. Then the richness of the magical word at large is wonderful. There is also a part of the story that is a murder mystery which all comes to a head at the end. Overall, this book was quite the page turner. I can’t wait for the next installment. netgalley provided this e arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so fantastical and magical. I did have a rough time getting through the first hundred pages or so, but once things started to happen, it got more interesting. I do think the book is a little long and repetitive in some spots, but overall it's a fun read.

Review copy (eARC) provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first entry in "The Language of Magic" series, which currently consists of this book and a novella. The best way I can explain this book is it felt like a different take on Harry Potter...to be clear, I don't mean that as a criticism, but rather, a compliment. That's just the vibe I got, which overall is a good thing, because I really loved reading Harry Potter, but it's just not my current preferred genre.

As a result, I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5, which I will round up to a 4 because it was fun and I think my criticisms are more personal than true problems with the book.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC.

Threadneedle begins a new series full of teenage angst, magical discovery, secrets, lies, revenge and I am so glad I stuck with this tale. Taking place in contemporary London, Anna suffers under the guidance of her Aunt who believes magic is dangerous and must be bound away and not used. Anna struggles to understand what is wrong with her as her magic is so weak and since she lost her parents due to magic, she is torn between learning more or choosing her Aunt's path. Anna's relationship with her brutal Aunt and how she completely shutters herself away did make the first part of the story hard to get into. I wasn't feeling any initial connections to the characters, but once Anna finds her people at school and she begins to discover herself is when the story takes off. I love a found family, and Rowan and Attis are delightful.
The magic itself and the different languages of magic really are so well done and woven so seamlessly into the world that you can believe this is how it really is. And the library.....how I so wish this library truly is out there somewhere. The use of magic and the consequences of its use are wonderfully depicted and the rising tensions make the second half of the story fly by. There are quite a few twists and reveals that totally surprised me. There are conspiracies, threats and many more secrets still to be uncovered so I will certainly continue on with this series!!

Looking for a little magic in your life?
Try Threadneedle on for size. A young teen learns so much of the magical world she inhabits and the immense power it holds. Two friends become very dear to her but will she bring them harm?
They also open her eyes to a whole new London.
I liked the magical aspects and the ability to cast spells. Oh if only that was a real power to harness.
Escape for a few hours into the magic….

Threadneedle is an exciting dark academia book that features family ties, magic and lots of excitement along the way. The writing is phenomenal and the characters are deep and well developed. I just wanted a little more history from the rest of the world to allow for some more world building.

I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Please make this the first book of a series! I liked the characters of the teenagers and was intrigued by the magical plants and flowers that one of the girls’ mother used in her healing practice. Magical nightclubs and magical libraries, wow! I was enchanted by magic and magical acts, and horrified by a belief that magic was evil and needed to be suppressed.

This book has been on my tbr for a while now and I’m glad i was finally able to get it. The story was engaging and enjoyable with flawed yet lovable characters and plot twists all the way up until the very end. It left off with quite a lot unresolved, so I’m really looking forward to seeing more from these characters in the future. I also made time to read The Hedgewitch with it; a cute novella about Rowan, one of my favorite side characters from Threadneedle! It was a quick and easy read with simple plot that was fun and engaging.

This has magic, beautiful word building and characters that pull you into their lives. So many twists and I seen zero of them coming. It’s also a story of friendship and family and the secrets within. There are some dark topics, and some interesting magical places such as the library and the shop. It feels like a good starting point for a series, getting all the backstory out of the way for what could be a really magic filled sequel. It was a very slow read with longer chapters but they are worth it. This reads very dark academia, discovery of witches, and Harry Potter. This was an ARC and I’m voluntarily leaving this review.

The story takes place in a suburb of London following a girl named Anna who has magic. She lives with her Aunt who forbids magic at all costs. Her aunt teaches her all the dangers that magic can cause and what will happen if she uses it.

Anna meets Attis and Effie at her school which helps her discover and appreciate her magic.

With this setup I was expecting so much to happen but for the length of this book, it was very slow with not much happening at all. It was a struggle for me to get through. This is not something I do often or like to do. I love to give all books a chance and see them through to the end. I love when even the slowest of books pull it together in the end. Unfortunately, this became a DNF for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anna’s Aunt has always warned her of the dangers of magic. Its twists. Its knots. Its deadly consequences.

Now Anna counts down the days to the ceremony that will bind her magic forever.

Until she meets Effie and Attis.

They open her eyes to a London she never knew existed. A shop that sells memories. A secret library where the librarian feeds off words. A club where revellers lose themselves in a haze of spells.

But as she is swept deeper into this world, Anna begins to wonder if her Aunt was right all along.

Is her magic a gift … or a curse?

Threadneedle is the first novel in the Language of Magic series. It follows orphan, Anna Everdell, who was raised by her aunt, who is a member of the Binders, a society of witches. Anna was raised to believe that magic is evil, which means that she is shocked when her late mother’s friend, Selene visits with her magic-wielding daughter, Effie, and Attis. When Anna returns to school, Effie creates a secret coven and recruits Anna along with Attis and two other girls, Rowan, and Miranda. Through this group, Anna begins experiencing magic-use. In addition, six mysterious deaths that point to witchcraft occur leading to a larger mystery. The story does feel a little all over the place where it seems the writing could not figure out where it fits. There are vibes of a contemporary fantasy, some gothic elements, some fairy tale elements, and some teenage drama.

Anna was a great character to follow as she came out of her abusive aunt’s shadow and began to discover herself and her magic. Effie was not a great character as I found her to be abusive in her own way (still abusive, but just different compared to the blatant abuse by the aunt). There was body shaming, manipulation, gaslighting, and bulling, just to name a few that happens through this novel. Some of it was addressed while others were glossed over. Readers should review the trigger warnings before reading as there were a lot more included than I initially expected. I understand the inclusion of some of them, but I think the author still has more work to do to fully explore these themes properly.

As for the pacing, there are moments where it feels the writing could have been more concise as it dragged in a few places. There is a lot of potential in the writing. The last part of the novel greatly intrigues me where I cannot wait to see what happens next. While some readers could potentially predict the ending, I like that I did not. It takes a long time to get to the conclusion, so I think the writing could use a little tightening up. Since this is a debut, I can see the potential with the author. There are a lot of great elements, but they just need a little more care in their execution. Overall, the novel itself is not quite a favorite, but I can see the budding talent of the author and how the next novel could be amazing.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

I enjoyed this story. The magic system of the binders was unique and interesting, but I was bummed that this magic did not last. We start the story with Anna living with Aunt, in an abusive environment, but then it becomes about her breaking those ties and becoming something that she never thought she would be. I did find the plot slightly confusing. but overall good book.

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas is a story of family, magic, and intrigue that had me hooked from page one.

What i loved
1. Lovely atmospheric writing, Especially in scene setting and character introductions.
2. Interesting magic system. I wouldn't call it a hard magic system but it had enough rules as to feel powerful without imminently solving every problem the characters encounter.
What didn't work as well for me
1. This book does not read as Young adult but rather as an adult fantasy novel that happens to have younger protagonists. While I enjoyed it for what it is I did go into it with a YA mind set at first and feel the category its in being shifted is a good idea.
2. Dialogue during the first fourth of the novel feels very clipped .
Who would I recommend this book for

Threadneedle is a fantasy novel that would be a wonderful fit for people who enjoy the atmospheric writing of Lani Taylor and the fast pace of Brandon Sanderson.

Mix together Mean Girls + The Craft + a dash of Wednesday (the Netflix series) and you have Threadneedle. I really enjoyed this book by Cari Thomas and wasn't looking for it to be anything more than a story about teen girls and magic which is exactly what this was. I loved the high school drama, friendships, romance, and rebellion as much as the magic - and I really liked the magic and the unique way it was described. The relationships are also complex and heartbreaking at times, the characters fully formed. My favorite character was Rowan and I hope she gets more of an arc in the rest of the series!
There was definitely a point in the story where I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know how it would end and the ending did not disappoint. It all came together in a way I was not expecting and that felt resolved, but also left me eager to read more.
I will say I like the Goodreads description much better than the NetGalley one and the one I've seen on retail sites. The new description does not capture what drew me to the book in the first place which is the dangers of magic.

I found this books little slow and hard to get into, Anna herself seems to have an extremely unhealthy relationship with her aunt. Some of their interactions feel borderline abusive and ithey were particularly difficult to read. The tone of the writing is very stiff and I had a hard time getting into the story as a result. Though it seems open to a sequel, I probably wouldn’t continue with this series.

That was her magic, she could still feel love, even as her heart was breaking.

Y’all! This book! I was caught in its spell. Magic, a crazy Aunt, family secrets, the pressures of which path to take, betrayal, and love. It gave me Practical Magic vibes in London with a mean girls twist. I’m looking forward to the next book!

“Love is the most dangerous of all emotions.”

I will publish a full review online when you guys make a deal with the union workers. Until then, I will stay silent about any of your books.

I loved Threadneedle. I am a sucker for witchy books, female friendship, and fairytales. This book provided all three.

3.75/5 stars! First of all, this cover was stunning and pretty much made me want to read it without even looking over the premise. This means that I went into this book blind. I think that worked in the book's favor. I found myself empathizing with Anna and how confusing it must be to be led to your beliefs by a narcissistic aunt and have no idea who you truly are. I think there were a lot of really smart choices in this book and it was truly a message regarding the oppression of women and the inability of young girls to make their own choices. So for me, it worked, although I saw it was a miss for some others. My only major complaint was that the length of this book let it down; at least 50 pages could have been cut and it would have tightened up the plot.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily