Let me tell you a story...
Of a world where stories can create and words have power... or used to, at least.

In Mithra-Sha, stories create balance, until the stories lost their endings in the last few years, throwing the land into lack and chaos.

This book probably has the most unique and interesting magic system I've read. There is also poetic and lyrical writing that pulls you in.

A Story Spun in Scarlet follows the adventures of Audra Jashowin, a Storycrafter, as she travels through land, mountains and seas trying to find a way to bring back endings to stories, and recreate balance in the world. She is joined by Jaik Grissom, a farmhand, who is a human amplifier that helped Audra regain her stories' endings, and the only hope of Mithra-Sha.

They are both relatable characters who just want to feel seen, appreciated, and long to be remembered. Their slow-burn romance had great build up, as they got to know each other while they travelled, and learned to lean on one another. Sword and story. Very satisfying and gratifying!

I admit it started a bit slow, but when the twist hit halfway I was like what??? 😲 So that's what's happening! And then the twists kept coming 😝 But they all made sense in the end.

It was also full of life lessons and deep truths.
*minor spoiler* I especially loved that part with the Storymaker because it reminded me of how God knows and loves us.

I shed a few tears at the ending. But I didn't like the epilogue because it tore my heart out. Took me a few days to fully process it. Why???

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Wave Walker Press for allowing me to read this book in advance in exchange for my honest opinion.

Read if you like:
👫 Forced proximity
❤️ Slow-burn twist on a second chance romance
✍🏼 Poetic writing
🪄 Unique magic system
✝️ Biblical connotations

Other details and mild spoilers:
Kissing only
Single first-person POV
CW: abandonment, descriptions of wounds, blood, guns, betrayals

There’s no doubt this book was beautifully written. The descriptions of Mithra-Sha are lyrical and I loved the uniqueness of this world’s storytelling magic.

Audra and Jaik’s slow burn romance was so sweet and I loved all the little moments they shared together.

There were some chunks of this book that felt very slow and were hard for me to get through (it’s a me thing—I don’t do well with lots of description 😆), but I’m really glad I pushed through because I really enjoyed the last 30%. The ending is a little bitter-sweet, but for the conflict, I think it was a great conclusion. ❤️

Content: closed door

Oh boy this was a long one, coming in at 600+ pages. This is a story beautifully written, but I found myself just lost in this world at times. Nothing is quick and to the point and there are a few chapters of just world building. I really did enjoy Audra and Jaik's characters, but their love story fell a little flat for me, a little spice would have been amazing. Overally still a strong recommendation for readers who like fantasy, world building and a story about story telling. It is a beautiful story, but unfortunately didnt work for me.

DNF at 80%

I really tried to enjoy this one but I just found that the plot and the characters weren’t that compelling to me and for most of the way through I was forcing myself to read it rather than being excited to get back to the story.

I will say however I loved the writing style and the world that was build and the magic system was quite unique - hence the 3 stars are for that.

I would read from this author again but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

(Very minor spoilers ahead!)

The idea that storytelling could be used to physically shape the world was such an interesting premise, and I loved how the nuances of it became clearer throughout Audra and Jaik's story. Audra made for a relatable and inspiring protagonist, and her guilt and self-doubt really brought a vividness and tension to the narrative, although sometimes this felt more explicit than necessary.

I thought the romance subplot was a lovely touch (who doesn't love a good one-bed trope?!) if a tad cliché in places! This may have been partly due to the pacing - occasionally the story seemed a little bit rushed, and I would've loved to linger in the characters' relationships and journeys a little while longer. But overall, this was a really well written and original story, with a lovely fairytale quality and heartfelt characterisation!

Books with similar vibes - The Palace of Lost Memories by C J Archer, Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, and The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

Its rare to find authors such as Renee Dugan, who slowly, patiently and completely, weave you into a fantasy world, leaving no doubt in your mind that you are about to live through an amazing story. Audra is a storyteller, a teller of tales so magical that it brightens the world, it makes the sun shine, the crops grow, prosperity reign high, until the story endings are lost. Colour fades from Audra’s life. She is barely living, moving from place to place, trying to finish her stories, and trying to avoid the Mithra-Sha soldiers. Until she arrives at Krylan – magical Krylan – and nasty Galan. What else is in store for Audra?

I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next story!! A true fantasy novel that lets you live in another world!

This is a beautifully written story with a unique world and characters. The concept of Storytelling was fresh, and it was fun to unravel what this meant throughout the book. The world building was also original with the "Sha" being the ruler. Everything about the world was a mystery to discover. I was captivated from the beginning, and the ending was perfect, wrapping up all the loose ends while also leaving something to be imagined for yourself until the next book in the series is released.

The book did have a few drawbacks for me. While the writing was beautiful, sometimes scenes seemed to drag on, especially during fighting scenes that didn't end up as fast paced as I would have liked. Sometimes it seemed like things were being talked around instead of directly stated, which meant it took a bit to learn pieces of the world building or understand what was happening in the scene and properly imagine it. Because of this, while I could barely put the book down while reading, it was hard for me to pick it up to begin with sometimes. The second major flop for me was how the final pieces of the puzzle were put together around the 75/85% mark. It might be connected to how sometimes I wasn't quite understanding what was going on, but the information all tied together didn't quite seem to fit and partly came out of nowhere, but not in a good way.

Overall, this was a great story. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, especially reading unique stories. There is also very limited spice, only some tension throughout, so I'd say it's appropriate for a wide range of audiences. This is a 4-star read for me, and I was definitely be reading the next book when it comes out.

Was beautifully written story with amazing details. I loved everything about it and highly recommend it. Definitely different from anything I have read with the storyteller.

I was provided with an advanced reader copy this book in return for an honest review .

I think the words Let me tell you a story will forever stay with me. This read has been an amazing emotional rollercoaster of a story.
I have laughed, waited with baited breath as the story turned dark and uncertain. It broke my heart and made me cry ugly tears and then mended it once more.

Its storytelling and storycraft at its best. It has humor, romance and adventure. To pick this book up is to find pure magic.

I gave this a good chance before I decided that I just couldn't commit to finishing a book that's this long if I'm not enjoying it at all. It's not for me, but I do encourage people who are interested in it to give it a shot because I think that the premise is good, I just don't like the writing style (it's so unnecessarily descriptive) and the structure of the story is not engaging to me. My rating is based on that and the level of enjoyment I got out of it, which was sadly low.

The plot follows Audra, a storyteller who lost her purpose when all stories in her land lost their endings. She flees her home and finds herself in a new city where she meets Jaik, a farmhand with a talent for reviving stories. Together they go on a quest to bring back the power of stories and it goes from there.

That's a good premise and I was so excited to get into this, but the biggest issue is that the story keeps getting interrupted by other stories and you already know they won't have an ending because it's established at the very beginning that's the issue that needs solving, so they just felt like a waste of time to me as a reader.

Does it make sense given what the book is about? Absolutely. Should it have been done so often? Absolutely not. When I know I'm reading something that's not moving the plot along whatsoever and I'm forced to do it often, I just can't do it. Moreover, I read 23% of this and I couldn't tell you why I should care about what was happening.

I really did try to push myself to get through it, but I can't, it feels too much like a chore and life's too short for that. I hope this book finds its readers, I'm sadly not one of them.

I have no idea how to write about this fantasy novel, I just cried so much that I can't think properly. I didn't think I would love that book that much, I had a hard time during the first chapters. But since Audra and Jaik meet, it was so incredible. I love the charactes more than I expected, especially Jaik. He is so moving and gentle and strong and ... pfiou.

And the world-building ! It's so interesting to read about this world where magic is used through storycrafting. Audra is a powerless Storycrafter, as everyone else, since something happened years ago. She walks and tries to find a home, somewhere she can fit it and when she arrives in Krylan, maybe it's the right place. Maybe. And then, she meets Jaik one evening, she is telling a story without an end at the tavern she's working and something falls into place. This something is the fact that she can actually end the story, the first one in years. Thanks to Jaik, this farmhand she never saw before.

From that moment, they are going on an avdenture, story and sword, to find out the truth and what really happened to the Storycrafting. The way the author writes is vivid and I could easily imagine the characters, their faces, their emotions. I developed so much affection for them. And the end just broke my heart into pieces. I cried for several chapters, because it was profound and beautiful. The end is just perfect, even though my heart is still broken. I don't remember the last time a book made me cry that much...

So, let the author tell you a story. The story of a Storycrafter and a farmhand, a story of pride, of loss, of love and betrayal. A story that you are going to remember for a long time.

- thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC -

I'm going to be honest, I struggled with finishing this one. BUT the problem is me, not the book. The author's style is beautiful but really not for me. I prefer a bit more action/dialogues over storytelling. But like I said this is a me problem. If you like heavy storytelling with lots of description, I definitely recommend this book. The characters are great, the magic system is magicking and the plot is plotting. It was a great book even if it wasn't my cup of tea.

“We don’t have to be what they make us,” he said. “We can be whatever we make ourselves. We can rewrite this story. We can tell it however we want.” “You truly believe that?” she asked. And he spoke as only one who has fought darkness and emerged to light truly can: “I’ve done it before. I can show you how.”

WOW!! This story is a magical one! It's like Renee took that magical feeling you get when you find your first book love and wove it into these pages!

ASSIS is lyrical and full of light while still dealing with darker topics. The stories within the story are enchanting and the world building and magic system Renee created is both unique and epic!! Jaik and Audra are beautifully written characters that are relatable, real, flawed, empathetic and so strong!

Their grand adventure is full of magic, twists and turns, and one horse!! It was a wild ride- one that sucks you in and won't let go!! I highly recommend picking this one up!

The writing and narrative of this story are done beautifully, it is quite a unique plot and the way she weaves the stories within the story is magical but the journey is long and arduous to get to the end. The love story falls flat for me as the characters seem to lack a certain definition and chemistry. For a YA book, it fits the narrative perfectly, but if you are looking for more than this story, it will leave you feeling lacking.

Thank you R. Dugan for the opportunity to read this arc.

This book has left a hole in my heart from how wonderful it was.

Audra is a storycrafter who, like the rest of the world, lost her ability to finish a story. A storycrafters magic lies within her storytelling and without the ability to finish their stories, the world has plunged into despair. Audra’s family and friends have disowned her so she is on her way to establish a new life, a life where she can find some meaning and heal her heart. But as she travels things unfold around her and nothing is what she thinks it is, her story is so much larger than she thought it was — than we all thought it was.

This is such a rich story, it unfolds in a slow burn that spreads out to the tips of your fingers. This book felt like a fairytale. The magic system was so unique and the stories crafted inside the story are only a testament to how amazing this author is. I slept on this arc for way too long and I’m so sad that I did. Every chapter, every story had me questioning what would happen next and I truly never knew what to expect, it was like I was finding everything out with the FMC and as it unfolded my heart was firmly in its grasp waiting for the ending.

If I had anything negative or constructive to say it flew out of my brain at the last sentence I read while willing myself not to cry. I will be purchasing this book and I’ve already told my sister she has to read it or I’ll never speak to her again.

Sorycrafters are the name of the game in this tale. The telling of stories that bring things to life and have shaped the landscape of the country. Then something happens so that the storycrafters can’t finish a story and that causes hard times.

We follow Audra a storycrafter fresh out of training who is unable to complete a story but goes from village to village in hopes of finding an answer to why this is happening. She meets Jaik. A farmhand who doesn’t know of his own power and together they get into all kinds of shenanigans and end up on a quest to figure out why this is happening and to see if they can fix it.

This was an interesting magic system based on storytelling. It does start slow because of the world building but it’s worth it. Happy to see this world continues.

*Thank you Net Galley, Wave Walker Press, and R. Dugan for this ARC.

I was whisked away to the enchanting realm of Mithra-Sha, where the art of storytelling has tragically lost its finale. Audra Jashowin, our protagonist, is a relatable figure of perseverance amidst adversity, embarking on a quest for meaning after familial rejection. Her path crosses with Jaik Grissom, a charismatic farmhand whose peculiar gift breathes life into their shared stories, igniting a glimmer of hope for their world. Their journey is a tapestry of danger, discovery, and deep connections, revealing a complex mystery tied to their histories. This story intertwines elements of fantasy, romance, and adventure, crafting a plot rich in imaginative world-building and a novel magic system.

📚 ARC Review 📚

A Story Spun in Scarlet by Renee Dugan is a trip to a land where stories hold magic and power. Audra is a Storycrafter whose cloak lost its color since she cannot finish a story anymore until one day she can when she encounters Jaik. This sets them on a path that's full of danger and turns into an exploration of her past. I love the writing and how there are stories within stories in this book. It's very slow paced and the world building unfolds leisurely which makes it easy to follow. There are a few interesting plot twists to be had that will drop your jaw. You'll also fall for our dynamic duo pretty quickly because their bantering is adorable and sweet. This was definitely an interesting change of pace from my normal dark and depraved books lol.

❤️ Clean fantasy romance with zero spice
❤️ Cinnamon roll MMC
❤️ Strong willed FMC
❤️ Stories as a magic system
❤️ Good vs evil
❤️ Biblical connotations

I’m writing this straight after finishing and my thoughts are a mess.

I’ll start at the beginning - it took a while for me to fully get into this story. It felt a bit like the introduction may have gone on a bit long for me as I wasn’t engaged in the story until Jaik appeared and then the pace picked up and I began to get more into he’s tory. That said, it did feel a little long in places throughout.

The characters were well fleshed out, including side characters and Audra and Jaik’s friendship and banter was great to read and the way their relationship developed felt so genuine.

The prose was a little more flowery than I usually like but given who the POV character was it made sense and really fitted well.

The plot was engaging although a little confusing at times and a lot happens in the last 20-30% of the book so I was kind of scrambling to keep up. The plot twist was hinted at but I’ll be honest did not see the full extent of that coming whatsoever and in some ways it may have dulled some of the events from earlier briefly although it was well foreshadowed. I will say the ending absolutely gut punched me and was absolutely beautifully done.

I would like to thank Netgalley for the for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Love unfolds against a backdrop of magic and mystery. The author skillfully intertwines enchanting realms with heartfelt emotions, creating a story that is both tender and thrilling.

The amount of detail in this book is incredible. It’s definitely not a quick plot, it takes its time to build which explains the size of the book itself.

The characters' chemistry is palpable, and the imaginative world-building adds an extra layer of allure. A perfect blend of wonder and magic, this novel sweeps readers into a realm where love knows no bounds.

In the end, it was a wonderful escape.

Free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.