In a time of revolution, everyone must take a side.

Sophie, a dressmaker and charm caster, has lifted her family out of poverty with a hard-won reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly embroidered spells. A commission from the royal family could secure her future – and thrust her into a dangerous new world.

Revolution is brewing. As Sophie’s brother, Kristos, rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement, it is only a matter of time before their fortunes collide.

When the unrest erupts into violence, she and Kristos are drawn into a deadly magical plot. Sophie is torn – between her family and her future. Something I really love to see is when an author takes something they are passionate about & incorporates it into their work. Brian McClellan brought a love of cooking into the Powder Mage trilogy, and RJ Barker recently began his nautical fantasy series, The Tide Child, inspired by his love for the sea.

Rowenna Miller, a seamstress/historical costumer and self-described “living history nerd” brings her love for history & sewing to her series, The Unraveled Kingdom. Torn is the first book in the trilogy, and it’s one that’s been sitting on my TBR for quite awhile! This was such an enjoyable read, and I’m really glad to have started this trilogy!

The magic in Torn is incredibly clever. What if you could stitch magic directly into a garment that you made? And then the person who wore it could be under a protective spell, or a spell for good luck. But then, what if someone wanted you to use that power to hurt someone? To cause unrest in the government?

These are some of the questions at the heart of Torn, a story of two siblings growing increasingly further apart based on their political ideologies. Sophie is a dressmaker, and owns her own shop. It’s a small business, but one she is deeply proud of. Her ability to charm cast and imbue garments with magic isn’t something she advertises, but something that’s more word-of-mouth. Her brother, Kristos, is a day-laborer, and something of a revolutionary. He & his friends print pamphlets & hold rallies designed to improve conditions for the working class.

Just as the movement that Kristos is a part of becomes more & more intense, and potentially violent, Sophie is increasingly drawn into the world of the nobles. Sophie & Kristos are very close, but their relationship begins to suffer, with neither one of them fully understanding where the other is coming from.

Torn is something of a slow burn, and character driven above all else. There are more than a few tense & exciting scenes, but Miller takes her time developing these great characters, and slowly ratcheting up the tension over the course of the novel. Miller’s prose is lovely without ever feeling obtrusive, and she does phenomenal work when it comes to vividly describing a place & transporting the reader to a fantasy city on the brink of rebellion.

This was fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to the next two books!