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Scars and Seams
“There’s no predator more dangerous than a frightened one.”
It’s been more than a decade since a pack of criminals robbed Aster of her memories, killed her grandmother, and left her for dead. Now the little girl in the red hood is all grown up, and the wolves are paying with their lives.
But as her quest nears its end, the enchantment that saved Aster all those years ago begins to crumble, threatening her life and her sanity. Nightmares warn of dangers she can’t name, and Aster fears her fairy tale past isn’t what she’s always believed.
Her lost childhood memories could be the key to her salvation, but the only person who can help might be a fascinating but untrustworthy young witch who talks to ghosts, sees too much, and asks questions Aster isn’t sure she wants answered.
In a city filled with dark magic and darker secrets, there’s no one Aster can truly trust.
Especially not herself.
It’s been more than a decade since a pack of criminals robbed Aster of her memories, killed her grandmother, and left her for dead. Now the little girl in the red hood is all grown up, and the wolves are paying with their lives.
But as her quest nears its end, the enchantment that saved Aster all those years ago begins to crumble, threatening her life and her sanity. Nightmares warn of dangers she can’t name, and Aster fears her fairy tale past isn’t what she’s always believed.
Her lost childhood memories could be the key to her salvation, but the only person who can help might be a fascinating but untrustworthy young witch who talks to ghosts, sees too much, and asks questions Aster isn’t sure she wants answered.
In a city filled with dark magic and darker secrets, there’s no one Aster can truly trust.
Especially not herself.
- GenresFantasy
427 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2023
3 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 17, 2022
This third book in the series All the Queen's Knaves can absolutely be read and adored by itself. Each successive book has the characters from previous books as supporting characters, adding new protagonists and depth to the overarching story. But you don't need to have read those before to appreciate the newest, although they are all chronological continuations in the same basic geographical area. This interpretation of the fallout from Little Red Ridinghood is not like any other fairytale retelling I have ever read. It kept me guessing and reading as fast as I could. There is a ginormous unexpected circumstance (or two...or three...) that is utterly gripping and mind blowing, but as I cannot stand spoilers, you really must read it yourself! Not many authors can create the exquisite tension Ms. Sparkes can produce. The kind that makes you want to frantically devour the scene but also stop for breath and wonder and savor every word. Her gift for this is incredible. I recommend this book with my whole heart.
December 12, 2022
I loved book one, then book two brought it up a level, and here we are yet again.
The skill with which the author weaves story fragments in and connects them to the first two books, while simultaneously writing separate fairy tale retellings throughout is just so well I'm done.
This particular installment is a retelling of Blue Beard and Red Riding Hood, and it was intense. Especially the final 3rd of the book, I really could not read fast enough and I even teared up in several areas.
We have met a few new characters in this one, it's a multiple POV including characters from the first two books that I won't name in case you haven't read them yet ;)
When a book can illicit emotional reactions, it's a winner.
Also, there is an underlying sapphic love story in this one, that was unexpected and sweet.
The skill with which the author weaves story fragments in and connects them to the first two books, while simultaneously writing separate fairy tale retellings throughout is just so well I'm done.
This particular installment is a retelling of Blue Beard and Red Riding Hood, and it was intense. Especially the final 3rd of the book, I really could not read fast enough and I even teared up in several areas.
We have met a few new characters in this one, it's a multiple POV including characters from the first two books that I won't name in case you haven't read them yet ;)
When a book can illicit emotional reactions, it's a winner.
Also, there is an underlying sapphic love story in this one, that was unexpected and sweet.
January 5, 2023
This is book three of the series, you don't need to read the 1st ones to appreciate this one but you will be missing out on some great stories if you were to just read this one. As well as seeing Ms. Sparkes amazing ability to weave the stories and characters together.
Although I was never a huge fan of the little red riding hood fairytale I loved this twist of the tale. I am a slow reader but this story had me flipping through as fast as I could to see what became of the characters as I was falling in love with them with each turn of the page.
If you are looking for the cute little girl that visits her grandmother you might want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a story that will capture your attention, give you very interesting characters, is slightly ( o.k maybe more then slightly) on the darker side, offers a story that will keep you turning the pages, this is the book for you.
Although I was never a huge fan of the little red riding hood fairytale I loved this twist of the tale. I am a slow reader but this story had me flipping through as fast as I could to see what became of the characters as I was falling in love with them with each turn of the page.
If you are looking for the cute little girl that visits her grandmother you might want to look elsewhere. If you are looking for a story that will capture your attention, give you very interesting characters, is slightly ( o.k maybe more then slightly) on the darker side, offers a story that will keep you turning the pages, this is the book for you.
September 2, 2024
CW: violence, gore, murder, manipulation, some others
Little Red Riding Hood has a memory problem…and a big knife.
Aster isn’t afraid of the big, bad wolf—she’s out for vengeance against a whole pack of them. After a brutal attack left her broken and bleeding as a child, Aster’s spent her entire life being put back together by her rescuer and hunting down the people responsible. With healing comes holes in her memory, leaving her to focus only on her mission. After a chance encounter with a young witch and a stirring of forgotten memories, everything Aster thought she knew begins to unravel.
Where to even start for this book? We’re now up to 3 books in the ‘Knights and Knaves’ series, all of which have taken some of those staple childhood fairytales and turned them into incredible new stories. They just consistently land as these solid, fantastic books, and it’s so much fun to watch as each one plays out. A disclaimer here- you can read each of these on their own, but you’re going to get a lot more out of each story if you read them in order. For this one I’d say you at *least* need to have read “Curses and Crimes” to really get the full impact.
We’re three books into the series at this point (in less than a week, my time), so you already know that I find the world building to be delightfully robust. It’s that perfect blend of historical fiction and the ‘default’ fantasy vibes, and there’s enough built out into the story to make it really feel like you’re there watching. Book 3 travels through this world significantly less than book 2, so we don’t see as many ‘new’ places, but we get to explore Queen’s Run a little more, and the spaces where we spend the most time feel particularly solid. We also get to see more magic here, which has been my personal favorite part, so that was really fun.
There’s a few main differences in the plot/storyline here as compared to books 1 and 2. First is that this one is significantly gorier. While I don’t find that sort of thing overly off putting, you’re not going to have a great time if you’re really squeamish. It’s fitting with the story, and it’s not just heaps of gratuitous violence, but it’s not a small amount. The other, less bloody, thing to note is the POV— we’re still in third person, but now we have two focal points. While the bulk of the story fixates on Aster and her journey, we also get to see a lot of Gale (hence the suggestion to read book 2 before this). I found it to be a really nice way of making sure we had all of the information necessary to really flow through the story without feeling disjointed or confused by sudden ‘off page’ developments. The story itself, as always, is delightfully engaging and cleverly executed, with subtle yet wonderful nods to the original tale.
This just leaves the characters. Gale we’ve met before, though I’m happy to say that she’s grown quite a lot in the 9 months between timelines. While still kind and hopeful and just a little naive, it’s now solidly ‘charming’ instead of ‘brainwashed.’ Aster feels…well, almost like a blank canvas. That’s not to say she has no personality or preferences (she definitely does), just that she’s spent so much of her life with missing memories that she feels more like the vague outline of a person. Those things that make us, us aren’t there for her, and it reflects in her portrayal on the page. Her core traits are solid, though, and I get the feeling she’d be incredibly enjoyable if she could ever keep something in mind long enough to grow from it.
Obviously I found this to be another wildly successful addition to the series. I’m absolutely *living* for the incredible spins on some of my favorite stories. The imagination and innovation in taking these tales from their original forms to these books is amazing, and I’ve loved every one of them. If you’ve ever wondered what Red’s life looked like after her story ended, then this is one you’re going to want to read.
Little Red Riding Hood has a memory problem…and a big knife.
Aster isn’t afraid of the big, bad wolf—she’s out for vengeance against a whole pack of them. After a brutal attack left her broken and bleeding as a child, Aster’s spent her entire life being put back together by her rescuer and hunting down the people responsible. With healing comes holes in her memory, leaving her to focus only on her mission. After a chance encounter with a young witch and a stirring of forgotten memories, everything Aster thought she knew begins to unravel.
Where to even start for this book? We’re now up to 3 books in the ‘Knights and Knaves’ series, all of which have taken some of those staple childhood fairytales and turned them into incredible new stories. They just consistently land as these solid, fantastic books, and it’s so much fun to watch as each one plays out. A disclaimer here- you can read each of these on their own, but you’re going to get a lot more out of each story if you read them in order. For this one I’d say you at *least* need to have read “Curses and Crimes” to really get the full impact.
We’re three books into the series at this point (in less than a week, my time), so you already know that I find the world building to be delightfully robust. It’s that perfect blend of historical fiction and the ‘default’ fantasy vibes, and there’s enough built out into the story to make it really feel like you’re there watching. Book 3 travels through this world significantly less than book 2, so we don’t see as many ‘new’ places, but we get to explore Queen’s Run a little more, and the spaces where we spend the most time feel particularly solid. We also get to see more magic here, which has been my personal favorite part, so that was really fun.
There’s a few main differences in the plot/storyline here as compared to books 1 and 2. First is that this one is significantly gorier. While I don’t find that sort of thing overly off putting, you’re not going to have a great time if you’re really squeamish. It’s fitting with the story, and it’s not just heaps of gratuitous violence, but it’s not a small amount. The other, less bloody, thing to note is the POV— we’re still in third person, but now we have two focal points. While the bulk of the story fixates on Aster and her journey, we also get to see a lot of Gale (hence the suggestion to read book 2 before this). I found it to be a really nice way of making sure we had all of the information necessary to really flow through the story without feeling disjointed or confused by sudden ‘off page’ developments. The story itself, as always, is delightfully engaging and cleverly executed, with subtle yet wonderful nods to the original tale.
This just leaves the characters. Gale we’ve met before, though I’m happy to say that she’s grown quite a lot in the 9 months between timelines. While still kind and hopeful and just a little naive, it’s now solidly ‘charming’ instead of ‘brainwashed.’ Aster feels…well, almost like a blank canvas. That’s not to say she has no personality or preferences (she definitely does), just that she’s spent so much of her life with missing memories that she feels more like the vague outline of a person. Those things that make us, us aren’t there for her, and it reflects in her portrayal on the page. Her core traits are solid, though, and I get the feeling she’d be incredibly enjoyable if she could ever keep something in mind long enough to grow from it.
Obviously I found this to be another wildly successful addition to the series. I’m absolutely *living* for the incredible spins on some of my favorite stories. The imagination and innovation in taking these tales from their original forms to these books is amazing, and I’ve loved every one of them. If you’ve ever wondered what Red’s life looked like after her story ended, then this is one you’re going to want to read.
January 5, 2023
I loved this book. I have been meaning to read the first 2 for a while (bought and waiting on my kobo) but didn’t have time before starting this eARC. So reading it as a stand alone I really don’t feel like it affected the story at all, I understood what was going on at all times and loved (and hated) the characters along the way. I’m excited to get some more background info when I read the first 2 and will update my review with the different perspective when I do. I would not hesitate to recommend this book even if you haven’t read any of the others. The world building is fantastic and the characters well rounded. I was sitting on the end he of my seat several times and properly creeped out more than once.
January 5, 2023
First we had jack and the beanstalk, then we had Hansel and Gretal and now we have little red riding hood! This author is doing an amazing job with these fairytale retellings, drawing us in and putting her own spin on them and I have to say I am very much enjoying them. This one is dark, exciting, intense and thrilling as we meet Astor on her magical journey. We meet new characters but we also see some old friends from previous reads and the author has done an incredible job weaving them all together. Twists and turns, secrets and more then a few surprises that will have you on the edge of your seat guessing. The world building is incredible and the characters strong and relatable., these retellings are simply awesome!
January 4, 2023
When you think of little red riding hood you imagine a little girl skipping through the woods on her way to visit grandma, but what if we don't get the whole story, what happens to that little girl after her encounter with the big bad wolf?
A mix of old and new characters comes together to produce an exciting story about revenge, kindness, trust, heartbreak, and love.
The author has once again shown how talented she is in thinking outside the box. She has the ability to draw me into this world she creates, and I love it and the characters within.
Thanks for the amazing rollercoaster ride, Kate. Bring on book 4!
A mix of old and new characters comes together to produce an exciting story about revenge, kindness, trust, heartbreak, and love.
The author has once again shown how talented she is in thinking outside the box. She has the ability to draw me into this world she creates, and I love it and the characters within.
Thanks for the amazing rollercoaster ride, Kate. Bring on book 4!
February 13, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed how the characters from the previous two books are woven together with the new characters introduced in this book.
The evolution of Gale and Aster separately and together leads to some hard choices navigating a dark situation which ultimately leads them both to good place together.
I enjoy how Kate crafts characters who have to navigate mature situations, to create the best possible options for themselves and those they care about.
This series gets more addictive with each book.
The evolution of Gale and Aster separately and together leads to some hard choices navigating a dark situation which ultimately leads them both to good place together.
I enjoy how Kate crafts characters who have to navigate mature situations, to create the best possible options for themselves and those they care about.
This series gets more addictive with each book.
December 17, 2022
This book really upped the story. Getting more in-depth look at old friends and watching growth. Scars and Seams could not be more properly named.
As expected the writing is beautiful the author truly has a way with the written word.
I was pulled in right from chapter one. Immediately with emotions pulling me in and keeping its claws on me.
I cannot hype this series up enough has not disappointed me at all.
As expected the writing is beautiful the author truly has a way with the written word.
I was pulled in right from chapter one. Immediately with emotions pulling me in and keeping its claws on me.
I cannot hype this series up enough has not disappointed me at all.
February 14, 2023
Best in the series? Hard to say, the cast and setting keep growing in breadth and depth, so it's hard to compare them directly. This is am excellent third installment in the series, can't wait for the next.
December 29, 2024
In a world where you lose your memories often because you're told it's the only way to keep you alive, wouldn't you want to trust the one doing it? When I first started reading, I felt a little sorry for Aster. Then as I got further along, I felt really bad for her and then the horror really hit me. The only bright spot for this girl was a witch she mostly couldn't remember. Beyond the horror that is her life though, the book was well woven together and a fantastically tragic retelling. I can't wait to see what awaits the girls as they move into the future. I can't wait to see Jes again as she is always cunning and amusing. I also can't wait to see what the future book brings in so far as retelling whose tale and how it is interwoven with our previous characters.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews