To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl

Yarnsworld #5

by Benedict Patrick

There is a price to pay for becoming a story.

Kaimana has defied the gods and won the freedom to spend the rest of her days travelling the collection of tropical islands she calls home.

But the people of the islands have taken notice of her.

They have started to tell her story; for many children, one of their favourite fireside tales is now that of the Taniwha Girl, the brave woman who befriends monsters.

Some islanders even pray to her.

The gods are displeased, but they are not the only ones paying attention to Kaimana’s rise to fame. On the borders of the island ring, an ancient demon - an old enemy of the Crescent Atoll - spreads its influence, and a spider-faced figure shadows Kaimana’s movements.

To secure her own safety, and that of her island home, Kaimana has to make a choice: turn her back on the people of the Crescent Atoll and continue enjoying the life she has won for herself, or give up all she holds dear to live up to the legend of the Taniwha Girl.

‘To Dream and Die As A Taniwha Girl’ is the first Yarnsworld novel to debut on Kickstarter! Help out our campaign today to be one of the first to get your hands on this epic tale of gods, monsters, and destiny.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Dark, Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2020

About the author

Benedict Patrick is from a small town in Northern Ireland called Banbridge, but has been living and working in Scotland since he moved there at the age of eighteen. Tragically, that was quite a while ago.

He has been writing for most of his life, and has been reading for pretty much all of it (with help from mum and dad at the beginning). Benedict's life changed when a substitute primary school teacher read his class part of The Hobbit and later loaned him the book – he fell in love with the fantasy genre and never looked back.

They Mostly Come Out At Night is his debut novel, and is the first novel in The Yarnsworld series.

Try out some free Yarnsworld stories by signing up to the mailing list: http://eepurl.com/b4UNHj

Reviews

[Benedict Patrick]

As with previous books, I'll not be leaving a review of my own novel here, but I'll use this space for updates regarding the progress of the next Yarnsworld novel.

Current status: early planning

12.10.19 20% of the first draft complete

08.02.20 The first draft is complete, and I'm a good bit of the way into revisions. Hoping to have the text in a state to send to beta readers in April.

02.06.20 Yesterday, 'Taniwha Girl' became the first Yarnsworld novel to launch as a Kickstarter campaign, and it was fully funded within four hours! I'm thrilled at the support everyone has given so far, and can't wait to see the first map of the Yarnsworld come to life...

26.06.20 The Kickstarter campaign ended last night, at almost 500%. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. The map of the Crescent Atoll is already well underway, and as the manuscript has just returned from the editor, July sets to be a month of polishing and proofreading...

25.08.20 Kickstarter backers received their ebook editions this weekend! Working this week on finalising the print editions...

07.11.20 To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl will be released on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited on 18th November! 'Taniwha Girl' will only be on Kindle Unlimited for 90 days; after that, it will be released on the wider ebook platforms (iBooks, Kobo, Google Play etc.)

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I missed Kaimana and Rakau, my favorite Yarnsworld's duo. The title alone suggests exciting things to happen, but nothing prepared me for the atrocities committed by Benedict Patrick. I thought he was one of the good guys. Now, I'm not so sure. At all.

Kaimana and Rakau enjoy their friendship and warm waters of the atoll. Sometimes they help islanders to chase off annoying taniwha (monsters). Sometimes they help taniwha to deal with petty and cruel humans who see them as a trophy. Or food.

But they mostly keep to themselves.

Things change, dramatically, when they discover the mouldering corpse of Mataio, the god of taniwha, on a beach. Normally, god's killer should reach godhood immediately after the kill. But it doesn't happen. And Kaimana doesn't like the implications.

To make matters worse, ancient demon schemes to destroy the Atoll and its gods. His overpowered pawn, a spider-faced figure shadows Kaimana’s movements. To say the pawn is deeply troubled is a HUGE understatement.

Bad things happen, but the less you know, the better. How bad, you may ask? Well, punch-you-in-the-gut and shake you for a few days bad. Starting with dark in-world tales (Old Spider and the Grand Mother story's ending will slice you like a razor), and finishing with characters' fates, it is, for the most part, the darkest Yarnsworld novel. You were warned.

I admire Kaimana - she stood against her family, and then her god, for friendship and still lived to tell the tale. She's memorable and relatable, even if she lacks a longterm agenda. Her arc strongly intertwines with the arc of a new character - Sinitalela. A despicable individual you'll learn to hate. She's ruthless and overpowered. Her arc (and it's a SPOILER) focuses on a road to redemption she doesn't deserve.

To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl shook me for days. I would love it to have a different ending and to force Benedict Patrick to rethink his daring choices, but, alas, it's too late for that. A great, surprisingly dark book that opens plenty of exciting possibilities for future developments of Yarnsworld's stories.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can watch my animated review on Youtube
Or read similar reviews on my blog, Digital Amrit
You can listen to the review on my podcasts available on Apple Spotify Stitcher

This is an unbiased review of an ARC provided by the author.
tl;dr: Benedict Patrick delivers yet again, with a wonderfully weird and touching story, in the Yarnsworld universe.

The Yarnsworld series is challenging to describe in conventional genres. The stories are like fairy tales for adults, that are rich and complex, and not afraid of getting quite dark. The books also share a unique narrative structure. The main story's chapters alternate with myths and legends from the Yarnsworld universe. These semi-related accounts provide context and, add colour to the world-building.

That said, the tales are also wildly different in outlook, themes and story-lines. 'They Mostly Come Out at Night' is a grim retelling of the ugly duckling with the overarching theme of self-sacrifice. 'Where the Waters Turn Black' explores friendship and could easily have been the next Pixar movie (if they had not done Moana). 'Those Brave, Foolish Souls from the City of Swords' is Seven Samurai-like. It is gritty and is about heroism, redemption and revenge.

'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' is the fifth book in the Yarnsworld series, and stars the same characters as 'Where the Waters Turn Black'. Kaimana and Rakau are dealing with the consequences of their actions in the previous book. The islanders have now started praying to Kaimana, aka 'Taniwha Girl', to intervene in cases relating to Taniwha. Incidentally, Rakau, her close companion, is a 'Taniwha,' a Kaiju-like monster. The existing Gods do not look kindly at her potential ascension to Godhood. Which, by the way, she is not interested in at all. At the same time, Kaimana discovers that an agent of the 'Old Spider', a baleful demon, is trying to attain the same Godhood. Her decisions and actions form the rest of the story.

'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' is a story that continues the friendship theme from 'Where the Waters Turn Black'. This theme becomes intertwined with that of redemption, as the story progresses. The author does a fantastic job of showcasing these themes by using the relationships between the three primary characters - Kaimana, Rakau and the Old Spider's Agent. While Kaimana and Rakau are familiar to us, the stand-out character is the Agent. She is despicable and does all kinds of horrid things, but we end up feeling sympathetic for her. The Agent's internal conflict - trying to understand what it is to love while being conditioned against it from childhood - is masterfully penned. This conflict forms the foundation on which the story rests.

Benedict Patrick's writing is, as always, magnificent. His stories have a way of sucking the reader in, and 'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' is no exception. His breezy writing style, combined with above-average pacing, makes for an engaging read. World-building is also a trademark of his writing. The new big item in this book, from a world-building perspective, concerns the 'Old Spider' and his tales, since 'Where the Waters Turn Black' has already done most the heavy lifting.

Readers familiar with the series will find 'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' not as dark as some of the other entries, except for one portion of the book. It will probably not be as weird or fantastical either, since it follows 'Where the Water Turns Black'. New readers can read this book as a stand-alone, though reading the earlier one would make the experience more enjoyable. This book could also be the perfect way to start this series since it also happens to be most main-stream like of all.

In conclusion, 'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' is perfect for readers looking for an engrossing story, set in an extraordinary universe.

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[Inkslinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by Benedict Patrick via Storytellers On Tour. All opinions are mine and freely given.

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11-19: 'To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl' takes place in Benedict Patrick's Yarnsworld universe and is referred to as a folktale, though it actually aligns more closely with Māori mythology.

I'm going to be very honest here.. it's not an OwnVoices story and that alone made me hesitant to read it because these types of tales specifically, are often incredible misrepresentations of the cultures being used in the settings. As a Polynesian woman, the Māori friends I have made over the years have thought just like my own people do. We see ourselves as brothers and sisters of the same origin.. despite the distance between our lands. We are all Polynesian.

Our beliefs.. our mythology.. our rituals are both different and still similar. One of the more interesting aspects of our cultural storytelling is the versatility. There can be many versions of a story without any being considered right or wrong.. and largely that's probably due to the fact most of our oldest tales have survived through a tradition of oral history.. but there's also a tendency to blend us all together, and that does happen a little here in my opinion. For once, it just wasn't a bad thing.

Kaimana is our main character, the Taniwha Girl who has defied the gods and won the freedom to spend her days roaming contentedly around the Crescent Atoll with her friend Rakau. Her tale, already becoming widely spread amongst the people of the islands, has also caught the attention of more powerful beings. Some of the islanders even pray to her and the gods aren't thrilled.

While the legend of the Taniwha Girl grows, made more real by the monster at her side, an ancient demon's plan for revenge is slowly advancing.. and a pawn follows her every movement. Ultimately, a choice is coming. One she cannot hide from. She'll either have to allow fate to play out for those who call the Crescent Atoll home while she continues to enjoy her solitude.. or she'll have to give everything up to save them. No easy decision.

Patrick does take quite a lot of creative license with the concepts of the gods and goddesses themselves, and in fact.. there are some characters that may exist for aesthetic purposes and seem to be taken more from other Polynesian cultures. But in this case, I'm okay with that.

Taniwha, monsters in the book, are specifically usually water creatures.. and though that's never mentioned here, the author does seem to hold to that theme based on those he includes. The approach the author uses is respectful of the cultures, his creativity unrestrained.. the tale seems to rather grow up and around the basis of the culture.. like a literary version of modern arboreal architecture. Co-existing with it, rather than tearing it down to build something new.

The work is deep, but not dense. Within the story itself, there are smaller tales of mythos about the gods and demons we're encountering. Some of those, such as the story of the Grandmother.. or the human wife of the sea god, are stunning even on their own.

I will say, it's an intensely emotional read. I love that Patrick did what felt right for the story, regardless of how I might feel about those choices as an invested reader. Much of it is deeply painful to experience. I spent so much of the book just.. angry. Angry at some of the characters. Angry at the situation. Angry at the writer for letting me feel so much anger.. and despair. And it was wonderful.

I'm not sure there has ever been another book that hurt me as much as this one did.. and I couldn't be more glad for it. I will absolutely be looking for more of the Yarnsworld titles, especially those involving Kaimana and Rakau. This wasn't just a story, it was an experience and a work of art.

This is easily one of the best titles of the year, not just amongst the indies either.. and if his other work is consistent with what I saw here, Benedict Patrick is a best-selling author just waiting to happen.

PURCHASE LINK: AMAZON

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for SPFBO. More about the contest and links at the bottom.


Mataio, the god of monsters is dead, and no replacement has come forward. Kaimana is noticing that she has begun to hear the prayers of the islanders’ inhabitants and does not want to be the person who answers those prayers. If she accepts and takes over Mataio position, she will have to give up the life she has made for herself and face an old evil that is trying to get its hook into the land (literally).

***
This is a dark fairy-tale world. The Alternate chapters are legends and tales from Atoll; each tale builds or gives insight to the world that was/is, while Kaimana’s chapters build her story. I love this so much! My favourite part of this book was the tales. They create the world (Earth Mother).
They’re sometimes horrifying (Grandma and old spider. The best one.), sometimes they give just deserts (Lost canoes), sometimes happy (Coconut King), or absurd (Sea God’s Wife). They were everything I love about folk-tales.

Characters-

They call Kaimana the Taniwha girl- the girl who talks to monsters because of her friendship with Rakau and other monsters of the Crescent Islands.

Kaimana has a musical talent- called knacks in this world and are somewhat like a professional career; baking, beading, soldiering etc. She used to tell the stories of other people’s adventures but now travels around having adventures of her own, with her best friend Rakau.

Maybe because I haven’t read the first book that involved these characters, I found I had a certain disconnect to Kaimana, and it took me quite awhile to enjoy her parts of the story as much as I was enjoying the myths. At least until we got to that turning point- that definitely grabbed my attention. But because of that distance I felt towards her, I had this feeling of waiting to see where the story was going and how the folktales were going to connect (if they did connect), and certain later events were definitely not as impactful to me as they probably could’ve been.

Rakau, is make of wood and has beautiful patterns carved onto the surface of his body (I was picturing him as a cross between Ogopogo and a Dragon). Their friendship began in Where the Water Turns Black (which I haven’t read) and is very close and sweet. He almost feels like a really large dog, but only Kaimana, gets to see that side of him.

Rakau, wormed under my skin. Kaimana’s love for him, and his for her, gave me the connection I was looking for in the beginning and it broke my heart when he was mistreated or sad.

Sinitalea was just darned hard to like. I kept rooting for her to do something right and there’d be glimmers of that goodness tying to break through but then those glimmers would fall to the wayside. You just knew if she would let Kaimana be friends with her, Kaimana could show her the kind of person that she could be. But most the time Sinitalea was so horrible I didn’t think even Kaimana could help her, and though I understood why and where it came from, I still hated her almost as much as I felt bad for her.

**
The polish of experience shows in the presentation- from cover to contents everything was top-notch.

And imo, there are no covers better suited to these books than the ones they carry. The fairy-tale feel to the story and the way it’s told or maybe because of the paper-layer look to the covers, had me imagining the story in that animation style that looks like a pop-up book come to life.

This book/series is so unique in the way it’s told and the setting is just cool as hell. There were some unexpected choices made with the characters (which I applaud) and it took awhile for it to weave to its big conclusion, but it was a strong end that for me, suited the world they inhabit.

Other notes:

I hadn’t read Where the Water Turns Black- the book these characters first appeared in but I didn't have any problems following what was going on or what brought the characters to this point.


SPFBO score 8+ or 4.5 stars
4 stars (6.5-8/10
5 stars (8.5-10/10)


Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews.

https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

Phase one is here-

https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

Team reviews at Fantasy Book Critic

https://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.co...

[The Reading Ruru (Kerry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benedict Patrick NEVER ceases to enthrall me
As I have grown up on a Pacific Island myself and my later childhood was filled with tales of Gods of Nature and Taniwha I find Kaimani's story and the folklore more familiar these days than my younger years of listening to the brothers Grimm; but really the same tales are told the world over just with different settings and in a form that local people can relate too.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As ever with Benedict's stories, I had absolutely no idea how it would play out. Whenever I thought I had a handle on where it might go it threw me in the complete opposite direction and in the most exciting possible way.

Benedict has a Knack of his own, to make reading effortless and joyous to me. It's the first book I've read in six months after not really having any inclination to during various things going on in the world and to be able to dive into the Crescent Atoll headfirst was a welcome relief.

The story follows Kaimana's growth in influence since the events of the first book set in the Crescent Atoll. To me at least, the theme of the entire story revolves around freedom, control and power, and that they might not be all they seem.

[L.L. MacRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book in the Yarnsworld series! It felt like a direct sequel to Where The Waters Turn Black (although every book in the Yarnsworld is a standalone), it was lovely to return to Kaimana and her Taniwha.

This book went in some unexpected ways, keeping my interest throughout. My heart was pulled several times and I let out audible gasps at various points within both the main story and the folk tales that sandwich the chapters (again, this is one of my favourite elements of the Yarnsworld books)

The crescent atoll is a fantastic part of the series, and it’s lovely to have some more water-based fantasy story, where the environment (which is still filled with gods) is such an important part of the world. It’s pretty much a character all on its own.

This story really delves into the lore of the atoll, of gods, and the people who worship them. Consequences have always played a significant role in the Yarnsworld books (something I absolutely adore), and this this book is no different. The idea of ascending to godhood is a major part of the story, and it’s not always wanted, nor a clear path.

Freedom is an incredibly important theme of this story, because it’s important to Kaimana. The greed of people and their petty squabbles is also showcased in a very real way. Just because it’s a fantasy story with magic, gods, and monsters, it doesn’t make it any less relatable.

Everyone wants to be free to make their own choices, to change the world, and to do good.

As with the previous books, Patrick’s writing is outstanding, with vivid detail, excellent dialogue, and so much intrigue that it’s difficult to put the books down. Whether it’s driving emotion, an exciting action sequence, or describing some new kind of magic, the writing is immersive and a joy to read.

I listened to the audio, and again, Derek did a stellar job of bringing the atoll to life.

All in all, another fabulous addition to the Yarnsworld books!

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding addition to the Yarnsworld lore. This book does not pull punches and will hit you in the feels many times. The lore and world building in this novel are top notch. The tales in between chapters detailing the gods and mortals continue to be a delight and are one of my favorite parts about the Yarnswold series.

I love the character growth of the Taniwha girl and the Pawn. The final battle and the aftermath were satisfying and didn't leave me quite as gutted as some of the prior novels. I think the implications are going to be quite interesting if the author returns to the Atoll for future tales. I hope it is not the last we see of this setting.

This can be read as standalone, but I think the reader would be better off reading Where the Waters Turn Black first. I got this early via kickstarter and would be pretty happy to see future books done in this manner. As a reader at least, it's a lot of fun. The map unlocked via kickstarter was a lovely touch as well.

[The Delulu Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book of Kaimana and Rakau, following another of the old legends of the Atoll regarding an old demon who haunts the islands since long ago and still determined to go back, the old spider sent his pawns to the atoll with the mission to bring him back, however only one, Sinitalela, remains and Kaimana is in her way.
I found this story so hard to review, because it's actually really good, the writing, the story even the outcome it's pretty unique, and so unexpected.
But I hate it, I hate Sinitalela and what she did, thus I find myself unable to give an objective review, that's why 3 stars, my heart wants to give 0 but the book is so good it deserves a 5 so ... 3, lol.
Perfect for dark fantasy fans, or those who prefer darker stories overall.

[Marielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

O wow another amazing book. Every book in the Yarnsworld series is even better than its predecessor.
This one was, to me, was about choices and how you can't go back to change once you've made them. But also about how *you* can change and how your future choices might be able to make up for mistakes you've made before.
It was another amazing ride... I highly reccomend this series if you enjoy dark folklore/fairytales.

[Rebecca (Medusa's Rock Garden) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what I did to Benedict Patrick to make him want to hurt me like this but I am pretty sure I don't deserve it.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually binged the previous four books in the Yarnsworld series before this one, so I came to that fresh with all the other stories and the connections in mind. However, I would argue that To Dream and Die a Taniwha Girl could be read as a standalone with equal enjoyment, although there was something especially satisfying at being able to follow the threads through the books, and revisiting Kaimana and Rakau and I would wholeheartedly advise people to check out the entire series.
There was so much I loved about To Dream and Die a Taniwha Girl, and I have to say that Patrick knows how to weave an incredible tale within a relatively short book. In a strange way, I would say that there were simplicity and complexity to this book, on the one hand, the language and the storytelling style are fairly simplistic and give the writing the feel of one those tales that can be read aloud or told from memory around a campfire, and matches perfectly with the folkeloreish (is that a word, it should be a word) nature of the story. This is paired with well-developed characters and a world that has breadth and depth, without ever losing the thread of the main story.
I particularly enjoyed how the story itself was interspersed with smaller tales and myths, which were not only beautiful, fascinating tales in and of themselves and told with the weight and affection of tradition, but which were also a clever way of world-building, giving us more context to the events in the main storyline. I would say, however, that it felt in places that the main story could have been expanded a little more, and perhaps that expansion was prevented by these dips into the mythology. That said, those interludes were some of my favourite parts of the book, and the main plotline is satisfying and well-balanced for all that, and it would certainly lose something without those shorter tales within a tale.
This was an emotional rollercoaster of a book, and arguably the darkest of the series which was a little bit of a shock after coming immediately off the others. Patrick made some bold choices with the path this book took, and it worked beautifully, even if there were moments when I was reading them that I wanted to rail against them. However, the ending and the feeling this book left me with at the end were worth the sometimes unexpected flow of the story, the blows to my emotions, and left me in that wonderful place between satisfaction and wanting more.
This was a fantastic read, and I actually enjoyed the fact that it took a slightly darker path than the others. I would highly recommend To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl to anyone who loves fantasy rife with mythology, fairytales and with that feeling of a story told across the ages. I am incredibly glad I finally dove into Yarnsworld and will be eagerly waiting to see what the author does next.

[natrosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this novel without really knowing what to expect. I was aware that this series is well-loved and reads almost as folklore. I had also been told that although this is book five, it works as a standalone, though I was a bit hesitant to believe this as I’ve encountered a number of books advertised as “standalone” that actually don’t live up to their full potential without context from the rest of the series. But regardless, I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did.

I had absolutely zero issues reading this novel without any knowledge of the rest of the series. There are probably small references I would have caught if I had read the prior books, but they weren’t apparent enough to make me feel like I was missing out on anything. That being said, this novel was good enough that I’m confident the other books in the series will be amazing as well, so there’s really no reason not to start at the beginning if you’re a newcomer to the Yarnsworld like I am.

Taniwha, as referenced in the title, are various monsters within the islands of the Crescent Atoll. Generally, they’re based on a regular animal (dog, whale, etc.) but much bigger and often with extra features. Kaimana is known throughout the islands as the Taniwha Girl, for she is known to befriend monsters, including her best friend and travel companion Rakau. Though all the two of them want is spend their lives relaxing and traveling as they please (and intervening when relations between taniwha and humans get rough), the Taniwha Girl is becoming somewhat of a legend. So much so that some people have started praying to her, which the gods of the Crescent Atoll do not take kindly to. She is also being stalked by a spider-masked figure with unknown but likely nefarious motives.

The world-building in this book is delicious. It’s done gradually, but ends up conveying a rich atmosphere that really does feel like it’s straight from a folktale. (As I understand, it takes some amount of influence from Polynesian mythology, though I’m not sure precisely what/how much is borrowed). In fact, in between every chapter is an in-universe folktale from the Crescent Atolls about their gods and history. These stories and the lessons behind them often relate to the occurrences of the main story.

It’s hard for me to truly explain what I appreciated about this novel without delving into spoilers, so I’m just going to say that the plot is my favorite of any recent read. Typically I’m one to get more attached to characters and world-building then to care all that much about the plot, so long as it’s not glaringly bad. Yet, in this case, while the characters and the world were great, the plot was what made this book truly exceptional to me. Suffice to say, it did not go at all where I was expecting it to.

I highly recommend To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl to anyone who is ready for a gritty, emotional, and surprising read that explores themes of freedom, heroism, revenge, and redemption within a vivid world.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Find this review and other bookish content on my blog!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice return to the Polynesian inspired Atoll Crescent, and Kaimana and Rakau from the previous book set there. The story follows on from the wider events of the previous one, with plenty of gods and monsters. Kaimana and Rakau are fun and sweet together, and i wish there had been a few more scenes of them just swimming around solving problems before the plot kicked off.

The larger themes of divinity, and the power of stories and beliefs are dealt with well, and sets up an interesting conflict between the main characters. The plot doesn't flow where I expected, as often happens in these books, but looking back it seems fitting. There were some parts I did not like when they happened but looking back were great, but a few things were a bit too neat and while they fit with the fairytale style I was not satisfied by them.

The interludes with fairytales from the atoll are again excellent, and tie in the themes well, as well as making the setting and culture more rounded and solid. I love interludes or epigraphs in books which flesh out the world, and this device of folklore is one of my favourites.

[Anya Josephs · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl is (for now) the last volume in the Yarnsworld series, and I would describe it as "fabulously meta". Kaimana, the heroine of Where the Waters Turn Black, has become a mythological figure herself, her exploits folded into the myths that anchor the book. How does that change her character? How does that shape her new adventures? Is the price of becoming a legend worth the cost?

Those are the fascinating questions this book asks. (Arguably, it's the central theme of the series). Its exploration of those themes is rich and thoughtful, in a world populated by fun characters like Yam (the God of Yams) but still permeated by the type of dream-like darkness that categorizes this series. The Taniwha themselves are fabulous inventions, some genuinely quite terrifying.

The legends in this volume particularly stuck out to me. The story of the mortal girl who rejects her godly husband is such a fantastic, creative way to introduce that divine character. The blending of myth and plot is just incomparable.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final book in the Yarnsworld series. I loved books 1–3, but books 4 and 5 felt like they pushed things a little too far.

I still remember the seas of the Atoll, the dark forest with its hidden twist, the lost city, and the battle between gods. What captivated me most was how novel these worlds felt: stories imposing themselves on reality, worlds built out of myths.

Book 2 remains my favorite: the coziest little corner of a world I’ve ever read, warm and inviting, and of course, there’s Rakau. I hoped for something similar here, but I found it hard to bear the abuse Rakau endured. Still, I give credit: it’s a gripping story, even if the plot was far more depressing than I wanted. It could have been a 5/5 if only the ending had landed a little better.

Then again… since when do stories ever end well?

[Lynn K : Grimmedian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely thrilling read. For those familiar with Yarnsworld, this book is based on the events following Where The Waters Turn Black.
Like all of the Yarnsworld books, this tale is interspersed with related folk tales and I love them all.
Weaving together the oldest mythology from the Philippine islands with a cracking good story in which I found some of the best horrifying moments to date in a Yarnsworld tale. That’s no small feat, as most of the Yarnsworld books have some very dark elements.

Full review to come on Grimmedian.com

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read They Mostly Come Out At Night I was extremely impressed. There were rough spots in the debut novel, but the story, characters, and writing were all something I thought was really special. Every new novel in the series since then has greatly exceeded my expectations, and To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl did this once again. This is by far my favorite book in the series, and I can honestly say that it is the best book I have read in at least the last 3 years (if not longer). I cannot wait for what's next.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I backed this book on Kickstarter on a whim, completely unaware that it was part of a series. It sounded interesting, and somehow I completely spaced out that there were more stories than this one, and yet? I absolutely loved and adored this book. I loved it enough that even when I found out there was more to the story that I should probably be aware of? I could not put the book down and stop reading it. And I want / plan to get the other books, to know where the story started.

[Maša · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atoll islands and their gods demand much of their people, especially if they become a topic of stories. Kaimana has to face rising demands od her time, and her life, when an old threat comes to the islands.

This was an interesting take on change and I enjoyed being back to the setting. It felt convoluted at times, and I missed more Kaimana-Rakau times.

[Joe Setness · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little slow at times, but DAMN is this writer a great storyteller

He has weaved a world in way I haven’t seen other authors do it - through the folktales of the world itself. Ridiculously impressive.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more can be said about a Benedict Patrick book? He has created an absolutely wonderful world and this is yet another incredible addition to the Yarnsworld. If you haven't dove in yet stop wasting time and start already.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Great to be back in this island-hopping tropical world and I really enjoyed the story. Good plot twist and I liked the ending!

It’s been 5 years since this came out so I’m not sure they’ll ever be more in this series. I’ll keep my eyes out for any news.

[René · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great spinning of yarn 😊
It’s a long time ago since I hated a character as strong as the Spider’s Pawn! Good work!

[Reid Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Frustrating journey but awesome destination.

[Tyra Leann · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Dream and Die as a Taniwha Girl was such a fun find (huge shout out to SPFBO, as always). It's clear there is more to the story that happened previously, but I didn't find that it inhibited the comprehension of this story, having not read the previous.

The two main characters go on such an interesting arc together. The plot is paced well for a shorter book. It doesn't proceed at a breakneck pace trying to cram too much in, and it also achieves several substantial plot points that shorter books sometimes can't attain. The Crescent Atoll is such a fun setting too with a host of gods to get to know.

I will definitely pick up more books from Benedict Patrick in the future.

[E.Y.E.-D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yarnsworld is one of my favorite fantasy worlds. I was very excited to kickstarter this installment in the series. First off as usual the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Next Kaimana is one of my all time favorite characters so this was a book I was really looking forward to and I enjoyed it just as much as I had expected to.

This story picks up where we left off after the events of Where the Waters Turn Black, Kaimana and Rakau traveling the Atoll. Little did they know there were much greater powers at work. The story continues in Yarnsworld fashion mixing current events and folklore to tell an excellent story.

I loved everything about this book except Mr. Patrick hurt my feelings the way he treated Kaimana in this one I am really hoping for a return to the Atoll in a future book so we can learn about how Kaimana's story progresses.

If you have are reading this review I am assuming you have read at least some of the previous Yarnsworld adventures. If you have then you should definitely pick this one up and continue reading. If you are new Yarnsworld and are looking for a place to start you could go with the first book They Mostly Come Out at Night and read them all or if this one sounds more your thing then you can start with Where the Waters Turn Black and then this one. Either way you will not be disappointed.

[Nix C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved reading this episode of the Yarnsworld stories. So many bright and dark elements in these beautifully created craftily linked stories.

A few more surprises than expected in this one. I’m looking forward to reading this all over again.