Of Sockets Of Stitches

by Kelly St. Clare, Hot Tree Editing

A ball to Bring,
A reversal to Raise,
A trip to Take,
A change to Change.

And for her? Fifty mothers prepared for final nightfall. They knew five kings could not conquer ruin. And so the fiftieth daughter walked into the toothed beast’s yawn, firstly as a human, then as a monster, a queen, and lastly as a queen who dared to love.

He had always warned that simple love was not within him.

Where did the fiftieth daughter then walk with her broken heart? Into the haze. And that is where I remain after See’s crushing betrayal. I dwell in numbness, shrouded by mist and turmoil. Kings are still free from my olden prison. Princesses surely do their best to free them from shackles. Of pawns and simple monsters… I cannot guess.
The romances of my monsters remain sickened and frayed, and the world hurtles toward The Real End, but this golden fate has no inkling to mend anything, let alone herself.
A king’s cruel words shattered the hopes and dreams that I bravely constructed, and now the entire tower of my queendom must crumble.

Yet at the baffling beginning monsters lurked in my heart.
They lurk there now in this haze, though another had no wish to.
Ah, so there is the only answer.
A queen must go on for her monsters.

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

About the author

When USA Today bestselling author, Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie.

Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing.

The Tainted Accords was her debut series. The After Trilogy is now available.

A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.

Find out more at her website, and claim a free paranormal dystopian short story, coloring book, and free bonus chapters from The Tainted Accords.

http://www.kellystclare.com/free-gift

Reviews

[Rhiannon Chillingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing these books is so hard because it's almost impossible to do without spoilers.

What I will say is that this is the most unusual and original series I have read in a long time. It is written in such a genuinely folkloric, mythological way that it really makes the reading experience unique.

Our Queen is in a very dark place at the start of the book and her journey is magnificent throughout the unfolding of the story. The battle to save the world from ruin dominates the story, with a side dose of her relationship with See.

I am happy to say that the ending was very satisfactory and I think that's all I can say without spoilers!

[Amanda Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been with this series since the beginning. Kelly’s creative writing style immediately struck something within me that kept the pages turning faster than I ever have. It was incredibly creative and new. I could not wait to see how the story developed for this last book, and I was NOT disappointed! For me personally, this series makes you look not only at the bigger picture of life, but it was so introspective. I loved every minute of watching Queen Perantiqua navigate “The Real End” with the monsters she holds so near and dear. To see her character come to the peak of her arc was everything I wanted! This book has love, devotion, heartache, tragedy, betrayal, and even some real world prospective sprinkled in there. It’s a slow burn, but definitely worth the wait once you get there!! Though I do love a good spicy book, I feel like this series gives you so much in the way of characters, story development, and intrigue that you almost wouldn’t even miss it if it wasn’t there.

Can Queen Perantiqua save her beloved monsters from the Real End? Can she do what she must to see the world saved? Can she set aside her own feelings and “foot stompings”? Patches and seams and kings and queen… everything by you need for the greatest book series ever! 💗

[Mima · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wrecked me in the best way. It’s strange and poetic, like reading a dream you don’t want to wake up from.
It starts with those four lines—
A ball to bring,
A reversal to raise,
A trip to take,
A change to change—
and from there it just pulls you straight into a world of queens, monsters, kings, and heartbreak.
Perantiqua’s story broke me. She walked into the beast’s mouth human, monster, and finally a queen who dared to love—and that love is what shattered her. The betrayal, the haze she falls into, the crumbling of everything she built… it hurt, but I couldn’t stop reading.
What I loved most is how raw it feels. It isn’t just about kingdoms or battles—it’s about carrying on even when love ruins you, about choosing to keep going for your monsters. That last thought will stay with me for a long time.

[Caligirlkrys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been a true pleasure to read. The original and colorful world of this story is immersive and richly detailed. This series is filled to the brim with gothic vibes and I am here for it. One of my favorite things about this author is her focus on the importance of female relationships in her more recent books whether forged through family or friendship. In this story the focus has been on the power of love between mothers and daughters. The ending was perfect and left me with warm and fuzzies for the rest of the evening. If you are looking for a truly unique story then I highly recommend this series!

[Mad About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diamonds Shine Brightest Upon The Darkest Pedestals..
The momentum builds in the final book of the series. Perantiqua has a herculean task ahead of her to save the world.
This gothic book is full of love of all kinds, from deep friendships and admiration, marriages built on lust and marriages built on obsession and lastly the love between a mother and a daughter.
So many characters that are well rounded, that you love or laugh with and sometimes loathe. Perantiqua loves all her monsters and embraces all their flaws.
The author Kelly St Clare has created a unique series that is unforgettable.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one hell of a series, one that has had me in its grips from start to finish and this is one hell of an ending. Dark, intense and full of gothic vibes and incredible world building, the author pulls everything together to give us a conclusion worthy of this fantastic series! Twists and turns to keep us guessing and on the edge of our seat, this author knows which strings to pull to lead us through this unique emotional and incredible journey with these complex and incredible characters. An incredible read and this is a world that I will definitely be visiting again!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, this book was hard for me to get into. But, I was able to finish it fairly quickly. Definitely not my preferred style of writing. It was good, even if it isn't my cup of tea. Sometimes it's nice to branch out, sometimes it's not. This series leans more towards not for me. Am I happy to support Kelly's writing? Yes. 100%. Would I read this series again? No.

[Echo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so happy to have been a part of this series from the beginning. The waiting and anticipation for each book just got stronger with each one. Now that this is the last book, I’m sad to be finished with this world and these characters. It was such an enjoyable series. My heart will miss these characters.

[Melissa J. Vanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun series

I haven't done much reading lately, as every book feels the same. Perhaps I am due to change genres. However this book was fun,lighthearted and kept me engaged throughout the entire series. Its been quite a while since I've read 4 books in a week. Wonderful surprise

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The entire series is wildly imaginative but beyond my comprehension at times. I appreciate the writing and creativity but struggled a bit with the conclusion. The ending was enjoyable but the middle dragged a bit.

[Patricia Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unworldly City series was such a unique, creative and enthralling read!! Of Sockets of Stitches was sooo good I couldn’t put it down. Loved the twists and turns and how the series concluded! Would recommend you don’t miss out reading!!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most fitting end

I can't believe this is the end for Patch and See!! Their tale of love and queendom has lasted for eternity. I absolutely loved how Kelly wrapped up all the plotlines. It is definitely a spooky must read!!

[Jacquie Stolz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing conclusion to the series. Patch and the 50 mother's steal the show in attempting to save the world from ruin. Along with the princess', pawns and others. Absolutely surprised by some of the twists and turns. Couldn't put it down until I turned the last page.

[Kass B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh this was an incredible ending to the series. Delicious prose and madly brilliant. It got me in the feels at times and there are some profound lessons woven within. Could not pick how things would end after book three but everything was tied up nicely.

[Bookish Serendipity Shannon williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know what to say.

This series was so insanely creative.

I’ve never read anything like it and doubt I will ever again.

It was truly a masterpiece and Kelly is a maestro of words.

It’s so poetic and just gaaaah!

So many emotions and so many twists. I couldn’t put it down.

And that ending was perfect. Ugh.

I’m so sad it’s over but what a ride!

[Amy Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly 🫶🏻

I’m sad it’s over. Anything would have felt too short. What a fabulous story.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I stayed with this series. This one is the best by far. A few things I had predicted and a few I didn't. Overall, I loved how it turned out.