Book Review: THE STORYSPINNER by Becky Wallace

I usually keep a pretty close eye on what's coming up in YA, but somehow this one slipped right by me! Thankfully other authors and bloggers started spreading the word because THE STORYSPINNER by Becky Wallace is a YA fantasy NOT to be missed!

Here's the description from Goodreads:

Drama and danger abound in this fantasy realm where dukes play a game for the throne, magical warriors race to find the missing heir, and romance blossoms where it is least expected.

In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything. 

THE STORYSPINNER has everything that makes a book/series an instant favorite for me: fast-paced action, courtly intrigue, tension-filled romance, and a little magic! All set in a renaissance-style fantasy realm.

We meet main character, Johanna who is hard-working, feisty and complex and who I liked instantly. She loves her family more than anything and in the wake of her father’s death, everything she does is for them. Lord Rafael DeSilva – or Rafi – wants to do the right thing by his people even if at times he comes off as stubborn and arrogant, especially around Johanna. And their banter-filled chemistry was perfection. And on the other side of the wall (think Stardust!) is a whole other world full of magic and people known as the Keepers. We follow a group of four Keepers who cross the wall in search of a lost princess and find plenty of danger and mystery along the way.

This book has multiple POV’s from chapter to chapter which is usually a roadblock for me as it can be difficult to track at times and borderline annoying because ultimately there will be something happening with one character/storyline that is so much less interesting and you just want to skip it and get back to the good stuff. I was afraid of this happening in the beginning – jumping around from Johanna to Rafi to the Keepers, etc – but really, Wallace keeps the reader engaged and focused the whole time so that I knew exactly what was happening and I was fully sucked in no matter whose perspective. If you’re like me and multiple (like more than 2) POVs is not your thing, I would strongly nudge you to give it a shot with THE STORYSPINNER.

I don’t know what it is, but some books contain this thing, this element of magic you can’t quite put your finger on that causes you to fall in love with it. Not real magic necessarily, or maybe it is, who knows? But whatever that thing is, THE STORYSPINNER has it. I loved everything about it and when it was over I just wanted to pick it up and read it all over again. That’s when you know it’s a good one!

Check it out and if you love it, tell a friend. Or tell 50. Trust me, authors will thank you.

-Sarah