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Threadneedle

By: Cari Thomas
Narrated by: Bea Holland
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The Sunday Times No.4 bestseller Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic.

‘Magic and love. Love and magic. They destroy everything in the end …’

Anna’s Aunt has always warned her of the dangers of magic. Its twists. Its knots. Its deadly consequences.

Now Anna counts down the days to the ceremony that will bind her magic forever.

Until she meets Effie and Attis.

They open her eyes to a London she never knew existed. A shop that sells memories. A secret library where the librarian feeds off words. A club where revellers lose themselves in a haze of spells.

But as she is swept deeper into this world, Anna begins to wonder if her Aunt was right all along.

Is her magic a gift … or a curse?

 Coming of Age Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Magic Paranormal
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Critic reviews

‘An enthralling and original fantasy, woven inside a magical web of lies’
Jay Kristoff, Sunday Times bestselling author of NEVERNIGHT and EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE
‘The magic both gleams and threatens. There are riddles and puzzles to be solved and there’s a library – trust me, it’s a good one. You’ll want to give this a try.’
Sunday Times bestselling author Robin Hobb
‘In this beautiful coming-of-age book, Thomas tackles big issues, family secrets and heartbreak in a brilliantly imagined, yet authentic world.’
Woman’s Weekly
‘There’s magic in every nook and cranny – as well as shops selling memories – in this fantastical novel that stalks the streets of London’s underbelly’
METRO
‘A bewitching tale of magic, family secrets and twisted affections, of finding your true self in a world of treacherous mystery. Prepare to be charmed!’
David Wragg, author of THE BLACK HAWKS
‘THREADNEEDLE had me spellbound – a luminous, captivating fantasy that left me longing to return to Thomas’s vividly imagined magical world. With teen witches, hidden libraries, secrets and lies, it’s a dream of a book, and I loved it.’
Katie Lowe, author of THE FURIES
‘The first in a new fantasy trilogy, Anna's aunt has always warned her of the dangers of magic and now, aged 16, she is counting down the days to a ceremony that will bind her magic forever. That is, until her eyes are opened to a London she never knew existed one with a shop that sells memories, a secret underground library and nightclubs full of magic.’
Woman Magazine
‘An enthralling and inventive story you’ll enjoy getting lost in’
Woman & Home
All stars
Most relevant
The narrator was brilliant and I could hear all the voices and characters so clearly and visualise them perfectly. Attis and his ambiguous accent was perfectly captured but it took me till my second time reading it to realise this. His accent is welsh and American combined and it’s spot on.

As for the book itself, well, wow.
It was chosen for the book club at my workplace and at first I wasn’t thrilled with the choice as it seemed too dark for me and lacking in romance but once I got past the first chapter or two it came alive. The slow start is necessary to understand the life and personality of Anna the protagonist but it goes much quicker the second time you read it as it all makes more sense.

Each character is beautifully complex and their development is carefully done no matter how small the character. I loved the attention to detail and the foreshadowing is done wonderfully. I recommend reading this book again back to back after finishing because it’s like reading a brand new book with a fresh perspective!

It was horrifying to have such detailed descriptions of child abuse and bullying but it adds to the maturity and horror of the story and I appreciated the transparency of the author to how it can look to be abused by someone you love and trust.

The magical world building blew me away. While I was listening to this book I would see the world as perhaps there was a whole other world behind it. I don’t think I’ll look at old post boxes the same again.

I didn’t love the ending. It made sense but I felt the protagonist gave in too easily, then got out too easily. It was a great concept but I think it felt too bundled in together at the end and left me unsatisfied.

Overall I adored this book but I do appreciate it’s not for everyone as it is somewhat dark and for a younger audience. I don’t think the book necessarily needed more romance, but I’m just personally a fan of romance so I’d have loved some more.

Anyway just go listen to it. It’s great.

Amazing Amazing Horrifying Amazing

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If you like twilight or similar, you will likely enjoy this. Wasn’t really gritty enough for me and a bit predictable.

For young adults

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It is another truly brilliantly original Scottish author who speaks from her soul. I don’t know how they do it but in this Caldron of emotions they are supreme.

Thought It wasn’t for me until I well and Truly got hooked by chapter 3

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One of the best books I've ever read or listened to, thoroughly recommend it. Also with an outstanding narrator.

Absolutely amazing

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For me, if this book were a film, most of it would lie somewhere between ‘She’s All That’ and ‘The Craft’. It took me a long time to really engage with the story and the first two thirds were a bit dull and onerous. I enjoyed the last third but I’m still deciding whether to listen to more stories by this author. The narrator reminded me a lot of Jan Cramer’s reading of the Kim Stone series; it’s quite abrasive and the voice characterisation of Attis left me wondering if he’s American or Irish. I also found the narration ponderous but sorted that issue by speeding up the narration to 1.2, which worked much better. The book would’ve been better with a bit more pace and a little less length.

Takes a long time to become interesting.

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