It’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy set in a version of London that we can recognise as ours, I loved the way the magical world was built into the city – and I’m a sucker for a magic library! The magic system itself is authentic and well thought out, I love how magic can be bound through any medium, depending on who casts it. This book is a gleaming collection of contradictions, and the juxtaposition of Anna’s cold and cruel home life with the glamour and excitement that Effie and Attis bring into it is striking. The topic is handled sensitively, and it raises questions about what we will put up with, what we believe we deserve, when we’re being led by people we trust. It gets to the heart of the complexities of female friendships as a teenager, it feels authentic and raw when it deals with love, lust and romance.ĭon’t be fooled though, this book deals with heavier topics, most notably the abuse Anna experiences from her aunt, and the cult like coven that rules their life. The tale is largely set in a secondary school, following a young witch, Anna, as she discovers her magic, navigated friendships, family secrets, an abusive parental figure, falling in love for the first time – and all the other usual teenage stuff. I’m a little confused as to why this book is listed as general fiction when it definitely feels like young adult. Seriously, I read all 555 pages in a day. It’s a tense, slow build to start with, that unravels into a lush read that I found it hard to put down.

This book is a contemporary urban fantasy with witchcraft and elements of fairytale & folklore. I have so many thoughts and I’m not entirely sure how to unspool them but let’s give it a go! Thank you to Harper Voyager for gifting me an advanced copy of this book – I was under no obligation to share but I loved it so much I couldn’t resist!

Threadneedle by cari thomas