DNF

I could not get into this book, the prose was too much and everything was kind of dramatic, even when nothing was happening. Maybe if it had been edited down more and extraneous descriptions were cut out, I would've liked it better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wave Walker Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wonderful story with an immersive world, no spice, and interesting characters. With the way the book ended I am definitely excited to see what happens next in the series.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an ARC copy of R. Dugan's A STORY SPUN IN SCARLET!

First and foremost, I really loved the cover of this book. It's very pretty and not the typical YA fantasy book cover that has taken over the shelves, though to each their own regarding design.

Next, wow, this was, a whopper of a book. Notably, this book is marketed as a "New Adult/Adult" book, and I would not categorize it as that at all. I would definitely put A STORY SPUN IN SCARLET in the YA Fantasy section of a bookstore, both for how the book was written, the depictions of the characters and their behaviors, and the overall atmosphere of the book. It didn't feel adult. I think this book is struggling with a category identity by trying to be New Adult, but consistently landing in Young Adult. Regardless, I knew YA books were getting longer, but this one ran with the word count full sprint. Not a bad thing, per se, but a bit intimidating on a first open.

The beginning, for me, wobbled between being energetic and fast-paced through its scenes, and then slowing down to a crawl to discuss her days and the little minute details that didn't add much to the overarching plot as they did add tiny glimpses into Audra's values and ideals as a person and character. I really liked Jaik as a character. He was a witty and charming character who didn't let Audra get away with her sass, but maybe this is just a "me" thing, but tiger does seem... a little cliché, maybe? Not my favorite nickname.

I did really enjoy the plot concept of "Storycraft." I think it's a magic system that is unique and not really seen or explored before, but I tend to wish that there was more depth provided. The world-building was good and solid in certain parts, and then others would fall flatter or like quick explanations to just move along, rather than explore the world more. It is a fantasy book, after all.

Also, just as an aside. While I love the message of this, and I love the implications of it, I do think that utilizing the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method and disguising is as a "farmhand thing" is a little bit of a cop out? I love that Jaik is able to ground Audra and help her through stressful and panicked moments, but the method popped out immediately to my eye, and it unfortunately pulled me from the scene. It feels like an out-of-place detail to add, when another grounding method could've been used. That's not to say I didn't like the scene itself since Jaik's casualness would ease most people's nerves, but overall, it didn't feel like it fit into the narrative.

I think the traveling scenes could have been snipped down quite a bit. That alone would have lessened the word count and made the book more approachable. They were fine scenes, and the writing was good all the way around, but sometimes the descriptions would push too far and take too long. This is coming from someone who loves lyrical and flowery writing (and writes that way themselves) but even I have limitations.

Nonetheless, I think the book is a fine read. It's pretty, has a pretty world, and has pretty characters, but it just needs more. It needs more 'umph' in certain aspects and places, and I think if Jaik had gone for a different nickname than 'tiger,' that would've been enough on its own.

The lack of spice for the romance is fine, and not a huge contributing factor for me personally, and I enjoyed the witty and snarky banter between the characters. But, typically, books pushing New Adult/Adult, have some level of spice, and if the author is set on writing books without that, then more power to them. Kissing is nice and fun, but adults tend to go for more adult things, even if it was a fade-to-black or heavily implied type of scene.

Overall, A STORY SPUN IN SCARLET is solid in its own right. It's easy to see that the author cares very much for their characters and their world. I think the writing could be a bit too flowery at times, with too much description a la J.R.R. Tolkien level tangents (not quite but iykyk), and the lore definitely could've used some buffing. Audra was a decent character with a voice and a personality, a nice change from woe-is-me, fragile damsel-in-distress type FMCs, and I always love a charming and witty MMC.

I would maybe recommend this book depending on the person asking. If someone was looking for a book with easy to digest lore and didn't mind the page count, then this one may be it!

A fantastical tale of a master storycrafter told by a master storycrafter. This novel was rich and decadent to delve into with the way it composed each micro-story held within its grasp. Brimming with description, this story sweeps you up in the way only a tale told of stories can. Descriptive, magical, this is a book written the way only a true wordsmith can write. How many ways can I say this author spellbound me with her words and the way she breathed life and magic into these chapters? If you’re only in it for the dialogue this one might not be for you…but if you’re here to be wrapped up in a slow burn, velvety soft, woeful fantasy spun together with the magic of composing with words then A Story Spun in Scarlet is definitely for you.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the brilliant Renee Dugan for the opportunity to read this fantastic book as an ARC.

This book is a beautiful tribute to the true power of words. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is not an idiom that can be used in this book. Words can certainly harm. Sword and story indeed. Jaik and Audra are a fantastic pair on the hunt for what happened to the Storycrafter power, leading them to danger and narrow escapes. The imagery, the similes, the alliteration, the world-building. The storycrafting of a storycrafter by a master storycrafter. Nothing I can say will ever do this book justice. The prose brought me to tears. It was and is beyond beautiful.

I really wanted to fall in love with this story. The blurb made me feel like it was going to be one that kept me wanting more. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t. I tried for a few days to get into it, I just couldn’t. I made it to chapter 6, and it’s a DNF for me.

Audra finds herself in Krylan where Mithran soldiers have a grudge against Storycrafters and Audra experiences this firsthand despite having nothing to do with previous Storycrafters. Time passes by and Audra has settled. She tells stories but she discovers she's failing her stories, failing to attract the attention of her audience. She's able to complete one story with her encounter with Jaik but he lowers the meaningfulness of that achievement. Jaik is going to leave Krylan for good but Audra cannot take the risk of losing him and she takes him prisoner if it means understanding why she's successful in completing stories in his presence. There are plenty of characters along Audra's journey as she learns what it means to accept love and hope. This is a lengthy and descriptive story.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

A Story Spun in Scarlet is the book for those of us who love beautiful prose. The writing was so intricate and lyrical. The story is told from the POV of our FMC, Aufra Jashowin, who was a Storycrafter in Mithra-Sha. Mithra-Sha has been struggling for years, and it all started when the tales lost their endings. For years Audra journeyed across the land where she was shunned for being who she is.

"I hadn't hoped for much more. There were no happy endings. There were no endings at all."

That is until she met Jaik. Together they swore to figure out what happened and hopefully restore the story in Mitra-Sha.

Characters: I love the character building in this book. They were so complex. I fell more in love with them the further into the book I was. Audra was strong yet vulnerable, was kind but can be selfish. I also loved how Jaik was so understanding and loving even when he didn't agree with Audra.

Themes: I loved the friendship in this book. The characters appreciated and cared for each other despite the many faults that they may have.
- "But there are risks worth taking, and people worth taking them for."
- "I don't want you to be perfect around me, Audra. I just need you to be all right."

It did take me quite some time to get through the book because of how long and dense it was. The writing though beautiful can make it feel like the story is slow and repetitive. However, I do think that this book is worth reading.

"A Story Spun in Scarlet" by R. Dugan is a fantasy that holds great promise with its compelling concept and plot. The journey of Audra and Jaik, our engaging protagonists, is one that you'll find easy to invest in. The tension between them adds a layer of depth to their relationship. However, if you're expecting a NA steamy romance, you'll find this more on the YA side of fantasy.

My main issue with the book lies in its pacing and detail. Some parts felt overly detailed, to the point of redundancy, which hindered my immersion in the story. I understand that Audra's a storyteller, but we didn't need everything described in such detail. It often felt like Dugan had a great outline for a chapter and then stretched out the narrative. This made the plot feel disjointed, which is a shame because the story is quite intriguing.

While the world and magic system were relatively easy to grasp, I couldn't help but yearn for more depth and explanation. Concepts like airships and rifles were explained well, but the broader kingdom and magic system felt underdeveloped. Dugan knew the world inside and out but didn't quite manage to translate that onto the page. This lack of depth made it challenging to fully immerse myself in the world, leaving me wanting more.

The integration of Audra's stories within the plot was unique, as they were woven into the action. While initially a bit disjointed, this narrative style was intriguing. I appreciated how they tied into the overall story later, adding complexity to the narrative.

Overall, "A Story Spun in Scarlet" has a solid foundation but falls short in pacing and world-building. Despite this, it's a decent read for those looking for a lighter fantasy novel.

This book was extremely long and extremely intimidating because of it. I find myself very intimidated by books with 500-600+ pages these days. I'm set in my ways of smaller novels. I find it hard for me to concentrate on them for that long, but that's just a me problem. Although it was really long, I kept reading a bit by bit which is why this review is late.

I would say that this book is 100% worth it, I loved Audra and Jaik's characters and their connection together. The idea of a story crafter really had me for this book. If you want a good story building, character building, minimal romance book, this is the one for you!

While I DNFed this book as the content was simply not for me at this time, I do think had I been in less of a reading slump, the slow pace and the large page count would not have made me tap out so early. Dugan has a fantastic writing style and almost compelling worldbuilding, but it falls a bit flat to me and I would love to come back at a later date and give this another shot — but right now, this has been a struggle to get through!

This one has a very slow start and it took me a very long while to get into it, but once I got into it, I found it to be very entertaining. I enjoyed the stories within the story, and the characters. It is a little long but other than that it is a good book with a lot of character growth.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e arc.

I will say it is long. I really didn’t anticipate it to be as long as it was but the story was worth it
Filled with slow burning romance, life and death moments and heart ache. All great components of a good book.
My only thing was I didn’t feel like some chapters were necessary. Felt like the filler episode of anime’s

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A Story Spun in Scarlet follows Audra, a storyteller who never knows the end of the story. and farmhand Jaik who helps her along the way, humour moments, banter and low spice (kissing)

It intrigued me, I wanted to love this book! I picked it up and put it down numerous times. I'm not sure what stopped me from loving this!

I enjoyed R. Dugan's writing style but I didn't love it! Big reads can be intimidating but I like a challenge, this one was hard for me to get through. Lots of building and heavy moments. I hope to give it another chance in the future!

A Story Spun in Scarlet is a wonderful fantasy romance read that features Audra and Jaik, two characters whose lives come together in the most beautiful way. This is the first book that I have read by Renee Dugan, and it certainly won't be the last. The author's way with words and how she writes her story captured my attention immediately. I would say the romance is a slow burn as the author builds up the character's emotions from strangers to friends to lovers. There is magic and more in this story and I know readers will love it!

A Story Spun in Scarlet is a love letter to storytellers and readers. It's rich world building and epic plot pulls readers and in, while the characters you meet make you want to stay. I adored Audra and Jaik. Their slow-burn romance added to the plot of the adventure without taking away from the tension of the plot. I cannot wait to see more of Mithra-Sha, and I look forward to the next book!

Thank you for this ARC.

The book cover and the summary pulled me in.
I overall enjoyed this read.
I did find it a long read, especially in the beginning, very wordy and not a lot of other character interaction until Jaik comes in, but I get it needs to build it up and world build.

Audra trying to find her place and Jaik who's content with his place in life until misfortune has the both of them on the run. Hiding from soldiers, learning the truth and saving their home.

I enjoyed the MCs and side characters.
The slow burn, friends to lovers, one bed.

I really liked this book a lot. I found the concept, stories, and characters to be interesting and captivating throughout the whole novel. The world-building was great and also easy to follow along with. I can't wait to see more from this author

This book felt like nothing I had every read before. I liked the world-building and like the magic system. It probably took me about 15% to be invested in the story and the characters, but after that point, they story was hard to put down.
Usually anything related to memory loss/amnesia bugs me but I enjoyed how the story went about explaining it. I do wish we maybe got more glimpses of it because when the story introduced all the new characters about 85% of the way in, I felt no connection to them or really cared about them.
Overall, the characters felt reasonable to me for the fact that they were likely in their mid to late 20’s. I liked Addie’s struggle and her inner turmoil. And her relationship with Jaik - ate it up. I liked their chemistry and thought it was realistic.
The book did feel a bit long but then also choppy as it would quickly describe like a month of adventuring in a paragraph - I feel like some great character development was missed out on.
The ending really fit the story and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

"All my life, I'd never felt anything like that. I don't have a single story to tell, but whatever's in me, whatever I'm made of...it knows you, too. And I'm some kind of luckless coward, because all I wanted to do was run from it. I had to get away as fast as I could, because, right then, I knew my life wasn't going to be the same. Even if I'd dodged you, you would've stayed with me. I would've gone back to the Tankard and looked for you every night, even if you never knew I was there."

A Story Spun in Scarlett follows Audra on a journey to find purpose in her world where the magic within Storycrafting has been lost but she finds so much more than she ever bargained for. Audra's story is achingly beautiful and equally harrowing. I finished this book and immediately want to start it over from the beginning, wrapping it around myself like my coziest blankets.

Things I loved:
- CHARACTERS!! I fell in love with both of our main characters so quickly and they alone propelled this story for me
- plot on plot on plot! There were so many things I didn't see coming until they were right in front of me. I feel like I am rarely surprised when reading Fantasy (probably because I read too much of it) and this one had a few surprises for me
- Renee Dugan's writing. This story was laid out in one of the most beautiful ways I have seen in a long time. I will absolutely be pursuing Renee's backlog immediately.
- MAGIC SYSTEM - magic being derived from stories speaks to my reader heart in a way I did not anticipate nor can I accurately describe using words

What I didn't love:
- There were some lulls in the pacing for me at the beginning and again at the midpoint of this book. Sometimes I felt like there may have been a more direct way to get from point A to point B, but in the end it was 100000% worth it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for this honest review.