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Threadcaster
Cat's best friend Peter is slowly turning to stone. He is an Earth Curse - an innocent suffering from one of the four elemental ailments afflicting the people of their dying world. When the pious Brushcasters drive Peter out of town, Cat embarks on a quest to discover the truth of the Curses and ransom their absent god back at last. Cat must use the Brushcasters' stolen magic against them ... armed only with the truth and a simple loop of string.
591 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2017
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 10, 2020
This book is so good that I want to start rereading it immediately.
Threadcaster manages to be almost everything. It introduces an imaginative world and magic system that piqued my interest from the start, but it kept up the inconveniently practical details that made it feel real. It was both fast-paced and deeply thoughtful. The story was about a world suffering from magical disorder and divine absence--but it was also about best friends and what they mean to us.
The characters are fantastic. They're all very different people who (despite heading to the same place) go on different journeys, and I love every single one of them. The dialogue, the friendships old and new--every moment of someone interacting was great.
In short, read this book. And someone stop me from picking it up again until at least 48 hours have passed!
EDIT: The reread was absolutely worth it.
Threadcaster manages to be almost everything. It introduces an imaginative world and magic system that piqued my interest from the start, but it kept up the inconveniently practical details that made it feel real. It was both fast-paced and deeply thoughtful. The story was about a world suffering from magical disorder and divine absence--but it was also about best friends and what they mean to us.
The characters are fantastic. They're all very different people who (despite heading to the same place) go on different journeys, and I love every single one of them. The dialogue, the friendships old and new--every moment of someone interacting was great.
In short, read this book. And someone stop me from picking it up again until at least 48 hours have passed!
EDIT: The reread was absolutely worth it.
January 14, 2019
The main character, Catrina 'Cat' Aston is a rarity; a magic user. She's courageous, hot-tempered, and she fights for her friends. Her best friend Peter is cursed by magic to turn into stone. Others are cursed by Wind, Water, or Fire to be consumed by those elements.
The magical rulers, Holy Order of Caligraphers, insist Peter leave and go to the town of Earth curses. Cat uses her magic to escape them and their adventures begin. Cat and Peter travel from town to town, pursued by Caligraphers.
What is the cause of Curses? Why is magic causing them? Why are the Caligraphers willing to do anything to retain their power? These and other mysteries are slowly revealed.
I love Jennifer Stolzer's characters, Cat and Peter. I really cared for them throughout the book. They go through a lot of hardships in this magical dystopia. Her minor characters are also vivid and realistic. Her villains are real people with real problems and you understand why they behave the way they do.
My main problem with the story was the pacing. Each chapter is a separate adventure with a problem and resolution. I felt impatient for the plot to unfold and the story to progress. Each chapter adds new information and complexities, but very little seems to get resolved. Rather, the dystopia and the characters' problems grow worse through the whole book.
Still, there are glimmers of hope as characters change and grow. The climatic ending resolves the conflicts logically.
If you like dystopian novels like the 'Hunger Games' this is right up your alley. I actually like the world building better than the 'Hunger Games'. Give author Jennifer Stolzer a try!
The magical rulers, Holy Order of Caligraphers, insist Peter leave and go to the town of Earth curses. Cat uses her magic to escape them and their adventures begin. Cat and Peter travel from town to town, pursued by Caligraphers.
What is the cause of Curses? Why is magic causing them? Why are the Caligraphers willing to do anything to retain their power? These and other mysteries are slowly revealed.
I love Jennifer Stolzer's characters, Cat and Peter. I really cared for them throughout the book. They go through a lot of hardships in this magical dystopia. Her minor characters are also vivid and realistic. Her villains are real people with real problems and you understand why they behave the way they do.
My main problem with the story was the pacing. Each chapter is a separate adventure with a problem and resolution. I felt impatient for the plot to unfold and the story to progress. Each chapter adds new information and complexities, but very little seems to get resolved. Rather, the dystopia and the characters' problems grow worse through the whole book.
Still, there are glimmers of hope as characters change and grow. The climatic ending resolves the conflicts logically.
If you like dystopian novels like the 'Hunger Games' this is right up your alley. I actually like the world building better than the 'Hunger Games'. Give author Jennifer Stolzer a try!
March 23, 2017
A fun, gripping story that takes the best parts of adventure, road trip, magic, and friendship and mixes it all together. The characters are fleshed out and memorable; even the bad guys are complex and some of my favorites. The lore is deep, rich, consistent, and an awesome parallel for religion, hypocrisy, and environmental destruction in real life.
Cat's journey to protect her best friend, Peter, from the magic-wielding Brushcasters leads her on a trip to save the dying world at a steep cost. THREADCASTER is emotional, fun, thought-provoking, and most of all, filled to the brim with awesome characters who you'll be rooting for as you read. I definitely recommend you get a copy of this book, and then check out the #threadcaster tag on Tumblr to see awesome fan art and original art of all of your favorite characters!
Cat's journey to protect her best friend, Peter, from the magic-wielding Brushcasters leads her on a trip to save the dying world at a steep cost. THREADCASTER is emotional, fun, thought-provoking, and most of all, filled to the brim with awesome characters who you'll be rooting for as you read. I definitely recommend you get a copy of this book, and then check out the #threadcaster tag on Tumblr to see awesome fan art and original art of all of your favorite characters!
September 20, 2019
This is a middle-grade fantasy that could use some work. The world-building is a mess of middle-ages, old west and the 1950s. I was confused for a bit and kind of put off by cliche and anachronism issues. It may have been an attempt at steampunk, but it didn't work well for me. However, later once the worldbuilding was done and we got into character-driven storytelling I was drawn into the story. The last quarter of the book was the best and well-written. There are also some book design issues I would fix. First, justify the text so it doesn't look like a middle school report - fill the page. Second, use less spacing between lines - the book is too thick and intimidating for what is really presented. This writer has talent and I look forward to more.
December 8, 2019
This cured my reader's block.
After a few years of not being able to read books at all, I took Threadcaster with me on vacation. It took me 2 days to read through it, and that's only because I needed to eat and sleep.
Stolzer's language flows like an aunt telling you a story you've never heard before. It's comforting, even when the stakes are high and you wonder if it can really work out.
The environments are fresh and new, engaging your imagination.
You feel deeply for the characters, and when you close the book, you feel a sting in your heart like you won't be seeing your newfound friends again for a while.
Do yourself a favor and get a copy!
I am especially fond of the illustrations that's under ever chapter title!
After a few years of not being able to read books at all, I took Threadcaster with me on vacation. It took me 2 days to read through it, and that's only because I needed to eat and sleep.
Stolzer's language flows like an aunt telling you a story you've never heard before. It's comforting, even when the stakes are high and you wonder if it can really work out.
The environments are fresh and new, engaging your imagination.
You feel deeply for the characters, and when you close the book, you feel a sting in your heart like you won't be seeing your newfound friends again for a while.
Do yourself a favor and get a copy!
I am especially fond of the illustrations that's under ever chapter title!
May 14, 2018
Jennifer, I was so happy that I had the opportunity to enjoy Threadcaster! I haven't read a good book in quite a while, and I just would like to give you a huge THANK YOU for writing this fun story. As embarrassing as it is to admit, it's hard for me to find a book that holds my attention. Your book did. It was super easy to read, I loved the flow, the adventure, the characters... In short - this is my kind of book, and you are my kind of author. Again, thank you and I cannot wait for more ;-)
April 14, 2025
I met Jennifer at con and decided to read her book. It took me a while to get to it as its not my normal fair. So I won’t be too harsh as it is clearly young adult. I thought the overall problem to be solved and the approach to it was what made the story interesting. It’s a bit heavy on the world building. Not sure if that’s the style for this age group but once established the story moves. It’s a quick read with an interesting approach to the magic system.
November 5, 2025
Fun and engaging read. The world's quirks and systems are imaginative and simple to comprehend. Both dystopian and whimsical. Really love the magic styles and how the characters support each other through their unique struggles.
April 19, 2021
An unusual and heartfelt fantasy that kept me reading and loving the book throughout. Highly recommended.
April 7, 2017
Unique- moving! Reminiscent of the wizard of oz meets gulliver's travels (in a way?). Definitely a fun read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews