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An Embroidery of Souls
Jade can manipulate souls with the tug of a thread--it's up to her, and a boy with a soul as bright as the universe to stop a creature on the loose before it claims its next victim in this lush, Mexican & German inspired romantasy.
Jade Aguilar can kill a man with nothing more than a needle and thread. Like her mother, a thread speaker in the queendom of Mérecal, she has the unique ability to stitch love, beauty, intelligence and to unravel even death. When her mother goes missing, the queen orders Jade to find her or be conscripted into a life of servitude.
Lukas Keller is desperate to feed his family and makes a deal with a vicious gang leader. Though he swore never to seek the help of a thread speaker, he's in over his head and it might be his only option.
Jade and Lukas form a mistrustful alliance. But as Mérecal erupts into chaos and the killer closes in, they must cling to one another for survival--and perhaps . . . something more?
From debut author Ruby Martinez comes a wildly romantic, heart pounding mystery set in a lush fantastical world inspired by Mexican and German lore.
Jade Aguilar can kill a man with nothing more than a needle and thread. Like her mother, a thread speaker in the queendom of Mérecal, she has the unique ability to stitch love, beauty, intelligence and to unravel even death. When her mother goes missing, the queen orders Jade to find her or be conscripted into a life of servitude.
Lukas Keller is desperate to feed his family and makes a deal with a vicious gang leader. Though he swore never to seek the help of a thread speaker, he's in over his head and it might be his only option.
Jade and Lukas form a mistrustful alliance. But as Mérecal erupts into chaos and the killer closes in, they must cling to one another for survival--and perhaps . . . something more?
From debut author Ruby Martinez comes a wildly romantic, heart pounding mystery set in a lush fantastical world inspired by Mexican and German lore.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 9, 2025
24 people are currently reading
1014 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Martinez
1 book20 followersRuby Martinez is a Mexican American writer of primarily adult and YA fantasy. She stuffs her books full of magic, romance, and mental health rep. Like most authors, she puts her characters through the ringer, but her stories will always have happy endings. Her debut novel, AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS, is scheduled to release with Knopf BFYR in fall, 2025.
Ruby works as a therapist by day, and spends most of her evenings as a blanket burrito despite living in the Arizona heat. She usually writes accompanied by her two birds—Pip and Winnie—who contribute by screaming when she needs to focus and tearing off her laptop's keys.
Ruby works as a therapist by day, and spends most of her evenings as a blanket burrito despite living in the Arizona heat. She usually writes accompanied by her two birds—Pip and Winnie—who contribute by screaming when she needs to focus and tearing off her laptop's keys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
October 23, 2025
This book had my attention because I love reading about thread magic or any kind of magical craft. I knew that I've come to the right place when the first chapter introduced me to a main character who can "stitch love, embroider away death, and unspool memories", but in the end that was more or less the only part of this story that I truly enjoyed.
Jade is a thread speaker, meaning that she can manipulate souls by working the threads that they are made of. Her ability makes her valuable to royalty as she can make them pretty and intelligent and powerful, and it secures her a high place in society. At the same time Jade is absolutely riddled with social anxiety and grief for her missing mother and there is also a killer on the loose in her city, which is somehow her problem too. All that is dropped onto the reader in the very first chapter and it was a lot. The simple and often infodumpy writing didn't help either and then there begins another POV to add even more to that. Because the story also follows Lukas who is desperately trying to provide for his family and who wants to join a gang to do so. He is tasked with finding the killer and soon he crosses paths with Jade while investigating. They strike a deal to work together, meaning that Lukas will look for clues and Jade will use her powers to reveal the truth. The plot could have been fine, but it was very convenient most of the time and if it wasn't for once then Jade's power solved everything in a matter of seconds. The thread magic was cool and it was what drew me to this book in the first place, but it also felt detached from the world building. There are gods and different religions and they don't connect at all to the one supernatural ability that also exists in this world. I was promised "a lush fantastical world inspired by Mexican and German lore", but it felt very flat and small scale to me. Because the world basically consists of two countries I know absolutely nothing about and I can't say that anything here can be described as culturally rich. The romance was okay, but it was strange how there was such a lack of other characters that Jade and Lukas truly interacted with. It felt like they were in love because they don't know anyone else. Jade has literally zero connections to anyone and Lukas has his family, but it's not like they are present in the story much. They were also facing VERY dramatic situations in their relationship and I quickly realized that I am way too old for such a story (spoiler: ). I don't want to rate this book too low, because it really wasn't meant for me and I think that the target audience could easily enjoy it. It reads like younger YA although there is also swearing and murder and fade-to-black sexual content. It was a strange reading experience for me altogether. I do appreciate the anxiety rep in this kind of book though and also that it never felt too heavy while still presenting it in a realistic way. So overall, there were some positives for me, but I didn't have a great time reading this book. I'm not even too disappointed, because YA romantasy is always a hit-or-miss for me and picking this book up was a gamble in the first place. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Jade is a thread speaker, meaning that she can manipulate souls by working the threads that they are made of. Her ability makes her valuable to royalty as she can make them pretty and intelligent and powerful, and it secures her a high place in society. At the same time Jade is absolutely riddled with social anxiety and grief for her missing mother and there is also a killer on the loose in her city, which is somehow her problem too. All that is dropped onto the reader in the very first chapter and it was a lot. The simple and often infodumpy writing didn't help either and then there begins another POV to add even more to that. Because the story also follows Lukas who is desperately trying to provide for his family and who wants to join a gang to do so. He is tasked with finding the killer and soon he crosses paths with Jade while investigating. They strike a deal to work together, meaning that Lukas will look for clues and Jade will use her powers to reveal the truth. The plot could have been fine, but it was very convenient most of the time and if it wasn't for once then Jade's power solved everything in a matter of seconds. The thread magic was cool and it was what drew me to this book in the first place, but it also felt detached from the world building. There are gods and different religions and they don't connect at all to the one supernatural ability that also exists in this world. I was promised "a lush fantastical world inspired by Mexican and German lore", but it felt very flat and small scale to me. Because the world basically consists of two countries I know absolutely nothing about and I can't say that anything here can be described as culturally rich. The romance was okay, but it was strange how there was such a lack of other characters that Jade and Lukas truly interacted with. It felt like they were in love because they don't know anyone else. Jade has literally zero connections to anyone and Lukas has his family, but it's not like they are present in the story much. They were also facing VERY dramatic situations in their relationship and I quickly realized that I am way too old for such a story (spoiler: ). I don't want to rate this book too low, because it really wasn't meant for me and I think that the target audience could easily enjoy it. It reads like younger YA although there is also swearing and murder and fade-to-black sexual content. It was a strange reading experience for me altogether. I do appreciate the anxiety rep in this kind of book though and also that it never felt too heavy while still presenting it in a realistic way. So overall, there were some positives for me, but I didn't have a great time reading this book. I'm not even too disappointed, because YA romantasy is always a hit-or-miss for me and picking this book up was a gamble in the first place. 2.5 stars.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 5, 2025
An Embroidery of Souls has interesting magic, a compelling mystery and a devastatingly swoony romance, set in a vividly painted world, rich with folklore!
A definite MUST READ!
The magic system of An Embroidery of Souls is among the most unique I’ve ever read! It reads kind of like a murder mystery, but with magic and romance to go along with the adventure and intrigue!
What’s to love…
- Anxiety/PTSD rep with the FMC
- Yearning & pathetic (complimentary) attempts to deny their feelings
- dark sinister magic and mystery
- twisty narrative and shocking reveals!
- rich world and gorgeous prose
- DID I MENTION THE COOLEST MAGIC EVER!?
What might not work for some…
- The pacing wasn’t quite ideal, and felt like it dragged a bit in a few places, especially towards the end, but even so this was a pretty fast=paced and easy to binge book!
4.5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
A definite MUST READ!
The magic system of An Embroidery of Souls is among the most unique I’ve ever read! It reads kind of like a murder mystery, but with magic and romance to go along with the adventure and intrigue!
What’s to love…
- Anxiety/PTSD rep with the FMC
- Yearning & pathetic (complimentary) attempts to deny their feelings
- dark sinister magic and mystery
- twisty narrative and shocking reveals!
- rich world and gorgeous prose
- DID I MENTION THE COOLEST MAGIC EVER!?
What might not work for some…
- The pacing wasn’t quite ideal, and felt like it dragged a bit in a few places, especially towards the end, but even so this was a pretty fast=paced and easy to binge book!
4.5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
July 22, 2025
This book hooked me from chapter one. I did not expect such good plot and writing from a debut novel but was very surprised! Things were going great, I was loving the action and the "embroidery of souls," I could easily imagine scenes but then towards the middle of the book, things changed. Curse words popped up and the main characters got a little too cheesy and cliche, and I just wasn't as into the book as I was at the beginning. :/
Content: six f-words, d-word, b-word, s-word, p-word, sexual tension, implied sex, death, blood, fighting, and underage drinking.
The content is more than a little iffy and what made me take off three stars (the fourth was for the mediocre writing towards the end of the book).
Content: six f-words, d-word, b-word, s-word, p-word, sexual tension, implied sex, death, blood, fighting, and underage drinking.
The content is more than a little iffy and what made me take off three stars (the fourth was for the mediocre writing towards the end of the book).
August 17, 2025
Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC.
I picked up this book on a whim not really knowing what to expect beyond its pretty cover. It blew me away. The magic system is unique and interesting and I enjoyed the settings. The character growth was good and I was a sucker for the sweet romance as well. The plot, however, is what had me in a tight grip and didn’t let go until I finished. There were certain things I did predict (not something that typically bothers me) but there were a ton of surprises as well. Overall I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing more from this author.
I picked up this book on a whim not really knowing what to expect beyond its pretty cover. It blew me away. The magic system is unique and interesting and I enjoyed the settings. The character growth was good and I was a sucker for the sweet romance as well. The plot, however, is what had me in a tight grip and didn’t let go until I finished. There were certain things I did predict (not something that typically bothers me) but there were a ton of surprises as well. Overall I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing more from this author.
July 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Best read of 2025!
Wow! An incredible YA fantasy with action, adventure, romance, and lore rooted in Mexican and German culture.
Jade is a once orphaned young woman who has magic to see the souls of others, and speak life into thread. She can use her magic to embroider soul gifting them traits, like stealth, health, and courage, or taking these traits away. Although special, Jade’s childhood trauma had left her a shadow of herself, living with so much fear that she rarely leaves her home.
Her mother, also a thread speaker, is an advisor to the queen. A role Jade will one day be expected to fulfill. Additionally the town is currently plagued by a serial killer, legend to be monster. Who is killing people and killing gouging out their eyes.
When her mother goes missing, the day for Jade to step into her mother’s role comes sooner than she expects, and she is summoned by the queen. Upon meeting with the queen Jade is given two month to handle affairs before she is expected to start her new role, and help the queen find the murder. Terrified that her mother maybe dead, and that she is not capable of filing her role, she has a panic attack on her way home, and is saved by a young man with a beautiful soul, named Lukas.
Lukas, also a survivor of trauma, loss, and oppression is immediately drawn to Jade. However he has a secret past that makes him not trust thread speakers, and specifically her mother.
Upon meeting Lukas and Jade have an instant bond, and together they embark on a adventure to figure out what happens to Jade’s mother, identify the murder, and get Jade back before she is expected to start her role with the queen.
I LOVED everything about this book. It was packed with action and adventure, romantic tension, strength in morals, and culture! As a Chicana in the US whose language, identity, and family is under attack right now, I feel like this book found me in a perfect moment. Reminding me to be strong in the face of fear, to not let my trauma steal my present joy, and to stay good in the face of evil.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would, and I hope that this becomes a recommends read for students in my state.
I got this book as an ARC through Net Gallery in exchange for my honey review. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to be an advanced reader.
Best read of 2025!
Wow! An incredible YA fantasy with action, adventure, romance, and lore rooted in Mexican and German culture.
Jade is a once orphaned young woman who has magic to see the souls of others, and speak life into thread. She can use her magic to embroider soul gifting them traits, like stealth, health, and courage, or taking these traits away. Although special, Jade’s childhood trauma had left her a shadow of herself, living with so much fear that she rarely leaves her home.
Her mother, also a thread speaker, is an advisor to the queen. A role Jade will one day be expected to fulfill. Additionally the town is currently plagued by a serial killer, legend to be monster. Who is killing people and killing gouging out their eyes.
When her mother goes missing, the day for Jade to step into her mother’s role comes sooner than she expects, and she is summoned by the queen. Upon meeting with the queen Jade is given two month to handle affairs before she is expected to start her new role, and help the queen find the murder. Terrified that her mother maybe dead, and that she is not capable of filing her role, she has a panic attack on her way home, and is saved by a young man with a beautiful soul, named Lukas.
Lukas, also a survivor of trauma, loss, and oppression is immediately drawn to Jade. However he has a secret past that makes him not trust thread speakers, and specifically her mother.
Upon meeting Lukas and Jade have an instant bond, and together they embark on a adventure to figure out what happens to Jade’s mother, identify the murder, and get Jade back before she is expected to start her role with the queen.
I LOVED everything about this book. It was packed with action and adventure, romantic tension, strength in morals, and culture! As a Chicana in the US whose language, identity, and family is under attack right now, I feel like this book found me in a perfect moment. Reminding me to be strong in the face of fear, to not let my trauma steal my present joy, and to stay good in the face of evil.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would, and I hope that this becomes a recommends read for students in my state.
I got this book as an ARC through Net Gallery in exchange for my honey review. Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to be an advanced reader.
July 21, 2025
This is such a sweet and fun read! I loved having a relatable FMC. We all love reading about sword-wielding, dragon-riding warriors, but having a main character who struggles with anxiety but still manages to save the day is so, so refreshing. The romance was very sweet and the ending was satisfying. I feel so lucky to have stumbled on an advance copy of this and will be passing it on to all my friends!
November 13, 2025
Taking off a star because I violently hate a miscommunication trope.
June 25, 2025
4.25. Origineel!!
November 26, 2025
3.25 Stars
𝘼𝙣 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 is a YA romantasy that will absolutely resonate with teen readers. Ruby Martinez builds a vibrant world inspired by Mexican and German lore, and the magic system is genuinely one of the coolest parts of the book-vivid, original, and easy to fall into.
Jade and Lukas give you that classic YA pull of tension, mistrust, and slow growing connection. The star crossed, bonded-mates energy is strong, and while the repetition and extended longing were a bit much for my personal taste, I can easily see a sixteen year old girl eating this up.
I really appreciated the Mexican representation, the thoughtful attention to anxiety and mental health, and the political undertones that mirror our own world a little too well. Those elements grounded the story and gave it weight.
The audiobook was enjoyable, especially the male narrator. The female narrator had a few pronunciation slips and moments of overdramatization, but overall the production was pleasant and immersive.
A bit of a slog for me pacing-wise, but still a good read with a lot of heart. Perfect for younger romantasy fans who love magic, emotion, and a world threaded with both danger and hope.
𝘼𝙣 𝙀𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙨 is a YA romantasy that will absolutely resonate with teen readers. Ruby Martinez builds a vibrant world inspired by Mexican and German lore, and the magic system is genuinely one of the coolest parts of the book-vivid, original, and easy to fall into.
Jade and Lukas give you that classic YA pull of tension, mistrust, and slow growing connection. The star crossed, bonded-mates energy is strong, and while the repetition and extended longing were a bit much for my personal taste, I can easily see a sixteen year old girl eating this up.
I really appreciated the Mexican representation, the thoughtful attention to anxiety and mental health, and the political undertones that mirror our own world a little too well. Those elements grounded the story and gave it weight.
The audiobook was enjoyable, especially the male narrator. The female narrator had a few pronunciation slips and moments of overdramatization, but overall the production was pleasant and immersive.
A bit of a slog for me pacing-wise, but still a good read with a lot of heart. Perfect for younger romantasy fans who love magic, emotion, and a world threaded with both danger and hope.
September 11, 2025
An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez drew me in with its beautifully unique magic system, where souls are stitched and woven into destiny. I loved following Jade and Lukas, and rooting for them. A captivating and heartfelt YA fantasy I’d happily recommend.
4 stars
4 stars
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September 7, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez is a first person dual-POV YA fantasy romance inspired by Mexico and Germany. Jade is a thread speaker, someone with a rare talent to not only see the threads of people’s souls, but to also weave them into other souls and take abilities. Lukas has spent his life trying to keep his head down after his father and sister’s deaths. When the two meet, they not only have to untangle their complicated shared past, but also a conspiracy hiding in the palace walls.
The magic system takes the idea of the red string of fate and takes it a totally new direction and then expands it massively. The threads are not only abilities, but show the fabric of someone’s soul, such as melancholy, love, and anger, and take on different colors. This ability is extremely rare with only twelve known users by the time the story opens including Jade and her adoptive mother and it binds them to the queen of their country as she is required to have a thread speaker in her court at all times. The system felt well-thought out not only in terms of application but how it would operate within the world at large.
The romance between Lukas and Jade could be enemies-to-lovers in a different story. Jade is the daughter of the woman that rejected Lukas and his sister when they were looking for help because they didn’t have enough funds and Lukas has a lot of negative feelings towards thread speaking as a whole. There are other aspects to their relationship in a grander context as well that could have served the trope. What stops it from entering enemies-to-lovers territory is that they never view each other as enemies or even rivals. They are wary of each other in the beginning, but there’s very little genuine animosity or a lack of understanding of the other person’s side. They are on the same side, they just don’t necessarily have all of the same information.
The worldbuilding mixes Spanish and German names, fashions, and other details for a world that feels both familiar and different. There’s nothing that is deeply unfamiliar to most American readers, I think, so the familiarity does win out overall, but it still isn’t a vaguely European-sounding country that is indistinguishable from decades of vaguely European-sounding countries in fantasy.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy romance with a mystery element and readers of YA who want a not-quite enemies-to-lovers dynamic
An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez is a first person dual-POV YA fantasy romance inspired by Mexico and Germany. Jade is a thread speaker, someone with a rare talent to not only see the threads of people’s souls, but to also weave them into other souls and take abilities. Lukas has spent his life trying to keep his head down after his father and sister’s deaths. When the two meet, they not only have to untangle their complicated shared past, but also a conspiracy hiding in the palace walls.
The magic system takes the idea of the red string of fate and takes it a totally new direction and then expands it massively. The threads are not only abilities, but show the fabric of someone’s soul, such as melancholy, love, and anger, and take on different colors. This ability is extremely rare with only twelve known users by the time the story opens including Jade and her adoptive mother and it binds them to the queen of their country as she is required to have a thread speaker in her court at all times. The system felt well-thought out not only in terms of application but how it would operate within the world at large.
The romance between Lukas and Jade could be enemies-to-lovers in a different story. Jade is the daughter of the woman that rejected Lukas and his sister when they were looking for help because they didn’t have enough funds and Lukas has a lot of negative feelings towards thread speaking as a whole. There are other aspects to their relationship in a grander context as well that could have served the trope. What stops it from entering enemies-to-lovers territory is that they never view each other as enemies or even rivals. They are wary of each other in the beginning, but there’s very little genuine animosity or a lack of understanding of the other person’s side. They are on the same side, they just don’t necessarily have all of the same information.
The worldbuilding mixes Spanish and German names, fashions, and other details for a world that feels both familiar and different. There’s nothing that is deeply unfamiliar to most American readers, I think, so the familiarity does win out overall, but it still isn’t a vaguely European-sounding country that is indistinguishable from decades of vaguely European-sounding countries in fantasy.
I would recommend this to fans of fantasy romance with a mystery element and readers of YA who want a not-quite enemies-to-lovers dynamic
December 24, 2025
Let me just puncture my lovers skin with a needle... And sew fabric squares onto them...?
Yikes.
An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me, largely because it leaned far too heavily into YA tropes without doing enough to elevate them. While the premise promises something dark, inventive, and emotionally resonant, the execution felt shallow and underdeveloped, leaving me more frustrated than engaged.
The biggest issue lies with the central characters, Jade and Lukas, who unfortunately read as flat and one-dimensional. Their personalities are defined by a handful of traits and never meaningfully evolve beyond them. Jade is framed as strong and conflicted, Lukas as brooding and devoted, but neither is given the depth or interiority needed to make them feel real. As a result, their relationship lacks emotional weight. Rather than growing organically through shared experiences or conflict, their connection is immediate and unquestioned. The story leans hard into insta-love, and the intensity of their attraction felt wildly disproportionate to how little they actually know each other.
Because the characters are written as very young and emotionally simplistic, much of the romance felt uncomfortable rather than romantic. There’s a constant emphasis on physical closeness and longing without the maturity or nuance to support it, which made the dynamic feel less like a compelling love story and more like reading about children awkwardly fixating on each other. Instead of tension or chemistry, the relationship often elicited secondhand embarrassment.
The novel’s core concept—stitching souls together—is undeniably original, but it’s also where the book veers into genuinely strange territory. At one point, the two leads literally sew fabric squares onto each other as part of this mystical bonding process. While this could have been haunting or symbolic with stronger world-building, it instead came across as unintentionally absurd. The rules of the magic system are never fully explained, nor are the broader cultural or spiritual implications of soul-stitching. Without that grounding, the concept feels more gimmicky than meaningful.
This lack of depth extends to the plot as a whole. Conflicts arise and resolve too easily, stakes are asserted rather than earned, and tension rarely has time to simmer. The story seems far more interested in pushing the romance forward than in developing its world or exploring the consequences of its central ideas. With richer lore, slower pacing, and more narrative restraint, the premise might have supported something far more compelling.
Ultimately, An Embroidery of Souls reads firmly as YA, and readers who enjoy fast-burn romance and heightened emotion may find a lot to like here. For me, though, the flat characters, rushed relationship, and underexplored world made this a miss. The idea was intriguing, but the execution never rose to meet its potential.
Yikes.
An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me, largely because it leaned far too heavily into YA tropes without doing enough to elevate them. While the premise promises something dark, inventive, and emotionally resonant, the execution felt shallow and underdeveloped, leaving me more frustrated than engaged.
The biggest issue lies with the central characters, Jade and Lukas, who unfortunately read as flat and one-dimensional. Their personalities are defined by a handful of traits and never meaningfully evolve beyond them. Jade is framed as strong and conflicted, Lukas as brooding and devoted, but neither is given the depth or interiority needed to make them feel real. As a result, their relationship lacks emotional weight. Rather than growing organically through shared experiences or conflict, their connection is immediate and unquestioned. The story leans hard into insta-love, and the intensity of their attraction felt wildly disproportionate to how little they actually know each other.
Because the characters are written as very young and emotionally simplistic, much of the romance felt uncomfortable rather than romantic. There’s a constant emphasis on physical closeness and longing without the maturity or nuance to support it, which made the dynamic feel less like a compelling love story and more like reading about children awkwardly fixating on each other. Instead of tension or chemistry, the relationship often elicited secondhand embarrassment.
The novel’s core concept—stitching souls together—is undeniably original, but it’s also where the book veers into genuinely strange territory. At one point, the two leads literally sew fabric squares onto each other as part of this mystical bonding process. While this could have been haunting or symbolic with stronger world-building, it instead came across as unintentionally absurd. The rules of the magic system are never fully explained, nor are the broader cultural or spiritual implications of soul-stitching. Without that grounding, the concept feels more gimmicky than meaningful.
This lack of depth extends to the plot as a whole. Conflicts arise and resolve too easily, stakes are asserted rather than earned, and tension rarely has time to simmer. The story seems far more interested in pushing the romance forward than in developing its world or exploring the consequences of its central ideas. With richer lore, slower pacing, and more narrative restraint, the premise might have supported something far more compelling.
Ultimately, An Embroidery of Souls reads firmly as YA, and readers who enjoy fast-burn romance and heightened emotion may find a lot to like here. For me, though, the flat characters, rushed relationship, and underexplored world made this a miss. The idea was intriguing, but the execution never rose to meet its potential.
August 30, 2025
Thanks to Knopf Books for Young Readers for gifted access via NetGalley. All opinions below are my own.
Jade is a thread speaker who has magic that can influence the people. Her mother was thread speaker to the queen and has disappeared. Jade does not want to take her place so she strikes a deal with the queen, 6o days to find her mother before she is pressed into service. Meanwhile a monster is terrorizing the city and tearing out its victim's eyes. Lukas is a young man trying to support his family, he is equally pressed into service by a gang leader to find the killer. Jade and Lukas cross paths and realize they can help each other and that their pasts may have crossed in ways they didn't know. And of course there's some fluttering hearts and kissy face time.
I enjoyed this story a lot. The magic was unique and immersive. There were several mysteries with lots of danger including monsters and pirates. I usually prefer my fantasy without the central romance but this was a very slow burn and by the time they did anything about it, I was into it. Lots of good twists and turns and while you get an ending tied up in a bow, I liked it.
Jade is a thread speaker who has magic that can influence the people. Her mother was thread speaker to the queen and has disappeared. Jade does not want to take her place so she strikes a deal with the queen, 6o days to find her mother before she is pressed into service. Meanwhile a monster is terrorizing the city and tearing out its victim's eyes. Lukas is a young man trying to support his family, he is equally pressed into service by a gang leader to find the killer. Jade and Lukas cross paths and realize they can help each other and that their pasts may have crossed in ways they didn't know. And of course there's some fluttering hearts and kissy face time.
I enjoyed this story a lot. The magic was unique and immersive. There were several mysteries with lots of danger including monsters and pirates. I usually prefer my fantasy without the central romance but this was a very slow burn and by the time they did anything about it, I was into it. Lots of good twists and turns and while you get an ending tied up in a bow, I liked it.
June 17, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! 4 1/2 stars.
Jade is a thread speaker. She has the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into the tapestry of their soul. To receive heath, beauty or agility someone has to give it up, willingly or unwillingly. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family often at the expense of his own wants and needs. The two come together to solve the mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but will secrets from the past and their own insecurities keep them apart?
I really enjoyed the magic system. The cost of magic teaches important lessons and is also a tool of classism through the story.
Both of our main characters, Jade and Lukas has self worth struggles. On top of that Jade has panic attacks and Lukas is grieving. I love the journey they both go on towards healing. I also appreciate they weren't insta better.
The love story is lovely. Not quite insta love, but quick. However, the love journey isn't all smooth sailing.
The physical intimacy is closed door. There's a little bit of cursing (f-bombs, not many). As always check content warnings for your comfort level.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ruby Martinez!
Jade is a thread speaker. She has the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into the tapestry of their soul. To receive heath, beauty or agility someone has to give it up, willingly or unwillingly. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family often at the expense of his own wants and needs. The two come together to solve the mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but will secrets from the past and their own insecurities keep them apart?
I really enjoyed the magic system. The cost of magic teaches important lessons and is also a tool of classism through the story.
Both of our main characters, Jade and Lukas has self worth struggles. On top of that Jade has panic attacks and Lukas is grieving. I love the journey they both go on towards healing. I also appreciate they weren't insta better.
The love story is lovely. Not quite insta love, but quick. However, the love journey isn't all smooth sailing.
The physical intimacy is closed door. There's a little bit of cursing (f-bombs, not many). As always check content warnings for your comfort level.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Ruby Martinez!
June 4, 2025
4.25 stars. “True bravery ain’t the absence of fear but standing up despite the weight of it pushing you down.” This book was so beautifully written and I have quite a bit to say, starting with thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Overview: Jade is a thread speaker, someone with the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into their soul. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family. The two are thrown together to solve a mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but are they right for each other? Can they find the killer before they take more lives?
Favorite character: Jade. I love her character arc, and witnessing her discover herself and learn she isn’t defined by her fear, but is better for it, was so amazing. While I feel bad for the poor girls stomach, nothing stays in it for long, she is truly brave, loving, and smart, and I love her for that.
Thoughts: First, the magic is SO COOL. I love the idea of depicting souls as tapestries and all of the colors describe a different aspect of the person. Second, the romance is AMAZING. I love Jade and Lukas and they are 100% a happy-forever couple. And the mystery and the plot twists? So well done. The cherry on top for me is really the writing style. The author chooses the most beautiful words to describe everything and I am so here for it. Definitely engaging from cover to cover. And I may have shed a tear or two at the end there, but out of happiness. All that to say, pick this up ASAP! 💕
Overview: Jade is a thread speaker, someone with the power change the very core aspects of a person, the parts of someone woven into their soul. Lukas is a poor boy working day in and day out to support his family. The two are thrown together to solve a mystery of a serial killer on the loose, ruthlessly killing people and stealing their souls. Jade and Lukas travel far to uncover the mystery, and feelings begin to arise, but are they right for each other? Can they find the killer before they take more lives?
Favorite character: Jade. I love her character arc, and witnessing her discover herself and learn she isn’t defined by her fear, but is better for it, was so amazing. While I feel bad for the poor girls stomach, nothing stays in it for long, she is truly brave, loving, and smart, and I love her for that.
Thoughts: First, the magic is SO COOL. I love the idea of depicting souls as tapestries and all of the colors describe a different aspect of the person. Second, the romance is AMAZING. I love Jade and Lukas and they are 100% a happy-forever couple. And the mystery and the plot twists? So well done. The cherry on top for me is really the writing style. The author chooses the most beautiful words to describe everything and I am so here for it. Definitely engaging from cover to cover. And I may have shed a tear or two at the end there, but out of happiness. All that to say, pick this up ASAP! 💕
August 17, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book, I loved the concept it was so fresh and unique. The love story was realistic and relatable. The way they both complimented and encouraged each other to be better was so refreshing and beautiful. I really thought this book started out with a bang but I did get a little exhausted halfway through, where it started to feel a little too wordy. Otherwise this was a great read and I look forward to more books by this author.
June 12, 2025
Loved this. I really enjoyed this magic system of souls and threads. Jade was such a great character, full of anxiety and working her way through that as well as feel and grief for her missing thread speaker mom. And Lukas was an excellent match for her, instantly able to get her to breathe. The magic in the threading and its power as well as the give and take of it, just made this stand out. Plus, murder, betrayal and adventure on the high seas, makes this a thrilling read.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
October 19, 2025
Unique magic and society system. The protagonist is a different design than you'd expect in a story like this, and her overcoming narrative is made all the better by her surroundings and circumstances.
June 11, 2025
**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**
A part of me thinks I'm the problem. I really liked the magical system, but Jade and Lukas seem very...tweenish. They're both supposed to be 18, but they don't act that way. Jade is a sheltered girl with major anxiety problems, so I get why she is emotionally stunted. Lukas, though... Meh. When an action scene is supposed to be a high-stress, the characters take their time thinking and plotting instead of reacting. That was the final straw for me.
I do like the mythology, and I'm willing to try this again another time. The author is super creative, and for that, I give this 2 stars. However, I am DNFing this for now.
A part of me thinks I'm the problem. I really liked the magical system, but Jade and Lukas seem very...tweenish. They're both supposed to be 18, but they don't act that way. Jade is a sheltered girl with major anxiety problems, so I get why she is emotionally stunted. Lukas, though... Meh. When an action scene is supposed to be a high-stress, the characters take their time thinking and plotting instead of reacting. That was the final straw for me.
I do like the mythology, and I'm willing to try this again another time. The author is super creative, and for that, I give this 2 stars. However, I am DNFing this for now.
October 11, 2025
I almost didn't finish reading this book. I loathed Jade. The first quarter of the book was a struggle. But! I endured, and am glad I did. The resolution of the story was great, and the core lessons behind Jade and Lukas are fantastic.
The romance was highly problematic. It's not okay to pursue a romance with someone you believe to have hurt in such a significant way. Also, Jade at one point goes from thinking about her anxiety and how she is such a bad person to being horny about the boy because nakedness. Nevermind that said boy is bleeding and you need to stitch him up. Medical situations aren't sexy. I know it's a trope, but it's a bad one.
The romance was highly problematic. It's not okay to pursue a romance with someone you believe to have hurt in such a significant way. Also, Jade at one point goes from thinking about her anxiety and how she is such a bad person to being horny about the boy because nakedness. Nevermind that said boy is bleeding and you need to stitch him up. Medical situations aren't sexy. I know it's a trope, but it's a bad one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3.75 stars 🌟
Its unfortunate i'm rating An Embroidery Of Souls at 3 stars because the premise was very unique and this was the opening line that sold me,"I can kill a man with nothing more than a needle, thread, and lock of his hair."
for a YA fantasy (and standalone at that) it was an intricate fusion of fantasy romance, mystery, and exploration of mental health and as a latina there can always be more latinx rep in fantasy so with that said I'm so glad to have given this book a try because martinez delivered a YA fantasy romance debut with lots of interesting elements even if the execution wasn't to my taste.
AEOS is about Jade Aguilar, the kingdom's threadspeaker who is given a deadline to search for her missing mother before the role will become hers permanently. Then there's a Lukas Keller a poor boy who finds himself desperate to provide for his family by meeting with a vicious, underworld crime boss that tasks him with finding a mysterious killer whose been stealing people's souls. When the two meet they form a complicated allies sort of dynamic that eventually blossoms into romance as they travel to find the murderer to get what they need.
In the world of AEOS, specifically Mérecal Jade is a threadspeaker. While overtime becoming more rare, they have the ability to alter or manipulate a person's soul based on the threads they carry. For YA fantasy as I mentioned before, the unique magic system is what made the book memorable and made for an enjoyable reading experience.
Jade Aguilar harbors a plethora of social anxiety and often I've struggled to find fantasy books that explore this topic so that was very appreciated. having anxiety myself, I resonated with Jade's crippling fears and understood how it affected her in the day-to-day especially from her position as one of the few threadspeakers, alongside the stress she carries from the Queen's deadline.
Lukas Keller is the second POV of which the story is told and his dynamic with Jade was interesting - I like that he wasn't the typical YA hero and wanted to support and help Jade during her panic attacks and anxiety, being a present confidant as she tries to work through her fears.
Along the way, the two harbor secrets and it did make for an intriguing development of the story to see how these secrets would come into play, complicating the investigation!
My issue for this book I believe were in the focus more on characters which while worked in some aspects, left the worldbuilding, side characters, and plot feeling a bit detached, not coming together because of the prose.
With the prose in dual POV especially I feel its important for each character to have a distinct voice. Jade and Lukas have complex backstories and come from different levels of society which made the plot itself more interesting, seeing how they would eventually meet. However as the novel progressed their voices began to blend together in a way and a lot of dialogue or internal thoughts ended up being very repetitive, taking me out of the story. Because a lot of their feelings (often about one another) were peppered across multiple instances as they are working to find the killer, it made the story focus more on their relationship despite the compelling mystery and magic system at the center.
I will say as a voracious YA reader, this reads as a younger YA so I won't overly fault it for that (YA shouldn't just read as upper/older) however its because the ages of the characters are maybe 17/18 paired with how young the book reads but also has swearing which made the tone rather confusing for me.
One of the shining pieces of AEOS was the focus on mental health and how Martinez explored the impacts of anxiety on how Jade navigates the world, it was an intentional, thoughtful element of the storytelling that I never overlooked and with Lukas being there as a support it highlights how Jade slowly finds her confidence. However, what I can say worked for me too was how she never did a complete 180 over her personality nearing the end, she still has her fears but does find more confidence. If anything my issue was the at times with the romance, Lukas seemed to be the *only one who saw these feelings in Jade which forced his character into a one-dimensional sort of "ally" that of course knew what to say to Jade - I'm not saying this is bad, but there could've been more complexity or background in how he knew exactly what to say it felt like a kind of unearned rush into the romantic relationship.
[more thoughts to be added on world building & plot]
Despite my critiques, I do see myself reading more from Martinez and for those who need a standalone fantasy that blends mystery, character-driven storytelling, paired with an easy fantasy world to be immersed in, need a light romantic fantasy or want to read a slower-moving novel that thoughtfully tackles mental health this may be the YA fantasy for you!
Its unfortunate i'm rating An Embroidery Of Souls at 3 stars because the premise was very unique and this was the opening line that sold me,"I can kill a man with nothing more than a needle, thread, and lock of his hair."
for a YA fantasy (and standalone at that) it was an intricate fusion of fantasy romance, mystery, and exploration of mental health and as a latina there can always be more latinx rep in fantasy so with that said I'm so glad to have given this book a try because martinez delivered a YA fantasy romance debut with lots of interesting elements even if the execution wasn't to my taste.
AEOS is about Jade Aguilar, the kingdom's threadspeaker who is given a deadline to search for her missing mother before the role will become hers permanently. Then there's a Lukas Keller a poor boy who finds himself desperate to provide for his family by meeting with a vicious, underworld crime boss that tasks him with finding a mysterious killer whose been stealing people's souls. When the two meet they form a complicated allies sort of dynamic that eventually blossoms into romance as they travel to find the murderer to get what they need.
In the world of AEOS, specifically Mérecal Jade is a threadspeaker. While overtime becoming more rare, they have the ability to alter or manipulate a person's soul based on the threads they carry. For YA fantasy as I mentioned before, the unique magic system is what made the book memorable and made for an enjoyable reading experience.
Jade Aguilar harbors a plethora of social anxiety and often I've struggled to find fantasy books that explore this topic so that was very appreciated. having anxiety myself, I resonated with Jade's crippling fears and understood how it affected her in the day-to-day especially from her position as one of the few threadspeakers, alongside the stress she carries from the Queen's deadline.
Lukas Keller is the second POV of which the story is told and his dynamic with Jade was interesting - I like that he wasn't the typical YA hero and wanted to support and help Jade during her panic attacks and anxiety, being a present confidant as she tries to work through her fears.
Along the way, the two harbor secrets and it did make for an intriguing development of the story to see how these secrets would come into play, complicating the investigation!
My issue for this book I believe were in the focus more on characters which while worked in some aspects, left the worldbuilding, side characters, and plot feeling a bit detached, not coming together because of the prose.
With the prose in dual POV especially I feel its important for each character to have a distinct voice. Jade and Lukas have complex backstories and come from different levels of society which made the plot itself more interesting, seeing how they would eventually meet. However as the novel progressed their voices began to blend together in a way and a lot of dialogue or internal thoughts ended up being very repetitive, taking me out of the story. Because a lot of their feelings (often about one another) were peppered across multiple instances as they are working to find the killer, it made the story focus more on their relationship despite the compelling mystery and magic system at the center.
I will say as a voracious YA reader, this reads as a younger YA so I won't overly fault it for that (YA shouldn't just read as upper/older) however its because the ages of the characters are maybe 17/18 paired with how young the book reads but also has swearing which made the tone rather confusing for me.
One of the shining pieces of AEOS was the focus on mental health and how Martinez explored the impacts of anxiety on how Jade navigates the world, it was an intentional, thoughtful element of the storytelling that I never overlooked and with Lukas being there as a support it highlights how Jade slowly finds her confidence. However, what I can say worked for me too was how she never did a complete 180 over her personality nearing the end, she still has her fears but does find more confidence. If anything my issue was the at times with the romance, Lukas seemed to be the *only one who saw these feelings in Jade which forced his character into a one-dimensional sort of "ally" that of course knew what to say to Jade - I'm not saying this is bad, but there could've been more complexity or background in how he knew exactly what to say it felt like a kind of unearned rush into the romantic relationship.
[more thoughts to be added on world building & plot]
Despite my critiques, I do see myself reading more from Martinez and for those who need a standalone fantasy that blends mystery, character-driven storytelling, paired with an easy fantasy world to be immersed in, need a light romantic fantasy or want to read a slower-moving novel that thoughtfully tackles mental health this may be the YA fantasy for you!
September 4, 2025
Jade finds herself in a postion that she has never wanted ever since her mother Zamora the Queens thread Speaker disappeared. Summoned to the Queen she is told that she has 60 days to find her mother after that per the law she is required to serve the Queen as the royal Thread Speaker. Thread Speakers are able to see a persons soul, all the colors that make up the person and in seeing that soul they are able to make alterations, even cut the thread of life but to do these things it is a give and take, there is always a price to pay. One that Jade has been familiar with since she was twelve when her mother took her to the docks and using a piece of hair from a dock worker had Jade weave the portrait of the mans soul and then cut his life thread. Since that day Jade has known this is not something that she wants but Thread Speakers are rare and as soon as they are discovered they belong to the crown.
Not only does the Queen want Jade to become the Thread Speaker and to help her find the person responsible for the recent string of murders. People are turning up dead with their eyese missing and rumors abound that its either the old Gods taking vengeance for the people straying from worship or its The Serpensa a group that lives underground and causes trouble. So Jade finds herself with limited time to find her mother before she is thrust into a position she doesn't want.
Lukas finds himself roaming the streets trying to find work when he noticed a young woman hunched over in terror hardly able to breathe.She reminds him of his little sister Lina who passed away when she was younger, he had found his way to the home of The Thread Speaker and begged her to save his sister but she turned him away saying he couldn't afford the price and since then he has hated Thread Speakers. Little does he know that this girl that he is drawn too is exactly that. However he finds himself in a position after going to Cora Ramos the Under Queen of the Serpensa's for help caring for his family with the task of finding out who is killing people in the streets. If he is able to do that then she will protect his family, keep them fed and housed. So he and Jade find themselves aligned working together to find out who is killing people. Things are so much worse than they realize though when he takes Jade to a body hoping that she can see the soul and any residue left over from the soul of the killer. She gets violently ill and falls into a panic attack because what she sees should be impossible. The person laying before has no soul. Whatever or whoever killed this person also took their soul which should be impossible.
Together they must face things they never imagined to track down the killer and along the way learn more about eachother. They have to decide what matters more to them and learn to overcome their worst fears. I happily reccomend #AnEmbroideryofSouls by #RubyMartinez. It was a fantastic read!
Thank you to #Netgalley and #RandomHouse for the chance to read the eArc of #AnEmbroideryofSouls in return for a fair and honest review.
Not only does the Queen want Jade to become the Thread Speaker and to help her find the person responsible for the recent string of murders. People are turning up dead with their eyese missing and rumors abound that its either the old Gods taking vengeance for the people straying from worship or its The Serpensa a group that lives underground and causes trouble. So Jade finds herself with limited time to find her mother before she is thrust into a position she doesn't want.
Lukas finds himself roaming the streets trying to find work when he noticed a young woman hunched over in terror hardly able to breathe.She reminds him of his little sister Lina who passed away when she was younger, he had found his way to the home of The Thread Speaker and begged her to save his sister but she turned him away saying he couldn't afford the price and since then he has hated Thread Speakers. Little does he know that this girl that he is drawn too is exactly that. However he finds himself in a position after going to Cora Ramos the Under Queen of the Serpensa's for help caring for his family with the task of finding out who is killing people in the streets. If he is able to do that then she will protect his family, keep them fed and housed. So he and Jade find themselves aligned working together to find out who is killing people. Things are so much worse than they realize though when he takes Jade to a body hoping that she can see the soul and any residue left over from the soul of the killer. She gets violently ill and falls into a panic attack because what she sees should be impossible. The person laying before has no soul. Whatever or whoever killed this person also took their soul which should be impossible.
Together they must face things they never imagined to track down the killer and along the way learn more about eachother. They have to decide what matters more to them and learn to overcome their worst fears. I happily reccomend #AnEmbroideryofSouls by #RubyMartinez. It was a fantastic read!
Thank you to #Netgalley and #RandomHouse for the chance to read the eArc of #AnEmbroideryofSouls in return for a fair and honest review.
July 13, 2025
A Soul-Stirring Fantasy Full of Magic, Mystery, and Heart
Ruby Martinez’s debut absolutely blew me away. Jade Is a Thread Speaker is a breathtaking mix of emotional depth, lush worldbuilding, and one of the coolest magic systems I’ve ever read. It’s a story about power, sacrifice, and healing, but at its core, it’s about two broken people learning they are worthy of love, even with the cracks.
Jade is a thread speaker, someone who can manipulate the very fabric of a person’s soul, tugging at the threads that make them who they are. Strength, beauty, health… all of it can be rewoven, but every change has a cost. And whether someone gives it willingly or not is another story entirely. Lukas, on the other hand, is a boy born into hardship, working himself to the bone just to keep his family afloat. When a series of brutal murders begins stealing not just lives, but souls, Jade and Lukas are thrown together on a journey that spans cities, secrets, and simmering feelings neither of them saw coming.
Let’s talk magic first, it’s incredible. The soul-as-tapestry concept is beautifully executed, with each thread color symbolizing a different aspect of the self. It’s as poetic as it is powerful, and it adds layers of emotional weight to every use of magic. And the way the magic is tied into themes of classism and control? So smart and so timely.
What really hit home for me, though, were the characters. Jade’s character arc is a standout. She battles deep-rooted fear, anxiety, and the trauma of being used for what she can do instead of loved for who she is. Watching her come into her own was inspiring and beautifully written. Lukas is grieving and weighed down by responsibility, but his quiet strength and deep empathy make him the perfect complement to Jade. They’re both navigating self-worth struggles, and their emotional growth is raw, real, and far from rushed. I loved that healing wasn’t instant—it’s messy, and it takes time.
The romance? Chef’s kiss. It’s tender, slightly fast-paced but never superficial. There’s tension, vulnerability, banter, and so much heart. They feel meant for each other, like two puzzle pieces slowly learning how to fit together, flaws and all. Their journey isn’t perfect, but it’s full of genuine love and earned intimacy (and yes, the romance is closed-door, but still beautifully emotional).
I’d recommend checking content warnings if you’re sensitive to certain themes like grief, trauma, or panic attacks. But overall, this is a deeply human story wrapped in gorgeous fantasy.
If you love magic that means something, character-driven fantasy, slow-burn healing, and love stories that stay with you long after the final page, this book is for you. I laughed, I cried (happy tears!), and I’m already itching to read more from Ruby Martinez. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it.
Ruby Martinez’s debut absolutely blew me away. Jade Is a Thread Speaker is a breathtaking mix of emotional depth, lush worldbuilding, and one of the coolest magic systems I’ve ever read. It’s a story about power, sacrifice, and healing, but at its core, it’s about two broken people learning they are worthy of love, even with the cracks.
Jade is a thread speaker, someone who can manipulate the very fabric of a person’s soul, tugging at the threads that make them who they are. Strength, beauty, health… all of it can be rewoven, but every change has a cost. And whether someone gives it willingly or not is another story entirely. Lukas, on the other hand, is a boy born into hardship, working himself to the bone just to keep his family afloat. When a series of brutal murders begins stealing not just lives, but souls, Jade and Lukas are thrown together on a journey that spans cities, secrets, and simmering feelings neither of them saw coming.
Let’s talk magic first, it’s incredible. The soul-as-tapestry concept is beautifully executed, with each thread color symbolizing a different aspect of the self. It’s as poetic as it is powerful, and it adds layers of emotional weight to every use of magic. And the way the magic is tied into themes of classism and control? So smart and so timely.
What really hit home for me, though, were the characters. Jade’s character arc is a standout. She battles deep-rooted fear, anxiety, and the trauma of being used for what she can do instead of loved for who she is. Watching her come into her own was inspiring and beautifully written. Lukas is grieving and weighed down by responsibility, but his quiet strength and deep empathy make him the perfect complement to Jade. They’re both navigating self-worth struggles, and their emotional growth is raw, real, and far from rushed. I loved that healing wasn’t instant—it’s messy, and it takes time.
The romance? Chef’s kiss. It’s tender, slightly fast-paced but never superficial. There’s tension, vulnerability, banter, and so much heart. They feel meant for each other, like two puzzle pieces slowly learning how to fit together, flaws and all. Their journey isn’t perfect, but it’s full of genuine love and earned intimacy (and yes, the romance is closed-door, but still beautifully emotional).
I’d recommend checking content warnings if you’re sensitive to certain themes like grief, trauma, or panic attacks. But overall, this is a deeply human story wrapped in gorgeous fantasy.
If you love magic that means something, character-driven fantasy, slow-burn healing, and love stories that stay with you long after the final page, this book is for you. I laughed, I cried (happy tears!), and I’m already itching to read more from Ruby Martinez. Pick this one up, you won’t regret it.
September 9, 2025
Thread tattoos that imbue traits into your soul, a new magic that few wield in this new fantasy world for young adults by Ruby Martinez in her debut novel An Embroidery of Souls. I loved everything about this book from the unique magic system that was well thought out to the very human characters that showed amazing growth to the emotions evoked and the love that formed and bloomed for them.
The story follows Jade, a rare thread speaker adopted by another thread speaker at a young, a woman who works for the royal queen, and Lukas, a poor young man who takes care of his remaining family, as they work to uncover the mystery of a murderer in their city. Along the way both learn lessons and are pushed into situations that require them to grow and overcome their fears and insecurities. Together they build each other up and wrestle with their emotions and fears, and fall in love in the process while untangling their past and uncovering secrets.
The author built a unique fantasy world with plenty of familiar elements to make it feel real, like I could easily step into it. The pacing of the world building, and the character building, was natural and didn't feel too rushed or forced. The writing had beautiful descriptions throughout that made it a joy to read. The characters felt human and relatable with real issues they each faced and overcame. I always felt like I was there in the pages with the character, feeling what they felt. Jade and Lukas don't necessarily start out as friends but they are both good people and work together, eventually becoming more than friends though it takes them a while to realize and even admit it. The romance was sweet and appropriate for a young adult audience, while the main focus of the story was about overcoming fears/issues, growing as a person, and supporting each other.
I absolutely loved the story and found no faults in it, so highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy romance and fantasy! Young adult and adult readers alike will enjoy reading this story. I do want to warn readers that the book does contain death, grief, murder, and some violence but it's still suitable for a young adult audience. I thank Knopf Books for Young Readers, part of Random House Children's Books, for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley All opinions are my own.
The story follows Jade, a rare thread speaker adopted by another thread speaker at a young, a woman who works for the royal queen, and Lukas, a poor young man who takes care of his remaining family, as they work to uncover the mystery of a murderer in their city. Along the way both learn lessons and are pushed into situations that require them to grow and overcome their fears and insecurities. Together they build each other up and wrestle with their emotions and fears, and fall in love in the process while untangling their past and uncovering secrets.
The author built a unique fantasy world with plenty of familiar elements to make it feel real, like I could easily step into it. The pacing of the world building, and the character building, was natural and didn't feel too rushed or forced. The writing had beautiful descriptions throughout that made it a joy to read. The characters felt human and relatable with real issues they each faced and overcame. I always felt like I was there in the pages with the character, feeling what they felt. Jade and Lukas don't necessarily start out as friends but they are both good people and work together, eventually becoming more than friends though it takes them a while to realize and even admit it. The romance was sweet and appropriate for a young adult audience, while the main focus of the story was about overcoming fears/issues, growing as a person, and supporting each other.
I absolutely loved the story and found no faults in it, so highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy romance and fantasy! Young adult and adult readers alike will enjoy reading this story. I do want to warn readers that the book does contain death, grief, murder, and some violence but it's still suitable for a young adult audience. I thank Knopf Books for Young Readers, part of Random House Children's Books, for providing this advance copy for review via NetGalley All opinions are my own.
July 15, 2025
This book is Six of Crows if the characters actually acted like teenagers.
Front and center of An Embroidery of Souls is its fascinating magic system, Thread Speaking, which is a cross between sewing and tattooing that allows the practitioner to "steal" attributes from one person and impart them to another. Like the Grisha of Leigh Bardugo's universe, Thread Speakers live precarious lives in Martinez's world, at once coveted and feared for their power. Our main character, Jade, is one such Speaker, thrust into the undesirable role of Royal Speaker for the Queen of Merecal by her mother's untimely disappearance. Jade's only chance to escape this fate is to track her mother down, a mission that has her teaming up with working-class immigrant teen, Lukas. Murders ensue, as do feels as these two teens from opposite sides of the tracks begin to fall for each other.
As mentioned above, Jade and Lukas truly feel like teenagers, with all the self-doubt, awkwardness, and vulnerability that comes with young love. Jade grapples with anxiety stemming from her traumatic childhood, and Lukas' gentle, nonjudgmental way of comforting her is incredibly endearing. The pairs' internal journeys are equally sweet as they both come to understand and define their own self-worth apart from their families. At times the youthfulness of the narrative voice does drag the story down a bit, especially the dialogue, which (despite quite a few expletives) I can only describe as overly polite (so many pleases, thank yous, and sorrys, even from slum lords!). For those looking for a heart-warming first-love story, however, this one hits all the marks.
One last note: the world building is intriguing (what we see of it, at least) but does take a back seat to the romance, and I was left wanting far more details about this world as a whole and Merecal in particular. We only hear about two countries (Merecal and a country that is pretty much just Germany). This may be a symptom of this being a debut, which has less room for table-setting. I'd be interested to read more stories set in this world, which Martinez will hopefully get more opportunities to expand!
I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Front and center of An Embroidery of Souls is its fascinating magic system, Thread Speaking, which is a cross between sewing and tattooing that allows the practitioner to "steal" attributes from one person and impart them to another. Like the Grisha of Leigh Bardugo's universe, Thread Speakers live precarious lives in Martinez's world, at once coveted and feared for their power. Our main character, Jade, is one such Speaker, thrust into the undesirable role of Royal Speaker for the Queen of Merecal by her mother's untimely disappearance. Jade's only chance to escape this fate is to track her mother down, a mission that has her teaming up with working-class immigrant teen, Lukas. Murders ensue, as do feels as these two teens from opposite sides of the tracks begin to fall for each other.
As mentioned above, Jade and Lukas truly feel like teenagers, with all the self-doubt, awkwardness, and vulnerability that comes with young love. Jade grapples with anxiety stemming from her traumatic childhood, and Lukas' gentle, nonjudgmental way of comforting her is incredibly endearing. The pairs' internal journeys are equally sweet as they both come to understand and define their own self-worth apart from their families. At times the youthfulness of the narrative voice does drag the story down a bit, especially the dialogue, which (despite quite a few expletives) I can only describe as overly polite (so many pleases, thank yous, and sorrys, even from slum lords!). For those looking for a heart-warming first-love story, however, this one hits all the marks.
One last note: the world building is intriguing (what we see of it, at least) but does take a back seat to the romance, and I was left wanting far more details about this world as a whole and Merecal in particular. We only hear about two countries (Merecal and a country that is pretty much just Germany). This may be a symptom of this being a debut, which has less room for table-setting. I'd be interested to read more stories set in this world, which Martinez will hopefully get more opportunities to expand!
I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
“I can kill a man with nothing more than a needle, thread, and a lock of his hair. My skills allow me to stitch love, embroider away death, and unspool memories.” So opens An Embroidery of Souls by Ruby Martinez, an enchanting YA Fantasy and Romance.
Jade Aguilar is a thread speaker whose mother has gone missing. Without the acting thread speaker available to the Queen, Jade is called to serve. But crippling anxiety, abandonment issues, and PTSD (though not stated as such), makes her very unwilling. Extended a short reprieve of 60 days, Jade sets out to find her mother only to have an episode in a crowd and collapse.
Lukas Keller is a boy with the most beautiful soul Jade has ever seen. He is duty-bound to take care of his family, which is struggling in abject poverty. Lukas finds Jade, and not knowing who she is, helps her recover and bring her home. His next stop is to the local underground gang, the leader who tells him he can join if he can find the killer preying upon Mérecal. To accomplish this task, he needs the help of the thread speaker who let his sister die.
Lukas is surprised to find that Jade is the daughter of that thread speaker. After some discussion, the two decide to join forces to find this killer, mainly because Jade believes they may have something to do with her mother’s death. As the two travel to the ocean and other lands in search of the killer’s beast and clues, they fight off the love they feel for each other. Lukas, because he feels it would betray his family, and Jade, because she has an even darker secret she is keeping from him.
This story is beautifully woven. It is a real coming-of-age for both characters. Tropes include one bed (or hay loft), forbidden love, moral dilemmas, wet clothes, and mental health (spice is appropriately YA closed-door). There was a bit too much navel-gazing around selfishness, but this may be due to the YA nature of the book. While it was slightly distracting, it did not impact overall on my belief that this book will be a massive success in its genre.
The magic system is beautiful (seeing souls and sewing them into patterns with different colors indicating different characteristics), and the ability to take or add components to a person (increase stealth, bravery, love, more) through tattoos or clipping threads. The love story is beautiful, with an achingly sweet ceremony between our two characters. The action is well developed, and there are enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged and guessing. Make sure to add this to your TBR for 9/09/2025!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Jade Aguilar is a thread speaker whose mother has gone missing. Without the acting thread speaker available to the Queen, Jade is called to serve. But crippling anxiety, abandonment issues, and PTSD (though not stated as such), makes her very unwilling. Extended a short reprieve of 60 days, Jade sets out to find her mother only to have an episode in a crowd and collapse.
Lukas Keller is a boy with the most beautiful soul Jade has ever seen. He is duty-bound to take care of his family, which is struggling in abject poverty. Lukas finds Jade, and not knowing who she is, helps her recover and bring her home. His next stop is to the local underground gang, the leader who tells him he can join if he can find the killer preying upon Mérecal. To accomplish this task, he needs the help of the thread speaker who let his sister die.
Lukas is surprised to find that Jade is the daughter of that thread speaker. After some discussion, the two decide to join forces to find this killer, mainly because Jade believes they may have something to do with her mother’s death. As the two travel to the ocean and other lands in search of the killer’s beast and clues, they fight off the love they feel for each other. Lukas, because he feels it would betray his family, and Jade, because she has an even darker secret she is keeping from him.
This story is beautifully woven. It is a real coming-of-age for both characters. Tropes include one bed (or hay loft), forbidden love, moral dilemmas, wet clothes, and mental health (spice is appropriately YA closed-door). There was a bit too much navel-gazing around selfishness, but this may be due to the YA nature of the book. While it was slightly distracting, it did not impact overall on my belief that this book will be a massive success in its genre.
The magic system is beautiful (seeing souls and sewing them into patterns with different colors indicating different characteristics), and the ability to take or add components to a person (increase stealth, bravery, love, more) through tattoos or clipping threads. The love story is beautiful, with an achingly sweet ceremony between our two characters. The action is well developed, and there are enough plot twists to keep the reader engaged and guessing. Make sure to add this to your TBR for 9/09/2025!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 19, 2025
This was such a beautiful read. I’ll admit, it was a little slow at the start, but that felt intentional, grounding us in the world of Mérecal and its soul-threading magic. And while the early chapters were a bit confusing, once Jade and Lukas set off on their mission, everything clicked into place. The magic system—rooted in stitching emotion, memory, and even death into thread—was unique and gorgeously imagined. I loved watching it unfold alongside a plot that grew more layered and urgent with each chapter.
The romance between Jade and Lukas? Subtle but powerful. It wasn’t insta-love, and I appreciated that. We got to feel every inch of their hesitation, mistrust, and quiet pull toward each other. It wasn’t the centerpiece of the story, but it was embroidered into it with care, like a golden thread you catch glimpses of when the light hits just right.
But for me, it was Jade’s anxiety and PTSD that made this book feel deeply personal. We see her struggle with fear and panic, often believing that’s all she is—fear. And then Lukas reframes it for her: being brave isn’t the absence of fear, it’s moving forward with it anyway. That thought hit me hard. There’s something incredibly powerful in a YA fantasy that says yes, you’re allowed to feel scared. That doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it might be the bravest thing about you.
There’s also a scene where Jade reflects on how small and powerless we’re made to feel in this world. But the truth is, there’s strength in us—in community, in defiance, in choosing to keep going. That message feels especially poignant in our current political climate. And for a YA book to plant that seed in young readers? Beautiful and vital.
Yes, some things were a little predictable. But the twist was satisfying, the ending felt earned, and the whole journey left me feeling full. A fantasy adventure with heart, courage, and just enough romance to keep things warm. A soft, powerful debut that reminded me of the strength in softness and how even delicate thread can hold so much weight. This was such a lush, magical debut with heart, power, and purpose
The romance between Jade and Lukas? Subtle but powerful. It wasn’t insta-love, and I appreciated that. We got to feel every inch of their hesitation, mistrust, and quiet pull toward each other. It wasn’t the centerpiece of the story, but it was embroidered into it with care, like a golden thread you catch glimpses of when the light hits just right.
But for me, it was Jade’s anxiety and PTSD that made this book feel deeply personal. We see her struggle with fear and panic, often believing that’s all she is—fear. And then Lukas reframes it for her: being brave isn’t the absence of fear, it’s moving forward with it anyway. That thought hit me hard. There’s something incredibly powerful in a YA fantasy that says yes, you’re allowed to feel scared. That doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it might be the bravest thing about you.
There’s also a scene where Jade reflects on how small and powerless we’re made to feel in this world. But the truth is, there’s strength in us—in community, in defiance, in choosing to keep going. That message feels especially poignant in our current political climate. And for a YA book to plant that seed in young readers? Beautiful and vital.
Yes, some things were a little predictable. But the twist was satisfying, the ending felt earned, and the whole journey left me feeling full. A fantasy adventure with heart, courage, and just enough romance to keep things warm. A soft, powerful debut that reminded me of the strength in softness and how even delicate thread can hold so much weight. This was such a lush, magical debut with heart, power, and purpose
September 15, 2025
"I can kill a man with nothing more than a needle, thread, and a lock of his hair. My skills allow me to stitch love, embroider away death, and unspool memories. Even the most wonderful gifts aren't out of my grasp. Beauty. Courage. Happiness. I can bestow them as I choose, or steal them away as I see fit."
This was a beautifully written debut with such a unique magic system that it had me enthralled from the very beginning. Jade is a thread speaker who can see people's souls. Each part of a person's soul is represented by a different color. Charcoal for strength, burgundy for love, purple for intelligence. With this ability, Jade can take away and add different qualities.
Working for the Queen, when a criminal is punished the thread speaker must remove certain qualities of their soul. Say a person is caught embezzling. Jade can then remove parts of their intelligence dealing with numbers.
Those qualities then go up for sale to those who can afford it and Jade applies a thread tattoo to the buyer.
This person can now activate this new quality when needed thanks to the tattoo.
When people start showing up dead without their souls and Jade's mom goes missing, she's giving limited time to find out what happened and she must work with a poor young man named Lukas who holds resentment against Jade's mom for not saving his dying sister.
Regardless of her powers, Jade is weak and scared with PTSD and major anxiety at the beginning and she's been a recluse in her cabin for years. Thanks to Lukas, who at times is resentful of his feelings for her due to his own personal battles, they both undergo amazing character arcs throughout the novel.
There's a slow burn romance, Mexican folklore, horrific creatures, pirate battles, twists and turns, and amazing world building.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good storyline and strong character arcs with interesting magic and folklore. This is a YA book so there is some teen angst and pining, but it's easy to overlook and the spice is closed door.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the e-arc.
This was a beautifully written debut with such a unique magic system that it had me enthralled from the very beginning. Jade is a thread speaker who can see people's souls. Each part of a person's soul is represented by a different color. Charcoal for strength, burgundy for love, purple for intelligence. With this ability, Jade can take away and add different qualities.
Working for the Queen, when a criminal is punished the thread speaker must remove certain qualities of their soul. Say a person is caught embezzling. Jade can then remove parts of their intelligence dealing with numbers.
Those qualities then go up for sale to those who can afford it and Jade applies a thread tattoo to the buyer.
This person can now activate this new quality when needed thanks to the tattoo.
When people start showing up dead without their souls and Jade's mom goes missing, she's giving limited time to find out what happened and she must work with a poor young man named Lukas who holds resentment against Jade's mom for not saving his dying sister.
Regardless of her powers, Jade is weak and scared with PTSD and major anxiety at the beginning and she's been a recluse in her cabin for years. Thanks to Lukas, who at times is resentful of his feelings for her due to his own personal battles, they both undergo amazing character arcs throughout the novel.
There's a slow burn romance, Mexican folklore, horrific creatures, pirate battles, twists and turns, and amazing world building.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good storyline and strong character arcs with interesting magic and folklore. This is a YA book so there is some teen angst and pining, but it's easy to overlook and the spice is closed door.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the e-arc.
September 4, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was mesmerized by this book from the first few lines. Written with lush prose and courageous characters, An Embroidery of Souls is a captivating and thrilling tale.
Jade Aguilar can manipulate souls with the tug of a thread. When her mother goes missing and a series of gruesome murders plague her city she can’t help but wonder if they are somehow connected. Given 60 days to find her mother before she’s forced to be the thread speaker for the queen, Jade teams up with Lukas in search of the mysterious killer haunting the city.
This was such a creative story. I loved the world building and the rules of magic at play in the novel. Ms. Martinez does a beautiful job of creating complex characters who take courageous action no matter the fear they may feel. I really loved Jade and Lukas. They were so adorable together, and I felt that the way their relationship developed was so lovely. Lukas is a courageous man who takes care of his mother and siblings after the death of his father. He has sacrificed his future for them so that they don’t starve. He is an amazing character, and there were so many beautiful moments when he champions Jade and encourages her. He lovingly brings out the best in her and accepts her for who she is.
Jade is a fantastic character. She suffers from anxiety in crowds and often has panic attacks, and yet she perseveres. She willingly takes on challenges and puts herself out there. She helps Lukas to see what a wonderful person he is and conversely he helps her see how brave and courageous she is. It’s such a loving partnership.
Both Jade and Lukas have strong character arcs. It was such a pleasure to get to go on that journey with them. It was bittersweet to say farewell. This is a strong debut, and I look forward to reading more novels by Ms. Martinez.
I was mesmerized by this book from the first few lines. Written with lush prose and courageous characters, An Embroidery of Souls is a captivating and thrilling tale.
Jade Aguilar can manipulate souls with the tug of a thread. When her mother goes missing and a series of gruesome murders plague her city she can’t help but wonder if they are somehow connected. Given 60 days to find her mother before she’s forced to be the thread speaker for the queen, Jade teams up with Lukas in search of the mysterious killer haunting the city.
This was such a creative story. I loved the world building and the rules of magic at play in the novel. Ms. Martinez does a beautiful job of creating complex characters who take courageous action no matter the fear they may feel. I really loved Jade and Lukas. They were so adorable together, and I felt that the way their relationship developed was so lovely. Lukas is a courageous man who takes care of his mother and siblings after the death of his father. He has sacrificed his future for them so that they don’t starve. He is an amazing character, and there were so many beautiful moments when he champions Jade and encourages her. He lovingly brings out the best in her and accepts her for who she is.
Jade is a fantastic character. She suffers from anxiety in crowds and often has panic attacks, and yet she perseveres. She willingly takes on challenges and puts herself out there. She helps Lukas to see what a wonderful person he is and conversely he helps her see how brave and courageous she is. It’s such a loving partnership.
Both Jade and Lukas have strong character arcs. It was such a pleasure to get to go on that journey with them. It was bittersweet to say farewell. This is a strong debut, and I look forward to reading more novels by Ms. Martinez.
July 12, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
AN EMROIDERY OF SOULS by Ruby Martinez (Sept 9)
Thank you Netgalley, RHC, and GetUnderlined for the earc
Jade can manipulate souls with thread---literally end a life. When a sting of m*rders happens, she teams up with Lukas to solve them.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is a YA romantasy-esque book that is told across two points of view. The first thing that stood out to me---before I even dived in---was the cover. It's so colorful and so pretty. Going into this, I didn't know what to expect.
This book weaves equal amounts of romance, mystery, and drama to seemingly create a masterpiece. The imagery created was phenomenal, painting a picture in my mind like I was there.
I found these characters to be likeable, though it took a moment for me to warm up to Luka---he started out okay, but his grudge against [REDACTED] was a little annoying.
I'm not generally a fan of pov shifts in chapters, but I do think that, in this case, it added to the story because it allowed the author to go into more depth with these two characters.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is easily devourable, and I flew through it---though, by part four, I was ready for it to be over with. Not why you might think...it was because of the events that happened in the last few chapters of part three. So much is revealed, and so much was hanging on by a thread. I just needed to know everything. It's emotional as Jade and Lukas embark on their journey and what they learn along the way. It's full of shock and betrayal on top of the romance and fantasy element in just the right amount of quantities. AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is quite fast-paced despite it being a fantasy (we all know some times fantasy novels are drawn out.)
It's definitely a must-read for those looking to dive into a new world where it's not the cliche prince/princess/thief falling for one another while saving the world.
AN EMROIDERY OF SOULS by Ruby Martinez (Sept 9)
Thank you Netgalley, RHC, and GetUnderlined for the earc
Jade can manipulate souls with thread---literally end a life. When a sting of m*rders happens, she teams up with Lukas to solve them.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is a YA romantasy-esque book that is told across two points of view. The first thing that stood out to me---before I even dived in---was the cover. It's so colorful and so pretty. Going into this, I didn't know what to expect.
This book weaves equal amounts of romance, mystery, and drama to seemingly create a masterpiece. The imagery created was phenomenal, painting a picture in my mind like I was there.
I found these characters to be likeable, though it took a moment for me to warm up to Luka---he started out okay, but his grudge against [REDACTED] was a little annoying.
I'm not generally a fan of pov shifts in chapters, but I do think that, in this case, it added to the story because it allowed the author to go into more depth with these two characters.
AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is easily devourable, and I flew through it---though, by part four, I was ready for it to be over with. Not why you might think...it was because of the events that happened in the last few chapters of part three. So much is revealed, and so much was hanging on by a thread. I just needed to know everything. It's emotional as Jade and Lukas embark on their journey and what they learn along the way. It's full of shock and betrayal on top of the romance and fantasy element in just the right amount of quantities. AN EMBROIDERY OF SOULS is quite fast-paced despite it being a fantasy (we all know some times fantasy novels are drawn out.)
It's definitely a must-read for those looking to dive into a new world where it's not the cliche prince/princess/thief falling for one another while saving the world.
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