The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine

The Rivenlea Sphere #1

by Lindsay A. Franklin

A shattered heart, a fate foretold. The world undone by tales of old.

Emlyn DuLaine just wants to know what happened to her sister, Camille, seven years ago on the fateful day she vanished—literally. Emlyn witnessed Camille unravel and disappear, but no one believes her. Since they think she’s crazy, the least the cops could do is solve Camille’s case. Is a little closure too much to ask?

But Emlyn’s life is upended when she is pulled through a portal into the fantasyland of her childhood imaginings—a magical library holding the storyworlds of every story ever published. And trouble is brewing in the land of Rivenlea. Rogue characters threaten their plot lines, and broken classics are beginning to crumble, but Emlyn only wants to find Camille.

As she searches for her sister, Emlyn begins to learn the reality of Rivenlea and her own origins. A nefarious plot is afoot, and the line between fact and fiction is becoming hopelessly blurred. The truth threatens the storyworlds, Rivenlea, and Earth—the fabric of creation, itself.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian Fantasy, Romance

416 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 2025

About the author

Lindsay A. Franklin is the Carol Award–winning author of The Story Peddler and ECPA best-selling author of Adored. By day, she wrangles chaos as Managing Editor of Enclave Publishing. By night, she spins whimsical tales fueled by hot drinks, rainy days, and the thunderous purrs of her spoiled cats. Lindsay lives with her family among the misty evergreens of the Pacific Northwest. She is currently on a quest to discover the sparkliest nail polish on the planet. You can find Lindsay on Instagram @LinzyAFranklin.

Reviews

[Celestria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ½ stars

[ChildOfGod💜🙌🏽 (for God I live and for God I die) ~ in my Christian pop era · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 AMAZING STARS. I just can’t. This book was perfect in every way I adored this world and I’m gonna miss it so much! I gobbled up these 400+ pages like a snack 😂. I love Em and all the characters it was so cute! It reminded me of a Christian Loki. Agh I loved it so much. It was so worth the wait to read another book by this author after the Story Peddler series. Might be my favorite book of 2025. Go read this masterpiece…byeeeee!!! ✌🏽😘

[Bella Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical fantasy story with a fascinating concept, lots of jokes about writing cliche's, and a loveable cast of characters you want to follow into every Sphere. ✨

This is going to be a favorite of the year, I already know. 😍 I adored this book!

I have NEVER seen a plot like this and Franklin executed it SO. WELL. While I did predict before starting the book a certain plot twist that did come true in the end, the unfolding layers of plot kept me guessing. It all felt so real and alive on the page.

Speaking of "alive on the page", the descriptions were so strong. I really felt I could visualize what everything looked like in my mind and yet I barely noticed any descriptions, which says a lot about how effortlessly Franklin wove the details in throughout the story.

The characters. 🥹 So amazing! Wistlee and Phen had my heart. Phen was so so sweet and such an encouraging brother-like figure. (And oh my word, "Not today, love triangle" had me in stitches. 🤣) I loved the friendship between Emmy and Wistlee. Wist was such a love, the kind of person who funny but not annoying, wise but not conceited, and always ready with to comfort and encourage. Rhyan was a great leader, hard-on-the-outside-but-still-soft-on-the-inside kind of person.

And Laramie. I'll admit I kind of wanted to slap him for the first 50% of the book and I wasn't sure if I was rooting for Em & him to get together. 😂 But, in the last half we really got to see him for who he is and I saw his character grow and improve. I did expect that ending with him & Em to go differently... 👀 😂

Oh Emlyn... she was fabulous. As I was reading this, I'd just sent out my newsletter where I asked my subscribers which books they'd love to see as movies. I was thinking about what Emlyn would be like as a movie and I think it would be amazing! Except we wouldn't get to hear Emlyn's internal dialogue / voice. Which I think is a part of this book as anything else. We are deep in Em's head, thinking her thoughts (mentally or verbally 😂), seeing Rivenlea through her eyes, being awkward with her, and feeling what it feels like to unravel. She was such a strong main character and please may we have more YA books where the MC calls out the tropes as they're happening? 😂

I loved how story was such a part of this book. Every is saying this in their reviews, but this quote sums up the theme of this story so well:

“Stories, Miss Emmy, are what bind us. Stories hold us together and help us think through problems, work through emotions. They take us on adventures, allow us to escape, but even more than that, they help us see the universe more clearly. Through stories, fantastical though they be, we see reality in greater detail.”

I know it's only February, but this is most likely going in my top 10 books of the year. 😍 I'm buying myself a physical copy so I can read it again and annotate it. And then I'll be here, EAGERLY awaiting book two.

Content Notes: Light romance, involving a lot of flirting/flustering/noticing for the first half of the book. Noticing of eyes, hair, jawline, shoulders, but that's about it. Some fighting/battle scenes. Magic is woven throughout the story.

Amazing, amazing, job, Lindsay. 🫶🏻

✨ 6 Stars ✨

[Daniella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine - Book Review 📚 🐉 🔮

"𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝑀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝐸𝓂𝓂𝓎, 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒷𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝓊𝓈. 𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝓊𝓈 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝓊𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓂𝓈, 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝓊𝓈 𝑜𝓃 𝒶𝒹𝓋𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓊𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓅 𝓊𝓈 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓁𝓎. 𝒯𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒷𝑒, 𝓌𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝑒𝓉𝒶𝒾𝓁."

This book is everything I look for in a fantasy book and more! Magical libraries, playfully friendly dragons, portals into other worlds, fast-paced thrilling plot, and lovable characters to boot!

I am once again in awe of Lindsay Franklin’s immersive writing and incredible world building. Her writing absolutely enamored me with her Weaver’s Trilogy, but she has outdone herself with this book—reminding me yet again why she is among my favorite fantasy authors ever!

The story opens up with an interrogation, introducing us to our lovable heroine Emlyn (Emmy). Emmy is grieving due to the loss of her beloved sister who quite literally unraveled before her eyes. But of course, no one believes that. And their disbelief brings Emmy to a point of questioning her own sanity. It doesn’t help when an adorable blue dragon shows up in her room and takes her to world of her creation. Very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland’s trip down the rabbit hole, Dorothy’s journey to the land of Oz, and the Pevensies’ discovery of Narnia, Emmy unravels into a world seemingly of her own imagination and encounters many friends in this fantastical realm. But two very important questions must be answered: Can Emmy find her sister in this world? And is this world really of Emmy’s creation, or is there a deeper truth to unravel?

By Chapter 8 I was completely enthralled with this story and could not put it down. I don’t think I have ever read an ARC for review which has become one of my favorite books but The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine has!

It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a book as thoroughly as I have enjoyed this one. I laughed so hard in so many parts (especially in the beginning with Emmy’s shenanigans and hilarious inner monologue). The middle was so interesting! I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but I was at the edge of my seat. The ending? Wooooah. I am not sure how long I have to wait until book two but I’m sure I cannot wait too long so please Lindsay, write at the speed of light! 😂

I truly wish I could get this more than 5/5 stars, truly this book is unlike any other fantasy I’ve had the pleasure of reading this century.

A true 21st century fantasy classic!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine" by Lindsay Franklin is a unique portal fantasy story that is a mash up of many beloved fairy tales and stories! It will leave you wanting more and remind you of the power of story. It is especially perfect for any fans who want to jump back into the land of Oz after seeing “Wicked,” as there are several references to “The Wizard of Oz” and characters in this book even spend part of the story in that mysterious land.

Emlyn, the main character, is a lovable, sarcastic girl who is dealing with the grief of losing her sister and wants to find out what happened to her. Emlyn loves stories and imagination and finds herself trapped in a world of stories. The world of Rivenlea is so creative. I love that there is a magical library that holds all the stories that have ever been written. It was so fun to notice all the pop culture and story nods and references as I was reading. Emlyn makes friends who become like family and learns to better use her powers. There is a great message that stories help us better see reality, and they hold, shape, and instruct us. I especially love Frank the Wyvern. The end left me dying for the sequel! Readers, writers, and storytellers will love this unique fantasy!

Content: I give this book a PG rating. Examples of the content: people think the main girl has gone crazy (but she really has not); mental health discussions; the main character is dealing with the grief of losing a sister, possibly has PTSD and flashbacks; a character curses, but the words are not actually written.
TW: talk of mental illness; PTSD/possible flashbacks.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.
I enjoyed this book, it was fun and easy. It is a middle grade fic and it reminded me a lot of KOTLC. It said it was a Christian book, but it only mentioned God once, so it felt just like a clean book.

The characters were cute, but poor, sweet Emmy she is just so awkward.

I don't think there were any trigger warnings (unless you are bothered by people "unraveling", if so read the title.)

Beware it has a cliff hanger at the end and the next book doesn't come out until February.

Go get this book!

[Jane Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an immersive story! I ADORE the combo of the portal fantasy world (which felt so nostalgically reminiscent of the first ever "novel" I wrote many many years ago), paired with Emlyn’s sarcastic and very modern commentary. This whole book is just... *chef’s kiss*

I will forever love the found family dynamic, but I also have to mention how fantastic it was to have a trope-aware main character. Emlyn calling out tropes throughout the story was hilarious and relatable. Also, Laramie? More like LaraMINE. That's all. Goodnight.

I read through almost this entire story in one afternoon because I simply couldn't put it down! The intricacies of the concept were so intriguing, the characters stole my heart, and I have so many questions for book 2, but am still leaving this story thoroughly satisfied with the experience I've had already. Definitely recommend!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Stories, Miss Emmy, are what bind us."

This whimsical portal fantasy captured my attention from the start! With nods to books and writing techniques all throughout, and a large and lovable cast of characters, I had trouble setting this novel down. The sister relationship especially stood out, and the humor was much appreciated - highly recommended!

(I received an e-ARC from the publisher, but all thoughts are my own.)

[Mariposa Aristeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me at glitter forests and deciduous cat herders. 🤓

As a writer, I love stories about stories. This book is a booklover’s delight, filled with references to many favorite classics. It focuses a lot on the Wizard of Oz, which I sadly haven’t read yet but it was still easy to follow (and it made me want to read the classic even more!).

Set in a whimsical fantasy world, this story immersed me with wonder, adventure, and even a bit of snark (my favorite). I loved following the journey of a misfit girl and her band of misfits she becomes friends with along the way. It was fun and quirky, but also deep and thrilling, and I can’t wait for book 2 to release!

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Stories, Miss Emmy, are what bind us. Stories hold us together and help us think through problems, work through emotions. They take us on adventures, allow us to escape, but even more than that, they help us see the universe more clearly. Through stories, fantastical though they be, we see reality in greater detail.”

There have been too many stories to count that have shaped me at every stage of my life. The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine is a love letter to stories through the eyes of a lost storyteller, and what a wonderful story it is.

Since participating in the cover reveal for Emlyn back in August, I’ve been on the edge of my seat waiting for this story. (Speaking of the cover, y’all…seriously, Kirk DouPonce has done an incredible job with all of Lindsay’s covers, and this one is just as arresting and sparkling and beautiful as the Weaver Trilogy covers.) When the eARC for Emlyn landed in my inbox, I had it on my Kindle and ready to go in a blink.

From page 1, I was drawn into Emlyn’s world. Rivenlea came to life in my imagination, and on several occasions, I realized I’d flipped dozens of pages before I knew it. (If I didn’t have to work, I would have finished the entire book in one day. I’m sure of it. Even so, I stayed up much too late reading…)

Emlyn is immediately a lively, compelling main character, with a relatable serving of awkwardness, a healthy dash of wit, and an equal measure of heart accompanying her struggles and choices. She’s just a delightful protagonist I was ready to follow throughout the entire story, and her character arc…ahhhh. It’s wonderfully written, and I’m so eager to see how it continues and concludes in book two. So many times while I was reading, I connected with Emmy’s yearnings, and I loved seeing the other characters and the story as a whole through her eyes. And the side characters also enliven the story, from gentle, wise Wistlee to fun-loving, secretly-anxious Phen to by-the-book Rhyan to the ever-smooth, Flynn-Rider-esque story boy, Laramie Shayle. All in all, Emlyn boasts a vivid, shining cast, and I’m not going to be ready to bid them farewell anytime soon.

Then there’s the worldbuilding! Which is amazing! And so, so, so cool! (I’m not really sure how much I can say without risking hints at spoilers, but suffice it to say, you will not be disappointed at the intricacies and vibrancy of Rivenlea and its connections to other worlds.)

And then, as the book is really about the power and beauty of stories, I swallowed many times against the ache that arose as I read about and deeply connected with Emmy’s fierce love for fiction and her fight to rediscover and rekindle the joy and hope to be found in weaving words. ”Art has a way of revealing truth” is a quote from Lindsay’s Weaver Trilogy that has stuck with me ever since I read the series, and that wisdom is just as evident in Emlyn. It’s a theme that’s beautiful and wonderful and needed. (Also, Lindsay references so many stories that made me smile so much to see.)

There’s so much life and heart bursting from the pages of the Rivenlea Sphere. I’m so thankful I could read it.

So, if you like (to list a few things):

• unique portal fantasy
• sister relationships
• magical libraries
• friendly dragons (tiny ones and gigantic ones)
• friendship and squads
• relatable heroines
• humor
• poking fun at common YA clichés
• splashes of fantastical color
• odes to the stories that have shaped us and our world,

then all of those things should draw you to The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine.

My Kindle notebook is full of highlights. This book made me laugh, ache, and rejoice that God gave us stories to mold us and show us truth, goodness, and beauty. This is a special one. You won’t want to miss the unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine, and the start of her journey towards renewal and hope again.

*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, but a positive review was not required; all thoughts are my own!*

[Hailey Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Lindsay Franklin has crafted a riveting tale about the magic of stories.

You can't help but love Emlyn as a main character. Her sarcasm is hilarious and makes her character voice shine. Her jumping train of thought was also something I can relate to. =) Also, her quips about literary tropes were fantastic.

I don't want to say much about the plot to avoid spoilers. Franklin has twists and turns along the way!

As with her other novels, worldbuilding is one of Franklin's strengths. I mean, who doesn't want to read about a magical library? And some of the ways she ties the worldbuilding and plot together. . . again, I won't say more for spoilers.

I also really loved the subtheme of sisterhood that Franklin wove in with Emyln and Camille, and how that drove Emlyn.

The only thing that I struggled with a little was how Emlyn doesn't really consider how her disappearance to Rivenlea will affect her parents. It does come up later in the book, but she doesn't think about it in the moment.

Also, Emlyn frequently describes the shade of Laramie's eyes in reference to food, which I honestly found a little more humorous than annoying.

The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine is a captivating start to Franklin's new duology that will delight fans of portal fantasy, snarky characters, and books in general. I can't wait for the next book!

Cautions: light/moderate romance; brief mention of a rude gesture; non-graphic moderate violence

(I received an eARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

[Blueberry and Muffin]

🫐Sara's review🫐

4.5✨!

✍🏼✨🔮🐉💜

I loved this one so much! 🥰 Perfect for writers, lovers of classic literature, or really any fantasy lover, this book is definitely a new favorite of mine! 🩷🤗 It was a perfect blend of adventure and humor (guys, Emlyn is an actual riot 👀👀), romance and plot twists, and I cannot wait for more in the series!!! 😍🥳🩷

Favorite charries:
🐉Frank
💜Emlyn
⚔️Laramie
💛Phen

CWs:
Slightly swoony romance, but nothing really beyond the level of wobbly knees and noticing one characters muscles. Wanting to kiss. The sort of violence that might be expected from swords and fighting, but not at all graphic. Character death that happened prior to our story in a cruel way. Talk of PTSD and anxiety.

(Thanks so much to the author for the ARC! 🩷 All thoughts and opinions are my own. 😉 And apologies for being a couple days late! 🙈😅)

[Lovely Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

First person.

Emlyn’s sister, Camille literally unraveled before her eyes as they played on a playground. The adults in her life, however have never believed Emlyn’s story and now she has been thrust into a storybook dimension where familiar books are entire worlds held in a sphere…will Emlyn find her sister here?

—-

So I went into this book knowing nothing, and that may have hindered the outcome as I don’t like the wizard of oz story and this is heavily set in that world.

At first it feels like an Alice in wonderland vibe, so that kept me going despite the constant criticism and mockery of therapy, which I found distasteful.

——

Also, I LOVE Frank! 😍🐉

[Mia❤ *Hiatus* (⋆˚｡⋆JESUS LOVES YOU!!!⋆｡˚⋆ ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING!!😍 RTC!

[(Katie) Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy books about books and traveling through books, then this is for you! When Emlyn's sister completely disappears in front of her eyes, no one will believe her. Years later the cold case comes back...plus things just start appearing! Mysterious figures and a dragon?

I really enjoyed this story, it was fairytale magic filled with fun characters and humor. I especially loved the side characters and the "dragon" was so adorable, I wouldn't mind having one of my own. If you're looking for a fun filled fairytale themed story, then this is a must!


*Thank you to the author and Enclave publishing for a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

[Seaturtlessaremyfriends · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended reading this book, and I dont regret it! This was absolutely amazing !!👏 I loved every minute of this book. The world building was a little confusing at the beginning but that just made me want to read more. The banter between the Mc and other characters (especially one) was just perfect 👌 🤣 I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

[Madisyn Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you're 90% of the way through a book and chaos suddenly explodes, you know the last 10% is going to be a wild ride.

The entire book was a wild ride, but that last part. My goodness.

I first applied to ARC read The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine because the cover and blurb intrigued me. Unlike any book I'd ever heard of, I anticipated an engaging tale, unique plot, and endearing characters.

Franklin delivered.

The sheer creativity in this book blew me away, and I truly have never read anything quite like it. Spectacular worldbuilding, great characters, crazy and engaging plot.

The characters are well-rounded and interesting, and there were so many side characters I adored. Wistlee, Phen, Laramie, even Rhyan, who admittedly had to grow on me. And Frank! I need a Frank. We all need a Frank.

I'll be the first to admit YA is not my preferred genre. Usually, the MCs get on my nerves within the first few pages. But Emlyn was a darling who definitely needs a hug, and I enjoyed how she's both mature yet growing, and strong yet broken.

The plot is complex and keeps you on the edge of your seat, and while I've never even remotely enjoyed anything related to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I did enjoy the way Franklin incorporated it.

This book contains so many moving parts. Franklin crafted it in such a way that it resembles a puzzle: everything has a place, but not everything is yet in that place. Everything is connected, but until it's assembled like a puzzle, chaos and questions abound. The incorporation of several well-known tales and the resetting of stories really adds that extra element.

Aside from the bare amount of faith (which Enclave seems to be leaning toward these days) and a few liberal comments that momentarily threw me off my groove, I did really enjoy this book, so five stars it receives.

Sensitive readers should know that there is some violence: worlds taken over, nasty fantasy shadowy creatures you don't want to come into contact with, injuries, general chaos and destruction, and the mention of a baby dying. Everything is handled tastefully, and I would be completely at ease handing this to a reader fourteen and older.

Truly, The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine is unlike any book I've read, and I eagerly anticipate Book Two.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a truly unique book! I completely skipped reading the synopsis because I wanted to be surprised by it. I really was! Emlyn is such a spunky, fun character. I absolutely loved her and this whole book! I really enjoyed the cameos of other well loved stories. I can't wait to see what comes next!


I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread February 2025:
Once this book released earlier this month, I found the audiobook was available on Hoopla. So I immediately decided I needed to enjoy this story again even though it’s only been a few months since I read the ARC! The narrator is fantastic! I love this story and the characters so much, and listening to it was absolutely delightful! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Original review:
“When you love a story person, they feel real.”
-Lindsay A. Franklin, The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine

Isn’t that a great quote? I don’t know about you, but I have found several story friends over the years that I love so much they do feel real to me. And this new story from Lindsay Franklin just added a few more!!

I have so much I want to say about this AMAZING story, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. So what CAN I say?

First, this book gets ALL the stars from me.
My rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (a full 5/5 stars)

If you’re looking for a uniquely creative, YA fantasy with world-building that’s out-of-this-sphere and has a wonderfully weird (that’s a good thing) cast of characters, The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine might just be the story for you!

Emlyn is both silly and serious. She speaks fluent sarcasm. (I approve.) We also get the joy of reading what she’s thinking. Often what she actually ends up saying out loud only makes sense to her. It’s hilarious! I laughed out loud several times. Readers with neurodivergent brains might find this character quite relatable. Due to a childhood trauma, however, Emlyn is also an emotionally wounded character. We’re given insight into her pain via memories. They really help the reader empathize with her feelings of loss.

I won’t say much more due to those pesky potential spoilers. Let me just say that, 1) Emmy is my new favorite character, 2) Frank is the best sidekick, and 3) I want the second book in this duology NOW. Yes, I know that book one isn’t even released yet! I just really want to know what happens next! That being said, there isn’t a cliffhanger ending. Just a few loose story threads that I assume will tie into book two.

If you enjoy YA portal fantasy adventure stories with nods to classic literature, underlying Christian themes, and plenty of high-stakes danger, plus no spice or other content concerns, just do yourself (or the teen/YA reader in your life) a favor and preorder a copy now so you can read this story in February 2025 when it releases!

You’re welcome. You can thank me later.

(And yes, I’ve already preordered myself a hardcover copy…I need it on my shelves!)

I received an ebook ARC and won a paperback ARC of The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine from the author. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest thoughts about this book.

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this adventurous read last night and wow! Let me tell ya! What a simply fun story! The cover is gorgeous and Emlyn is delightfully sassy. I love how relatable her lightning thoughts are that trail off and her dynamics with each of the ensemble cast. Franklin writes a page-turning story that I really struggled to put down. The nods to classics were a treat and the absolute upside-down state of Oz was particularly creative. And I can't wait to see the sequel!

Content: no foul language, clean, sweet romance thread, and some fantasy violence (who doesn't love a good sword fight!). Explores themes of grief, loss, sanity, friendship, teamwork, and humanity. Suitable for young teens.

Note: I am so thankful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this lovely story; the above are my honest and voluntary thoughts.

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine is possibly the most unique book I've read this year, and certainly the quirkiest and most outright fun. Emlyn is a teen who lost her older sister, Camille, when they were younger, but it wasn’t in the way you might think. She and her sister were in the park one day when suddenly, Camille just… unraveled. Not like an emotional or mental breakdown, mind you, her body quite literally unraveled like a piece of cloth, and Camille was gone. Vanished from Emlyn’s life.

The story begins with the cold case of this disappearance being reopened by the police, thus reopening some old wounds in Emlyn’s heart as she has to explain all over again what happened. Once again, she's treated like she’s making it up. That is, until a baby wyvern (named Frank) appears and she gets sucked through a portal to a world that she believes she made up as a child. (Side note, many of the elements in this world that Emlyn believed she made up were So. Much. Fun. Glitter trees and deciduous cats, y'all. 'Nuff said.)

Honestly, this book is a little hard to explain unless you read it for yourself. It somehow masterfully deals with imagination and creativity, the concept that maybe the worlds we imagine and stories we tell could, in some other universe, become real. It deals with the concept of free will, the nature of good and evil, mental health, etc. Seriously, for a generally fun book, it goes DEEP.

Emlyn was the perfect character to follow through all of this. For one thing, her quick thought processes and the random exclamations that resulted could be so hilarious. One of my favorite moments of the entire book was when she believed the fantasy world was a YA novel that she wrote as a kid, so she was looking for book tropes to pop up and help her figure out her role in the story. For example, she was crushing on this one guy, then this second very handsome guy knocked on the door. She took one look at him and exclaimed, “NOT TODAY, LOVE TRIANGLE” and slammed the door in his face. I died. 😂😂😂​

Along with being hilarious, Emlyn is so quirky, and very quick, smart, and observant, and her unique perspective helped this strange new world that she traveled to start to make some sense. I also really appreciated how this story dealt the the emotional trauma that she experienced due to losing her sister. I’m aware that the author, Lindsay Franklin is a big advocate for mental health awareness, and she does such a great job bringing that knowledge and sensitivity to the page, showing the struggles someone like Emlyn would experience, but also showing the ways that she’s beginning to heal.

I loved her crew of new friends, too. Turns out they’re kind of like story fixers. The idea being that all those fictional worlds that got created by authors everywhere come to life in live in glass-like orbs that are stored in this fantasy world. Inside those orbs, those imagined stories play out over and over again. Unless there’s some kind of glitch, or interference, in which case some things can go seriously off the rails. When that happens, one of the story fixing teams (they had a name for these teams, but I listened on audio and don’t know how to spell it…) goes into the story, finds where things went wrong, and sets things right again.

In this case, Emlyn and her new team end up going into The Wizard of Oz, which has turned into something of a steampunk dystopian nightmare. Even as all of this is going on, Emlyn is trying to figure out if the fantasy world might be where her sister went, and if so, why. The answer to this question kind of blew my mind. 🤯 In a good way! It simply wasn’t what I was guessed was happening. And, seeing how this is an ongoing story with a second book on the way, I’m really excited to find out more!

I’m giving this 4 stars out of 5 only because the story isn’t complete yet for me to judge it as a whole, (heads up for a bit of a cliffhanger ending due to something that happens in the epilogue that I’m still emotionally flailing about XD) but it’s a very very positive 4 stars. I’m looking forward to book 2 and can’t wait to see how things turn out!

100% recommended for teens and adults. This was my first book by Lindsay Franklin and I already think she’s a master storyteller!

Content Advisory:
This book is YA and very appropriate for ages 13+.

Language:
None.

Violence/Scariness:
Emlyn says she saw her sister “unravel”/”shred to pieces” when she was a child. Some people ask if that was gross or violent, but it wasn’t. It was like the unraveling of fabric and completely bloodless.

The main violence here is action violence, and it doesn’t start until well past the halfway point in the book. In the corrupted version of Oz, several things in the story have gone terribly wrong, and some it is a little emotionally intense. The tin woodsman basically rusts to death in front of Emlyn because he’s so depressed at everything that has happened and blames himself for it, and he buried his oil can so Emlyn can’t oil him to help him. The Scarecrow apparently never got found by Dorothy, so, stuck on his scarecrow stick, Emlyn finds evidence that he burned to death when the field he was in caught fire. Obviously, since he was made of straw, there is little of his body left besides his clothes, but as a sentient being, Emlyn concludes that this was a terrifying and painful death for him. Emlyn weeps over both of these characters, but the story handles it in a redemptive, not hopeless way. A very touching scene features Emlyn and a friend holding a burial to honor the dead and allow Emlyn space to mourn.

Emlyn and crew fight several corrupted fictional creatures in Oz, mostly using swords and any special powers like the leader’s fireballs. When they fight a particularly large and frightening beast, there are a couple of brief mentions of blood, including someone’s hand being covered in it after the fight is over. However, the fighting itself is not graphic.

Initially, there isn’t a lot of emotional weight in these fights because these are all fictional creatures who will “reset” to their original state (meaning any flying monkey, etc., that they have to kill in self defense will come back to life and not remember that anything happened) once Emlyn and crew fix what’s wrong in the story. However, Emlyn comes to realize that something has gone REALLY wrong and the characters are remembering everything that happened to them in every “replay” of their story. So, characters like the Wicked Witch of the West fully remember the horrors of dying by melting again, and again, and again. This isn’t suppose to happen and it means that the stories aren’t “resetting” the way they’re meant to. Emlyn recognizes the seriousness of this and that, unless someone fixes it so the characters don’t remember the replays of their stories, “resetting” things to play out all over again is basically torturing them. This also gives weight to killing any flying monkeys and the like, because they will remember their deaths once they reset. This knowledge makes Emlyn feel sick and she tries to help her crew understand what’s happening.

Emlyn fights a shadow creature, slicing, dicing, and stabbing it with a sword. She thinks how she’s glad the beast is only made of shadow so there are no blood or guts, otherwise this fight would be really gross.

Emlyn sees some good wyverns fighting evil shadow creatures in the air. Some shadow creatures get shredded in a shadowy and bloodless manner. At least one wyvern loses its fight and crashes to the ground somewhere out of sight. Emlyn assumes, sadly, that it died. There are also some worrisome moments when Emlyn’s pet wyvern faces down some shadow creatures and ends up needed help defeating one of them. (The pet wyvern gets injured, but lives.)

Sexual/Romance:
Emlyn has crushy, fluttery feelings toward a cute boy. Their interactions can be a little flirtatious, but never inappropriate, and they truly get to know and respect each other over the course of the story, protecting and helping each other multiple times. They come close to kissing once.

Spiritual/Magic:
This is fiction from a Christian publisher and Christian author. Some characters pray. Deep themes are present, like the acknowledgement of the corrupt nature of humanity contrasted with the hope that we don’t have to be stuck that way.

Magic is a natural force in this universe. The focus isn’t on how magical things happen, they just do, and it’s implied to just be how creation works. This includes the use of portals, magic sucking the color out of things because something in the natural order of things has been broken, and characters having natural abilities that appear magical.

Most of the magical characters are humanoid in shape (except the wyverns that are animals), but belong to races that are not actually human, thus the reason they have natural magical powers. These included zephyrs (people who can manipulate the wind), gryphons (people with wings), shape shifters who can turn into any object they’ve ever seen, people who can create fireballs with their hands, and “dragons” who are highly intelligent and observant, and some of them have scales on their skin. There’s also a hint at a mermaid late in the book.

Witches are mentioned in the context of The Wizard of Oz story.

One shape shifter boy is able to turn into a fully functional “enchanted” mirror after reading about one in Beauty and the Beast, to the point that Emlyn is able to look into the mirror and see what’s happening with her parents and Earth on the whole back home.

Other:
Excellent mental health representation that deals with anxiety, trauma, depression, and the like in a redemptive and healthy way.

[Jaycee Ann ✞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

═══════ ∘◦ ✧ ◦∘ ═══════
This review contains a few random statistics, my personal thoughts, and a content review! ♡
═══════ ∘◦ ✧ ◦∘ ═══════
• Book - The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine
• Author - Lindsay A. Franklin
• Pages - Hardcover, 401
• Genre(s) - YA portal fantasy
• Published - 2025
• Trope(s) - Found family, writer/reader fmc
• Recommended time to read - Autumn
⇢─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───⇠
→ Setting - 5/5
→ Characters - 5/5
→ Writing - 5/5
→ Cover - 5/5
→ Vibes - 5/5
→ Plot - 5/5
→ Romance/Ship - 5/5
→ Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

♫ Now Playing - Dear Reader by PEGGY ♫
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╰┈➤ My thoughts (spoiler free)

Clearly this is a five star read. OH MY GOSH YOU’RE TELLING ME I HAVE TO WAIT TILL FEBRUARY TO GET THE NEXT BOOK? I literally don’t think I can. I’m so jealous of all the people that got ARCs of the second book.

Anyway, let’s yap about this absolute masterpiece for a while, shall we?

To start off, I utterly adored all of the characters! Emlyn was very ADHD-coded and she was definitely one of my favorites which is honestly rare, considering she’s the main character. I don’t usually like main characters as much as everyone else, but here I found a lovely exception. I loved Laramie so much even if he does have a goofy name. Frank and Wistlee were perfect. Phen didn’t get nearly enough page time.

Don’t even get me started on Emlyn and Laramie, bro 😭 I shipped them SO FREAKING HARD! More on them in the spoiler section of this review.

I really liked the concept of the stories being spheres in the library, and how you could travel inside them! And also the classics being called pillars was great, I loved that detail. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is probably one of my favorite classic tales, though I haven’t read it since I was nine and this definitely inspired me to pick it up again.

The writing was fantastic! Simple and easy but it still carried such wonderful messages and tidbits of wisdom! I annotated the crap out of my copy 😂 The humor was also great, and so on par for me! Like Emmy is literally me, her thought processes were so similar to mine, and the way she would randomly blurt out a word because it related to what she was thinking was so relatable and it cracked me up every time.

I don’t think there’s anything else I can talk about without spoilers so if you’ve read this book, keep going, but if you haven’t, go buy it, read it, then come back!!
═════════════════
╰┈➤ Spoilers below!

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING? I seriously cannot stand cliffhangers oh my gosh! This is giving me ptsd from my keeper of the lost cities phase.

You’re telling me my guy Laramie is trapped in a sphere and they were literally about to go try and find him and then the book ends??

Gosh and why couldn’t Laramie and Emlyn kiss or get together 😭 I’m actually freaking out about how much chemistry they had OH MY GOSH!!! And the way Emmy kept referring to Frank (who is a wyvern, mind you) as their joint custody daughter was so amazing 😭

The Elder council was annoying me and they were literally only in one scene.

I definitely suspected Hadeon was fishy for some reason but those plot twists?? Never would’ve seen them coming. What do you mean Emmy is from a fictional story?? And I think the story much be The Little Mermaid based on that epilogue!

*Internal screaming because Laramie and Emlyn aren’t together*
Oh gosh Phen totally ships them too. Like his waggling eyebrows clearly could tell they liked each other. And I think Emlyn has finally become aware she likes him. Laramie was probably aware the entire time so like bro make a move 😭

I liked Rhyan but she made me mad sometimes like why don’t you listen to Emmy?? She’s clearly smarter than you 🤨

Oh also Wistlee being able to fly in the end made me so happy! Okay I think that’s all the thoughts I can compile about this amazing work of art! I seriously cannot wait for book two omg
═════════════════
╰┈➤ Content review

➸ Age Rating - 11/12+

➸ Language - None

➸ Romance/Sexual - Laramie and Emlyn clearly like each other, there’s tension between them and Emlyn often thinks about how good looking he his, they hug a couple times I think but honestly other than that there’s not even a lot of physical touch between them

➸ Violence - Mild fantasy violence, fighting with swords, characters are threatened with guns while in Oz, nothing disturbing or gruesome

➸ Religious/Spiritual - Emlyn thinks about God (with a capital G) occasionally and sometimes “sends up a prayer”

➸ Magic - The Novemites all have different abilities, like Laramie who is an Echo and can change into any object he’s seen, or Phen who can change to stone, or Rhyan who can control fire, nothing witchy or anything like that

➸ LGBTQ - None

[Adalyn Skains · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to sum up my thoughts for this masterpiece in one small review? Suffice it to say, this book goes on my list of all-time favorites and I will most definitely read this one over and over.

I'm not sure I can think of a part of this book I did not like. The characters were all so lovable and just over all amazing. Phen was so sweet and I dearly love him! Wistlee is the coolest, and the immediate bond between her and Emlyn was precious. Rhyan was a great character, tough on the outside but still soft on the inside. Laramie...I have to say at first he annoyed me and I did not want to like him, but then towards the end of the book as we got to see him a bit more, I did really enjoy him. And then there's Emlyn. Sweet, darling Emlyn. She has to be one of the funniest character's I've read in a long time. Her internal (AND VERBAL) dialogue had me laughing often. Yet she was so real and authentic at the same time. I seriously loved how she'd call out the tropes or cliches before they happened. So relatable.

The whimsicalness and vividness of this story had me up way too late...Everything about it was so vibrant and emotional. Powerful and moving, I absolutely loved all the ties to stories and writing. I felt this book on so many levels. This story captivated me from page one. I loved so many parts and could ramble on and on at how beautiful this book was.

Perfect for lovers of books, classic literature, and all things writing.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨!

✍🏼✨🔮🐉💜

I loved this one so much! 🥰 Perfect for writers, lovers of classic literature, or really any fantasy lover, this book is definitely a new favorite of mine! 🩷🤗 It was a perfect blend of adventure and humor (guys, Emlyn is an actual riot 👀👀), romance and plot twists, and I cannot wait for more in the series!!! 😍🥳🩷

Favorite charries:
🐉Frank
💜Emlyn
⚔️Laramie
💛Phen

CWs:
Slightly swoony romance, but nothing really beyond the level of wobbly knees and noticing one characters muscles. Wanting to kiss. The sort of violence that might be expected from swords and fighting, but not at all graphic. Character death that happened prior to our story in a cruel way. Talk of PTSD and anxiety.

(Thanks so much to the author for the ARC! 🩷 All thoughts and opinions are my own. 😉 And apologies for being a couple days late! 🙈😅)

[Camille Mosemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will only be a temporary review until I can gather my thoughts and unscramble my brain. Initial thoughts:
I loved this book!!!!
I need the sequel ASAP
I adore Emlyn and Frank (especially Frank) and Laramie
I never would have guessed that plot twist in a million years
I’ll come back for a more detailed review after my mind has recovered 🙃

[JoJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨📚🔮🐉🥀✨ 3.75 Stars! (Rounded up to 4)
First of all. This cover 😱😱😱So pretty!! You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover but… 😏
really enjoyed this book!! By far my favorite aspect of the book was Emlyn’s spunky personality. It’s interesting to me that she has a hard time dealing with a lot of stress (don’t we all?) but she covers that up by telling others she’s fine and joking around. I think it really made her character more realistic and relatable.
I think at times I scoffed at her weakness, but I often forgot the amount of trauma she had to deal with through the many years without her sister, not to mention coming to a new world that’s supposedly “perfect” only to find that “Oh no!” it’s just as flawed.
I kind of went on a rant there…Sorry 🤪
I loved the fact that Lindsay A. Franklin went all in on the imagination in the story. It’s quirky, and quaint and very bookish and I love it!! I kept having to remind myself through the crazy aspects of the world that they were invented by a little girl 😆
There were a few things I personally wish would have been different.
1. I kind of wish the pacing was a little more even if that makes sense? I know the beginning part of the book naturally is a little slower because the author has to set up the story. (Awesome first sentence by the way 😉)I kind of felt like there was a huge chunk of action and tiny breaks of talking and character development. I kind of wish those could have been distributed more evenly so we could have gotten more discussion between the characters. (Maybe I am being way too harsh but that was just a personal thought🤷🏼‍♀️).
2. I wish Emlyn would have thought about her parents a little more when she first left her world. I feel like she kind of forgot about them and started her whole new life before remembering them again in the end. I think also though her personality is more bold and she had a lot going on in Rivenlea 🫠
3. Last thing was that she seemed to have a strong connection to Oz, but it wasn’t really brought up until they went to Oz. It wasn’t really random but I think it would have felt more sentimental if Oz had been brought up in her memories.



Overall though, despite my few issues I really liked this book! If you enjoyed the Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella I think you would definitely enjoy this one and vice versa! You would also enjoy this if you like portal fantasy! I typically don’t enjoy that genre but I did enjoy this one! I am really looking forward to book two!!

[Hannah Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a whirlwind of a ride! And not just the one from Oz.

This book was such a mishmash of stories and ideas and realities that at times I had no idea what was going on, and yet couldn't stop reading because from page one, I was totally invested in the characters. Emlyn, the main character, especially. She cares deeply, gets lost in her imagination, and often feels like a peg out of place, but I love her for it. She's relatable, and oh so captivating because of it. Laramie was also awesome because, well, Laramie :) (Read it and you'll know what I mean)

I laughed through some scenes (aww! Frank! Still giggling at image of Frank hiding behind the shampoo), felt my heart break at others, and got fully pulled into the story. Stories. And while I think I'll definitely enjoy the read more second time (now I know who's who and have a few more pieces of the story), I can't stop thinking about this amazing, brilliantly imagined book. I love how the author took so many pieces of classic stories and scattered them throughout this one. Mishmash, to be sure, but so, so clever!

Very much looking forward to reading more in this series! (And rereading this one.)

Many thanks to the author and publisher for the early copy to read and review. All thoughts are definitely my own.

[Chloë Mali · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This was fun! It took me a little to fully get into it and I feel like the plot moved a little fast for me, but I liked the concept and story-worlds a lot. As a writer, Emlyn is so relatable (albeit she's much pricklier than I am XD) and the twists and turns at the end were very intriguing and surprising. I'm excited for book two!

[Chloe H · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝙴𝚖𝚖𝚢, 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚜. 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚜, 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚞𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢. 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚎, 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚕."

First of all, can I just say I love that? Stories hold so much value. They've held me together, helped me think through problems, work through emotions, taken me on adventures, allowed me to escaped, helped me to see the world more clearly.

This story certainly did that. I loved Lindsay A. Franklin's Weaver trilogy, and was SO excited when I saw this year she was coming out with a new book! I was even more excited when my grandparents got it for me! I enjoyed every second of reading it. One thing I love about the Weaver trilogy was the dynamic characters and phenomenal worldbuilding. This story did not disappoint in either of those areas! Lindsay gave us a WONDERFUL cast of characters (including a quirky MC who reminds me a bit of myself -- though I cannot claim to be as witty and kind as Emmy is) and a STELLAR world and plot. The premise itself is so cool! I mean, being sucked into your imaginary world?? Yes, PLEASE!

And then being able to go into every story that's ever been published???? YESSSSSS!!!! I mean, the power I'd have! This book was so cool in general, and truly nothing like I've ever read. I love everything about it.

I love Emlyn's friendships. Wistlee is so sweet and kind. Phen is absolutely HILARIOUS and I love how he ships Emmy and Laramie. AND LARAMIE. Oh my word. I love him. I loved him from the beginning (just like Emmy did, let's not deny it!), though he did get on my nerves at some points. I really appreciate him, though. He's not like all the other charming story boys. He's loyal. Genuine. Humble (is he, though?). Not infuriatingly annoying. Okay, maybe sometimes. But those times were misunderstandings??
Rhyan! I admit, I was upset with her at times, but she was a good leader. Canon was annoying. Rivit barely existed. Faela was amazing! I like Marella's little arc. That was sweet.

This was a wonderful, fun, amazing, astounding read. It's full of plot twists and shocking revelations. The characters are the best, the world is deep and original, and the plot is well-paced. I love this book and can't wait for the next to come out!

[A.M. Reynwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read and early copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts, and honestly, I hardly know where to begin with how much I enjoyed both the reading experience and the story itself. This book is altogether delightful, whimsical, insightful, and profound, wrapped in the timeless beauty of childlike wonder and the transformative power of stories. I related so much with Emlyn as an avid reader, and the plethora of nods to the craft of writing as well as the Easter eggs toward beloved classics are an exciting source of joy and laughter. The plot twists and turns like any jaunt through Wonderland, full of surprises and deeper meaning. Because it's not just a cozy frolic through every book lover's dream, it's a venture into the complexity of the human heart and the battle of good and evil within us all. It's a romping romcom that deals with trauma and loss, a slow-burn mystery that unveils hidden identities and systemic rot, and an action-packed adventure with fantastical imagination and glittering charm. Loss, hope, grief, love, and sacrifice all play a roll in this first stage of what promises to be a truly incredible journey of true friendship and restoration. I highly recommend it!