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The Chronicles of Eirie #1
The Stumpwork Robe
Librarian's note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B004LLIIY4.
No one would believe that a tragedy to rival Romeo and Juliet could be hidden beneath the embroidery of a rare gown. If the writer is found out, she could be killed.
Adelina the Traveller, skilled embroiderer, creates a treasure hunt across her robe. In a world eerily like our own, where enchanted Others weave through the weft of life, Adelina places her own existence on the line in order to condemn her gaoler to a death sentence.
This is the story of The Stumpwork Robe…
No one would believe that a tragedy to rival Romeo and Juliet could be hidden beneath the embroidery of a rare gown. If the writer is found out, she could be killed.
Adelina the Traveller, skilled embroiderer, creates a treasure hunt across her robe. In a world eerily like our own, where enchanted Others weave through the weft of life, Adelina places her own existence on the line in order to condemn her gaoler to a death sentence.
This is the story of The Stumpwork Robe…
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2008
About the author
Prue Batten
33 books51 followersPrue was born in Australia and studied history and politics at the University of Tasmania. She has worked as a hotel cleaner, a cosmetician in a major department store, and a bookseller. But most properly, she was been a journalist/researcher for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Prue is a multi-award-winning cross-genre writer of historical fiction and historical fantasy. Her Historical fiction books of which there are two trilogies with more to come, are set in the last decade of the twelfth century.
She has collaborated in a number of excellent anthologies, including a number that raise money for cancer research, a cause that holds great meaning for her.
Her most unique contract is as an ongoing short-story writer for www. bopressminiaturebooks.com in the USA
Prue can be found at:www.facebook.com/Prue.Batten.writer
www.pinterest.dk/pruebatten
www.instagram.com/pruebatten/
Prue is a multi-award-winning cross-genre writer of historical fiction and historical fantasy. Her Historical fiction books of which there are two trilogies with more to come, are set in the last decade of the twelfth century.
She has collaborated in a number of excellent anthologies, including a number that raise money for cancer research, a cause that holds great meaning for her.
Her most unique contract is as an ongoing short-story writer for www. bopressminiaturebooks.com in the USA
Prue can be found at:www.facebook.com/Prue.Batten.writer
www.pinterest.dk/pruebatten
www.instagram.com/pruebatten/
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 8, 2012
I wrote a review of this book years ago, when it first came out, as I was, I think, one of its first readers. Somehow, somewhere along the line I've lost that review and it vanished into the ether.
I remember only one line of that review and that was that it was like 'reading silk'.
The stumpwork robe is a fascinating idea: a story - a tale in the great tradition of the medieval saga - woven cunningly into a robe, hidden in the design and only readable to those who knew where to start.
The story is a beautiful marriage of medieval history and legendary fantasy, drawing on the great wealth of Celtic myth and weaving it into the tale. But these faeries, much like those in the historical legends, are not Tinkerbell or some Disney creation, but more the wicked and treacherous devils of the Celtic world. Added then to the pseudo-Medieval world, the sheer depth and scale of the world Prue has created is breathtaking.
The only thing that strikes me above that is the quality of the writing. As I said in that one remembered quote, there is something about the quality of Prue's writing that feels smooth and silky (a characteristic definitely missing from my own work, I'm sure.)
I would recommend that you have a look at the book on Amazon, where you can read a small portion of the work on their look-inside program. That way you can see what I mean about the writing and the world and judge for yourself whether to launch in and read the whole thing.
I remember only one line of that review and that was that it was like 'reading silk'.
The stumpwork robe is a fascinating idea: a story - a tale in the great tradition of the medieval saga - woven cunningly into a robe, hidden in the design and only readable to those who knew where to start.
The story is a beautiful marriage of medieval history and legendary fantasy, drawing on the great wealth of Celtic myth and weaving it into the tale. But these faeries, much like those in the historical legends, are not Tinkerbell or some Disney creation, but more the wicked and treacherous devils of the Celtic world. Added then to the pseudo-Medieval world, the sheer depth and scale of the world Prue has created is breathtaking.
The only thing that strikes me above that is the quality of the writing. As I said in that one remembered quote, there is something about the quality of Prue's writing that feels smooth and silky (a characteristic definitely missing from my own work, I'm sure.)
I would recommend that you have a look at the book on Amazon, where you can read a small portion of the work on their look-inside program. That way you can see what I mean about the writing and the world and judge for yourself whether to launch in and read the whole thing.
February 16, 2024
The Stumpwork Robe was a book I was looking forward to reading when I read about it online. The author made an interesting world of weaving different mythologies and particularly Anglo-Celtic and touches of Middle Eastern in this book. I very much enjoyed her descriptions of the Others and various creatures of myth. The idea for the story itself was intriguing and parts of the writing were enjoyable, particularly descriptions.
Unfortunately, while hopeful in the beginning, I found myself only liking a few of the characters and highly disliking the others, not just the antagonist.
People would make stupid decisions repetitively and there was only one character that actually exhibited any internal growth (Liam).
The most empathetic and likeable characters were Kholi Khatoun and Liam the Other. Kholi was just enjoyable. He had a winning personality and would be someone you would very much want to be friends with. Liam with his tragic past was the one character that changed as the story progressed. You end up routing for him.
Then we have Ana, who I started off being fine with until she did one stupid thing after another and then again and again. Immature, petty, self obsessed, childish, and plain dumb. What is even more surprising is that all the other characters care so much about her and think of her as innocent, naive, and soft hearted. No, not really. She spent more time navel gazing then anything else and wallowing in self pity. While, she had reasons to feel bad for herself in the beginning, she never moved past that on her own and never took responsibility for anything. Half the problems that other people had to deal with were because of her impulsive and stupid actions. If she hadn't been saved along the way perhaps she would have left the tale early on and saved everyone a ton of misery. I know Liam says he liked her because she "lacks artifice" and has a "naive spirit" and it seems she had him mesmered because Liam you could do so much better and easily.
There is a bit of that insta-love going on too or insta-infatuation. I really saw no real reason for Liam and Ana to "love" each other and none of their interactions were spent getting to know each other. Later, Ana of course, becomes incredibly judgmental and condemning and does another stupid thing. I'm finding the more I think about Ana, the more I realize how obnoxious she really is. She expects "perfection" from others, but doesn't put measure to herself.
Adelina, the storyteller of the tale and the main protagonist in some ways, although you could say there was an ensemble cast too, was not particularly someone to warm to. She was incredibly judgmental, and superior, and she seems to hold others to a separate standard than her own. Because she is always getting angry and having to speak her mind, some unfortunate things happen, although the blame is mitigated in the text by being part of "Fate." And Adelina is driven by hatred and vengeance--that it says at the start of the story, but she really seems to think less of others as things progress who may be driven by wanting to protect and avenge someone who was wrong. Soooo.....
There was also a bit of protagonist monologuing rather than villain. Nothing like people always telling the baddies things that they shouldn't just to spite them. Lots of people overhearing things too that seemed just to move the plot forward and a bit of a trope.
I will continue to the next book, because this ends on a cliff hanger and doesn't complete the story. I am hoping it pulls up from here.
Unfortunately, while hopeful in the beginning, I found myself only liking a few of the characters and highly disliking the others, not just the antagonist.
People would make stupid decisions repetitively and there was only one character that actually exhibited any internal growth (Liam).
The most empathetic and likeable characters were Kholi Khatoun and Liam the Other. Kholi was just enjoyable. He had a winning personality and would be someone you would very much want to be friends with. Liam with his tragic past was the one character that changed as the story progressed. You end up routing for him.
Then we have Ana, who I started off being fine with until she did one stupid thing after another and then again and again. Immature, petty, self obsessed, childish, and plain dumb. What is even more surprising is that all the other characters care so much about her and think of her as innocent, naive, and soft hearted. No, not really. She spent more time navel gazing then anything else and wallowing in self pity. While, she had reasons to feel bad for herself in the beginning, she never moved past that on her own and never took responsibility for anything. Half the problems that other people had to deal with were because of her impulsive and stupid actions. If she hadn't been saved along the way perhaps she would have left the tale early on and saved everyone a ton of misery. I know Liam says he liked her because she "lacks artifice" and has a "naive spirit" and it seems she had him mesmered because Liam you could do so much better and easily.
There is a bit of that insta-love going on too or insta-infatuation. I really saw no real reason for Liam and Ana to "love" each other and none of their interactions were spent getting to know each other. Later, Ana of course, becomes incredibly judgmental and condemning and does another stupid thing. I'm finding the more I think about Ana, the more I realize how obnoxious she really is. She expects "perfection" from others, but doesn't put measure to herself.
Adelina, the storyteller of the tale and the main protagonist in some ways, although you could say there was an ensemble cast too, was not particularly someone to warm to. She was incredibly judgmental, and superior, and she seems to hold others to a separate standard than her own. Because she is always getting angry and having to speak her mind, some unfortunate things happen, although the blame is mitigated in the text by being part of "Fate." And Adelina is driven by hatred and vengeance--that it says at the start of the story, but she really seems to think less of others as things progress who may be driven by wanting to protect and avenge someone who was wrong. Soooo.....
There was also a bit of protagonist monologuing rather than villain. Nothing like people always telling the baddies things that they shouldn't just to spite them. Lots of people overhearing things too that seemed just to move the plot forward and a bit of a trope.
I will continue to the next book, because this ends on a cliff hanger and doesn't complete the story. I am hoping it pulls up from here.
April 26, 2022
I was drawn to this book because I enjoy doing hand stitching of all kinds, and the idea that someone would use stumpwork to tell a story sounded intriguing.
The brief sections where the narrator discusses the embroidery were sort of interesting, but the book wasn't what I was expecting. I did a lot of skimming, because in spite of the less-than-great writing, the plot had me wondering how it would all turn out.
Then, on the last page, it turns out it does NOT turn out at all! We are informed that if we want to know the ending, we should read the next book!
NO. I will not. In my opinion there is no greater sin on the part of an author. Labelling a book #1 does not imply that you MUST read #2 in order to "finish" the plot from #1.
The brief sections where the narrator discusses the embroidery were sort of interesting, but the book wasn't what I was expecting. I did a lot of skimming, because in spite of the less-than-great writing, the plot had me wondering how it would all turn out.
Then, on the last page, it turns out it does NOT turn out at all! We are informed that if we want to know the ending, we should read the next book!
NO. I will not. In my opinion there is no greater sin on the part of an author. Labelling a book #1 does not imply that you MUST read #2 in order to "finish" the plot from #1.
January 26, 2018
Not what I was expecting. A story written in chapters captioned by the narrator. Although the narrator hinted or perhaps even more than hinted I never really expected all the sorrow. And it became apparent at the end that the two players in the game from when she first met Liam were actually not who she expected
April 20, 2025
Good
Such a well written fantasy book. It has it all. But is so sad too. The descriptions are awesome. Lovuit
Such a well written fantasy book. It has it all. But is so sad too. The descriptions are awesome. Lovuit
May 2, 2014
Warning contains spoilers:
This was a delightful reading. Time flown by me and I just couldn't put it down till the end, now I'm surely embarking on the next installment of the chronicles of Erie: The last stitch. In this book Prue has done it again, she has woven the words to tell the story in a way that has trapped me. Not familiar with this kind of language and legends of the Irish folklore, it was fantastic for me to have come to this book; it made me go back to the time when I first discovered Viking mythology, feeling once again the fascination over the characters and the "Eldrich" events narrated here. The story of The traveller touches so many other stories that result equally attractive to the reader. Ana and Liam are a fascinating couple and just the kind of relationship I like to read about; love and it's implicit tenderness fight to win over Liam's natural way. That struggle nuanced the relationship between them making it very interesting to discover the ways it affected both characters. Also very appealing is discovering bit by bit the world of The Faeran and The Others. Jasper and his magic mirror was fascinating as the mist and obscurity in which the events evolve. Adelina is a strong woman, capable of love as natural to her as the air she breathes in, passionate, champion of her independence but at the same time in need of true love, which she finds in Kholi, her true love. Both characters endearing to the reader and strong in their being. Adelina is just the right woman to confront evil in the form of Severine. I very much want to know what happens between both of them. So much anger, so much injuries that have been inflected is setting the path for a hard revenge. What will Adelina do? I'll have to find out in the next book. thank you so much Prue Batten for this wonderful series.
This was a delightful reading. Time flown by me and I just couldn't put it down till the end, now I'm surely embarking on the next installment of the chronicles of Erie: The last stitch. In this book Prue has done it again, she has woven the words to tell the story in a way that has trapped me. Not familiar with this kind of language and legends of the Irish folklore, it was fantastic for me to have come to this book; it made me go back to the time when I first discovered Viking mythology, feeling once again the fascination over the characters and the "Eldrich" events narrated here. The story of The traveller touches so many other stories that result equally attractive to the reader. Ana and Liam are a fascinating couple and just the kind of relationship I like to read about; love and it's implicit tenderness fight to win over Liam's natural way. That struggle nuanced the relationship between them making it very interesting to discover the ways it affected both characters. Also very appealing is discovering bit by bit the world of The Faeran and The Others. Jasper and his magic mirror was fascinating as the mist and obscurity in which the events evolve. Adelina is a strong woman, capable of love as natural to her as the air she breathes in, passionate, champion of her independence but at the same time in need of true love, which she finds in Kholi, her true love. Both characters endearing to the reader and strong in their being. Adelina is just the right woman to confront evil in the form of Severine. I very much want to know what happens between both of them. So much anger, so much injuries that have been inflected is setting the path for a hard revenge. What will Adelina do? I'll have to find out in the next book. thank you so much Prue Batten for this wonderful series.
July 11, 2011
The Stumpwork Robe and The Last Stitch really form one longer book. Neither book stands alone.
I believe this is a self-published set. I'm pleased to see someone get their story out there and I found the books enjoyable.
The story is set in a world similar to ours but also populated with creatures who are borrowed from mythology. The author has a visual artist's sensibility in her descriptions of landscapes, water, hair, etc. Those who stitch will appreciate her prose. Stitchers will also be pleased that the main character is a master embroiderer.
I don't want to include any spoilers so I'll just say it certainly deviates from typical story style. Those characters you think might be the important ones do not always carry through to the end of the story. A couple of the main characters waffle back and forth on what seems to be an important objective. Their purpose changes. This is rather like real life which can be pretty random. It's not so much like a typical story. So, stay on your toes and release your expectations. Don't worry too much about perfect proof-reading. It's a little different but worth a read.
I believe this is a self-published set. I'm pleased to see someone get their story out there and I found the books enjoyable.
The story is set in a world similar to ours but also populated with creatures who are borrowed from mythology. The author has a visual artist's sensibility in her descriptions of landscapes, water, hair, etc. Those who stitch will appreciate her prose. Stitchers will also be pleased that the main character is a master embroiderer.
I don't want to include any spoilers so I'll just say it certainly deviates from typical story style. Those characters you think might be the important ones do not always carry through to the end of the story. A couple of the main characters waffle back and forth on what seems to be an important objective. Their purpose changes. This is rather like real life which can be pretty random. It's not so much like a typical story. So, stay on your toes and release your expectations. Don't worry too much about perfect proof-reading. It's a little different but worth a read.
March 16, 2010
Great style but fairy-tale thin world-building and uninspiring characters; the narrative entranced me despite not caring a bit for the fate of any of the main characters and a mixture of unknown to me (presumably some kind of Celtic) folklore mixed with a world that felt very make-believe
Not dissimilar in feeling with Elfland by F. Warrington, but there the characters feel "real", while here they have little depth; the beautiful, almost mythical like style kept me turnng the pages though
Not dissimilar in feeling with Elfland by F. Warrington, but there the characters feel "real", while here they have little depth; the beautiful, almost mythical like style kept me turnng the pages though
March 28, 2013
A wonderful book, I was drawn in from the first chapter and can't wait to read the next book.
Set in an enchanted world the writer takes us on a journey of her recent past in Eirie using the embroidery she has stitched onto a robe as the road from chapter to chapter. As a stitcher I found the details about the embroidery just as fascinating as the details on the fae folks. It isn't like most fantasy books and the ending really had me wanting to learn more of Adelina's life.
Set in an enchanted world the writer takes us on a journey of her recent past in Eirie using the embroidery she has stitched onto a robe as the road from chapter to chapter. As a stitcher I found the details about the embroidery just as fascinating as the details on the fae folks. It isn't like most fantasy books and the ending really had me wanting to learn more of Adelina's life.
January 14, 2010
I thought this book odd as I started to read it and initially I wasn't sure whether I liked the way it was written. However it wasn't long before I was hooked. I found myself intrigued by the characters and the magical things that happened. Some of it was a bit gruesome though! I've now got to buy the next book to find out what happens to Adelina!
March 22, 2013
This is a science fiction book that is set in the 1800's. Stumpwork is a type of embroidery. The main character is a gypsy who has written her story and uses magic to shrink her books down in size and hides them in her embroidery.
I loved this book and am now reading the second of four in this series
I loved this book and am now reading the second of four in this series
October 3, 2012
Good book. Love that it is loosely based on Irish/Celtic traditions. Took me until I was a third of the way into it to really start liking it, about half way through I couldn't put it down. I think it was the "language" that I had to get used to. Now on to the second in the trilogy.
February 5, 2011
I just read this and was totally enchanted. Each page drew me to the next and I could not put it down until the last page. I look forward to more books by this author!
March 2, 2013
Great book
November 9, 2014
actually read this a month or so ago and loved it - on to the second boook
September 12, 2014
Do not read this book if you have trouble reading rape scenes. There is pointless rape scene in chapter 4, honestly I couldn't finish the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 15, 2016One of the best books I read while living in Tasmania.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews