I really thought I would live this book, but it was just too slow moving for me. The magic was a little unclear to me (that could definitely be a me problem though). I wanted to love it, but it didn’t hold my attention.

A Story Spun In Scarlet is one of those books that immediately sweeps you away.
From the very beginning, I was so deeply invested in the world that had lost its magic—lost its stories—to even think of putting the book down.
Renee Dugan’s writing is both lyrical and masterful, with all the small stories Audra yells sounding like they could easily be expanded into their own books (though, they do keep that particular fairytale quality with makes me think they suit being short).
The worldbuilding was honestly stunning, with an expansive and unique world, but also not an information dump to be seen. Both parts mystical and, at times, slightly horror like, the imagery is so vivid it almost spills off of the pages.
And the characters?
I loved Audra (or tiger, Ayjay, Addie-cat or another of her many nicknames).
Her determination mixed with a hint of selfishness makes her instantly feel more relatable than many other protagonists, and I was rooting for her from the very start.
Jaik, her love interest, melted my heart. From the moment they met, he made both me and Audra smile with his jokes and teasing. I loved their relationship SO much, and how they comforted each other was honestly beautiful.
Whether it was Addie waking screaming from a nightmare or having a panic attack, Jaik was always there, calming her down and being her safe place in the storm.
Their relationship may have been one of my favourite parts of the book, but I also loved how the plot itself had as many twists and turns as one of Audra’s stories.
I was on tenderhooks for at least the last ten percent, and just worried for both of them all the time.
And to me, that’s the mark of a good author, if you’re terrified of what might happen to the main characters.
Overall, this was amazing, and anyone who loves fantasy, fairytales, beautiful and descriptive writing, or honestly even pretty covers should definitely pick this up!

I'm a huge huge HUGE fan of books that have storytelling elements (needless to say, the Storyteller's Daughter is one of my favorite tales) so I was really excited to get this book! It didn't disappoint. Engaging story, well thought out plot and worldbuilding, and relatable characters!

What an enchanting fantasy world Dugan has given us! This book gave me the same feeling I got reading the Grishaverse books the first time. Highly recommend to lovers of romantasy, whimsical fantasy, etc.

I love the idea of a world where storytellers have the power and magic to make their stories come to life. Imagine if we could wield such power, what kind of world could we make?

I really liked the way the story started it out with Audra and the other storytellers being outcasts. It felt real and true to how I imagine our society being if a group of people held the power to shape the world and create riches and comfort and then all of a sudden could not anymore. The world would no longer have use for those storytellers.

I honestly wish that there hadn’t been a romance between Audra and Jake. I think I would have liked to see Audra regain her power some other way and take on the world herself.

But overall, I really enjoyed this book and have not read anything like it before.

This was my first book by R. Dugan and also the first in fantasy. And quite honestly, I wanted to find that I didn't really care for this genre but found I was mistaken. The characters are so vivid, you're sure you know them personally. I did hold my breath on more than one occasion but also realized that a great storyteller does just that; makes you go through all kinds of emotions. I will definitely be reading another book in this series!

✅ Beautiful Cover
✅ Extensive World Building
✅ Characters with Growth
✅ 🧪Chemistry 🧪

Do not let the size of this book intimidate you. Honestly I am starting to find the longer the book is the bigger the world we are brought into. I will admit that the beginning is kind of tedious to slog through, but if you can do that you get to meet Audra and Jaik and go on this incredible journey with them. Ahhh I can’t really say much without spoiling it but I love love loved it. I will read it a million more times over if I could skip some of the wordiness 😅

I loved the concept of this book and I made it about 60% through before my kindle broke and all my progress was ruined. I enjoyed the writing as well as the approach to the character. I also loved that for the first 5 chapters I was trying to guess if I should be reading with a feminist lens or not. I loved the mystery aspect. It was subtle but there! The writing was beautiful and amazing. I hope to finish this book as a physical copy now that it is released.

❤️MJ

Consider me intrigued ok? I really liked this one, the world building had me hooked from the start and the characters only helped that feeling grow. They were pretty well written and developed to get me to care about them and their future. The story was well-paced, not too quick but not too slow either. Everything was well-balanced and I would definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the Arc! I have tried several times to read this book and I keep rereading the first 25% I cannot get into it. It reads very ya but yet it's quite confusing and very dull. The premise is really cool I just couldn't get into it. I really wanted to love it but it just wasnt for me .

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Beautiful, refreshing fantasy perfect for fans of OUAT and Brandon Sanderson. This story had such a unique magic system. I can't wait for more.

"A Story Spun in Scarlet" by R. Dugan is a mesmerizing tale of mystery, intrigue, and the power of storytelling. Dugan's narrative is rich with atmosphere, drawing readers into a world tinged with both beauty and darkness. Dugan seamlessly weaves together elements of folklore, myth, and legend, crafting a narrative that is as enchanting as it is unpredictable. This book is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of mystery, fantasy, and literary fiction alike. Dugan's skillful storytelling and evocative prose make for an unforgettable journey into a world where the line between reality and myth is blurred, and the power of storytelling reigns supreme.

✨✨✨✨

Let me tell you a story…

Imagine a world created by stories, where the tales woven by storytellers create things in the real world. Except, something has gone wrong and the magic of stories has disappeared from the world and no storytellers can finish their stories. That is until AJ meets Jack and our true story begins.

This book was a little bit of a slow starter but when it got going my jaw dropped. Absolutely enchanting.

I feel that this book would be loved by readers who enjoyed Divine Rivals and Shadow and Bone. There is fantasy, magic, stories within stories, soul mates (to be clear I do not mean fated mates) that are truly in love. I don’t want to give spoilers but just know that you may love this book, it has all the makings of a beautiful fantasy romance where you do root for the two love interests by the end. I didn’t quite cry but it was close.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book. This is an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Let me tell you a story...
When Audra meets jaik she begins to finish all the stories she tries to tell. Something that hasn't been done in years.
I kind of wish this was split into 2 books it was long.

Here is my review for A Story Spun in Scarlet by Renee Dugan.
This book is listed as fantasy romance which is what hooked my interest along with the stunning cover art.
The book was quite a long read mind you, but what do you expect when you read a book about stories?
This was such a unique read and the author did such a good job at world building. The premise of the book is our main FMC Audra is a story crafter and in this world power is built off of these stories. Somehow or another everyone with the ability to craft stories have lost the ability to end the story. So Audra is kicked out of her village and starts traveling around to figure out what happened and she ends up running into a mysterious farmer who helps end her story.
The book is a very slow read which is nice because it helps let each of the character shine and to go into detail with all the stories that are woven and come together to end the book.
It was definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and I’ll give it 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

Solid 3.5
This romantasy was really really great!! The world building was well done. Their were some parts where I felt like it dragged on a bit after the point had been made. Some explanations or movements were over explained in some situations in the middle of the book. But not enough that it hurts the story. The FMC is strong and determined. The MMC is calming and secure. I really enjoyed the read

I started this months ago and never got pasted the 10% mark.

It’s just not grabbing my attention I pick it up and find myself drifting from it. Then it’s taking me weeks to pick it back up and it’s a never ending cycle.

At this point I’m calling it a DNF as I can’t remember anything about it despite having read the first 10% multiple times

This book combines two of my favorite things, fantasy and romance, and it does it so well! It's also a story about stories- which is one of my favorite things. The magic system was fascinating, the worldbuilding was well done, and the writing was unique. I greatly enjoyed reading this and regret I didn't get to it sooner. It is heavy on the descriptive language which I loved.

I loved this book! I loved the story line, the characters and the writing style. I am completely addicted to this. I hope that there will be more about these characters! I need more.
I just reviewed A Story Spun in Scarlet by R. Dugan. #AStorySpuninScarlet #NetGalley
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