Threadmaster

Exili's Excellent Elucidation Services #3

by Victoria Bastedo

Exili's Excellent Elucidation ServicesSatisfaction 'If you die, you won't be billed.' Brokenhearted, Exili travels away from home for his next mission, but his previous case haunts him. Helping others brings healing, until his fabulous deciphering feet discern lightning threads under the soil. No one else is aware of the danger. Once again Exili must try to convince those bigger than him to hire him, with no choice but to listen to the song of the Threadmaster.

314 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2020

About the author

I, Victoria Bastedo, acknowledge the Most High God. He is the One Who gave me the gift of writing. The Father, Jesus His son, and the Holy Spirit. God Almighty is the One I serve, and I am thankful for all of His gifts. Amen

I was born in Kansas City, Mo, in the very early sixties. Called the City of Fountains, one of my favorite memories is when my mom took us kids to play in one of the fountains. We climbed on the horses. Stood on the spewing nozzles. Threw in pennies and dived for them again with our eyes closed. But while my siblings tried to invent crazy near-dangerous fountain feats, I played to the side, my mind busy. I was inventing an adventure, with some high fantasy elements. The journey to becoming a writer has been a fun one for me. God blessed me with an active imagination characterized by the glazed-over-fogged look on my face. I'm a Christian, a wife, and a mother of six and now a proud grandmother.

Kirkus said of my book, Mini-Droids and Tea: "Bastedo (The Time Mechanic, 2018, etc.) generously packs this short, delightfully eccentric novel with drama: Penelope’s tea shop just barely makes ends meet, and she’s doggedly pursued by a creepy stalker who won’t take no for an answer. And Colepepper suspects he’s under surveillance, potentially by a business rival, and that his ever popular devices have been “hijacked.” The author’s story is artfully outlandish—somehow both deeply implausible but also entirely authentic. The quirky plot almost reads like a comic fairy tale—even the names of the two protagonists have a cartoonlike character to them. Bastedo achieves a comic lightheartedness that rises above simple frivolity—Penelope in particular is a complex, layered character, both fiercely independent and earnestly vulnerable. The result is a charmingly readable effort, humorous and tender.

A sweet, spirited tale of love rediscovered."

Here's a recent praise quote of my Young Adult Fantasy, Roots Entwine. (Self-Publishing Review):

'Roots Entwine by Victoria Bastedo is an entertaining and heartfelt young adult fantasy adventure. Young adult fantasy adventure novels, when done well, make for exciting reading. But the good ones offer more. Roots Entwine does just that.



The driver of this story is the plot. Bastedo provides enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. As the excitement builds, the reader starts to realize that not everything is as it seems. The major twist at the end leaves hope that the story isn’t over. Could a sequel be in the works?

Roots Entwine is packed with action that will keep the reader’s interest. Young adult readers will cheer for the boy who’d remained hidden for most of his life to finally find his way.'

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a finish! Once again, the weaving together of multiple stories with unexpected twists and turns. This is set in another town and follows the mission set in book 2. We meet a new cast of characters and learn some new aspects of the Farris people which are really cool. I had a hard time putting this down between reading sessions.

[Sheri J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is unique and an enjoyable read from beginning to end. I'm glad I prioritized it in my teetering TBR pile and read them all.
The idea of solving murder mysteries before the victim is murdered had me hooked from the beginning. Still plenty of sleuthing and adventure, but without that feeling of starting the story after it's over for one of the key players. And there are two things at stake, the potential victim's life as well as the murderer at large. One always wonders if the murderer will strike again in mysteries, but the tension's so much keener when we know they're actively trying to harm or kill someone we know - right now!
Along with an intriguing story idea, the characters and world are fun, interesting and complex without being hard to fathom. Each main character is eccentric in some way. Exili himself is odd but relatable, and reminiscent of a stubborn, feisty Hobbit. His relationship with the Flintelf, Goodall, is abrasive and hilarious with an undercurrent of unwitting affection - ala Holmes and Watson, and yet entirely its own.
The world is familiar and easily accessible but stands clearly apart from our reality with some rather clever abilities and quirks of the different people groups that drive the story and illuminate the characters and settings. Although there are clearly some racial tension parallels to our world, due to the marked differences between the people groups, the story doesn't focus on that. It shows some division but carries through an overall camaraderie and loyalty to each other between the characters we come to know from different groups. There's a lovely feeling of communities knit together into a larger community, which I found uplifting and refreshing.
Pacing throughout the series is uneven, but the couple slower sections are short and well worth continuing through. I also thought the sentence structure and storytelling got clearer as it went along.
The somewhat 'gentler' mystery/villain in 'Flintelf' leads into a creative, intriguing and pretty terrifying villain and threat in 'Perspectus' which concludes in 'Threadmaster'. Definitely read them in order, and hold onto your hat!