Threadneedle is the first in a series of YA dark academia fantasy novels by Cari Thomas. Released 27 May 2021 by HarperCollins on their HarperVoyager imprint, it's 576 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback (31st Jan '23), audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is a well written character driven YA tale. MC Anna has been taught to fear and loathe her magical talent by her repressive and cruelly disapproving aunt. She's approaching the day when a ceremony will bind her magic forever, when she meets exuberant and irrepressible young students Effie and Attis. They're soon off having adventures and exploring their magic and testing boundaries.
At its essence, it's a YA coming-of-age novel. The background, world building, and magic systems are expertly rendered. I found the first parts of the book quite a relentless slog (until she meets up with Effie). There are potentially triggering on-page descriptions of emotional manipulation and physical abuse and gaslighting. Then *poof* (more or less) the book changes to a YA school C-o-A story, with all the drama and most of the silliness that entails.
Three and a half stars (mostly for the dichotomy of the first third of the book compared to the latter parts). The writing is very good throughout. For fans of Phillip Pullman, Leigh Bardugo, and Kerri Maniscalco, this one will likely be made to order. It's a substantial book, but there's also a novella in the same general world/pantheon, but set in Wales, contra London.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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