I'll start by saying that this is absolutely NOT a bad book. Truthfully, it just felt a bit unpolished. The writing was decent and the plot was interesting, but the characters felt undeveloped and nonsensical. Not to mention, the world building left a lot to be desired. I understand why people like this, but it just wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kit Aldridge for providing me with an ARC of Unraveled in exchange for my honest review!

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.

This book was fantastic! Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this! I love the dual POV and how quickly the story moves. A great Dragon fantasy with interesting characters and plot! Definitely a solid 4 star read!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to discover this book.

To be honest, I haven't explored much high fantasy, but this is easily some of the one of the best action writing I've encountered.

The battles felt incredibly immersive, as if we were right in the heart of the chaos.

The story moves quickly, focusing on two best friends confronting their past while trying to reconnect with each other.

The dual POV is one of my favorite thing when reading.

I highly recommand.

For this to be Kit’s first published book - WOW! The story telling and world building is amazing to say the least. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this entire book. I am typically a reader who can see a plot twist coming from a mile away, but not this time! My jaw was on the floor and I kept getting surprised by the evolution of the story. I will definitely be a follower of this saga and am already anticipating the next release!

DNF at 45%

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the early edition of this book!

Sad to say this one just wasn't for me. Not a bad book, but at almost halfway through I had no drive or interest in finishing it, even is spite of some really beautiful prose! It was much more plot-driven than character-driven, which is really not the kind of book I typically enjoy, so if you are a plot-forward reader you may like this more than I did! I did like the world-building, and I thought this perspective on a post-genocide world was very interesting.

But I didn't finish it, and here is why:

I found the dual perspectives here really hard. I normally love having multiple POVs in a book, but in this one, Reina's story was SO much more interesting than Meiryn's. I found myself rushing through Meiryn's chapters to get back to Reina's.

It doesn't help that Mieryn's story felt a bit forced. In the chapters that they spend together, I did not get any sense that two of them were particularly close or even cared about each other more than as a means of survival. Reina almost immediately, post-kidnapping, assumes that she'll never see Meiryn again because she can't imagine Meiryn will come after her. And frankly, I don't know why Meiryn does. Again, they don't seem to like each other.

Another issue with the split perspectives is that, because they are SO separated, you end up with two separate ensemble casts. There are far too many characters here, and they kind of flatten out. In Meiryn's story particularly, where we keep adding more and more. Ok, you have Fern and Lucas. Ok, now we add the healerwoman and Elder. And now we've added Gray. And now we've added Nona's siblings. Too many people and too much going on and nobody actually has any depth. This was, again, something that was not as much of an issue in Reina's story, because we start with an ensemble and get to know them over time.

If this was just Reina's story, I almost certainly would have finished it. But Meiryn dragged the whole thing down, and even liking Reina's story wasn't strong enough motivation for me to finish it.

(Please note that I did not give star ratings on places where I reviewed it, since I did not finish the book.)

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Kit Aldridge for providing me with an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one has:
💛Stakes
🖤Action
💞Dual POV
💚Did I mention Dragons?
💜Deep worldbuilding

If a D&D Campaign was a book. I could be bias... And it might just be my nerd flag flying but this read like a D&D adventure in the best way possible. The action was actioning, the stakes were high and the characters were jiving! And the ending-wow! There was so much going on that I barely had time to miss the romance. As someone who predominantly enjoys romatasy this was a refreshing that eft the door open to explore relationships further perhaps in the next book? 👀

I will be honest I haven't read much high fantasy but this is by far some of the best action writing I've read-ever. The battles felt breathlessly real as we're caught up in the whirlwind. It's a plot forward story of two best friends grappling with their past and trying to find their way back to one another.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Kit Aldridge for providing me with an ARC of Unraveled in exchange for my honest review.

Let’s dive in.

First, the opening of Unraveled was a triumph. The first sentence gripped me instantly, launching right into an action-packed, high-stakes moment that set the tone for the entire story. The brutal, heart-pounding scenes from the start established a world of tension and danger. While the pace slowed slightly after the beginning, the underlying suspense remained palpable throughout the plot.

The worldbuilding was immersive and detailed, striking a fine balance between providing context and avoiding overwhelming exposition. However, I did find myself with a few lingering questions that I hope will be addressed in future installments of the series. Given the book’s length, I wish some of these loose ends had been tied up within this volume.

Kit Aldridge’s writing style truly stood out. The descriptions of the battle scenes were breathtakingly vivid, making me feel like I was right there in the chaos. The language was precise and evocative, pulling me deeper into this richly crafted world.

The characters were a mixed bag for me. While some, like the comic relief character, resonated instantly, I found it harder to connect with the main protagonists. That said, the relationships and dynamics between certain characters, especially those filled with tension or humor, added an enjoyable layer of depth. I would love to see a spin-off focusing on the standout comic relief character—they brought a refreshing levity to the story.

One of my critiques is the pacing. While the beginning and the end were strong, the middle sections felt a bit drawn out. Certain scenes and settings could have been trimmed or omitted without detracting from the narrative's impact.

Overall, Unraveled was an enjoyable read, blending action, intrigue, and a well-built world. While not perfect, it left me eager to see how the story progresses in the next installment. If you’re a fan of action-driven fantasy with intricate battles and a compelling world, this one’s worth picking up!

This was a strong start to the Stormbringer Saga series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this world. The characters worked overall in this universe and was everything that I was hoping for in this. I enjoyed how good Kit Aldridge wrote this and was excited for the next chapter in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Kit Aldridge for providing me with an ARC of Unraveled in exchange for my honest review.

Let’s get into it.

First and foremost, the opening was executed fantastically and that first sentence captured my attention immediately. I absolutely loved how it started with an action sequence right off the bat. It really sets the tone for the rest of the book. When you start off with such a gruesome sight, the story shouldn’t falter as it progresses and even though the plot does slow down for a bit, that heart thumping uncertainty is still present.

The book is heavily plot driven, and the world building was great. I did not feel like I was getting too much information at once. Although, I did have some unanswered questions, but I’m sure as the series progresses they will be answered. Although, I think they should have been answers considering the length of the book. If I’m being honest, I liked the beginning of the book more than the rest. The high stakes during the first few chapters was fantastic.

I do want to commend our author Kit in regard to the writing style and the language. The description of the fight scenes and battles is so articulate and carefully curated that I felt like I was there, a fly on the wall. I love when an author is able to transport me into the world with such precise details.

As for the characters, there were definitely a few that I connected with immediately and some I didn’t connect with at all, but that’s okie. The comic relief character is great. I would love to see a spin off with them as the main character. However, I’m sad to say that I didn’t really feel connected with the main characters. I’m not sure what it was. But I couldn’t get into them as much as the other characters.

Okie, now let’s talk about the flow. I’ve always been such a stickler when it comes to the flow of books. I thought it was too long. There were some scenes and settings, I felt, that shouldn’t have been added, but it didn’t distract from the main goal of the characters. There was a beginning and there was an end, but the middle was meek at best.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. And I do want to see how the story progresses in the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher & the author for allowing me to read this early!

Wow, Unraveled was such a ride! I was completely hooked. The fast pacing immediately pulled me in, and I was fully invested before I even hit the 10% mark. This book wastes no time throwing you into the action, and I loved every second of it. I know it’s early into the year but please believe me when I say this is the best thing I have read so far!

First of all, let’s talk about the weapons. Retractable whip-blades? Flaming swords? YES. PLEASE. Kit Aldridge, I need a behind-the-scenes feature on how you came up with these because they are the coolest things ever. Every battle felt like something straight out of an epic RPG, and I kept imagining the characters in an epic quest from the likes of Skyrim or Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Speaking of RPG vibes, this entire story felt like playing one of those epic fantasy games. The worldbuilding, the characters, their quests—it all gave me that same sense of adventure and excitement. I even started listening to the How to Train Your Dragon and Skyrim soundtracks while reading, and let me tell you, it elevated the entire experience, highly recommend!

Now, onto the characters. Reina absolutely stole the show for me. Her dynamic with her estranged brother Aaron and his second-in-command Reiko? Chef’s kiss. I was cackling every time Reiko subtly defied Aaron’s orders while clearly harboring feelings for Reina. And let’s be honest, Aaron is kind of an asshole, so Reiko being a secret Reina stan just made me love him more. Also the quote “What in the six hells were you thinking?”—if this wasn’t written with Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 in mind, I’ll eat my (metaphorical) hat because I had to laugh so hard, my rating went up to 5-stars immediately.

Meiryn’s storyline was good too, but I’ll admit that every time her chapters came up, I was itching to get back to Reina. That’s no shade to Meiryn—her story adds so much depth to the plot, especially once the two narratives start weaving together. The way the storylines merged toward the end was brilliant! There were so many moments where clues from one storyline became pivotal for the other, and I loved putting the pieces together.

The ending was absolute chaos, but in the best way possible. It felt like the final boss battle of a game where everything explodes (literally and figuratively), and you’re left on the edge of your seat wondering what’s next. I’m so curious about where the saga will go from here!

If I have one tiny critique, it’s that I wish there was more romance. There were a few tantalizing sprinkles—like, are Lukas and Meiryn going to get together? Or are we going to get an enemies-to-lovers moment with her and Faun? I am still sobbing over the fact that two cuties are never going to end up together although I now wish she’s going to end up with a certain someone that she knows from her past. The absence of a full-blown romance didn’t detract from the story, but I’m holding out hope for some romantic subplots in future installments!

Overall, Unraveled was such an epic and fun read. It’s like stepping into your favorite fantasy RPG with characters you can’t help but root for and action sequences that make your heart race. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next, and I’ll be first in line for the sequel!

Unraveled by Kit Aldridge was a story of a girl trying to find her place in the world. Haunted by pain of the past, Reina cast off her identity and disappears. After years spent hiding she is captured. Reina now has to face head-on family, friends, enemies, dragons and herself. Will she be able learn who she is or die trying?

I think the over all plot is really good. It is definitely a classic epic dragon fantasy. It felt very plot driven which is completely ok especially for epic fantasy genres but I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I really wanted to love this book because the premise is definitely something that is right in a sweet spot for me. Unfortunately I just didn’t feel much emotion towards either of the main characters despite all that they are going through.

3 ⭐️

The story follows Reina and Meiryn, two unlikely best friends trying to create a new life for themselves. However things are never that easy, and their world would soon get turned upside down. How will they escape with all they hold dear?

I really struggled to get into this book. The premise and description had me super excited (especially the dragons) but for me the story just dragged and took me forever to get through.

There was a lot of action throughout and the world building was thorough and well done. I really felt like i bonded with a few of the characters and was invested in their stories, the book was just maybe a little too long for me.

Still a good read regardless!

2.5 stars

This was okay. It's very plot driven, and the story is interesting enough to keep you sort of engaged. But as I read I kept feeling like I was reading the 2nd book in a series and was missing information. There's very little world building, You never quite understand the connection between the 2 main characters, other than they are friends - how did they become friends? How much of each other's past do they know? Do they even like each other or are they using each other? You get hints and glimpses of their backstories, but only through brief descriptions of memories or short conversations. One of the biggest struggles I had with this book was wondering why I should care about either character. Neither are particularly likeable, and there's just not enough depth to either. If more books are coming in this series, I don't think I'll bother reading them, unfortunately.

Unraveled is so so good. Kit Aldridge is a genious! Loved the storyline so much. Loved the characters. 5 stars from me. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.