Considering all the knitting I’ve been doing lately, it was fitting that the author of this novella reached out to me to give it a read. Magical knitting is a pretty legit premise, and this was a short but fun read. According to Goodreads, this releases on May 15th,2015, so be on the lookout. I’ll be watching out for more stories in this series, as this is one of the few knitting themed fiction stories I’ve truly enjoyed.
Blood Stitches by Erin Fanning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In theory, I should love novels about knitting because I love novels and I love knitting. However, many of the works I’ve read where knitting was featured were not great. I went into the reading of this novella with a hopeful, but critical eye.
Both technically and thematically, this short work was refreshing. It wasn’t just about knitting…it was about magical knitting. While the potential for campiness was there, the author delivered well without dosing the story in cheese.
The basis of this novella is a family granted the power to knit magic with their needles…The Touch of the Moon. While the main character, Gabby, doesn’t have the power, her sister does. Unfortunately, in her sister’s quest to make money with the gift, she’s sold her magical work to a buyer who could use it to cause a catastrophe. To stop this from happening, Gabby and her friend Frank set off to destroy the works before this can happen.
The main setting of the story was fun, as the characters travel to a fantastical underground club where strange creatures are found as well as the mysterious customer who wants to use the power of the knitted tapestries to further his own means.
The plot was solid, the characters were interesting and quirky, and I really enjoyed the premise of magical knitting. There were a few places where I got lost in the action, but overall, the story flowed well.
Though this was a novella, the author left it open for more stories, and I look forward to reading them.
The Romance Factor 