Highly recommended

A somewhat slow start develops into a gripping story, with excellent prose and narration to match. Another Hardinge classic.

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A darkly mesmerising fairytale

Frances Hardinge has quickly become one of my all-time favourite writers and I enthusiastically devour every book she releases, and Unraveller is another absolute spellbinder of a book.

The plot, world and characters were so immersive and well-constructed that I felt like I was living the story in among with them and was physically unable to stop reading until I turned the last page.

This is a world where magic spiders can ‘gift’ a curse egg to those who are angry which, when fed with their hatred and misery, grows until the curse flies free with some hauntingly horrifying consequences. Images of people cursed into boats, clouds, birds and monsters are going to stay with me for a looooong, long time, so don’t say I have warned you… this is a darkly mesmerising fairy tale!

Narrator Eleanor Bennett captures the voices well, particularly the undercurrents of bitterness, resentment, tolerant humour and so on, that the reader picks up between the lines of the text.

Part mystery, part horror, part fantasy, this author’s books are officially classed as Young Adult fiction but as an adult reader (fat TOO adult these days, in my opinion!) I utterly adore them. I love all of the characters – main and side; good, bad and grey – and simply didn’t want the book to ever end.

I’ve already bought this in hardback format for my ‘keep’ shelf, where it will sit proudly with Deeplight, displaying their beautiful covers, while their mesmerising contents will sit permanently in my imagination.

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not just for young people

Even though Frances Hardinge is classified as youth fiction, her books are well worth reading for adults too.
Great world building, well written characters and interesting story. Here the book really takes off in the second half as the world turns out to be much more complex and unpredictable at that point. The story is gripping and often evolves in surprising directions.


My favourite books of hers are still The lie tree and The face of glass, but I think any Hardinge's book is worth reading.

Hardinge is a master of writing complex and well rounded female characters, something many male writers of similar books can't do to save their lives.

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3 people found this helpful

Love the story, narrator takes a bit of getting used to

As usual Francis Hardinge writes another fantastical world with wonderful characters. Although at times some of the narration grated that is entirely personal preference and in fact did not diminish the story at all. Definitely not just a ‘children’s author’

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1 person found this helpful

Really enjoyed this book

I think this is my favourite novel of Frances Hardinge books to date. Really moreish and easy to read.

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1 person found this helpful

Melodic prose and beautifully written

I enjoy Hardinge as an adult. I think if I’d discovered her as a kid she would’ve utterly mesmerised me. Her style is a unique & stunning prose that is poetic & deeply imaginative. My favourite is Cuckoo Song and always will be, but this came pretty close!

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