It had an original universe, a likable plot, interesting characters, and funny and original writing, but it was too fast for me, and I wasn't really hooked. I couldn't say why. It was a nice novel, but just not for me.
Thank you NetGally

The Storyteller's Tale is a beautiful story of adventure, misconception, and love where you least expect it. I requested this book from NetGalley based on the whimsical cover, lovely description, and intriguing magic system. It did not disappoint.

In our story, sweet librarian Iliad, who is grieving a broken engagement, is met with a mysterious summons to the capital. She is to become the Queen's Storyteller, as she has a very special gift of magic - that of bringing words to life in the air. Included in the summons is a strange proposal from a member of the royal family - to be married in 3 months' time, but to keep it all secret. Chaperoned by her fiery (literally) grandmother, Iliad sets off on an adventure far more grand, more beautiful - and dangerous - than she ever expected. This a beautiful read suitable for mature middle grade and up, with some parental guidance encouraged (see CW below). Highly recommend!

There were places where the pacing felt a little off - moreso in reflection after finishing than during the story itself. This may have been due to the book being a translation, which I was not aware of prior to beginning. It did not, however, detract from the story itself. The world building was lovely - I just wanted more! I would love to see more books in this series and see it expanded!

World Building: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character Development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Predictability (lack of): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pacing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🥛 - very mild (0.25 🌶️)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
TW/CW: Death, murder, suicide (off page and historical, though cause of death is discussed), a scene where a man grabs and kisses an unwilling woman without her consent, some bullying

Overall well written and entertaining. The world building is nice, and the characters are interesting.

I really wanted to love this book. It has a very unique feature that caught my eye when looking on NetGalley and that is the FMC being a “Snatchwords” — someone who can breathe life into words by speaking them aloud. Her power is illusions created from her mind while she reads. This was so alluring to me as someone who adores words of all kinds… but, I honestly felt a little disappointed by this book.

This book was rated middle-grade/young adult fantasy, however, I felt it should’ve been classified as only middle-grade or maybe even younger. I felt the plot to be juvenile and not enticing enough to continue had it not been a DRC. I did like the references to classic literature throughout and the use of them to tell the story, I felt that was very creative and unique.

I do think I would recommend this book but likely to a younger audience as I felt that it was missing any actual “YA” elements.

ARC review reader:

This book promised a lot in my opinion, the cover is beautiful and the story looks very interesting, but it didn't work for me.
The magical concept is fabulous, the world is developed in a magical and incredible way, well constituted and everything explained so well for such a small book and maybe that was the problem. Because then the dialogues and interactions were weak, the storyline was weak.
The scenes happen too quickly; the dialogues that barely start are already ending up being weak in terms of emotions; the romance between the Lord and the Snatchword has potential, but I couldn't feel connected to them, they say they already love each other with few interactions and it didn't even make me almost faint. The plot was rushed and the [ big moment where we see how the characters are is in a small letter that Snatchword makes to her sister, who has a big declaration of love from the judge in a P.S. note?

It didn't work for me, but this book promised EVERYTHING! And it would easily reach four stars!

I adored this book. The Storyteller's Tale is about Iliad who’s a famous storyteller in Esmeria. She moves to the capital Babel for a new job and marriage to an unknown suitor, but soon finds it’s not as easy and wonderful as she thought it would be.

I read this book in just two sittings, I couldn’t put it down. The worldbuilding is beautiful. It’s set in an ambiguous timeless setting, but there are magical aspects throughout the world with some people having special powers including Iliad. Iliad is the main character, who has a gift I would love to possess: creating illusions from the books she reads. I connected with Illiad a lot as we both share a passion for books. The only minor critique I have for this book is I want to dive deeper into this world. I’d love a sequel that dives deeper into this world to understand the politics, the monarchy, and especially the magical elements that are intertwined within the society.

The translation was excellent, and the writing style made it an easy and enjoyable read. I loved this book and everything to do with it, it was a cosy comfort read. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are into fantasy and cosy books.

As much as I liked how well the story was written and the story as a whole it just wasn’t my vibe so this is more of an impersonal review rather than my true thoughts as I unfortunately didn’t mesh well BUT the story it’s self was amazing and I really think others would like it if you like a cute wholesome sort of book where good conquers evil

Oh boy, where to begin.

From page one this was really hard to read. It was stilted, awkwardly written, and clunky. This was originally written in French, and I can't tell if it has a bad writer, a bad translator, or both. My gut is telling me it's both.

The biggest issue I had was the writing itself. People just don't speak like that. The language was so forced that I couldn't sink into the story at all. I wanted to pick out a few quotes that highlight just how awkwardly written this is, but honestly there are decent examples on every page.

Originally I kept reading because I wanted to give the netgalley ARC a fair chance, and I kept reading out of morbid curiosity. And I'm SO GLAD I did, because the plot was finally introduced in the last 30 pages. I have no idea about the purpose of the first 7/8ths of this book.

And!!! This is a fantasy book that is set in a fantasy land, so explain to me the constant references to real-world literature? The old testament, the picture of Dorian Gray, Rousseau?? Homer?! Are you suggesting this is all happening on our earth, post-1890?

Additionally, the characters were bland. The main character has red hair and that is her personality.

This reads as a book that is nowhere near ready to be published, but what baffles me the most is the other reviews- did we read the same book?

In this story, we follow Illiad, a character who has the ability to turn words into illusions by speaking them aloud. While this concept is intriguing, the book ultimately felt superficial. Illiad's power, while interesting at first, is only explored in its most basic form, and even by the end of the book, we don’t learn much more about it.

The world is populated with potentially interesting characters, but they remain one-dimensional, and could be described in just a few words. The origins of these powers are never explained—are they something everyone possesses, or are they unique to certain individuals? Even more fundamental questions, like where this world is set, go unanswered. The author frequently quotes from well-known, classic works, but it’s unclear how these references fit into the world and weighed down the narrative.

Ultimately, this book left me with a sense of disappointment. It felt rushed and overly simplistic. The relationship between Illiad and the lord was underdeveloped, progressing from only two meetings to a rushed romance that seemed to serve the plot rather than any meaningful emotional development. Furthermore, the world-building was minimal, with almost no descriptions to ground the reader in the setting.

The Storyteller's Tale is the story of a girl, and a boy, and a library - and yet, it is so much more than that. In this English translation of a French novel, Iliad is a wordsnatcher - a person who can bring the words she reads to life, so that the words themselves wind around around her as she reads, illuminating and enhancing the author's meaning. The daughter of a middle class family, named for Homer's famous work by her much-travelled father, Iliad is a librarian who does book readings, when she receives a most unusual missive: a proposal of marriage from an unknown member of the royal family, with a contract that ensures that, no matter her response to the proposal, she will be rewarded for even considering the idea. Thus begins a tale of intrigue and unexpected love, along with political plots, intertwined with the introduction of an unknown, middle class woman into the royal relationships and machinations.

This novel started a bit slowly for me, but after I got a few chapters in, it caught my attention more fully and drew me in, to the point that I finished the last three-fourths in one sitting. As befits a novel about a librarian, this novel is full of literary allusions, quotes, titles, and authors, all properly footnoted (which is, at the start, a bit distracting in a novel - but easy to ignore once the purpose of the footnotes is determined). It is a love story in the fashion of Beauty and the Beast, in which a literary-minded young woman meets a disfigured young man with a library, but it goes far beyond that, into a plot with several twists and turns that will, ultimately, surprise the reader. Recommended for readers middle school through adult.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Iliad is a snatchwords. Whatever she reads aloud comes to life right before everyone's eyes. She has a gift for taking tales and adventures, and bringing them to reality. And this gift causes her to be summoned to the palace. Along with this request, a strange and unusual courtship also draws her far from home. So, with her whimsical grandmother to chaperone, Iliad sets off on her own adventure. But court life is unlike anything she expected. Iliad is quickly drawn into one mystery after another. Who can she trust? The king who seems to be playing both sides? Her reclusive suitor? Or the charming prince? Her very life is dependent upon her choice. Where will it lead her?

This book has a great premise. An intelligent woman travels to a foreign land, meets a variety of interesting people, and stands her ground... Both the king and Iliad's suitor strive for justice in the kingdom. There are plenty of references to classic literature and poetry. Many of the elements and themes I look for in books that I want to pass on to my kids But there were definitely trouble spots. This book is listed under middle grades and teens. It is absolutely not a middle-grade read. There are references to Iliad taking off her clothing, being seen in only her shirt, guests to the palace being encouraged to drink to the point of drunkenness, and more. The main characters also display an attraction to each other that is much too mature for the audience. In addition, there are references to other characters, such as the "old bag." Terms and attitudes that kids might be familiar with today but still don't need to be encouraged. There are enough of these instances that I won't be handing this book over to my kids and just can't recommend this title. There are so many great reads out there. This just isn't one of them.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this, on one hand, I LOVE the literary references and all the mentions of books; there are so many gorgeous quotes, specially regarding the love of reading. I also really liked Iliad’s power, so much that my favorite part was when we learn about how she discovers her powers. Where the book loses points for me was the marriage plot, I really feel like he is an unnecessary addition; Iliad could just have gone to the palace to become the new storyteller and met Adil in the process, it would’ve made the romance much more natural and organic.

And speaking of… the fact that out of nowhere we find out that he can read everyone’s mind except for Iliad’s was just too Edward Cullen for my liking.

Finally, I felt very uncomfortable with how the book talked about mental illness and disabilities, specially in the the way agoraphobia was represented, and more specifically phrases like: “he doesn’t know how to write his own name, for he is touched in the head”.

Overall, I see a lot of potential in the book, specially at the beginning, but I think that it needs to understand better the direction it’s trying to take.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little hard to get into but it really picks up around the middle of the book. It's totally worth the effort too.

The main character, Iliad, is a snatchwords which means she can literally bring words to life by simply reading them. She receives a strange proposal one day so she packs up and moves to the city of Babel where she meets a very taciturn man, and finds love.

It's a very sweet, cozy ya with a little bit of a mystery and a happy ending.

Thank you, #netgalley for allowing me to read #thestorytellerstale for providing a review.

I chose this book because of the interesting concept of snatchwords and the beautiful cover. The cozy vibes of the story were fantastic. What book lover doesn't want the ability to create visuals of books we read? The closest we get to snatchwords are generated pictures of our beloved characters in this age 😅 Kingdom of Esmeria is beautifully written, and I could get lost in the world anytime. I was not a fan of the Iliad at the beginning of the book, but she grove on me later. The whole romance part of the story reminds me of Beauty and the Beast's loose retelling, and there were decisions mainly at the beginning of the book (marriage with a stranger) that were putting me off, but at the end, I enjoyed the story very much. The writing style targets a younger audience; it is very easy to follow and is well-paced. I recommend this book to anybody who loves reading books and wants to cozy read with a beautiful story.

This book felt like watching a romcom anime tbh. Fun, though there were some parts that were rushed. Overall, 4 stars.

Loved this. Super fun. Solid plot. Strong character development. Couldn’t put it down and I’ll definitely recommend.

***I received a free advance reader copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own***

This was a pretty fun read that really appealed to the bibliophile in me. I was surprised to see that there were lots of real-world literature in this fantasy novel set in what I took to be a fantasy world. I’m nowhere near as well-read as the main character, Iliad, so having a reference section at the end of the book was a nice addition.

I didn’t feel that some of the characters were developed beyond surface level. I would’ve liked to know more about both the royal and Iliad’s family. I also wish that the world was explored more and that we were shown more of the fantasy elements that were briefly featured. For example, it seemed like everyone had some kind of minor magical ability but it isn’t always clear what they’re capable of.

My favorite part of this book was Iliad herself. Throughout the story, I wanted her to win and get her HEA. I even developed a soft spot for prickly Adil after a while and was happy to learn his backstory. As a couple, I felt that they complimented each other well and although they initially faced nothing but misunderstanding after misunderstanding, I didn’t feel that their relationship was forced.

All in all, this was an easy, enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to younger readers (maybe YA) or anyone who enjoys fantasy with a cozy vibe.

Iliad's word magic is well developed and unique. She reads from real world classic literature and poetry, with footnotes, so fans of the classics may enjoy all the references. Other types of magic exist but are mostly glossed over. Environmental descriptions are rich. Action description is, unfortunately, lacking. Characters tend to "appear" without any indication of how they got there.

If mysterious suitor from the royal family sounds romantic, I've got bad news. These characters have zero chemistry. If it sounds politically intriguing, you're in luck. Politics become the main focus of this book, though it takes a long time for Iliad to be looped in.

The setting seems 19th century but occasional modern slang pops up, like "kick butt" or "when we were kids." This issue is on the translation rather than the author.

I enjoyed this book so much.
It was funny, mesmerizing and wholesome.
I like that concept od world coming alive.
Highly recommend.

I liked the magic, the snatchword ability and the world that this book was setting up, and there in lies the problem. This magic and world wasn't really flushed out all that much instead most of the book is spent focusing on court politics and romance. The romance part didn't overly bother me as the synopsis tells you this book is a romance book. I just feel like there could have been a way to weave more magic and world building into the court politics and romance. The book could have been better pacsed as well as the last third of the book things were happening very fast. This story has potential but I think it needed a little more fleshing out to truly make it shine.