Thank you Netgalley for my ARC copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, it was such a quick easy read with such a lovely fantasy element to it. Plus the cover is one of the prettiest book covers I have seen in a long time.

The Storyteller's Tale is amazing! I just finished reading it. Together with her colourful grandmother, Iliad, a famous librarian with the enchanted power to bring words to life, sets off on a voyage to the capital city of Babel. The stakes are extremely high when she got a prestigious marriage proposal from a member of the royal family.

Iliad finds it difficult to fit in the court while navigating unanticipated obstacles and royal intrigues. This novel brilliantly combines magical aspects with human development to highlight Iliad's courageous and self-discovering path. This is a must-read if you like fantasy with intricate world-building and character development!

Thank you NetGalley and Rivka Publishing for allowing me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

First thing first - I absolutely loved how Bouilloc weaved the Classics in literature into her book, how Iliad waved words as she read them out loud was such a smart and loving way to remember the origins of our literature.

Another thing I really liked were the magical abilities displayed, even if at times it did feel off, Iliad comes from a middle-class family with a mother working to the bone for 4 daughters, and yet nearly half of the family posses amazing powers - could they really not have enough money had Iliad's grandmother helped with her gifts? Is magic there gifted without no real merit/destiny/bloodline and just casual coincidence? That part felt unclear.

Had this book been 50 pages long, exploring much more the interactions between our two main characters. exploring a bit better how Adil, our mysterious suitor started viewing our charismatic librarian in a different life would have been much more interesting. Especially the ending, how so many characters introduced didn't even have a closing line, one being the grandmother, who appeared quite a lot until the ending, as Iliad's sister Virginia and our cute Botanist Florent. Here even 5 pages more would have sufficed to give a dignified ending to the charaters. Especially since they are first introduced as the most important secondary characters after Iliad and Adil.

Last thing I was wondering - is Babel another side of Paris? Or are we set in a country that borders France? That felt unclear, mixing fiction and fantasy without giving the reader a gripping sense of reality.

Some interactions felt bland, not really going into the detail of some things didn't make me attached to a single character. The politics in this story weren't really solid.

At the end this is a cute fantasy book with a protagonist that will not bend to what society thinks of her, and that will fight for those close to her, for love, and for a better world with a power she slowly comes to realization that can help.

3⭐️

This was a unique story and I enjoyed the mix of magical elements and literature references in this story. The magical elements were uncommon and a refreshing change. Iliad was a great heroine with a powerful talent to bring words to life and her life interest was dark and brooding, however she did miss her big cue when she said she loved stories with that type of hero and the love interest that saves him. The political stuff was a little dry, but overall a good story.

Thank you netgalley, the publisher, and Judith Bouilloc.

This story was very unique. There were so many twists and it kept me guessing what would happen next. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! I absolutely adored the mmc and her grandmother.