This was a good story and I enjoyed it, but it dragged. I know there is a second book and I'd like to continue reading the series, but I don't know if I can if it will be long too.

I really wanted to enjoy this story but I couldn't get into it at all. It just took too long to get past the start. I had to DNF this one.

I love stories about storytellers because thats where the real magic comes from, the real magic of escape.

The story is an emotional roller-coaster, that leaves you head and heart spinning.
The characters have incredible chemistry and the slow burn , well who doesn't enjoy a good slow burn.
I also like the idea of storytellers with silvertongues- it's all very Inkheart and I look forward to the idea of a sequel.
Thanks to netgalley for this arc . In return I give my honest review :)

A world build on stories cursed with the inability to complete any story? The world building alone was incredible. This story managed to do it without the exposition dump at the beginning and draw the reader in for a remarkable story. The story is slow building and intricate and it is a delectable journey. Don't read this for the romance. Read it for the magic.

Wow, what an incredible book! The final chapters left me completely emotional, It was refreshingly unique, especially with the storytelling powers and how they reshaped Audra's world. Audra is such a beautifully strong female protagonist who rises above incredible challenges to find the answers she seeks and the strength to pursue them.

Jaik was a wonderful character as well. I loved the chemistry between them and the magnetic pull they had toward each other. Their banter was perfectly crafted, and I cherished all the protective moments—these two need to be safeguarded at all costs! The reveals were fantastic, and each twist in the story drew me in even further. There were some truly stunning moments filled with raw emotion that brought tears to my eyes. I loved this journey from start to finish. It’s filled with action, romance, magic, and intrigue, capturing the essence of a must-read fantasy novel.

This book was so good! It was my first by Renee Dugan but I’m now going to be checking out her other books because I couldn’t put this one down! The romance between the MCs was amazing and I loved their chemistry so much. I craved when they were on page together.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one especially if you love fantasy romance!

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. Unfortunately, although it has an interesting premise, it was a DNF for me.

Hello Fellow Reader,

Now as I've gotten older I've gotten admittedly less patient with long fantasy books and boy did this feel like a long one. I do feel that Dugan could have cut down on the page numbers and the book would have been so much better, for me. Audra was a great character, smart and head-strong, something more fantasy books need. The worldbuilding was good and the magic system was unique but easy to understand. The plot seemed interesting but honestly, I couldn't focus on it enough due to the overly long details and sentences. Which is a shame as the plot seemed so interesting and unique.


Overall, perfect for those who need a long epic fantasy.

I didn't get a chance to finish this book.
And its not because it was bad or not my kind of read, becasue it is. I physically think I was burnt out reading at the time. I believe I stopped reading multiple books during that month because my brain needed a break.

anyways:
what I did read was beautiful writing. I loved the characters I got to meet and found my myself laughing out loud at the banter and loving the world. I honestly cannot wait to pick this book back up. I stopped reading it at 58%.

I didnt want to originally write the review because I did not get a chance to finish it, but what I did read I would give it 4 stars. I can see this book being an easy 4.5 stars.

Dual POV, Romantic Fantasy, Only One Horse, Grumpy x Sunshine, Dislike to Love, Touch Them and Die

This is a bit of a slow start and hard to get into but once the world building is properly set the story sucks the reader right in. This is unlike any fantasy book I've ever read before as this is a book is about a storyteller looking for stories. Lots of plot twists, slow moving chapters, and a slow burn romance full of animosity and adventure. I'm very excited to see what lies in wait next for Audra and Jaik.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I was skeptical of this book in the beginning but I’m SO GLAD I kept on with it. I have not enjoyed a book this much in FOREVERRRRRRR. The story is so unique, the way it’s written is *chefs kiss* - the amount of detail and thought that has gone into this is amazing, you can really tell just by reading it that the author LOVES what they do (and is good at it!!!) I sort of felt like I knew what would happen at the end but - NOPE!!!! knocked me out of the park. I was full of smiles and hopefulness the entire time and cannot WAIT to read the second one!!! ❤️

I was really interested in reading this ARC of A Story Spun in Scarlet, and then I stupidly deleted the wrong book off my NetGalley Shelf and unfortunately it had been archived by then. Months later, I noticed that the book was now on Kindle Unlimited so I've belatedly downloaded and read it!

The story focuses on Audra, a Storycrafter living in a world where stories have died. Storycrafters are no longer able to finish their stories, and the magic that they used to create with their tales has disappeared from the world. It takes about 10% of the book to get going, and I might have skimmed Audra's failed stories a little in that section. However, from the point that Audra meets Jaik, I was really invested in the story and in the two main characters. I enjoyed their clean romance - it was sweet and didn't include anything more graphic than kisses.

This book is a slow burn, a story that takes its time and isn't in a rush to get to the ending. The mystery about why the Storycrafters all lost the ability to finish their stories really built up over time.

I was surprised that this book was the first in a series, since this isn't mentioned in the blurb. It was only when I got to the end of the book that I realised there would be sequels. It does look like this has been corrected in the description for the second book in the Tales of Wonder and Woe series on Goodreads. A Tale Told by Traitors now clearly says that it's the second book in a series of sequential standalones, and books 1 and 2 are now linked as a series on Goodreads.

Likewise, there was nothing in the blurb to suggest the audience for this book. Based on my reading experience, it felt like YA. So perhaps including the fact that A Story Spun in Scarlet is the first book in a YA fantasy/romantasy series in the blurb might have let readers know what to expect more.

It was an enjoyable story that had a clear direction and built up gradually. I'd recommend this for fans of YA fantasy/romantasy series with standalones set in a connected world.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review after reading the book via Kindle Unlimited.

This book was incredible! I love everything about it. It weaves a creative tale that was so unlike anything I’ve read. I would recommend this to any fantasy reader. My favorite element was the acting of storytelling and I just felt like the concept of it was so unique compared to anything I'd ever read.

I cannot even begin to describe to you the beauty that is this book. R. Dugan created an incredible, detailed world with the richest magic system to have been fleshed out in a long while. The characters are absolutely incredible and beautifully flawed, each with their own distinct personalities and dreams. (Jaik is perfection. Don't tell Audra I said that.) I promise that as these characters find their adventure...their clean adventure, I might add...that you will fall in love with them, their world, their story, their book. Not to mention the twists that are thrown in along the way and that ENDING!

Guys, get the book. And anything else that R. Dugan ever writes.

This was a story weaved through storytelling. With a romance that was not the main storyline and a magic system that I fell for so hard. This was full of life and an exciting journey that I will not soon forget. And knowing that this is only book one. I am super excited to read the upcoming stories set in this world.

dnf. too long and not hooked by the writing style enough to continue on as i was so throughly confused by this plot, and with it being a series, i can’t see myself getting past the first book: unfortunately i think i’m just not the right audience, but i would recommend to some mutuals.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wave Walker Press, and Renee Dugan for the ARC and a wonderfull read.

"A Tale Woven from Threads of Magic": The Review of R. Dugan's "An Old Magic Story in Scarlet"
A good fantasy romance novel of an author, A Story Spun in Scarlet by R. Dugan, steers us through magic chronicling of hurt and the inflexible will of storytelling. Luck will then drive us, and in our wake the hearty reader, to the glistening kingdom of Mithra-Sha where StoryCrafters be arbiters through aristocratic metaphor: to be generous with the fertility of the land and democracy of the soul.

Word-Painted World: Dugan's prose is lush and full, really bringing Mithra-Sha to life. One feels the hundred-degree heat of the desert sun but also the lushness of enchanted forests and tension that hangs heavy in the air, promising failure that looms: failure in being able to complete stories. This unique magic system might be a bit weird, but it's certainly cool.

Audra is quite a complex and a relatable protagonist. She burned with an imperfect heart, her independence a dare to peck at a flaw in her heart, which sucked out her self-belief. In that sense, it looked as though she carried both twin fears: creative inertia and authentic courage; that was bound to set things racing with the fight, victory, and emotion that must go with it and sure to warm the cockles of your heart.

A smoldering slow-burn romance, Audra and Jaik's love story is a fire of words left unspoken. Layers of dynamics—respect, light banter, and mutual vulnerability—all wrap around the love story. Though not a single scene of the events is scripted, it is absolutely clear how emotionally connected to them we are, and it makes one long for their well-being.

The Pacey Plot Line: The climaxing storyline keeps the reader glued on to the book with the right mix of adventure, politics, and the looming threat of yet another unstable kingdom. And the plot unfolds—twists and turns leave you wondering what trials Audra might face next.

A Must Read for the Fans of Fantasy with a Hint of Romance: Threads Spun from Scarlet is a highly enticing page-turner novel. Dugan beautifully weaves in world-building and the ensemble she calls into play, creating the most genuine, flawed characters in her tales. The novel has been promised to be filled with exploration of transcending limitations, the glamour of stories, and the losses we endure for those we love.

RECOMMENDATION: Overall, "A Story Spun in Scarlet" is a pretty good read. It is beautiful and thought-provoking, and the story remains long past the placement of the final pages. So grab this book with a cup of tea on the side and lose yourself in a world where stories can change absolutely anything.

A solid 4 stars. The writing is absolutely stunning and the relationship between Audra and Jaik is catnip to anyone who loves friends-to-lovers. The plot was a slow, lush wander that didn't waste a single word... up to about the last quarter. The last quarter is why I knocked off a star. It bogs down something fierce. Beats that were so well-earned up to that point turned into a slog, and at the end, it felt like Audra had made very little progress at all.

Despite the payoff being... lackluster, to say the least, this was such a lovely story about stories. I felt truly submerged in the fairy tale atmosphere, and it was wonderfully earnest and never asked me to laugh at all the tropes and aesthetics I love. The dynamic, cinematic visuals were top-tier.

All in all, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves stories, the telling of stories, and/or romances about the ship healing together.