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Yarnsworld #1-3
The Yarnsworld Collection
Discover a world haunted by stories…
Prepare to enter the Yarnsworld, a land where folktales and fantasy meet. A place where the monsters from stories are real.
This collection contains the first three Yarnsworld novels:
In They Mostly Come Out At Night a young man called Lonan, living in the mysterious forest of the Magpie King, dreams of his ruler's defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, and must do what he can to protect his village.
In Where the Waters Turn Black a musician befriends a colossal beast, and the pair must learn to trust each other if they are to survive when the god of war pursues them across the chain of tropical islands they call home.
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords follows Arturo, a newcomer to the city who hopes to join the ranks of the morally conflicted, masked swordfighters who rule the streets.
Prepare to enter the Yarnsworld, a land where folktales and fantasy meet. A place where the monsters from stories are real.
This collection contains the first three Yarnsworld novels:
In They Mostly Come Out At Night a young man called Lonan, living in the mysterious forest of the Magpie King, dreams of his ruler's defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, and must do what he can to protect his village.
In Where the Waters Turn Black a musician befriends a colossal beast, and the pair must learn to trust each other if they are to survive when the god of war pursues them across the chain of tropical islands they call home.
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords follows Arturo, a newcomer to the city who hopes to join the ranks of the morally conflicted, masked swordfighters who rule the streets.
- GenresFantasy
744 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 7, 2017
23 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Benedict Patrick
21 books384 followersBenedict Patrick is from a small town in Northern Ireland called Banbridge, but has been living and working in Scotland since he moved there at the age of eighteen. Tragically, that was quite a while ago.
He has been writing for most of his life, and has been reading for pretty much all of it (with help from mum and dad at the beginning). Benedict's life changed when a substitute primary school teacher read his class part of The Hobbit and later loaned him the book – he fell in love with the fantasy genre and never looked back.
They Mostly Come Out At Night is his debut novel, and is the first novel in The Yarnsworld series.
Try out some free Yarnsworld stories by signing up to the mailing list: http://eepurl.com/b4UNHj
He has been writing for most of his life, and has been reading for pretty much all of it (with help from mum and dad at the beginning). Benedict's life changed when a substitute primary school teacher read his class part of The Hobbit and later loaned him the book – he fell in love with the fantasy genre and never looked back.
They Mostly Come Out At Night is his debut novel, and is the first novel in The Yarnsworld series.
Try out some free Yarnsworld stories by signing up to the mailing list: http://eepurl.com/b4UNHj
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 23, 2017
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
Rarely in the stories did mortals fare well when concerning themselves with the affairs of gods and monsters.
Introduction
The Yarnsworld series , written by Benedick Patrick, consists of three books so far. These are ‘They Mostly Come Out At Night’, ‘Where the Waters Turn Black’ and ‘Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords’.
Yarnsworld is difficult to describe in terms of conventional genres. Some of the books are very dark while others are not. Merely putting a tag like ‘fantasy’ or ‘horror’ does not do enough justice to these stories. If I am forced to at gunpoint, I will describe these books as fairy tales for adults. In addition, the book share two common elements. The first is a shared universe with mere hints and not something that is forced down our throat. The second is an interesting structure where the main story-line mixes with smaller tales which add to the world being built.
That said, they are also wildly different in terms of outlook, themes and story-lines. ‘They Mostly Come Out at Night’ is a grim retelling of the ugly duckling with the overarching theme of self-sacrifice. ‘Where the Waters Turn Black’ explores friendship and going beyond traditional boundaries. It could easily be the next Pixar movie (if they had not done Moana). ‘Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords’ is Seven Samurai-like, gritty and is about heroism, redemption and revenge.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
Rarely in the stories did mortals fare well when concerning themselves with the affairs of gods and monsters.
Introduction
The Yarnsworld series , written by Benedick Patrick, consists of three books so far. These are ‘They Mostly Come Out At Night’, ‘Where the Waters Turn Black’ and ‘Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords’.
Yarnsworld is difficult to describe in terms of conventional genres. Some of the books are very dark while others are not. Merely putting a tag like ‘fantasy’ or ‘horror’ does not do enough justice to these stories. If I am forced to at gunpoint, I will describe these books as fairy tales for adults. In addition, the book share two common elements. The first is a shared universe with mere hints and not something that is forced down our throat. The second is an interesting structure where the main story-line mixes with smaller tales which add to the world being built.
That said, they are also wildly different in terms of outlook, themes and story-lines. ‘They Mostly Come Out at Night’ is a grim retelling of the ugly duckling with the overarching theme of self-sacrifice. ‘Where the Waters Turn Black’ explores friendship and going beyond traditional boundaries. It could easily be the next Pixar movie (if they had not done Moana). ‘Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords’ is Seven Samurai-like, gritty and is about heroism, redemption and revenge.
Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit
December 11, 2017
This is a collection of the first three books in Benedict Patrick's excellent Yarnsworld series. This is a great way to pick up all three books together - I love omnibus editions!
This book includes They Mostly Come Out at Night (Book 1), Where the Waters Turn Black (Book 2), and Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords (Book 3), which I've previously reviewed individually. Each of these books can stand alone, but there are some characters you will recognize in each book if you start at the beginning. I particularly love Yarnsworld because each book will have short fairytale/folktales interspersed within each chapter, giving it a very updated Brothers Grimm sort of feeling.
They Mostly Come Out at Night (Book 1) is the darkest of the stories, in my mind. The setting is mostly a dense, dark forest where the villagers barricade themselves inside at night because that's when the monsters come. The tale of Lonan, an outcast in the village, and the Magpie King he dreams of as the savior of the village are intertwined in unexpected ways in this first Yarnsworld book.
Where the Waters Turn Black (Book 2) is a lighter story to me, and my favorite of the series so far. Waters is set on the islands of the Crescent Atoll and our heroine is Kaimana, a young musician who has joined a traveling performance troupe and has just returned to her home island with the troupe. She finds out there is a taniwha (monster) living in the caves above the village. From there, Kaimana's story takes us to other islands in the Crescent Atoll, we meet gods and goddesses, explore the deep ocean, and see the different Knacks (specialized skills people have a gift for) in action. A bit of a grown up version of Moana, in the best of ways. (Also worth noting, this book won best cover in SPFBO 2017 and was a semi-finalist in SPFBO 2017).
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords (Book 3) is the most recent story in the Yarnsworld universe. Inspired by Native American and Central/South American mythology, the flavors of Mexico and Spain definitely come through. The first part of the story takes place in the city of Espadapan, which has a very Spanish feeling to it. Arturo, our protagonist, who comes from a large but rural family holding shows up as a starry-eyed newcomer to Espadapan, a city famous for the dashing Bravadori, expert swordfighters. Arturo was raised on tales of the Bravadori's heroism and exploits but he's in for a sad surprise when he meets them. In an attempt to do what he believes the Bravadori should, Arturo agrees to accompany a farmer he meets who came to Espadapan looking for help. Arturo, together with a Shaven (a disgraced Bravadori), and a Bravadori who is trying to prove he is worthy of the respect he has always enjoyed, set out to save a town threatened by bandits and encounter all sorts of difficulties along the way.
This is a highly recommended collection!
This book includes They Mostly Come Out at Night (Book 1), Where the Waters Turn Black (Book 2), and Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords (Book 3), which I've previously reviewed individually. Each of these books can stand alone, but there are some characters you will recognize in each book if you start at the beginning. I particularly love Yarnsworld because each book will have short fairytale/folktales interspersed within each chapter, giving it a very updated Brothers Grimm sort of feeling.
They Mostly Come Out at Night (Book 1) is the darkest of the stories, in my mind. The setting is mostly a dense, dark forest where the villagers barricade themselves inside at night because that's when the monsters come. The tale of Lonan, an outcast in the village, and the Magpie King he dreams of as the savior of the village are intertwined in unexpected ways in this first Yarnsworld book.
Where the Waters Turn Black (Book 2) is a lighter story to me, and my favorite of the series so far. Waters is set on the islands of the Crescent Atoll and our heroine is Kaimana, a young musician who has joined a traveling performance troupe and has just returned to her home island with the troupe. She finds out there is a taniwha (monster) living in the caves above the village. From there, Kaimana's story takes us to other islands in the Crescent Atoll, we meet gods and goddesses, explore the deep ocean, and see the different Knacks (specialized skills people have a gift for) in action. A bit of a grown up version of Moana, in the best of ways. (Also worth noting, this book won best cover in SPFBO 2017 and was a semi-finalist in SPFBO 2017).
Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords (Book 3) is the most recent story in the Yarnsworld universe. Inspired by Native American and Central/South American mythology, the flavors of Mexico and Spain definitely come through. The first part of the story takes place in the city of Espadapan, which has a very Spanish feeling to it. Arturo, our protagonist, who comes from a large but rural family holding shows up as a starry-eyed newcomer to Espadapan, a city famous for the dashing Bravadori, expert swordfighters. Arturo was raised on tales of the Bravadori's heroism and exploits but he's in for a sad surprise when he meets them. In an attempt to do what he believes the Bravadori should, Arturo agrees to accompany a farmer he meets who came to Espadapan looking for help. Arturo, together with a Shaven (a disgraced Bravadori), and a Bravadori who is trying to prove he is worthy of the respect he has always enjoyed, set out to save a town threatened by bandits and encounter all sorts of difficulties along the way.
This is a highly recommended collection!
January 23, 2018
Yarnsworld...do u have a knack?
All 3 stories are very well written...and Benedict leads ur imagination...no need to have one of ur own! 4 outta 5 stars because Where the waters turn black wasnt as enticing as the other 2 but still a good story! I recommend this collection to anyone who wants to b lead away into another world...Yarnsworld...
All 3 stories are very well written...and Benedict leads ur imagination...no need to have one of ur own! 4 outta 5 stars because Where the waters turn black wasnt as enticing as the other 2 but still a good story! I recommend this collection to anyone who wants to b lead away into another world...Yarnsworld...
September 10, 2022
I really liked the first story. The second one was just ok as I was annoyed with the main character for a majority of the story. The third one took me forever to get through as I just couldn’t get into the story.
I’d highly recommend the first one as a quick read. Maybe even go ahead and read the second. But the third I’d skip all together.
I’d highly recommend the first one as a quick read. Maybe even go ahead and read the second. But the third I’d skip all together.
September 2, 2018
Yarnsworld
A fun world, connected by three very different stories, each with compelling characters. My only critique is that it does take some time to become immersed in each story. Overall a fantastic series and I look forward to future entries.
A fun world, connected by three very different stories, each with compelling characters. My only critique is that it does take some time to become immersed in each story. Overall a fantastic series and I look forward to future entries.
July 24, 2019
Absolutely brilliant. The authors writing is detailed. Its a dark world. He brings your imagination alive. He has a way of bringing his characters to life. The main stories have tales in between that relates to the main story. The stories gripped my heart.
June 20, 2018
Ok, I should have written some thoughts down as I went along so they'd be fresh, but here goes. This is a boxed set of three Yarnsworld novels. Each book told a stand-alone story, but you'll notice a few cameos and references if you've read the whole thing. Nothing essential, though.
Benedict Patrick and Yarnsworld first caught my attention through his story in Lost Lore: A Fantasy Anthology. To me, Patrick's story was one of the highlights of the collection, so it was a pretty easy choice to read more by him.
Let's start with the commonalities. Yarnsworld is a setting strongly influenced by folk tales from around the world. The gods are walking around, mostly causing chaos and woe. Each person has a magical ability called a Knack. It's typically a magically enhanced job skill. A blacksmith could be magically good at smithing. A singer could be magically good at singing. A Knack is not something bestowed upon a person at random, but the result of dedication and practice. The only difference between a Knack and any other talent is that it crosses the line to the superhuman.
"They Mostly Come Out at Night" was my favorite of the three. It's a dark, relentless story in the vein of Slavic mythology or Grimm's Fairy Tales. Horrible monsters roam the forest at night and slaughter villagers, and only a superhero king who got his power from eating a magical flower can even fight them. That's right, I'm talking about Black Panth--the Magpie King. The Magpie King. Sorry, Benedict. I know you published this before the movie came out. We follow a village boy who became a pariah after a deadly monster attack was pinned on his shoulders as he tries to regain a little respect and gets caught up in the greater goings on. Again, it was a dark, gloomy story dripping with atmosphere and dread.
"Where the Waters Turn Black" is the uplifting story of a musical adventurous island girl on a quest to appease a volcano goddess and she picks up a depressed, broken god along the way. Moan--dammit, they got you again, Benedict--Kaimana befriends a playful, reclusive, giant monster friend and has to hide him from the murderous authorities who want to kill him for sport. Unfortunately, I was in exactly the wrong headspace for Pete's Drago--DISNEY BACK OFF--"Where the Waters Turn Black" because it's ultimately a story about the friendship between a human and an animal, and as it happens it was the book I was trying to read when my cat was having severe medical problems. It's not the book's fault, but it was not the kind of book I needed right then.
"Those Brave and Foolish Souls From the City of Swords" is a morally ambiguous swords and sorcery story about masked heroes called Bravadors who were once defenders against the indigenous swarms of monsters, but have fallen into gang warfare. A country bumpkin arrives in the city, unaware of how far the Bravadors have fallen, and tries to join their ranks in search of honor, glory, and service. He and a pair of disgraced Bravadors take a mission to help a remote village fend off a bandit invasion, and things spiral from there. It's a thoughtful story about honor, disillusionment, and prejudice.
No Disney reference? Really? Good.
coughZorrocough
Ok, so I've pointed out some similar stories, some that came before and after these books were published. I'm not doing that to call Benedict Patrick's books derivative. Far from it. It's rare to see a setting this versatile and a series whose tone varies so much as this. No, Yarnsworld isn't derivative. It's evocative. It rhymes with folktales from various cultures, hitting those timeless and relatable notes that folktales and myths stories are known for. I am definitely looking forward to more.
Benedict Patrick and Yarnsworld first caught my attention through his story in Lost Lore: A Fantasy Anthology. To me, Patrick's story was one of the highlights of the collection, so it was a pretty easy choice to read more by him.
Let's start with the commonalities. Yarnsworld is a setting strongly influenced by folk tales from around the world. The gods are walking around, mostly causing chaos and woe. Each person has a magical ability called a Knack. It's typically a magically enhanced job skill. A blacksmith could be magically good at smithing. A singer could be magically good at singing. A Knack is not something bestowed upon a person at random, but the result of dedication and practice. The only difference between a Knack and any other talent is that it crosses the line to the superhuman.
"They Mostly Come Out at Night" was my favorite of the three. It's a dark, relentless story in the vein of Slavic mythology or Grimm's Fairy Tales. Horrible monsters roam the forest at night and slaughter villagers, and only a superhero king who got his power from eating a magical flower can even fight them. That's right, I'm talking about Black Panth--the Magpie King. The Magpie King. Sorry, Benedict. I know you published this before the movie came out. We follow a village boy who became a pariah after a deadly monster attack was pinned on his shoulders as he tries to regain a little respect and gets caught up in the greater goings on. Again, it was a dark, gloomy story dripping with atmosphere and dread.
"Where the Waters Turn Black" is the uplifting story of a musical adventurous island girl on a quest to appease a volcano goddess and she picks up a depressed, broken god along the way. Moan--dammit, they got you again, Benedict--Kaimana befriends a playful, reclusive, giant monster friend and has to hide him from the murderous authorities who want to kill him for sport. Unfortunately, I was in exactly the wrong headspace for Pete's Drago--DISNEY BACK OFF--"Where the Waters Turn Black" because it's ultimately a story about the friendship between a human and an animal, and as it happens it was the book I was trying to read when my cat was having severe medical problems. It's not the book's fault, but it was not the kind of book I needed right then.
"Those Brave and Foolish Souls From the City of Swords" is a morally ambiguous swords and sorcery story about masked heroes called Bravadors who were once defenders against the indigenous swarms of monsters, but have fallen into gang warfare. A country bumpkin arrives in the city, unaware of how far the Bravadors have fallen, and tries to join their ranks in search of honor, glory, and service. He and a pair of disgraced Bravadors take a mission to help a remote village fend off a bandit invasion, and things spiral from there. It's a thoughtful story about honor, disillusionment, and prejudice.
No Disney reference? Really? Good.
coughZorrocough
Ok, so I've pointed out some similar stories, some that came before and after these books were published. I'm not doing that to call Benedict Patrick's books derivative. Far from it. It's rare to see a setting this versatile and a series whose tone varies so much as this. No, Yarnsworld isn't derivative. It's evocative. It rhymes with folktales from various cultures, hitting those timeless and relatable notes that folktales and myths stories are known for. I am definitely looking forward to more.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews