Threads of Memory

Thread Witch #1

by Richard Fierce

Some threads should never be pulled.

Amara has spent her life hiding in plain sight hemming tunics, mending tears, and never letting anyone know that cloth speaks to her.

When a soldier brings her a bloodstained cloak, Amara’s needle awakens a dead captain’s voice, revealing her ability. Now a Guild enforcer from the Hemlock Circle hunts her, determined to prove she’s a rogue weaver.

But the Guild isn’t the only danger. Grieving nobles covet her power. Desperate mourners beg for miracles. And in the shadows, a cult known as the Wraithstitchers waits, eager to claim her gift and twist it into horrors beyond imagining.

Cornered by enemies, Amara must decide whether to keep hiding… or to wield the very power she fears. Because cloth remembers—and those who command its whispers can change the fate of kingdoms.

Perfect for fans of unique magic systems, slow-burn tension, and heroines who defy the pattern fate has sewn for them.

169 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Richard Fierce is a fantasy author with a passion for storytelling that dates back to his childhood. He first ventured into publishing in 2007 and hasn’t looked back since. His books are filled with dragons, adventure, and the kind of epic journeys that transport readers to new worlds.

In 2000, Richard was named Poet of the Year for his poem The Darkness, and his love for literature extends beyond just writing—he co-founded the Acworth Book Festival in Georgia to help bring authors and readers together. Though he originally worked in retail, he eventually transitioned to the tech industry, balancing his career with his writing.

Richard lives in Northwest Georgia with his family and a lively mix of pets, including four dogs (huskies!). He often jokes that his house feels like a zoo, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

His love for fantasy started in high school when he was gifted a copy of Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman—a book that sparked a lifelong love for dragons and epic quests.

Whether he’s writing about dragon riders, lost civilizations, or ancient prophecies, Richard Fierce continues to craft stories that pull readers into unforgettable adventures.

Reviews

[Kell Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a crisply written book. It’s short and pacy, and I loved how it got straight to the action. (It's also another entrant in the SPFBO XI contest.)

Amara is a seamstress, and a threadwitch, with the ability to awaken memories in cloth. This means that someone could use a cloak or jacket to listen to memories or impressions of the past wearer, something that could be of interest in a world without modern technology. You could listen to the worlds of a holy leader by touching the cloth, or relive time with a beloved reparative.

However, magic in this world is controlled by the Guild, and Amara is an illegal practitioner. One day in the market place, she’s asked to repair a cloak belonging to a military captain and accidentally awakens its memories, which she quickly silences. However, not before the outburst was noticed by everyone around her! This puts Amara in the path of Caedric, an Unraveler (or inquisitor) whose job is to work for the Guild and round up all of these rogue, magical seamstresses.

Amara denies being a thread-witch in her interrogations with Caedric, but he’s still suspicious. And she’s hounded by the public who want her to use their powers for them, so that they can awaken memories belong to the departed relatives As Caedric investigates Amara, he becomes more sympathetic to her, and is torn between fulfilling his duty to the Guild, and helping Amara.

But the Guild isn’t the only one after Amara; there’s an evil cult, the Wraithstitchers. Unlike a threadwitch who awakens memories in a cloth, a wraithstitcher can tear a soul apart and use it to ‘craft garments of terrible power’. (Although , disappointingly, they mostly write intimidating messages). And there’s a third pressure on Amara; the Lady Selanna, who wants Amara to use her power to awaken the memories of her dead son.

How Amara navigates all these threads with Cedric’s help is the heart of the story. It’s probably not a spoiler to say that Caedric and Amara are attracted to each other, but don’t quite trust each other. The romance gels in the last part of the book, although it’s more of an emotional connection between the pair. There’s not much time for anything else! An unlike some romances I’ve read, where Partner A has to sit out of the last boss fight watching and cheering on while Partner B does everything, there’s a decent balance of action at the end.

I suppose the main issue with this one was the world building. Why is this magic actually illegal? What monopoly is the Guild protecting? For example, the noble who kidnaps Amara wants her to awaken her son’s memories in a shirt. But if the Guild has licensed threadwitches who use rune-thread (rather than Amara’s natural talent) why not pay the Guild? How does the Guild make their money to pay for their inquisitor program if everyone hates threadwitches? No one in the public who hounds Amara talks about negotiating with the Guild or complains about their steep prices. (Although I’m not sure if the target audience will worry about this too much.)

Probably the other issue is all of the sewing-related jargon around the magic system: Threatwitches, Wraithstitchers. Caedric’s sword is a threadcutter. When Amara uses too much magic she gets threadburned (which means she stab herself with her needle).

But the sharp pace makes this a real page-turner, and the relationship between the pair develops nicely. Recommended. (Although note that the ending is set up for a sequel.)

[Angela Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect out of this story, especially because it's shorter than my normal reads, but I enjoyed it. Overall, the story was fast-paced and had two compelling characters as leads. I loved how the magic system is based on sewing. Amara can awaken the dead when she works on a piece of clothing owned by that person. Sometimes, it's an echo of a memory, but sometimes, it's more. I liked Amara. She had good intentions and wanted to avoid trouble. When she used her powers, she was always respectful for the dead. I wasn't expecting to get Caedric's POV from the blurb, but I'm glad it was there. It added depth to the story and to the world because to me, he is more affected and changed by the events than Amara was. We learned a lot more about the Guild and Wraithstitchers. We saw the institutional problems with is POV. I would like to know more about the Guild and how magic became illegal.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book introduces Amara, a quiet seamstress who has spent her life hiding a dangerous secret: cloth speaks to her. Every stitch carries whispers, emotions, and if she isn’t careful, memories of the dead. When a soldier brings her a blood‑soaked cloak, her needle awakens the voice of a fallen captain, exposing her forbidden gift. That single moment shatters her anonymity.
A relentless Guild enforcer from the Hemlock Circle begins hunting her, determined to brand her a rogue weaver. Meanwhile, nobles crave her power, mourners beg her for miracles, and a shadowy cult, the Wraithstitchers, waits to twist her abilities into something monstrous. Cornered on all sides, Amara must choose between hiding forever or embracing the terrifying truth of her magic. Because in this world, cloth remembers, and those who command its memories can alter the fate of kingdoms.

[Sandra Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threads of Memory is a creative fantasy built around an intriguing and original magic system where cloth itself holds memory and power.

Richard Fierce delivers a tense, atmospheric story with a strong heroine in Amara, balancing quiet emotional stakes with rising danger from multiple factions. A compelling read for fans of unique magic and character driven fantasy.

[Vinay Badri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a rather nifty book that has an interesting magic system, 2 compelling leads and a crisp story to boot packaged in a rather terse page count. Full RTC

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[Ashley Devonport · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repeative and a holes but all in all a cool world and solid read