Tapestries of a Kingdom

by Michele Gould

Reader, what do you do with memories that won't stop haunting you? How do you fight monsters made of smoke and ash? You run from them. Every day, for the rest of your life... or at least that's what I thought. The stowaway, the terrible fire, the beasts of the deep… Well, it was all worth it, to find her.

A tropical storm is brewing in the dry lands of Tabashi, in the hearts of its people, and the surrounding jungle offers no shelter for the revolution to come. Amidst the clashing powers, a quiet girl abandons her name to board a ship bound for a distant kingdom, one that is built for war. Dark mysteries, powerful alliances, and the path to redemption... Can she outrun the flames of her past before they consume her too?

Genres: Fantasy

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2023

Reviews

[Kaven Hirning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a beautiful read.
I see lots of reviews saying they did not care for the many metaphors; I, however, found them delightful.
At times it was almost as if I was reading ancient proverbs of some kind—as if I had found some ancient scrawling of a girl who had lost everything and was using whimsical wording to place her feelings on the page.
The time spent out on sea was my particular favorite, along with the descriptions of the wondrous creatures of this world.

I truly enjoyed it!

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

With more work, I think this story could really go somewhere. Unfortunately, the writing as is was just too unpolished to work for me.

The endless metaphors and similes often felt out of place and needless. The use of “that” so frequently within the sentences (something drilled into me through my own education as a word to eliminate when possible) was something that could and should have been caught by more in-depth editing. The characters were flat and not defined in any way beyond stereotypes. There was a LOT of telling and not showing, which does show as a foundational writing concept where the author could do with some extra practice.

I made it about halfway through the book and still had no idea what the purpose or direction of the story was and did not feel intrigued to find out.

I think the author can only go up from here and do think additional work on her craft will drastically change her next story. Unfortunately, for me, this fell completely flat and was not worth the time to finish it.

[Lizlovesfantasyromancebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m on Page 13 and I already feel like I’ve been transported to a different world. BEAUTIFUL writing! I will update when I’m done!

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually gave this 3.5 but GoodReads refuses to let me have fun with my half stars.

A wonderful debut for an author that I can see becoming even stronger in their craft of storytelling with time. If you’re looking for a story where the author holds your hand and spells everything out for you- this isn’t the book for you. With this you, as the reader, need to be able to sit back and let your imagination explore the world that Michele Gould has created.

There were some areas where I think further explanation/detail would have helped strengthen the story and I found myself a handful of times lost because rather important information was given so early on (it’s very possible this is a result of my rather shit memory).

With that being said though, I did enjoy several elements of this book. The writing flows in a seamless way that makes it easy to immerse yourself, the conversations between characters felt intentional and not like they were just there to fill the pages, the magic system was ambiguous which did result in some confusion at times but overall kept you intrigued and saying “Well shit, I have to keep reading so I can figure out what all of this means.” And pieces that were scattered throughout the story come together beautifully near the end.

If you are a fan of storytelling similar to Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills series, I think you’d enjoy this. Both authors are able to take you on a whimsical journey with an intentionally vague approach that keeps your mind and imagination wandering- something I think many fantasy readers long for but have been deprived of for some time.

[Tory Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This book was recommended to me by a friend and can I just say, as some one who doesn't really gravitate towards fantasy novels and is more of a crime kinda gal, I think Michele has converted me. The imagery was absolutely beautiful, fruitful and whimsical. I love how she painted so many delightful pictures in my mind and immersed me in the world of the book. The characters felt grounded and full - I kept wanting to come back for more to hear the rest of their stories. 10/10 would recommend and a no doubt 5 stars from me.

[Kasey Layshock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but while the near constant use of similes and metaphors added a lyrical beauty to many parts of the book, it muddled many others as you couldn't tell if something was actually happening in the environment or in the characters mind, or sometimes what was happening at all. The settings bled together with unclear exaggerated prose, and it left me with a weird dream-like view of the story, never completely understanding what exactly was going on. I dont fully understand what happened to her friend that she refers to throughout the book, though several unresolved plot points hopefully point to a sequel that will give us more answers. I did enjoy this book overall, and look forward to seeing how this author can hone her craft moving forward, as her knack for storytelling and weaving descriptive imagery is beautiful, it just needs to be clarified a bit.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5- a really strong debut novel the sense of world building and evocation of a distinct place is very palpable. The writing style is truly the star of the show here with such lyrical and poetic prose throughout that while the pacing, which I’ll talk about, was off there always was a consistent contemplative serenity throughout. For example “in the fight for your life, the only breath that matters is your last; breathe in or let go?”

The real sticking spot is the narrative structure and inconsistencies. There’s intense bonds between characters mere pages after meeting. A HUGE reveal is given pages before the end and the ending itself feels insanely rushed and unresolved.
Ultimately a lovely little book though.

[J Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend, I'm not a huge reader and often struggle to finish novels. But I got through this one relatively quickly, I kept coming back to it - the author has created a beautiful world, with writing someone between poetry and prose.

The language is descriptive, sometimes abstract, but beautiful to read. You are encouraged to take your time, picturing events as they happen. There are times where I was left a little confused as to what exactly was going on, but I believe this was intentional - mirroring the protagonists disorientation.

I'm genuinely excited for the next installment.

[Dacey Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of world building throughout the whole book- BUT it’s not heavy and daunting! It’s spread out as you need it.
Unique and captivating story
Breaks the fourth wall at times
Flashes back between past and present tense often - can be a little tricky to keep the timeline in order listening to the audiobook

[Nickolas Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read, the magic system is very interesting and actually makes sense. The book ebbed and flowed, just like the tides and it made me hungry for more. Reader, know that when I tell you that you will enjoy this book, believe me! It's only up from here in my opinion!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 3.75. I thought it had a lot of potential, and it started off really strong, but the back half didn’t quite work for me.

The scenes that I think were supposed to clear things up only muddied things more, and the ending felt abrupt and unresolved.

[Kendall · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing style of poetry mixed with direct-addressing the Reader and the excess of metaphorical prose made it a confusing plot line. I couldn’t really tell you what this book is about which is why it took me so long to finish.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Know who you are, and decide what you do.”
This was an awesome debut book! A sapphic fantasy that embraced discovering yourself and who you are at your core, with fantasy and magic thrown in. A great story!

[Cameron · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the only books I have DNFed in years. The writing is lyrical, but I was bored. It's been a while since I set it down, and I can't even recall the basics of the story. I think I read about 75 pages.

Your mileage may vary, of course, but this one was a big Not For Me.

[PICARDAT Franck · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I had a really good time reading this book! I will absolutely come back for the next books.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. I loved only being given bits and pieces of the past as the story progressed, very much hoping for a sequel.

[Hannah Wiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of metaphors and such which detracted from the story a but. Overall, a good storyline that lends itself nicely to the possibility of a sequel.