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A Reverie Tale: Borderlands and Transcience
'Could it really be possible that there exists two such potent, omniscient, and incompatible energies - Fate and Hate?' Sixteen-year-old Lilly-Anne is not supposed to ask about her parents. An outsider to her peers, she lives a quiet life with her Uncle Bill and his wife, Lynne. Hoping for a fresh start at a new college, little does she know that her future lies beyond Earth, and Lilly soon finds herself thrown into a completely different world, or rather, many worlds, all ruled by Fate, an omniscient power who predetermines human life. Or at least, that's what the Authority says. Attempting to understand the otherworlds, Lilly tiptoes the line of lawbreaking, seeking answers to her heritage. But her questions only multiply as she discovers that both her past and the mysterious events around her may hold the key to what Fate has planned. A Reverie Tale is a story of friendship, belonging, and a battle for free will against the most powerful of adversaries.
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2023
64 people want to read
About the author
Anna M. Tusk
1 book5 followersAnna M Tusk is a debut author in her mid-twenties. Having moved to Norfolk as a child and recently completed her degrees at the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia, she currently works as an archaeologist in the Midlands. Her First Class BA was recognised with three academic awards. With a background in archaeology and anthropology, her interests include perceptions and understandings of reality, the nature of truth, symbolism, and epistemology.
Above all, she is a dreamer, and her imagination refuses to cease dwelling on these questions within imagined worlds, their conflicts, and conundrums. Being bilingual and binational, she explores what it means to straddle two worlds, attempting to make sense of both while calling one a permanent home.
Above all, she is a dreamer, and her imagination refuses to cease dwelling on these questions within imagined worlds, their conflicts, and conundrums. Being bilingual and binational, she explores what it means to straddle two worlds, attempting to make sense of both while calling one a permanent home.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 25, 2023
WOW! (Disclosure, I won a prepublished version of this book from the author on instagram which is why I've read it before release) this is the first book I have ever completed the same day I started reading it, I was hooked from the very beginning, the atmosphere the author manages to create is incredible, she had my attention and emotions fully immersed with every word. I can't recommend this book enough!
August 12, 2023
Wow, what an excellent opener for a debut novel! I was so enthralled reading this, it has fantasy, mystery, friendships, a magic school - everything tied perfectly together.
'Oh it's not on Earth'... 'A bit beyond'.
𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀
Lily-Anne is a 16 year old living on Earth, and has a relevatively normal life.. until she receives a letter in the post accepting her into a mysterious school.
She shows her Uncle this letter - he knows all about it and was expecting her to receive the invitation from 'Sapphire Dragon's Respected School of Force Control and Lawful Magic'.
This school isn't on Earth, Lily-Anne learns there are different worlds - worlds where magic is potent and Fate pretermines your life.
As Lily-Anne ventures to The Continents to begin school, we start to see the mystery and questions being raised - but if you ask the wrong question, Lily-Anne could be seen as a Lawbreaker.
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
What a brilliant debut, honestly I was so captivated by the story telling. We see different POVs from many characters, some you will like, and others you may dislike - but putting them all together you start to unfold a picture around mysterious events and Fate.
As a Harry Potter fan at heart, this novel had similar themes in regard to getting sent a letter to a mysterious and magical school, shopping for books and equipment, and learning magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect, it made me excited for what they're going to experience through Lily-Anne's eyes when starting this magical school.
We do get some backstory around Lily-Anne, scattered throughout the novel, giving the reader just enough information to start to form a picture and theories around who Lily-Annes parents could be.
I already can't wait for the second book in this series, I want to discover and learn more about the worlds, Lily-Anne and Fate.
Thank you to Anna and Cranthorpe Millner for this copy. The PR package was absolutely beautiful. This review is voluntary.
'Oh it's not on Earth'... 'A bit beyond'.
𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀
Lily-Anne is a 16 year old living on Earth, and has a relevatively normal life.. until she receives a letter in the post accepting her into a mysterious school.
She shows her Uncle this letter - he knows all about it and was expecting her to receive the invitation from 'Sapphire Dragon's Respected School of Force Control and Lawful Magic'.
This school isn't on Earth, Lily-Anne learns there are different worlds - worlds where magic is potent and Fate pretermines your life.
As Lily-Anne ventures to The Continents to begin school, we start to see the mystery and questions being raised - but if you ask the wrong question, Lily-Anne could be seen as a Lawbreaker.
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
What a brilliant debut, honestly I was so captivated by the story telling. We see different POVs from many characters, some you will like, and others you may dislike - but putting them all together you start to unfold a picture around mysterious events and Fate.
As a Harry Potter fan at heart, this novel had similar themes in regard to getting sent a letter to a mysterious and magical school, shopping for books and equipment, and learning magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect, it made me excited for what they're going to experience through Lily-Anne's eyes when starting this magical school.
We do get some backstory around Lily-Anne, scattered throughout the novel, giving the reader just enough information to start to form a picture and theories around who Lily-Annes parents could be.
I already can't wait for the second book in this series, I want to discover and learn more about the worlds, Lily-Anne and Fate.
Thank you to Anna and Cranthorpe Millner for this copy. The PR package was absolutely beautiful. This review is voluntary.
August 21, 2023
~I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review thanks to Cranthorpemilner and the author.~
- Possible spoilers ahead.
This book immediately attracted my attention. Magic school? A mention of dragons?
It starts off really well, background information about the main character Lilly-Anne who is a sixteen year old living with her uncle, knowledge about where she lives, who her family is etc…
She lives on the earth and we then find out that there’s actually more than earth but a whole other « planet » involving magic.
Then she gets a mysterious letter. And that’s when my mind thought « Harry Potter », from then on, there’s a lot of similarities, a town where she gets to buy magical school supplies, she needs a wand, a signed book from an author who seems to be very full of himself….
She then leaves for the school of Sapphire dragon’s respected school of force control and lawful magic.
Again once she gets to school, a lot reminded me of Harry Potter, from the setting, to the big tables in the common room, the houses the pupils are put in to and the dorms.
And I think that that is what made it difficult for me.
I’m a big Harry Potter fan, I’ve read the books several times and I think this book being so close to something I absolutely love made me compare it too much.
I struggled to not think about Harry Potter.
Once she’s at school, the story in my opinion took a bit of a slow turn. It seemed like not much was going on, we were introduced to a lot of different characters but had no real background story to them so it made it difficult to feel attached to them. I did like the variety in the characters’ characters. Some seemed grumpy, other oblivious to everything around them.
I felt like something was missing for me, maybe depth and more about this magical world. The plots were jumping from to another without much of a connection which made it a bit of a tough ride to understand where the story was actually going.
I also think that some scenes felt forced to me:
• I struggled when she meets her uncle’s best friends son. They meet once and then a few chapters later she barely knows him yet she acts as if they were childhood best friends.
• They sneak out in the middle of the night to a place pupils are banned from going? Yes. Full Harry Potter vibes again here.
The writing style was really good. Easy to read, not too dense and for instance not too much information in the first few chapters which can sometimes seem daunting when starting a fantasy novel.
I also felt like it was too similar to Harry Potter book 1, and it’s not necessarily what I look for when I pick up a book.
I did like the whole Fate idea, it’s something I haven’t come across before and I was interested in that part.
I did not go further than 50% of the book. Usually a DNF is a 1/5 for me but I'm adding a star because of the whole fate idea.
- Possible spoilers ahead.
This book immediately attracted my attention. Magic school? A mention of dragons?
It starts off really well, background information about the main character Lilly-Anne who is a sixteen year old living with her uncle, knowledge about where she lives, who her family is etc…
She lives on the earth and we then find out that there’s actually more than earth but a whole other « planet » involving magic.
Then she gets a mysterious letter. And that’s when my mind thought « Harry Potter », from then on, there’s a lot of similarities, a town where she gets to buy magical school supplies, she needs a wand, a signed book from an author who seems to be very full of himself….
She then leaves for the school of Sapphire dragon’s respected school of force control and lawful magic.
Again once she gets to school, a lot reminded me of Harry Potter, from the setting, to the big tables in the common room, the houses the pupils are put in to and the dorms.
And I think that that is what made it difficult for me.
I’m a big Harry Potter fan, I’ve read the books several times and I think this book being so close to something I absolutely love made me compare it too much.
I struggled to not think about Harry Potter.
Once she’s at school, the story in my opinion took a bit of a slow turn. It seemed like not much was going on, we were introduced to a lot of different characters but had no real background story to them so it made it difficult to feel attached to them. I did like the variety in the characters’ characters. Some seemed grumpy, other oblivious to everything around them.
I felt like something was missing for me, maybe depth and more about this magical world. The plots were jumping from to another without much of a connection which made it a bit of a tough ride to understand where the story was actually going.
I also think that some scenes felt forced to me:
• I struggled when she meets her uncle’s best friends son. They meet once and then a few chapters later she barely knows him yet she acts as if they were childhood best friends.
• They sneak out in the middle of the night to a place pupils are banned from going? Yes. Full Harry Potter vibes again here.
The writing style was really good. Easy to read, not too dense and for instance not too much information in the first few chapters which can sometimes seem daunting when starting a fantasy novel.
I also felt like it was too similar to Harry Potter book 1, and it’s not necessarily what I look for when I pick up a book.
I did like the whole Fate idea, it’s something I haven’t come across before and I was interested in that part.
I did not go further than 50% of the book. Usually a DNF is a 1/5 for me but I'm adding a star because of the whole fate idea.
August 22, 2023
A good quarter of the book seemed to be a blow-for-blow retelling of Harry Potter. We have a main character who, after her parents tragically died while she was just a very young baby, was tucked away “on Earth” with an aunt and uncle, one who despises her, and knows nothing of the magical Fate.
One day she gets a letter calling her to a magical school, she goes shopping in the magical city for her school supplies and moves into the school.
She befriends the studious, rule-adhering swat and a Luna Lovegood type.
The school is very Hogwarts-like, with its affiliations/houses, the various teacher personalities, academic subjects and even the first night feast and set up of the grand hall. This was so incredibly similar and went on for so long that visuals of the entire world couldn’t be anything other than Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and whatever the town with the pub was called for the rest of the book.
Possible plagiarism aside, however, we do have a rather interesting prologue telling the beginning of the known worlds, and a wonderful foray into multi-world politics that makes it rather interesting. I found myself, rather surprisingly, enjoying the political aspect quite a lot. Some of the Authorities methods sound a bit “1984” and I did find myself wondering that, if Fate “acts in mysterious ways” and nobody knows exactly what Fate wants, how can the Authority’s laws be certain to be following Fate’s will? It does leave a large opportunity for the Authority to take advantage of it’s civilians and use “Fate’s Will” as an excuse to subdue and control, though I do have an inkling that that’s the point.
After a third of the way in, the book drops the blatant Harry Potter overtones and begins to take its own course however it’s very slow and monotone.
It’s just a story about a girl fitting in at a new school, but there isn’t really anything going on in the background, no mystery or danger that escalates over time. Rather late in the book, we do get a new character perspective. The late-coming makes it seem a little strange, and it’s not really well written, it doesn’t really seem to have much depth for the reader to get invested in.
At this stage, the most interesting things happening are with a strange side character called Orle. It takes a few chapters for this character’s true identity to be revealed, however by this point the clues dropped were so easy to guess that I’m not even sure it was meant to be a mystery in the first place.
Orle’s chapters do get quite intriguing, what with their take on addiction, depression, and poor self image and self esteem, however once he is “revealed” his behaviour towards romantic interests changes dramatically and without explanation and his addiction is just never mentioned again.
He has one final chapter where he seems to come across as some kind of above-all story teller and he tells us there’s another book coming. This does kind of make sense to have to be told the book is finished, as there hasn’t really been an overarching story to resolve and otherwise bring the book to the close naturally, so it could have kept going.
The one relationship I was actually rooting for, the one he hurt on the sidelines previously is repaired again, though there is little explanation.
There are a few other side characters that get their own perspectives told, though their character is mentioned so little in the Lilly-Anne’s narrative and the chapters don’t really contain anything significant that they seem nothing more than added fluff.
The book comes back to the Harry Potter overtones again as there is an attempt at creating a unique school sport that takes over the school’s attention for a while.
The Judgement segment is quite emotional and something I got very interested in, though it was rushed through far too quickly. There was no sense of anticipation, or building anxiety, it was more like a randomly added bad event that didn’t link to the rest of the story either side.
After the Judgement, Lilly-Anne can finally summon the Force, though the way it’s dropped is quite bizarre. We’ve spent the majority of the book in her head and knowing her thoughts and emotions, finally being able to conjure the Force would be such an emotional thing, and yet it’s just casually dropped “oh yeah this happened” like it’s nothing.
At the 90%-ish mark, we get a bit of a mystery dropped about the brothers Grim, however they’ve been such a passive presence so far that it almost fails to capture the attention. I feel like their presence and importance could have been steadily increasing before dropping this almost-cliffhanger.
Good link to the Prologoue, though it was so long without a mention of that name that if I hadn’t been speed reading I probably would have forgotten who they were talking about.
Up to this point we’ve been “teased” with obvious future revelations (spoilers, it’s obvious Lilly-Anne’s parents’ death was during The Murders, that she is the Rachthaw heir, that Uncle Bill was murdered by the demon’s humans) but with this introduction of the Grims’ involvement it’s actually quite intriguing now and I can’t figure out how they might be involved, but it’s revealed that it’s to do with Lilly-Anne and her heritage, making her even more alike Harry Potter, some kind of chosen one.
Finally, the book ends with a bizarre death of a bizarre teacher who I didn’t realise was of any significance to anyone. He was just one of the few who weren’t mean to Lilly-Anne, though I’m supposing he’s supposed to be the Dumbledore character of the book.
Overall:- it was far too similar to Harry Potter; the planted seeds for future revelation were far too easy to spot and guess; there were too many minor characters to keep track of, with some of them given their own narrative that seemed to go nowhere and add nothing of substance to the story; the pace was rather slow; and there wasn’t really any actual overall story developing.
One day she gets a letter calling her to a magical school, she goes shopping in the magical city for her school supplies and moves into the school.
She befriends the studious, rule-adhering swat and a Luna Lovegood type.
The school is very Hogwarts-like, with its affiliations/houses, the various teacher personalities, academic subjects and even the first night feast and set up of the grand hall. This was so incredibly similar and went on for so long that visuals of the entire world couldn’t be anything other than Hogwarts, Diagon Alley and whatever the town with the pub was called for the rest of the book.
Possible plagiarism aside, however, we do have a rather interesting prologue telling the beginning of the known worlds, and a wonderful foray into multi-world politics that makes it rather interesting. I found myself, rather surprisingly, enjoying the political aspect quite a lot. Some of the Authorities methods sound a bit “1984” and I did find myself wondering that, if Fate “acts in mysterious ways” and nobody knows exactly what Fate wants, how can the Authority’s laws be certain to be following Fate’s will? It does leave a large opportunity for the Authority to take advantage of it’s civilians and use “Fate’s Will” as an excuse to subdue and control, though I do have an inkling that that’s the point.
After a third of the way in, the book drops the blatant Harry Potter overtones and begins to take its own course however it’s very slow and monotone.
It’s just a story about a girl fitting in at a new school, but there isn’t really anything going on in the background, no mystery or danger that escalates over time. Rather late in the book, we do get a new character perspective. The late-coming makes it seem a little strange, and it’s not really well written, it doesn’t really seem to have much depth for the reader to get invested in.
At this stage, the most interesting things happening are with a strange side character called Orle. It takes a few chapters for this character’s true identity to be revealed, however by this point the clues dropped were so easy to guess that I’m not even sure it was meant to be a mystery in the first place.
Orle’s chapters do get quite intriguing, what with their take on addiction, depression, and poor self image and self esteem, however once he is “revealed” his behaviour towards romantic interests changes dramatically and without explanation and his addiction is just never mentioned again.
He has one final chapter where he seems to come across as some kind of above-all story teller and he tells us there’s another book coming. This does kind of make sense to have to be told the book is finished, as there hasn’t really been an overarching story to resolve and otherwise bring the book to the close naturally, so it could have kept going.
The one relationship I was actually rooting for, the one he hurt on the sidelines previously is repaired again, though there is little explanation.
There are a few other side characters that get their own perspectives told, though their character is mentioned so little in the Lilly-Anne’s narrative and the chapters don’t really contain anything significant that they seem nothing more than added fluff.
The book comes back to the Harry Potter overtones again as there is an attempt at creating a unique school sport that takes over the school’s attention for a while.
The Judgement segment is quite emotional and something I got very interested in, though it was rushed through far too quickly. There was no sense of anticipation, or building anxiety, it was more like a randomly added bad event that didn’t link to the rest of the story either side.
After the Judgement, Lilly-Anne can finally summon the Force, though the way it’s dropped is quite bizarre. We’ve spent the majority of the book in her head and knowing her thoughts and emotions, finally being able to conjure the Force would be such an emotional thing, and yet it’s just casually dropped “oh yeah this happened” like it’s nothing.
At the 90%-ish mark, we get a bit of a mystery dropped about the brothers Grim, however they’ve been such a passive presence so far that it almost fails to capture the attention. I feel like their presence and importance could have been steadily increasing before dropping this almost-cliffhanger.
Good link to the Prologoue, though it was so long without a mention of that name that if I hadn’t been speed reading I probably would have forgotten who they were talking about.
Up to this point we’ve been “teased” with obvious future revelations (spoilers, it’s obvious Lilly-Anne’s parents’ death was during The Murders, that she is the Rachthaw heir, that Uncle Bill was murdered by the demon’s humans) but with this introduction of the Grims’ involvement it’s actually quite intriguing now and I can’t figure out how they might be involved, but it’s revealed that it’s to do with Lilly-Anne and her heritage, making her even more alike Harry Potter, some kind of chosen one.
Finally, the book ends with a bizarre death of a bizarre teacher who I didn’t realise was of any significance to anyone. He was just one of the few who weren’t mean to Lilly-Anne, though I’m supposing he’s supposed to be the Dumbledore character of the book.
Overall:- it was far too similar to Harry Potter; the planted seeds for future revelation were far too easy to spot and guess; there were too many minor characters to keep track of, with some of them given their own narrative that seemed to go nowhere and add nothing of substance to the story; the pace was rather slow; and there wasn’t really any actual overall story developing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2023
I have been tempted by a few ARCs lately however, I jumped at the chance to read a debut laced with magic, dragons and lots and lots of mystery. With plenty of Harry Potter vibes, Anna M. Tusk’s A Reverie Tale was definitely not one to disappoint.
Thank you to Anna M. Tusk and Cranthorpe Millner PR for an unpublished proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our MC & relationships
Our MC has the typical mysterious backstory setup. Lilly-Anne doesn’t know her parents and knows nothing about her life before her present day - only what her Uncle Bill has told her. As far as Lilly-Anne is concerned, both her parents died from carbon monoxide poisoning and she was taken in by her Uncle, much to his new wife’s annoyance. There is plenty of foreshadowing and little ‘easter eggs’ throughout the book which give you hints towards Lilly-Anne’s lineage but nothing is forthcoming in book one. We are yet to get to the bottom of that just yet!
There were occasions that I felt further development was needed in some of the relationships with our MC. Lilly-Anne feels quite aloof and stand-offish at times which made some of the relationships feel clunky or forced and I didn’t particularly feel invested in many of them. As the story develops, the main relationships that Lilly-Anne has within her circle build. You start to see the blossoming of strong camaraderie.
As you all know, I love a good romantasy book so the Grim brothers were two characters I was invested in very early on. Both Brothers are shrouded in mystery. Mate, the youngest, is bullied for being odd. With a sickly pallor and an unpleasant demeanour, many do not associate with him. Alternatively, his brother Alastair appears to be the high-flyer with quite the temper. Lilly-Anne hates Alastair for no other reason than he makes her extremely uncomfortable, yet there is a draw. Although we don’t learn much about either Grim brother throughout this story - there is one rather juicy easter egg dropped at the very end of book one which I cannot wait to see unfold in book two!
World Building & Magic System
As I’ve already mentioned, this storys’ world building is largely influenced by Harry Potter. This is echoed from the mysterious letter our MC receives all through to the school, houses, dorms and even the common room setting. We have character relationships which also exhibit some similarities - Fellblue for example gave me Albus Dumbledore vibes - albeit short lived. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter and adored it, I did find this a little difficult to wrap my head around and separate the two worlds, however, as the story progresses it clearly carves out its own path.
I loved the epilogue. As an opening chapter, this was really strong and laid some great groundwork on Fate & Hate. Anna M. Tusk has done a fabulous job of setting up the reader with the notion of Fate & Hate and then weaving this throughout the book in a clever and subtle manner.
Tusk does not shy away from the comparison of religion, faith and fate. This intertwining of faith and religion felt like a very clear parallel to the modern day view. Taking the notion of Fate & Hate in these worlds, and looking at them with a religious lens from various angles, is fascinating. Tusk examines a variety of difficult and divisive viewpoints, including those that cast doubt on fate, her existence, and even our MCs existence. The fact that, contrary to popular belief, there are numerous grey areas which can be considered when discussing the concept of fate and how this is linked to faith and religion; it begins to touch on how many feel fate is predetermined and others feel they can influence it. Tusk strips this down into a more condensed but still complex version of the same discussion. You’ll always have those who are vehement believers, those ‘non believers’ and those that question, but what Tusk has done is highlight that there is a level of ambiguity when it comes to fate. This enables individuals to extend their faith to what ultimately, gives them a sense of belonging in the world. And that’s all we are really after. This part of the story was very well written; it doesn’t go overboard but instead allows you to see the tangled ball and begin to unravel it. But only a little.
Despite the lull in the story mid-way through, things picked up tempo towards the ending. You are left on the typical cliffhanger, leaving you with more questions than answers. For a debut, this definitely gets you thinking and wanting to learn more about the otherworlds. This was a great read and I think the series is going to be one to watch!
Thank you to Anna M. Tusk and Cranthorpe Millner PR for an unpublished proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our MC & relationships
Our MC has the typical mysterious backstory setup. Lilly-Anne doesn’t know her parents and knows nothing about her life before her present day - only what her Uncle Bill has told her. As far as Lilly-Anne is concerned, both her parents died from carbon monoxide poisoning and she was taken in by her Uncle, much to his new wife’s annoyance. There is plenty of foreshadowing and little ‘easter eggs’ throughout the book which give you hints towards Lilly-Anne’s lineage but nothing is forthcoming in book one. We are yet to get to the bottom of that just yet!
There were occasions that I felt further development was needed in some of the relationships with our MC. Lilly-Anne feels quite aloof and stand-offish at times which made some of the relationships feel clunky or forced and I didn’t particularly feel invested in many of them. As the story develops, the main relationships that Lilly-Anne has within her circle build. You start to see the blossoming of strong camaraderie.
As you all know, I love a good romantasy book so the Grim brothers were two characters I was invested in very early on. Both Brothers are shrouded in mystery. Mate, the youngest, is bullied for being odd. With a sickly pallor and an unpleasant demeanour, many do not associate with him. Alternatively, his brother Alastair appears to be the high-flyer with quite the temper. Lilly-Anne hates Alastair for no other reason than he makes her extremely uncomfortable, yet there is a draw. Although we don’t learn much about either Grim brother throughout this story - there is one rather juicy easter egg dropped at the very end of book one which I cannot wait to see unfold in book two!
World Building & Magic System
As I’ve already mentioned, this storys’ world building is largely influenced by Harry Potter. This is echoed from the mysterious letter our MC receives all through to the school, houses, dorms and even the common room setting. We have character relationships which also exhibit some similarities - Fellblue for example gave me Albus Dumbledore vibes - albeit short lived. As someone who grew up with Harry Potter and adored it, I did find this a little difficult to wrap my head around and separate the two worlds, however, as the story progresses it clearly carves out its own path.
I loved the epilogue. As an opening chapter, this was really strong and laid some great groundwork on Fate & Hate. Anna M. Tusk has done a fabulous job of setting up the reader with the notion of Fate & Hate and then weaving this throughout the book in a clever and subtle manner.
Tusk does not shy away from the comparison of religion, faith and fate. This intertwining of faith and religion felt like a very clear parallel to the modern day view. Taking the notion of Fate & Hate in these worlds, and looking at them with a religious lens from various angles, is fascinating. Tusk examines a variety of difficult and divisive viewpoints, including those that cast doubt on fate, her existence, and even our MCs existence. The fact that, contrary to popular belief, there are numerous grey areas which can be considered when discussing the concept of fate and how this is linked to faith and religion; it begins to touch on how many feel fate is predetermined and others feel they can influence it. Tusk strips this down into a more condensed but still complex version of the same discussion. You’ll always have those who are vehement believers, those ‘non believers’ and those that question, but what Tusk has done is highlight that there is a level of ambiguity when it comes to fate. This enables individuals to extend their faith to what ultimately, gives them a sense of belonging in the world. And that’s all we are really after. This part of the story was very well written; it doesn’t go overboard but instead allows you to see the tangled ball and begin to unravel it. But only a little.
Despite the lull in the story mid-way through, things picked up tempo towards the ending. You are left on the typical cliffhanger, leaving you with more questions than answers. For a debut, this definitely gets you thinking and wanting to learn more about the otherworlds. This was a great read and I think the series is going to be one to watch!
August 6, 2023
That’s how you do a debut! I imagine doing anything fantasy based is difficult but to get it so right on the first go *chefs kiss*
Without giving too much away we follow multiple perspectives throughout the story but the main focal point is Lilly, raised on earth and taken to The Continent at sixteen to embrace fate, the force that rules over the other worlds.
Fate, an omniscient power who predetermines human life. Or at least, that’s what the Authority says.
Attempting to understand the otherworlds, Lilly tiptoes the line of lawbreaking, seeking answers to her heritage. But her questions only multiply as she discovers that both her past and the mysterious events around her may hold the key to what Fate has planned.
There’s a lot of world building and characters to get used to but the break in perspective helps to really understand what Anna was trying to achieve and it paid off.
There is just enough backstory to keep you guessing what happened 16 years ago that split the worlds and the causes and fallout of the uprisings, but not enough to give you any idea where book two will take us.
I couldn’t put this down, I have my theories on who her parents were, what may come next and who probably won’t make it to the end of the series and who may swap sides of the battle lines.
This story was so clever and didn’t rely on the fantasy (magic) elements too much to tell the story which really paid off as that’s not my cup of tea. I really enjoyed this one, the pacing was just right and she’s left you with just enough questions to want you to pick up the second book (when it’s out).
Thanks to the publisher and Anna who went above and beyond with her ARC package!
Can’t wait for the rest of you to be able to pick this up!
August 7, 2023
4.5/5 STARS
This book is Anna’s debut novel and it was fantastic. I loved the fantasy elements within this book and they were captured really well by Anna.
This book covers multiple character's storylines and perspectives. Some of the characters you will adore and some you will dislike, but the way Anna shows the way to feel about these characters is amazing. The main character in this book is called Lilly and it is her story we are mainly following. Lilly has been rasied on earth, but at the age of sixteen, she is taken to The Continent to live under the ruling of Fate, the force who rules all the other worlds.
There is a great backstory as well, that keeps you guessing and constantly wanting to know more about what is going to happen or what has happened to a number of the characters, espeically Lilly, but also what has happened in The Continents.
I have started to create potential theories about some of the characters and some of the questions I had whilst reading this book and I can’t wait to read the second one, to find out if my questions get answered and if my theories are correct!
Thank you to both Anna and Cranthrope Millner for the ARC copy of this book and for the beautifully packaged product this book came in. I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it as much as I did!
This book is Anna’s debut novel and it was fantastic. I loved the fantasy elements within this book and they were captured really well by Anna.
This book covers multiple character's storylines and perspectives. Some of the characters you will adore and some you will dislike, but the way Anna shows the way to feel about these characters is amazing. The main character in this book is called Lilly and it is her story we are mainly following. Lilly has been rasied on earth, but at the age of sixteen, she is taken to The Continent to live under the ruling of Fate, the force who rules all the other worlds.
There is a great backstory as well, that keeps you guessing and constantly wanting to know more about what is going to happen or what has happened to a number of the characters, espeically Lilly, but also what has happened in The Continents.
I have started to create potential theories about some of the characters and some of the questions I had whilst reading this book and I can’t wait to read the second one, to find out if my questions get answered and if my theories are correct!
Thank you to both Anna and Cranthrope Millner for the ARC copy of this book and for the beautifully packaged product this book came in. I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it as much as I did!
August 16, 2023
Wow, A Reverie Tale what a brilliant debut book! Pretty much as soon as I opened this book I was drawn in and didn’t want to leave. It was magical a place I would love to visit to stay a while and meet some interesting people, gremlins fairy or maybe a pixie who cleans. I adored the characters the friendship group of Lily Ruby Kin & Sephy was my favourite part. I love a book where the characters feel real I felt so emotional attached I can’t wait for book 2 to see what they will be up too. This book had everything I love in a good fantasy story. It was creative interesting different which I liked. I could really see into the world Anna has made and I didn’t want to leave. I adored everything about this book from the cover, to story, the characters, the amazing map. You can tell so much thought love and creativity has gone into this book and it tuned out amazing! Thank you so much Anna Tusk and Cranthorpe Milner for a ARC Copy of this book
August 22, 2023
“Welcome to Loon’s City, Lilly-Anne”.
Wow, what an incredible first book in the series!
We follow alone Lilly-Anne, who is discovering who she really is as well as learning all about the magical new lands if the Continent!
Just like any new fantasy book, there was lots of world building, which was a little confusing at first. But once the story got rolling, I just couldn’t put it down!
The book has multiple POVs, 9 to be exact. The main person we follow is Lilly-Anne.
The book is based around a magic school with different houses as well as the use of wands. I find that it gives major Harry Potter vibes!
There is also gremlins, pixies and other mystical creatures.
The idea of Fate is a huge part of the book and can be found throughout. The prologue has been dedicated to the topic of Fate and gets the ball rolling.
Also, the topic of who Lilly-Anne’s parents is hinted throughout. I have my theories but will have to wait until book two to hopefully find out!
Wow, what an incredible first book in the series!
We follow alone Lilly-Anne, who is discovering who she really is as well as learning all about the magical new lands if the Continent!
Just like any new fantasy book, there was lots of world building, which was a little confusing at first. But once the story got rolling, I just couldn’t put it down!
The book has multiple POVs, 9 to be exact. The main person we follow is Lilly-Anne.
The book is based around a magic school with different houses as well as the use of wands. I find that it gives major Harry Potter vibes!
There is also gremlins, pixies and other mystical creatures.
The idea of Fate is a huge part of the book and can be found throughout. The prologue has been dedicated to the topic of Fate and gets the ball rolling.
Also, the topic of who Lilly-Anne’s parents is hinted throughout. I have my theories but will have to wait until book two to hopefully find out!
August 22, 2023
Thank you to @annamtusk and @cranthorpemillner
for an ARC and beautiful PR package! This is my honest review.
2.5 ⭐️
16 year old Lilly-Anne knows nothing about her parents and lives with Uncle Bill and Lynne. When she gets letter inviting her to Sapphy's college a whole new world is opened up to her - outside of Earth where Fate is in control.
The concept sounded great, the cover Is beautiful and the back says if you're a Harry Potter fan you'll love it... so what's not to like?
I really struggled through the first half of the book as I felt like it was far too similar to Harry Potter. It wasn't until much later that it started to come into its own, and may have received a higher rating if this had happened earlier.
There were far too many POVs for me - I'm sure in future books this will be really good and interesting but since there was so much set up and too many mysteries I didn't really understand the point in half of them.
Orle was an interesting character but I found him quite confusing to get my head around. I feel like Beatrice, Dianne and Damsel were pointless POV's.
What I did like -
I love Persephone, she was the highlight for me. I loved the whole Fate/Hate concept and the philosophical conundrums to do with things being Fated. I loved uncle Bill and I wish we had seen more of Gabriel.
I'm intrigued by Nin and Iona and even though I'm pretty sure I know the answers I'm looking forward to the revelations of the Heir and the full background story of Lily's parents. I also really liked Fate's judgement.
I hated the cliffhanger as it felt like the book just stopped. What really intrigues me is I spent a good portion of the book confused, a good part struggling to get into it and just waiting for it to be finished. If it wasn't an ARC I probably wouldn't have finished it. However, there is a part of me that still really wants to give the second book a chance and get some answers. I feel like maybe if the set up hadn't taken so long it would have had more potential so maybe I will like the 2nd book more.
for an ARC and beautiful PR package! This is my honest review.
2.5 ⭐️
16 year old Lilly-Anne knows nothing about her parents and lives with Uncle Bill and Lynne. When she gets letter inviting her to Sapphy's college a whole new world is opened up to her - outside of Earth where Fate is in control.
The concept sounded great, the cover Is beautiful and the back says if you're a Harry Potter fan you'll love it... so what's not to like?
I really struggled through the first half of the book as I felt like it was far too similar to Harry Potter. It wasn't until much later that it started to come into its own, and may have received a higher rating if this had happened earlier.
There were far too many POVs for me - I'm sure in future books this will be really good and interesting but since there was so much set up and too many mysteries I didn't really understand the point in half of them.
Orle was an interesting character but I found him quite confusing to get my head around. I feel like Beatrice, Dianne and Damsel were pointless POV's.
What I did like -
I love Persephone, she was the highlight for me. I loved the whole Fate/Hate concept and the philosophical conundrums to do with things being Fated. I loved uncle Bill and I wish we had seen more of Gabriel.
I'm intrigued by Nin and Iona and even though I'm pretty sure I know the answers I'm looking forward to the revelations of the Heir and the full background story of Lily's parents. I also really liked Fate's judgement.
I hated the cliffhanger as it felt like the book just stopped. What really intrigues me is I spent a good portion of the book confused, a good part struggling to get into it and just waiting for it to be finished. If it wasn't an ARC I probably wouldn't have finished it. However, there is a part of me that still really wants to give the second book a chance and get some answers. I feel like maybe if the set up hadn't taken so long it would have had more potential so maybe I will like the 2nd book more.
September 10, 2023
Lilly-Anne Skyrose has always felt like a fairly unremarkable teenager. Being raised in Norfolk by her legal guardians, 'uncle' Bill and 'aunt' Lynne, she never knew anything about her parents and aside from a possible mysterious blood disorder, some very strange, unexplained dreams, and a strong feeling of estrangement, there has never been anything unusual about her. Or so she thought.
Having reached the age of sixteen, she is faced with choosing her further education, something that she has not given much thought to other than being driven by a strong desire for a fresh start somewhere new.
One evening, a strange letter appears in her bedroom, opening the path to a life that Lilly-Anne never would have believed possible, in spite of her flair for reveries.
As magic and interplanetary travel burst into her life, Lilly-Anne finds that perhaps she isn't that unremarkable after all, as she sets on a path of self discovery, within the walls of a new mysterious school, in a new world (or rather, a multiplanetary system known as 'The Continent') governed by almighty forces and surrounded by a society with customs, magic, history and beliefs she knows nothing about. Flanked by some sharp, quirky and loyal new friends, who help her settle in and overcome an unexpected personal tragedy, Lilly-Anne is forced to adapt to her new surroundings, while being unwittingly pushed into political intrigue that may be crucial to the future of all worlds in the Continent, and which may hold the answers she seeks to the questions around her true identity and those strange dreams.
A Reverie Tale is the first book of a series, Borderlands and Transience.
💭 I really loved the title, cover and ARC pack for this book, it's certainly the best one I have had the luck to land on my doorstep and the premise of the story sounded like something that I would likely enjoy. The story opens with a very interesting prologue, which again holds a lot of promise for an exciting and original setting.
The narrative is told from several viewpoints, which I found very helpful in understanding the world building, as this is by no means straightforward and the main character, Lilly-Anne, has no knowledge of this and limited understanding. As a reader I always enjoy the concept of acquainting myself with a new world (or in this case, universe) alongside the main character, particularly when the story is also told from different characters' point of view, allowing the reader to figure things out ahead of the MC. Different viewpoints, however, can also bring the disadvantage of making the plot jump around a bit, which in this case made it harder to follow the story and to to keep me engaged and invested. Because of this, I found this a bit hard going read and the pace felt a bit off.
The initial section of the book carried more than an echo of a certain very well known young wizard, as the MC, Lilly-Anne, who doesn't know about magical worlds, receives a letter about being admitted to a magical boarding school, travels to the shopping district to purchase school supplies and eventually arrives at the school, teaming up with some new friends, one of whom is very studious and well learned, the other a bit of a space cadet, albeit one who is alluring to the male underdogs. This wouldn't necessarily kill my opinion of the book, but the similarities were so blatant they felt a little bit uncomfortable at times.
The events from Lilly-Anne's point of view are mainly centered around the school, and although this gives the reader a great deal of insight into the world building, to be completely honest, I didn't feel like enough happened until the latter 100 pages of the book, only to leave what felt like were too many loose ends as the book came to a sudden conclusion.
There is a promising politically charged backstory which is explained mostly in the first and last thirds of the book, but it's quite complex I felt that not enough information was given to ease the confusion.
There are some characters who get quite a lot of 'screentime' as the story shifts to their point of view. Unfortunately, in some cases, though they felt potentially significant in the beginning, they seemed to bear little or no relevance to the overarching plot. On the other hand there are other characters who felt more pivotal, but whom I ultimately felt left a bit short changed over as the reader is not given sufficient insight into and whose point of view I would have loved to read from- Alastair being the obvious one.
As this is the first book in a series I appreciate that I might just be lacking the patience to fully appreciate it, but a big factor that makes or breaks a story for me is whether it grabs me from the beginning and I must reluctantly admit that this fell short for me here. I am hopeful that the story will pick up in pace and action in the next installments, as one thing this story certainly doesn't lack is promise.
Having reached the age of sixteen, she is faced with choosing her further education, something that she has not given much thought to other than being driven by a strong desire for a fresh start somewhere new.
One evening, a strange letter appears in her bedroom, opening the path to a life that Lilly-Anne never would have believed possible, in spite of her flair for reveries.
As magic and interplanetary travel burst into her life, Lilly-Anne finds that perhaps she isn't that unremarkable after all, as she sets on a path of self discovery, within the walls of a new mysterious school, in a new world (or rather, a multiplanetary system known as 'The Continent') governed by almighty forces and surrounded by a society with customs, magic, history and beliefs she knows nothing about. Flanked by some sharp, quirky and loyal new friends, who help her settle in and overcome an unexpected personal tragedy, Lilly-Anne is forced to adapt to her new surroundings, while being unwittingly pushed into political intrigue that may be crucial to the future of all worlds in the Continent, and which may hold the answers she seeks to the questions around her true identity and those strange dreams.
A Reverie Tale is the first book of a series, Borderlands and Transience.
💭 I really loved the title, cover and ARC pack for this book, it's certainly the best one I have had the luck to land on my doorstep and the premise of the story sounded like something that I would likely enjoy. The story opens with a very interesting prologue, which again holds a lot of promise for an exciting and original setting.
The narrative is told from several viewpoints, which I found very helpful in understanding the world building, as this is by no means straightforward and the main character, Lilly-Anne, has no knowledge of this and limited understanding. As a reader I always enjoy the concept of acquainting myself with a new world (or in this case, universe) alongside the main character, particularly when the story is also told from different characters' point of view, allowing the reader to figure things out ahead of the MC. Different viewpoints, however, can also bring the disadvantage of making the plot jump around a bit, which in this case made it harder to follow the story and to to keep me engaged and invested. Because of this, I found this a bit hard going read and the pace felt a bit off.
The initial section of the book carried more than an echo of a certain very well known young wizard, as the MC, Lilly-Anne, who doesn't know about magical worlds, receives a letter about being admitted to a magical boarding school, travels to the shopping district to purchase school supplies and eventually arrives at the school, teaming up with some new friends, one of whom is very studious and well learned, the other a bit of a space cadet, albeit one who is alluring to the male underdogs. This wouldn't necessarily kill my opinion of the book, but the similarities were so blatant they felt a little bit uncomfortable at times.
The events from Lilly-Anne's point of view are mainly centered around the school, and although this gives the reader a great deal of insight into the world building, to be completely honest, I didn't feel like enough happened until the latter 100 pages of the book, only to leave what felt like were too many loose ends as the book came to a sudden conclusion.
There is a promising politically charged backstory which is explained mostly in the first and last thirds of the book, but it's quite complex I felt that not enough information was given to ease the confusion.
There are some characters who get quite a lot of 'screentime' as the story shifts to their point of view. Unfortunately, in some cases, though they felt potentially significant in the beginning, they seemed to bear little or no relevance to the overarching plot. On the other hand there are other characters who felt more pivotal, but whom I ultimately felt left a bit short changed over as the reader is not given sufficient insight into and whose point of view I would have loved to read from- Alastair being the obvious one.
As this is the first book in a series I appreciate that I might just be lacking the patience to fully appreciate it, but a big factor that makes or breaks a story for me is whether it grabs me from the beginning and I must reluctantly admit that this fell short for me here. I am hopeful that the story will pick up in pace and action in the next installments, as one thing this story certainly doesn't lack is promise.
September 5, 2023
I received an ARC copy of this book, and here is my honest review:
If Fate decides everything, how can anyone break her laws?
I really enjoyed the philosophical complexity of this book, the idea of Fate and how "she" is set up as a godlike presence who bestows magic on those who bend to her will. I loved how the main character Lilly-Anne Skyrose questions this dynamic and how the people in the Otherworlds society can believe in such a supreme force and yet also adhere to any possibility of free will. I thought Lilly's human approach, how her opinions of the system ebb and flow with her own situation, were realistically done. The moment her life was threatened, she found herself far more willing and desirous to believe in this power. And I also enjoyed the hints that this power isn't all benevolent and good, that there may be more complexities that haven't yet been tapped.
Tusk's greatest strength, in my opinion, were her characters. Although I think it's somewhat unusual to have a multi-POV story told in first person across the board, I enjoyed the way she used that POV to enhance the voices of Orle and Sephy, who were so original and delightful. I was particularly intrigued by the Orle storyline and unraveling his identity.
I would have liked to see the story lean a little more into its own magic system and farther away from some of the Harry Potter comparisons. Lilly's introduction to the new world and school carries some strong resemblances, but once established, the plot focuses mainly on this unique world's magic (force control), as well as the philosophical and political aspects of a world controlled by Fate. Tusk did a fantastic job of not spelling out her explanations. There is some resolution at the end of the book, while we are told the overaching plots continue into the sequel.
Overall, I enjoyed the unique voice, the magical premise, and the thoughtful take on a complicated premise, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Tusk continues to unwind this tale in her second book!
If Fate decides everything, how can anyone break her laws?
I really enjoyed the philosophical complexity of this book, the idea of Fate and how "she" is set up as a godlike presence who bestows magic on those who bend to her will. I loved how the main character Lilly-Anne Skyrose questions this dynamic and how the people in the Otherworlds society can believe in such a supreme force and yet also adhere to any possibility of free will. I thought Lilly's human approach, how her opinions of the system ebb and flow with her own situation, were realistically done. The moment her life was threatened, she found herself far more willing and desirous to believe in this power. And I also enjoyed the hints that this power isn't all benevolent and good, that there may be more complexities that haven't yet been tapped.
Tusk's greatest strength, in my opinion, were her characters. Although I think it's somewhat unusual to have a multi-POV story told in first person across the board, I enjoyed the way she used that POV to enhance the voices of Orle and Sephy, who were so original and delightful. I was particularly intrigued by the Orle storyline and unraveling his identity.
I would have liked to see the story lean a little more into its own magic system and farther away from some of the Harry Potter comparisons. Lilly's introduction to the new world and school carries some strong resemblances, but once established, the plot focuses mainly on this unique world's magic (force control), as well as the philosophical and political aspects of a world controlled by Fate. Tusk did a fantastic job of not spelling out her explanations. There is some resolution at the end of the book, while we are told the overaching plots continue into the sequel.
Overall, I enjoyed the unique voice, the magical premise, and the thoughtful take on a complicated premise, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Tusk continues to unwind this tale in her second book!
August 27, 2023
What a fantastic book! It gave me such cosy fantasy vibes and really hit the autumn vibes spot for me.
I was hooked from the very first page! A Reverie Tale is a rich fantasy with fun characters that are easy to like, a huge world that’s well developed and thought out and a plot full of mystery to keep you invested.
I often find fantasy daunting to get into because it’s an entire world to learn about and remember which makes my brain hurt but the world in A Reverie Tale is easy to get into and the history of the world is explained pretty early on so you don’t feel lost.
I really liked the concept of Fate and how it’s actually like a goddess that determines everything in our lives.
The majority of chapters are told from the main characters perspective but there are a few from other side characters povs, this was so refreshing! It really gave some extra depth to the story and gives everyone their own distinct voice. I particularly liked Orles pov and am intrigued for where this character will go.
There was always a lot happening to keep me intrigued and pondering what was going on behind the scenes of the world. The ending left me with a lot of questions and theories and I can’t wait to read the next one!
If you like dark academia vibes and magical fantasy books with rich story telling and a well developed world then definitely give A Reverie Tale a read!
I was hooked from the very first page! A Reverie Tale is a rich fantasy with fun characters that are easy to like, a huge world that’s well developed and thought out and a plot full of mystery to keep you invested.
I often find fantasy daunting to get into because it’s an entire world to learn about and remember which makes my brain hurt but the world in A Reverie Tale is easy to get into and the history of the world is explained pretty early on so you don’t feel lost.
I really liked the concept of Fate and how it’s actually like a goddess that determines everything in our lives.
The majority of chapters are told from the main characters perspective but there are a few from other side characters povs, this was so refreshing! It really gave some extra depth to the story and gives everyone their own distinct voice. I particularly liked Orles pov and am intrigued for where this character will go.
There was always a lot happening to keep me intrigued and pondering what was going on behind the scenes of the world. The ending left me with a lot of questions and theories and I can’t wait to read the next one!
If you like dark academia vibes and magical fantasy books with rich story telling and a well developed world then definitely give A Reverie Tale a read!
August 21, 2023
As a Harry Potter lover I devoured this book.
What an amazing debut novel! From the first page you are sucked into Lily's life and get to go on this fantasy adventure as she receives a letter in the post welcoming her to a magical school she didn't even know existed.
Anna does an amazing job of building up the fmcs character and getting you to connect to her. All the characters in this book were well thought out and I really enjoyed that we got multiple POV, it made the book feel more immersive and like I was there at school with all these characters.
The plot definitely felt very Harry Potter like but it was unique enough that I didn't feel like it was a regurgitation, I loved the fantasy and magic aspect as well as the little bit of mystery that keeps you guessing while you're reading. The world building really worked for me and I definitely could picture what the author was describing as she walked us though this school that was on a different world.
Im really excited to read on and see what will happen next and like others I have my theories on what we will encounter next!
What an amazing debut novel! From the first page you are sucked into Lily's life and get to go on this fantasy adventure as she receives a letter in the post welcoming her to a magical school she didn't even know existed.
Anna does an amazing job of building up the fmcs character and getting you to connect to her. All the characters in this book were well thought out and I really enjoyed that we got multiple POV, it made the book feel more immersive and like I was there at school with all these characters.
The plot definitely felt very Harry Potter like but it was unique enough that I didn't feel like it was a regurgitation, I loved the fantasy and magic aspect as well as the little bit of mystery that keeps you guessing while you're reading. The world building really worked for me and I definitely could picture what the author was describing as she walked us though this school that was on a different world.
Im really excited to read on and see what will happen next and like others I have my theories on what we will encounter next!
August 22, 2023
Firstly I want to thank the lovely author and publisher for my physical ARC of this. I received a beautiful copy and I am so grateful. However, I just didn’t love it and I feel so bad!!
The first thing that I need to say is this has a lot of similarities to Harry Potter, particularly the first half. There are just too many similarities for it to be “inspired by”. I found myself naming the characters as the characters from HP and I think that is why I just couldn’t fully invest in the story.
I also felt that there just wasn’t a lot going on in terms of threat. We get a little bit towards the end but not enough to make me really feel it. There were multiple POV’s which I personally found a bit confusing and the ending left me with more questions than answers.
I did love the way the friendships were developed, I felt they progressed really naturally and it was lovely to see “misfits” come together.
I’m gutted that I didn’t love it as I really wanted to and the blurb showed so much promise.
However, I will say that if you haven’t read the Harry Potter series yet you will LOVE this. This debut shows promise to be a fab series.
The first thing that I need to say is this has a lot of similarities to Harry Potter, particularly the first half. There are just too many similarities for it to be “inspired by”. I found myself naming the characters as the characters from HP and I think that is why I just couldn’t fully invest in the story.
I also felt that there just wasn’t a lot going on in terms of threat. We get a little bit towards the end but not enough to make me really feel it. There were multiple POV’s which I personally found a bit confusing and the ending left me with more questions than answers.
I did love the way the friendships were developed, I felt they progressed really naturally and it was lovely to see “misfits” come together.
I’m gutted that I didn’t love it as I really wanted to and the blurb showed so much promise.
However, I will say that if you haven’t read the Harry Potter series yet you will LOVE this. This debut shows promise to be a fab series.
August 17, 2023
*Firstly thank you to the publisher for sending me a proof copy of this book*
As soon as I read the summary of this book, I knew that I would love it! This is a magical and mysterious story that is so descriptive and informative yet doesnt become overwhelming.
I've seen a few reviews saying this is the perfect read for fans of Harry Potter & I couldn't agree more. Theres a magical school, assigned 'houses', a smug teacher that loves himself, and a more carefree, unusual individual that may come across abit 'loony'.😉
Among other similarities, this is also a captivating and curious story that kept me on my toes at all times. I do have some thoughts/theories about certain characters but obviously dont want to spoil anything for anyone yet to read this.
I can't quite believe this is a debut novel either, the writing is just amazing! You can feel how much thought and emotion has gone into making this novel become such an immersive escape for all who want to read their worries away💫
As soon as I read the summary of this book, I knew that I would love it! This is a magical and mysterious story that is so descriptive and informative yet doesnt become overwhelming.
I've seen a few reviews saying this is the perfect read for fans of Harry Potter & I couldn't agree more. Theres a magical school, assigned 'houses', a smug teacher that loves himself, and a more carefree, unusual individual that may come across abit 'loony'.😉
Among other similarities, this is also a captivating and curious story that kept me on my toes at all times. I do have some thoughts/theories about certain characters but obviously dont want to spoil anything for anyone yet to read this.
I can't quite believe this is a debut novel either, the writing is just amazing! You can feel how much thought and emotion has gone into making this novel become such an immersive escape for all who want to read their worries away💫
August 27, 2023
"All their struggles and hopes, I watched, all while the Fate toyed with the humans as she pleased."
🌟🌟🌟🌟
(ADPR)
I received an advanced reader copy of this book- all views are entirely my own.
This is Annas debut novel and the first in the series. I absolutely binged this book in 1 day. The story and the worlds completely sucked me in. It has fantasy, friendships and a magical school. HUGE Harry potter vibes, so if you liked HP, you'll love this!
We have multiple POVs throughout the story from various characters, all very interesting and make for a very intriguing picture of the Fate. I love persephone/sephy, she seems so gentle and have a nice quirkiness to her!
Anna has done an amazing job of giving us backstories of Lilly, the Fate and her family, without giving everything away and allowing the reader to guess what has happened and how it is all connected. I have some theories about various characters, so I cannot wait to see if I'm right in book 2!
🌟🌟🌟🌟
(ADPR)
I received an advanced reader copy of this book- all views are entirely my own.
This is Annas debut novel and the first in the series. I absolutely binged this book in 1 day. The story and the worlds completely sucked me in. It has fantasy, friendships and a magical school. HUGE Harry potter vibes, so if you liked HP, you'll love this!
We have multiple POVs throughout the story from various characters, all very interesting and make for a very intriguing picture of the Fate. I love persephone/sephy, she seems so gentle and have a nice quirkiness to her!
Anna has done an amazing job of giving us backstories of Lilly, the Fate and her family, without giving everything away and allowing the reader to guess what has happened and how it is all connected. I have some theories about various characters, so I cannot wait to see if I'm right in book 2!
December 27, 2023
A beautiful read from start to finish. Once I started, I just could not put the book down.
Reminiscent of the Harry Potter series, this book follows orphaned 16-year-old Lilly-Anne raised in Norfolk by her Uncle Bill and his wife Lynne. Soon her life changes with the arrival of letter inviting her to attend Sapphires Dragon's School. Her once small world has grown exponentially as she attends her new school and learns about herself, new worlds, and the influence of Fate.
Throughout, the narration switches between multiple characters, all with their own unique personalities expertly woven into the story. At first it can be a bit odd switching between narrator, each talking in their own unique voice, but there is a charm to getting to know each new narrator and their voice.
Overall, I had a wonderful time delving into this new fantasy setting! Now I must suffer with waiting for the next book in the series!
Reminiscent of the Harry Potter series, this book follows orphaned 16-year-old Lilly-Anne raised in Norfolk by her Uncle Bill and his wife Lynne. Soon her life changes with the arrival of letter inviting her to attend Sapphires Dragon's School. Her once small world has grown exponentially as she attends her new school and learns about herself, new worlds, and the influence of Fate.
Throughout, the narration switches between multiple characters, all with their own unique personalities expertly woven into the story. At first it can be a bit odd switching between narrator, each talking in their own unique voice, but there is a charm to getting to know each new narrator and their voice.
Overall, I had a wonderful time delving into this new fantasy setting! Now I must suffer with waiting for the next book in the series!
August 20, 2023
I was lucky enough to have received an Arc copy of this book from the Author and Publisher, and I am really grateful to have received it also!
First off this book has MAJOR Harry Potter vibes, and is very similar especially in the first half of this book... I did fear that it would be a carbon copy which further into the book revealed that it wasn't.
It did end on a huge cliff hanger which really did leave me wanting more, so I hope it won't be too long for the second installment.
The writing style was very easy to read and the world building was good. The first few chapters, I did get confused with but as the book went on that changed.
For a debut novel, I thought it was really good and would recommend it to anyone who loves Harry Potter and I look forward to reading more from Anna.
First off this book has MAJOR Harry Potter vibes, and is very similar especially in the first half of this book... I did fear that it would be a carbon copy which further into the book revealed that it wasn't.
It did end on a huge cliff hanger which really did leave me wanting more, so I hope it won't be too long for the second installment.
The writing style was very easy to read and the world building was good. The first few chapters, I did get confused with but as the book went on that changed.
For a debut novel, I thought it was really good and would recommend it to anyone who loves Harry Potter and I look forward to reading more from Anna.
August 21, 2023
thank you so much to cranthorpe millner publishers for providing me with an arc of this wonderful book!
this was honestly such a great read, i devoured it! i loved everything about it from the characters to the world building to the magic system!
though we have a main character, lilly, we do have multiple povs, which i absolutely loved. every pov was done so well to see how the story unfolds and the mysterious events that will keep you guessing! i loved the way Fate was written and how it was played into the book.
the pacing of the book was perfect and i just could not put it down!! everything seemed really well thought out and i had the best time reading this!
if you love harry potter, you'd definitely enjoy this as the magical academia setting was written amazingly PLUS YOU'VE GOT DRAGONS!!!!!!!!! i highly recommend this one!
this was honestly such a great read, i devoured it! i loved everything about it from the characters to the world building to the magic system!
though we have a main character, lilly, we do have multiple povs, which i absolutely loved. every pov was done so well to see how the story unfolds and the mysterious events that will keep you guessing! i loved the way Fate was written and how it was played into the book.
the pacing of the book was perfect and i just could not put it down!! everything seemed really well thought out and i had the best time reading this!
if you love harry potter, you'd definitely enjoy this as the magical academia setting was written amazingly PLUS YOU'VE GOT DRAGONS!!!!!!!!! i highly recommend this one!
August 22, 2023
I was sent this book as well as some goodies in a PR Package in exchange for an honest book review.
As soon as I saw this book I knew I needed to read it! What I loved the most about this book was the worldbuilding, Anna's writing is beautiful. The thing that deducted this book a star is that it is very very close to being a Harry Potter book, like very close. It is worrying me that the plagiarism worm will come along and sink its teeth into this marvellous book. Please don't let this put you off reading the book, remember these are my honest opinions.
I want to say thank you to Anna and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for sending me the PR Box and letting me be a part of this amazing book tour. This book is available to buy, so don't miss out go and order it now!!
As soon as I saw this book I knew I needed to read it! What I loved the most about this book was the worldbuilding, Anna's writing is beautiful. The thing that deducted this book a star is that it is very very close to being a Harry Potter book, like very close. It is worrying me that the plagiarism worm will come along and sink its teeth into this marvellous book. Please don't let this put you off reading the book, remember these are my honest opinions.
I want to say thank you to Anna and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for sending me the PR Box and letting me be a part of this amazing book tour. This book is available to buy, so don't miss out go and order it now!!
August 25, 2023
This book was so magical! I was invested in this book the minute I started it. I loved discovering a new world, and the world building in this book was so good as it allowed me to imagine what what it was like without taking over too much from the plot.
I loved getting to know the characters and seeing the friendships develop, as well as being able to read the different perspectives of these characters, as it made the whole book more intriguing to me when I read each characters perspectives.
The plot was so gripping, and I did not want to put this book down! I already can't wait to read the next one!
I loved getting to know the characters and seeing the friendships develop, as well as being able to read the different perspectives of these characters, as it made the whole book more intriguing to me when I read each characters perspectives.
The plot was so gripping, and I did not want to put this book down! I already can't wait to read the next one!
August 26, 2023
This was an amazing book. I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m so hyped for the next book in the series. It has magic, mystery, adventure and the world that was created is amazing. It is easy to read and it is written well. This is a world of magic and I can’t help but compare it to the popular book of the magical world HP. I’m so excited I never thought there will be other books that give so much excitement, magic and adventure. I love anything magical and this book gives that and more.
May 20, 2024
This was an intriguing book. I’d seen the comparison to Harry Potter and in a way I could see the similarities - the magical school and a couple of parallels between characters but it also felt in a very different world and the huge about of pov’s made it unique.
Orle and Persephone’s povs while sometimes difficult to get my head round fast became the most interesting. Huge credit to the author that with each shift in pov the voice was distinctively unique. Such a bold debut novel. Really interested to see where this leads next
Orle and Persephone’s povs while sometimes difficult to get my head round fast became the most interesting. Huge credit to the author that with each shift in pov the voice was distinctively unique. Such a bold debut novel. Really interested to see where this leads next
July 30, 2023
A wonderfully absorbing read bringing the best parts of magical academia against an original and metaphysical backdrop. With an enthralling range of characters each with their own quirks, it is clear that this is just the beginning of a galvanising series. A Reverie Tale is a must read!
June 9, 2024
I did enjoy this book, had a good relatable, character and great world building. Loved the theme of magical fate. I found that very entrancing.
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