The Severed Thread

The Bone Spindle #2

by Leslie Vedder

Which threads of fate will hold—and which will break?

Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestselling The Bone Spindle, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and The Cruel Prince.

Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after.

Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving.

Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape.

All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…

Set in a world of twisted fairytales, The Severed Thread combines lost ruins, ride-or-die friendships, and heart-pounding romance.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Romance, Retellings, Lesbian, Queer

404 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2023

About the author

Leslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She currently lives in Colorado with her wife and her cat Fox Mulder, who believes the treats are out there.

When she's not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they're enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.

Her debut YA THE BONE SPINDLE was an ABA indie bestseller.

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i won a goodreads giveaway!! wheeeeee!!!

sometimes i really miss it here.


anyone still around?

review....tk?

[Lyra (Cardan's tail's version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

—4.5 stars—

“You didn’t put me in a cage. You saved me from one.”

————about the book————

Age: YA
Genres: Retellings, Fantasy,
Cliffhanger: YEP.
Writing: 8/10
Quotes: 8/10
World building: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Romance: 9/10
My rating: 9/10

‼️spoilers below‼️

———my feelings———

Treasure hunter Fi may have woken the sleeping prince, Briar Rose, but she’s not out of danger yet. Faced with a perilous journey to a hidden city of witches, she’s running out of time.
As the journey progresses, Fi and Briar fight their feelings for each other, and Shane can’t stop flirting with Red...but a new darkness is creeping in, one that might stand in the way of a happy ever after...

I love this series.
Adorable, fluffy nonsense in the best form: fairytale retellings!
It’s amazing, to return to this world and know that however deceptively simple it is, it has hidden depths and far better world building than you’d imagine.
It’s the sequel to THE BONE SPINDLE, a continuation of Leslie Vedder’s genderbent Sleeping Beauty.
I loved the first book, and thankfully this one lived up to my expectations too!
I’m continually surprised and excited every page I turn, and it has that comforting YA feeling where you know nothing terrible’s going to happen. That said, it’s very much a YA, in the sense that the romance is the most wholesome and sweet relationships! (But, sometimes the clean fluffy romance is what I need!)
Out of the two pairs, my favourite is definitely Fi and Briar! They’re just so adorable🥰 I want to squish them! And it’s romanticXskeptic, which might become one of my favourite tropes...
The other couple, Shane and Red, are sweet, yes, but there’s a little too much—well, not exactly insta love, but almost?
They just didn’t click with me, and I found myself a little disappointed when it was their chapters instead of Fi and Briar’s.
The villain (the spindle witch), is a little cartoonish in the YA-can’t make-a-villain-too-evil way, but I’ll forgive that—like I forgive a lot of flaws when I love a book (oops).
The thing that draws me into this series every time, is that the writing is so easy to read—I was reading very fast, and yet the descriptions paint these beautiful images! (I need to check out fanart at some point...)
All in all, this is the perfect cozy series for a rainy day, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book!

———characters ———

Fi: historian, treasure hunter, shy and brave, I love her so much! She’s so sweet I can’t—

Briar: prince, witch, charming and caring, he’s just so cute with Fi! I love them so much😭

Shane: huntswoman, war king’s daughter, standoffish and fierce, she’s always determined not to give up and I love her for that!

Red: witch, outlaw, mysterious and quiet, we got a lot more of her history here, and her POV! I love her sense of style.

————quotes————

“I’ll get you back, no matter what it takes.”

“Dreams were tricky—it was easy to get lost in them and end up wandering, your own mind creating what you wanted to see and luring you further and further in.”

“Dreams were nothing but fantasies, and this one was over.”

“Monsters find other monsters.”

————songs————

Bad dream -Ruelle
Wild roses -of monsters and men
Never enough -AViVA
War of hearts -Ruelle

———random extra thoughts———

Ok...so I may have a different cover than the one shown, but let me live out my fantasies! It’s so pretty I need to see it somewhere🥺🥺

Thanks for reading!❤️

[Mary the Winter]

I CAN'T WAIT CAN WE HAVE IT NOW!??!

[Dr. Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours and Penguin Teen for an eARC and finished hardcover in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.

I loved this sequel!! I wish I didn't have to wait so long for book three. I'm ready for it right now. Also Shane needs to rest after the MULTIPLE beatings she went through in this book. Seriously, girl needs many ice packs.

If you know me, you know I love fairytale retellings. The severed thread was no exception! I really loved this sequel. It’s completely full of adventure, a little bit a mystery and a whole lot of violence 🤣. Shane doesn’t catch a break in this one and I need her to spend at least a week in an infirmary on bed rest/healing 😂.

I really loved getting to know our characters even more. Shane & Fi’s partnership is definitely one of my favorite parts of the series. I love how much these two care for each other. We also see the romantic relationships deepen between the characters. I love these pairings so much. Red really grew on me in this one and I need the finale IMMEDIATELY!

Rep: white cis female MC with PTSD and anxiety, white lesbian cis female MC, sapphic female side character, vegetarian male side character, achillean BIPOC cis male side character, queer-normative world.

CWs: Blood, fire, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, mental illness (PTSD/anxiety), prejudice against witches, toxic relationship (past one), violence, kidnapping. Moderate: past mentions of emotional abuse, past child abuse, past familial estrangement (side character), confinement, cave collapse, sexism, misogyny.

[Leslie Vedder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author review time! I am so grateful to all the wonderful readers who made it possible for Fi and Shane to ride again :)

First, general PSA, The Severed Thread is book two of The Bone Spindle trilogy. It stars two kickass girl treasure hunters Fi & Shane. Fi is in an m/f love story with the now-awakened sleeping prince, Briar Rose. And Shane is in an f/f enemies-to-lovers romance with the dangerous witch, Red ❤

The Severed Thread gave me the chance for more of everything! More ride-or-die Fi and Shane friendship and snarking. More treasure hunting, with books codes and secret studies and old forgotten forges. More ancient magic in the hidden city of the last witches. More action and fights, and so much more angsty, pining, heart-melting love!

Oh yes, and my favorite wolf, Cinzel :)

Finally a few CWs: fantasy violence, weapons, past abusive/ manipulative relationship, capture, abusive parent figure

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

u gonna have to bear with me cause I read book 1 as soon as it came out and I don't remember shit except butterflies, hot women and axes BUT i have an audiobook so i'm unstoppable.

It was fun (i think) but it reminded me of why I usually don't bother with sequels: I don't care enough

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great follow up to The Bone Spindle! The Severed Thread is an action packed blend of Indiana-Jones style adventure and classic fairy tale tropes, but it's grounded by central relationships I love. This has one of my favorite female friendships between treasure hunters Fi and Shane. Their dynamic and love for each other is really beautiful. And then we get two romances as well! I'm especially invested in the romantic tension between Shane and her mystery girl Red. As a whole, the book is a bit of angst, but plenty of fun and danger. I look forward to seeing what happens in book 3! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Sanja ✵ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has an extreme case of “second book syndrome”. Nothing that happens is really going to have an impact on the overall story. It’s very clear that sometimes the trilogy only has enough material to be a duology, so the second book is just a boring filler. That’s what happened here.

What also annoys me to no end is excessive blushing, important conversations being interrupted by someone just barging in, naive characters running headfirst into danger and making decisions that affects everyone without telling them. Once again, that’s what happened here. These thing are frequently recurrent and just makes me irritated.

I felt like this book followed a template called “how to write a YA novel” and is just full of tired and overused tropes. And that’s not really my thing anymore.

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars, when it picked up it really picked up

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group & Razorbill for the arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I remember reading the first book in this series last January, and absolutely falling in love with the innovative and unique storytelling. This is a retelling of sleeping beauty with some hints of Indian Jones thrown in, and I still think that it took a lot of talent to mesh those two things together. The vibes for this story are so fun and blended perfectly into this book as well. There were some parts of this book that I think could be improved upon but overall it was still a good read.

One of the things that was just a bit frustrating was that the plot and pacing felt a bit uneven, sometimes there was lots of action (like in the beginning) but then it would slow down and I felt sometimes focused too much on little things. It just felt inconsistent throughout the whole story, enough for me to notice so I hope that it's more consistent in the following book. I also wish we had gotten a little more detail on the setting, though we did get some other world-building. The main mystery wasn't solved, but there were some more tidbits uncovered about it. But in general, I didn't feel that a lot of the setting was overlooked, even when a place was revealed.

My favorite part of this was Shane and Fi, the best partners for this story. Even from the beginning, I've loved their banter and relationship, and while there were periods where they weren't together in this book I loved when I did see them together. The trust that has been established between them is really sweet, and they know how to work off each other's strengths. I prefer Fi a bit more, just because she's the bookish scholar type and it's really interesting to see her figure out riddles. I still love Shane, she's just a bit more headstrong than her partner, which gets her into some tricky situations.

There were some good side characters in this story too including The Paper Witch, Briar, Red, and Perrin. While I didn't remember a lot about the Paper Witch initially, he was still a really interesting character especially when it was revealed that he had magical tattoos. Briar was a favorite side character of mine, though he was given chapters from his point of view so that was really fun to see. Red was my least favorite character, though it was interesting to get more of her backstory. And finally, I think Perrin was a great addition to the group with his humor and skillset.

Evolving from the first book, the romances were a lot bigger piece of the plot than before. I really enjoyed one of them and wasn't wholly convinced about the other, but I think there is potential there. Shane x Red is the one I'm not totally sold on, just because of how theirs has been playing out, but again I think there is a romance that can be built from it. I really enjoyed Fi and Briar's interactions though, and I cannot wait to see more of them.

Overall, this book did fall into middle-book syndrome a little bit, but I was so excited to see that there was a third book being written. This world is really fun and while I had some issues with how the story was written and where the plot went (or rather didn't go) I still had lots of fun reading this. There are definitely things to be improved on but I'm excited to read the final book.

[TW: animal bites, blood, hand trauma, broken bones, abuse mentioned, some gore, injuries, poisoning, sandstorm, death of parents and loved ones mentioned]

[Caleigh]

this cover oh my god so pretty

⋅˚₊‧ ଳ ‧₊˚ ⋅

the bone spindle: ★★★★

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare for a sequel to be as good as the first novel, at least in my experience. But DAMN, The Severed Thread is even better than it’s predecessor. I loved seeing the characters again, and watching them develop as the story progressed. I also enjoyed seeing more of Red and Shane together. Leslie Vedder writes amazing action scenes, the fantasy elements are immersive, and I really found myself rooting for the protagonists. Even when I knew certain choices were coming, (some arcs were inevitable) I was so engaged with the characters and the story I still felt the impact of it deeply. This is the kind of book that reminds me of why I started reading in the first place.
But that cliff hanger…ouch. 🥲❤️‍🩹

[Charlie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic follow up to the Bone Spindle, with more epic found family adventures, two swoony love stories navigating impossible odds, heart-filling platonic partnerships, redemption arcs for intriguing morally grey characters and the best good boy wolf a girl could ever ask for!

I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself while we wait for book 3!!

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an incredibly good follow-up to the Bone Spindle. I loved it!

I love love love these characters and this world. They're all so multi-faceted and intriguing. I can't wait for the next book. I especially love how unpredictable I find it. I've read so many YA fantasy novels over the years and this one never quite reveals what I expect it to with each turn of the page. As is the way of second books in trilogies, the entire story feels like a relentless headlong rush, and at the same time a carefully balanced push-and-pull of wins and losses. Not a stalemate, exactly, but never with a clear winner either.

My absolute favorite part, hands down, is when they form a small band of adventurers and treasure-hunters. First it was Fi and Shane, then they picked up Red and Briar, and now they've reeled in Perrin as well. And there is such warmth and camaraderie between them -- and they all seem a lot happier out in the elements, fighting for their lives and searching for treasure and hatching plans. I never trusted the golden city of Everlynd, and I find I like the story much better once they leave it behind.

I'm not sure what I think of the Paper Witch either. He has his own secrets, and he holds them closer than the others do. He's more enigmatic and I'm never sure what he'll do. The others' motivations are easier to read.

I love how we get a glimpse into the founding of Andar, with the history of Aurora and the Butterfly Witch and the Spindle Witch! I hope we get to discover a lot more about this later because I find it fascinating.

The ending came out of nowhere and wasn't anything like what I predicted and at the same time I can't imagine it going any other way. It, like the rest of the storytelling, feels right and perfectly placed and thought-out.

I care about these characters so much: Fi and Shane and Briar and Red. Perrin, too, though I don't know him that well yet. I'm not sure I trust him yet - his motivations have been too unclear to me, but I like him quite a lot. I like all of them and I feel almost like a part of their group. Which is probably why the plot was able to take me so off-guard - I'm in the thick of it with the rest of them.

This (and the Bone Spindle) are definitely going on my favorite books of the year list.

*Thanks to Colored Pages Blog Tours, Penguin Teen, and NetGalley for providing an early copy for review.

[Carey Blankenship-Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical, adventure-packed, nail biting tension, queer rep, lovely romance, exceptional characters, a plot that has you hooked from page one: this sequel does NOT disappoint.

Well, Leslie has done it again! She's written a stunning fantasy with gorgeous prose and meaningful characters. It was so refreshing diving back into this story with the gang: Fi, Shane, Red, and Briar are all back and with some fun new characters as well! Let's not forget the bestest boy Cinzel, and, if you're reading this review because you need to know about his fate !~SPOILER ALERT~! the bestest wolf boy in the world survives! Thanks, Leslie, for not totally shattering my heart.

Sorry, got distracted talking about my boy. The Severed Thread is an excellent masterclass on what TO DO with sequels. Not only do we get a plot filled with tension, excitement, and lots ofomg how are they going to survive this moments (seriously, ladies, please stop putting yourself near tall places it makes my heartrate go THROUGH the roof). But we also get more time with these characters that just LEAP off the page. Seriously, I have a hard time picking a favorite. I probably couldn't even if I was backed into a corner. They're all so dynamic. You cheer and root for all of them, and it's because Leslie knows how to weave a complicated cast with complicated issues into one smooth storyline. I also just want to give all of them a big, ol' hug.

Not to mention this FANTASTIC world. One of Leslie's strengths and one of the best parts of these books is the way we learn the history of their world. Those passages are never dry, it's not info dumping, I usually find myself leaning closer like Fi, dying to learn every single detail about the history of magic and how it's impacting the current times. Leslie is incredible at writing world building, and also dialogue for that matter. Seriously, she's a master.

If you haven't read any of the Bone Spindle books yet, do yourself a favor and get started. You have two INCREDIBLE stories to escape into. It's so easy to get lost in their world and forget about your own problems, which is the greatest gift any author can ever give us. Thank you, Leslie, for your story and your talent.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woo hoo!!! Isn’t it the best feeling when you find a sequel that lives up to the first book?? Idk about you guys, but I’m always so anxious going into book two of a series if I loved the first one, because sometimes the second book falls SO flat. This one was AMAZING! It felt just like the first one and I adored all the new developments. I had to put the book down multiple times to write down quotes I loved. This is absolutely a new favorite series for me and I’m dying for the next book!!!! I cannot recommend this enough to lovers of YA fantasy!

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as thrilling and breathtakingly adventurous as it’s previous instalment, Leslie Vedder’s gender-switch, Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones YA Fantasy picks up where The Bone Spindle left off—with our favourite treasure-hunting duo charging headfirst into even more danger.

As Shane, Fi (and the newly awakened Prince Briar) set off to restore the Prince’s long destroyed Kingdom and stop The Spindle Witch once and for all…

But with Witch hunters, Fi’s curse, Shane’s growing feelings for enemy witch Red, not to mention Briar’s ever deepening bond to the Spindle Witch-happily ever after may not be soo certain after all.

Now, all hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious code left to Briar by his sister (the powerful Rose Witch.) If he can find the hidden city of witches and unravel the secret that’s been lost to time, then our intrepid heroes may just stand a chance.

I absolutely loved The Bone Spindle with its perfect blend of fantasy, romance and high octane(and often life-threatening) escapades, so was super excited to dive straight in to its sequel. And I’m glad to report that there’s even more heart-stopping action and narrative conflict than its predecessor, I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time!

The world building was once again wonderfully vivid and soo rich in detail and the lore soo beautifully written and intricate that I hoarded every intriguing morsel I could.

Vedder once again cleverly utilises multiple POVs to give us a much appreciated insight into emotions and thought processes of our characters (in this case Shane, Fi, Briar and Red) —which added a depth and dimension that really brought them to life. Particularly Red, whose morally grey, redemptive arc was soo beautifully done.

As one of the characters I wanted to see more of after The Bone Spindle, I was pleased to explore beyond her veneer of flattery and charm, and actually get a good feel for her personal motivations. I also loved seeing a more vulnerable, compelling side to her which definitely subverted all of my previous opinions. Plus, her enemies to lovers-esque chemistry with Shane was soo good!

We also get to delve a little more into Briar’s backstory, his curse and his complicated feelings for Fi, in all their deliciously angsty and swoon-worthy glory. I was really impressed with the nuance and authenticity within both romances and loved how much the slow-burn progression gave both couples the time to emotionally come to terms with their feelings.

Likewise, I enjoyed the immersiveness of the setting and definitely felt like I embarked on this adventure alongside them all. It was also great to see how much Fi and Shane’s friendship was at the forefront of their journey, even in during times of trouble or separated from one another, the strength of their friendship (and partnership) was clear to see. Seriously, I’ve never met two characters more ride or die than these two!

It was soo much fun being back in this dangerous, yet oddly comforting world; with it’s magic, curses and badass treasure hunters—I adored every exhilarating, plot twisty second!

The ending is pretty explosive—which I DID NOT see coming and also a little cliffhanger-y (so do keep this in mind if you don’t enjoy cliffhangers or long waits.) I literally cannot wait to see where Vedder takes us (and our favourite group of adventurers) next.

Fans of fairytale retellings and Lara Croft, Indiana Jones or Evie from The Mummy simply must add this (and the first book, The Bone Spindle) to your TBRs immediately!

A huge thank you to Sarah at Hachette/ Team BKMRK for the incredible physical copies.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars on Storygraph

Oh my god. This was written for the girlies and the gays only, and thankfully I am both. I loved The Bone Spindle and was excited when this sequel came out.
Shane and Red were perfect as always. They are both beautiful and absolutely speak to my lil gay heart. I was literally kicking and squealing at parts. They had so many cute moments that I kept taking photos of, and I am so excited to see Red's character development in the next book! Also the daddy issues?? Girl after my own heart hahaha
Fi and Briar were also fantastic, and I really enjoyed exploring more of Briar's backstory through the flashbacks. However I was very confused with Briar's form at the end?? Idk if I like it.

Overall a very good book if you're looking for a fun fantasy adventure. This one did have a bit more tension to it than the first, so there is a lot of battle scenes, but this doesn't take away from my fave group❤

[ilooprrt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5
Heureusement que j’ai la suite avec moi

[Paige (pagebypaigebooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sequel! It had a ton of action that kept me on the edge of my seat at all times. One of my favourite aspects was the character development! I loved how each character grew individually but also how their relationships grew as well. I had so much fun learning more about them. The world building was also very well done and the magic system was expanded even more. With a cliffhanger ending I can't wait for the last book in the trilogy to come out!

[Anna Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again we are back at it with the intricately laid traps (and the best laid plans that go awry).

Also, I was fully prepared to start writing this review like "hey why do we have so little info on these loose ends leading up to the last chapter" without realizing that it's NOT a duology, but in fact a trilogy, so that's on me. Looking very much forward to seeing how this series ends!!!

There were a lot of interesting things happening in this book; we learned (finally) more about Red's backstory, we meet new friends, we start to unravel (key word: start) Fi's Butterfly Curse. Once again I have to say the world building for me was one of the strongest parts, there was always a new trap to solve or a ruin to investigate and I love that so, so very much. Fi and Shane's partnership has clearly grown since the last book and it's nice to see them working in tandem even when their attentions (read: their romantic affections) pull them in different directions.

Speaking of romances, it's still a YA so I have to forgive the insta-love but in this book in particular, while I appreciated Briar and Red's POV, I was a bit worried when Perrin showed up that we would end up in love triangle territory. Thankfully I seem to have been proven wrong twice today!

Some things I am looking forward to/hoping we get answers to in the last book: the Spindle Witch's origins (if she's ancient, where did she come from? Why is she seemingly faceless except for her red lips/why does she wear a veil), Briar's journey to de-monsterfication, the Butterfly Curse, the Butterfly WITCH, maybe a Shane reconciliation with her family, more about the Paper Witch honestly!!

[ksheerja]

THE SYNOPSIS THE COVER OMGGG I CAN'T WAIT

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This one picks up almost right where book 1 left off. I definitely forgot most of what happened in book 1, but there's enough recap/flashback to fill in the gaps and I really enjoyed where we were going. This one really put the romances in the spotlight. I liked being able to closely follow our four main characters and get a small peek into their heads. I thought that Briar is a little bland but getting into his head and seeing his flashbacks to 100 years ago, I feel like he developed the most out of all four of them... even though Red also grew a lot. I did have a hard time believing that Shane would really risk it all for a pretty girl and that their relationship was started on a superficial base; Red is pretty. But we definitely see Red and Shane begin to fall much more intimately. They each have qualities the other admire for deeper reasons than 'pretty girl'.

All in all, a solid book 2! I really look forward to the conclusion of book 3!

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for an arc of this book.

In the sequel to The Bone Spindle, Fi, Shane, and Briar have to flee the kingdom and escape Red and the spindle witch.

Not going to say much else about what happens because spoilers but this was a wild ride! I loved exploring more of the world and learning more about the characters. Shane is still my favorite character and I absolutely loved seeing her more in this one and exploring her not-really-relationship with Red.

Also I love how close Shane and Fi are now. Like... qpr anyone?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Dreams were nothing but fantasies, and this one was over.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Dreams were nothing but fantasies, and this one was over.”

Fi has awakened the sleeping prince, but the battle for Andar is far from over. The Spindle Witch, the Witch Hunters, and Fi’s own Butterfly Curse all stand between them and happily ever after. Shane has her partner’s back. But she’s in for the fight of her life against Red, the right hand of the Spindle Witch who she’s also, foolishly, hellbent on saving. Briar Rose would do anything to restore his kingdom. But there’s a darkness creeping inside him—a sinister bond to the Spindle Witch he can’t escape. All hopes of restoring Andar rest on deciphering a mysterious book code, finding the hidden city of the last Witches, and uncovering a secret lost for centuries—one that just might hold the key to the Spindle Witch’s defeat. If they can all survive that long…

Fi is still as stubborn as before, perhaps with a side of extra daring and extra feeling. She still clings to the joy that treasure hunting brings - perhaps to stay close to her parents in a way she is physically unable to - but she seems to approach it differently after the events of the first book. She has to grapple with her emotions after wishing to part from Briar, for his own good and the good of the kingdom, and then being forced to remain by his side. I really liked her tenacity and insistence that the group of them could come out on top and save Briar Rose’s kingdom. After all, they’ve achieved the impossible already. What’s a bit more? I also liked seeing her be a bit more emotional. She has this longing for more inside of her but is forced to constantly step back and run away thanks to the butterfly curse. At times throughout the book, we get to see Fi follow her heart and it’s great. I couldn’t help but feel incredibly sorry for her every time she had to move away from those she cared about and force herself to do the right thing. Even more so after particular events... I just want to give her a hug!
Briar Rose’s character changes quite a bit. In the first book, he was very much a teddy bear/cinnamon roll, desperate to be woken and save his kingdom from the Spindle Witch. Now he’s left to face the reality that all his plans have been derailed and he must do his best to fix his broken kingdom and save everyone in it. There’s an extra element of maturity to him now which is very interesting to see because he comes across differently - in a good way! He still thinks with his heart which I really enjoy about him, but he’s also forcing his head to make some decisions about the problems he encounters along the way. There are a few versions of him that greet us across the book: lovesick, heartbroken, angry, desperate, terrified. All feel very different from each other but they’re all very much still the Briar Rose we knkw. He’s a character that is more complex than he’s given credit for. Just the kind of character I like!
Shane remains to be the levity in this book, even in the harsh moments. She’s a great character in general but having her quick, dry wit and sass pop up at the most opportune times was brilliant. I was really rooting for her throughout because she seems to have found the one who makes her happy and she just cannot catch a break! But Shane handles it like a champ. I’m excited to see what she has to bring to the next book!
Getting to look into Red’s head was a nice surprise. She becomes a much bigger character in this book and what a character she is. There are so many layers to Red that I’m sure we’re yet to unveil more of her and what makes her tick. I liked the more vulnerable moments where she’s battling with her thoughts and emotions, warring with one part of herself against another. She’s an interesting characters because, rather like she does with Shane, she draws you in and you find yourself eager to know what has led her to be who she is, and how she will cope with the thoughts that she can be someone else - with someone else. I’d love to get to know her even more in the next book, particularly after the revelations at the end!

Now this is how you do a sequel! I felt like I could barely put this book down. The flow was brilliant, the right amount of peaks and troughs to keep a story going. Nothing felt repetitive or droll, the entire time I was engaged and eager to have more, more, more! The romance was wonderful in my eyes. A fabulous amount of yearning looks and doe eyes, angst and frustration that added both drama and levity to the story. I’m a lover of slow burn if it’s done right, and boy, Vedder does it right in my eyes. We get multiple characters fighting against their feelings and I am hooked on it. There was a good amount of action and fighting but part of me wanted to see a bit more. Big things were happening and at times, I felt it could possibly go further. But, I would say that’s my only gripe about this book. Vedder has done a wonderful job continuing this story, bringing a great twist to the Sleeping Beauty story. And that ending? Oh lordy, makes me oh so desperate for the next book!

Overall, The Severed Thread is a fantastic sequel that grips you throughout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder Children’s Books for an advanced copy of this book.

[Review updated 13/02/2024]

[elle]

dnf page 198. sorry but like. i have to preserve my mind. i liked the first book a fair bit but this fell off a bit for me. i was less interested in romance, more interested in the actual plot (one of which that fell flat midway through the book and became boring imo). i found it hard to like red, especially because she was snooping through perrin's house and was repeatedly trying to kill shane, among other reasons. i also was not a fan of any of the relationships or pairings set up in this book... i wasn't feeling the connection and it felt more forced than one would initially think. i wanted to hear the backstory behind fi's curse and how red became entangled with the spindle witch but we only get small smidges of information about every hundred pages and it became tiring :\

[Twoony · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare for me to enjoy a second book more than the first, but damn, here I am, loving this and needing to absolutely devour the final part. This truly is the perfect blend of adventure, friendship, and romance. I could read ten more of these!

[Heather - Just Geeking By · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
This book contains scenes of violence, blood and captivity. Several characters are survivors of abusive and manipulative relationships (one romantic, one parental) and there are several scenes in this book where they are forced to relive their trauma.

The Bone Spindle blew me away with Vedder’s creative magic system based on fairytales and characters that made me want to scream, cheer and shake them whenever they did something that I knew they’d regret later. Very early on in the first book I was hooked, so I went into The Severed Thread with a heart full of anticipation and silent prayers that that drama wouldn’t be too heartbreaking.

In the first book Fi and Shane became partners to get to a treasure, and that was all it was supposed to be; a gig to get treasure. They didn’t expect to be thrown into a life-changing adventure when Fi cut her finger on a spindle and ended up waking a figure from legend, the Prince Briar Rose, from a magical sleep. Now they’re on the run from The Spindle Witch with a plan to get Briar to a hidden city where the last witches in Andar sought refuge.

That is if they can survive that long. The Spindle Witch has sent her minion Red, the sexy witch that Shane can’t help but feel something for and then there’s the witch hunters that have grown in power over the years. Then there’s Fi’s curse, The Butterfly Curse, which her former associate tricked her into gaining. As much as she wants to relax and see whether there’s anything between her and the centuries old Prince she woke up with a kiss, the curse is constantly on her mind.

Once again Vedder has created a high stakes fantasy novel mixed with fairytales in a way that turns the genre on it’s head. There are no damsels in distress here, no tiaras or ballgowns. I love the art for the covers of this series and how the characters not only look grim and determined, but also have smudges of dirt and healing wounds on them because that is the essence of this series. Other than a handful of moments when they get to breathe and briefly clean up, our heroes are then thrown into chaos and whatever nice clothes they’re wearing are completely ruined. I appreciated the fact that in The Severed Thread Vedder made the point of including a description of one of the character’s coats being mended and patched up, rather than overlooking the fact that their clothes magically surviving everything they put them through.

The Severed Thread was a fabulous read with just the right amount of adventure and romance, and what I appreciated was that the relationships moved at a pace that made sense. The relationships in this book are complicated with all involved having been hurt, abused or manipulated in some way in their past. Vedder carefully navigates their thoughts and feelings, balancing them without going too far to the negative or the positive. There is a point in The Severed Thread when Briar has cause to doubt Fi and in other books that would have been the point where there would have been a huge drama scene, a huge falling out. Instead, it was very well written, and it was a relief to see that Vedder chose to go with realism rather than drama.

It’s hard for me to put into words just how good this book is, so I’m just going to leave it there!

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[USOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

When I tell you I was excited for The Severed Thread, I don't think you understand how much. As someone who grew up on adventure movies and treasure hunting, Vedder's series gives a serotonin boost every time I think of it. The Bone Spindle is one of the most unique, adventure filled, and packed with charming characters book I've read. So my expectations for The Severed Thread were astronomical. And 100% met. This sequel is action packed from the beginning to the very last page.

I absolutely adored the treasure hunting adventures and quest. It's a solid element that if you love, you have to read this series. The action swept me away and I finished this book days before I thought I would. But what makes it even sweeter are the characters. Shane and Red? Talk about a perfect ship with my two favorite character types - grumpy girl not sure if she can ever let anyone in again plus a protector ax wielding warrior. Smitten.

full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outlaw witches. Indiana Jones meets a fairytale quest. Enemies to lovers. Found family. Puzzles to solve and magic to master. What’s not to love about this series?

I loved The Bone Spindle and while The Severed Thread lagged a bit in pacing for me and there were some repetitions in the beginning, I still love these characters and cannot help rooting for Red and Shane!

I loved the Aurora book code and I’m keen to see everything unfold and the big battle come to a head in the finale!

[Xristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty fun to read! Sometimes it was a little bit slow to the point I considered dnfing it but I'm glad that I didn't. The ending was the best part and i was left speechless!