In the first book in the new Leaf and Scale series, readers meet determined spinster and brilliant botanist Fern Oakby, who supports her family with her knowledge of botany on strange jobs like this one, which involves a monstrous and carnivorous Boston ivy plant. When the solution reveals itself to be more complicated -- having come to life with an origami dragon whose life is bound to the plant -- Fern must confront the question about the value of life in her work to keep the plant from killing and keep a lonely woman’s origami dragon alive. An incredible, vibrant, and lively new start to a cozy fantasy series where magic lingers in this Regency England society, readers will love this fantastic new novel and its incredibly capable protagonist (and her unorthodox circle of friends and family). Fern is fun, intelligent, and capable, and the adventures awaiting her are sure to be exciting just like this first adventure. The uniqueness of this magic system and the possibilities for future novels make this a series to keep an eye on because Tilly Wallace has brought a new and fascinating magic system and fantasy world to life that readers are sure to love and devour with each new title.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Leaf and Scale series. I got this as an eGalley from NetGalley to review..

Thoughts: This book has a lot of things I love in a cozy fantasy book, but they all felt a bit underwhelming here. There is a plucky heroine who makes her way in a science field, a wonderfully supportive home life, adorable dragons, a mysterious alchemist, and magic and danger. I should have loved this, but I found it repetitive, shallow, and predictable.

The story follows Fern; she has been disgraced in society and is quietly following in her father's footsteps by working as a botanist. When she gets called to a manor house to help figure out why part of the garden keeps dying, she ends up with a lot more than she bargained for. A strange carnivorous vine forms after a horrible storm passes through. Fern's life gets incredibly hectic as she is suddenly dealing with man-eating vines, dragons, and a difficult lord.

While I did like the idea of this, it felt unfinished to me. The characters are very cookie-cutter; they are what cozy fantasy characters should be like but didn't have much depth at all. Our main character, Fern, spends all her time running back and forth between three locations trying to solve this mystery and fix things at a breakneck pace. It should have been exciting, but it was very repetitive and a bit confusing. I was trying to figure out how she got between all these places that are hours away from each other multiple times a day on horseback. Also, why did she have to do so much back and forth? She was frantic all the time, which made it so I never got to know her as a character.

I wanted to love Fern, but her character just felt so shallow. She was like the cardboard cutout of what a rebellious botanist could be, but she just didn't have a unique personality of her own. This is a short book, but about half way through I found my mind wandering and realized I didn't care. Then, when the alchemist entered the picture, I thought, ah, here will be an interesting character. Unfortunately, he was also one-dimensional, stiff, and boring. The character with the most personality in this book is the non-speaking paper dragon...which is unfortunate.

When I started this book, I was excited. I was actually looking at Wallace's other series, Manners & Monsters, and thinking I should pick that up too. She was described by some as Gail Carriger but a bit less goofy, and I thought this will be great! In the end, though, this was just barely okay. There are good ideas here and some good sketches of what this world could be. Unfortunately, that is what everything; the magic, the characters, and the world felt like to me...an idea of a sketch but not well fleshed. I didn't hate this...I just didn't really like it either; it felt incredibly vanilla to me. By the end, I was left feeling vague disappointment because I was really looking for another fun and snappy Victorian fantasy author to read.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was a bit disappointing to me. The premise is good, the idea behind the story was good, but everything felt repetitive, shallow and unfinished to me. This is like a sketch of a good cozy fantasy without any meat or depth. This is one of those situations where I really wanted to love this; I feel like there is a lot here I should like. Unfortunately, pretty much everything about this just missed the mark for me.

"Ok so first of all happy release day to Tilly Wallace and this amazing book!! To me it's literally the definition of a cozy fantasy that I read while curled up in bed. I loved the kind and caring yet bold and confident traits of the main character and the premise of the book in general. I highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a quick and cozy yet incredibly entertaining read!"






*Review will be posted at @anas.bookish.corner on instagram at Wed, 5 Feb 12:00 AEDT - I couldn't add it to the link section so it's here.

This is a cozy story set in what feels like (alternate) 18th century England. However, magic and dragons are real! The main character, Fern, is a botanist shunned away from civil society.
It took me a while to get into the story but then I was hooked and couldn't put it down, especially once the first dragon made an appearance!

I loved the main character Fern and how she stands up for her beliefs and won't let ignorant men and the strict rules of her society regarding women stop her from living her own life. I would love to learn more about her backstory - and also her father's.
I am very intrigued about the magic and would love to read more about Squib and Euridice.

All in all this book is a very cute and cosy historical fantasy, that reminded me a lot of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett and A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan. It felt like a warm hug and I'm in desperate need of more! I'll definitely keep an eye out for the next book in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Ribbonwood Press for the ARC.

This story was a nice little read with engaging elements. I think perhaps the author wanted the story to be darker than it read but all in all quite a nice read that kept me entertained on a slow day at work.

I liked the setting being in rural England, and, who can say no to a book about dragons?

This review was posted on my Goodreads account on Sunday 2nd of February.

I think I’m in my cozy fantasy era at the moment and Stormborne Vine definitely satisfied it!

I still haven’t made my mind up about the FMC Fern as while at times I found her to be delightful and string willed. I think her ‘otherness’ felt a little forced at times - we know she likes wearing trousers and the point didn’t need to be made as often as it was.

This is the perfect read for those looking for a regency era fantasy featuring witches and dragons (and who doesn’t love a dragon)

Well that was a delightful cozy fantasy wrapped up in a bit of feminism and a good Gothic plot of a woman being held captive by an "evil" man (how villainous he is depends on the reader I guess).

The first 40% does go slowly without much happening as readers learn about Fern and her life, but once she starts a job and meets Millie, things pick up and I was hooked from that point on. How could I not love a story about an origami dragon come to life, a murderous vine, AND an actual dragon in need of saving?

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and hope that Fern will have cause to visit her local alchemist more frequently. Her kill him with kindness routine with the butler was thoroughly enjoyable.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Ribbonwood Press in exchange for an honest review.

Read this if you like: botany-related magic, pants-wearing Regency women, and little dragons!

I thought there was a lot to love about the world created in this book - the intersection of magic and science is always a hit for me, and dragons are always a good time. It was especially fun to see a tiny dragon being nursed back to health!

However, I often found myself annoyed by several of the characters. The FMC is not like other girls, and she won’t let you forget it. She doesn’t like dresses and only wants to wear trousers. I get it, I like pants too. But this protestation gets annoying the eighth time it’s mentioned. I also did not care for the domineering lord/brother and histrionic oppressed sister combo. Their interactions did not feel natural, and the animosity felt forced, in order for the FMC to have someone to “save” so she could ultimately be friends with them.

Honestly, your mileage may vary here. I feel like this is a solid cozy fantasy book that just didn’t resonate with me for some reason.

This first book of the Leaf and Scale series is not treading any new ground in the cozy historical fantasy realm, but it's generally enjoyable and entertaining.

The Stormborne Vine is a single POV cozy fantasy set in what I assume is the Regency era. The single POV is the main character, a young lady, and I generally liked reading from her point of view when she was not being repetitive. The author definitely made too many references to the main character not being like other girls and not liking other girls; I really do not enjoy girl-on-girl hate. The main and supporting characters ALL make comments about the main character wearing pants instead of dresses or just generally not being like the other refined ladies. We get it, she wears pants! The family and friends and the town itself were fairly one dimensional, but I imagine the next books in the series will expand more on the characters and world.

The writing is easy to read but sometimes overly descriptive of what exactly the main character is doing or thinking moment by moment. The plot generally takes a very relaxed (sometimes glacial) pace while the main character travels to and fro investigating the main mystery, and the last third has a much more reasonable plot-to-description ratio. Unfortunately, once we got the momentum going in the last bit, the ending was fairly abrupt. Because this is a very seasoned author, I am less forgiving on these pieces. The unresolved mysteries (the father and the alchemist) were interesting enough that I would likely read the next books in series, but I would have expected at least one of those mysteries to have been resolved or at least addressed more in this first book. This author seems to be striving for an ambiance similar to the Emily Wilde or Half a Soul series just without a romance plot, but I do like those other series better.

Thank you, Ribbonwood Press, for the arc!

To me, this book was alright. I think the main character made too many comments about how she just isn't like the other girls and it felt like it took me out of the story a bit. I liked the idea of how the magic worked and I do love when it takes our world and just adds a little bit of magic to it. I think I would have liked just a little more from it, although I think those things may be explored in the books to come. It definitely reminds me of a few other series, so it didn't feel like anything particularly new, but I do like these concepts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. When I first read the synopsis of The Stormborne Vine, I was drawn to the promise of a cozy mystery. This book delivered, in the most charming ways. Main character Fern is likeable and relatable, she is well thought out and guides the reader well within the story. The magic system is great, and fits well within overall world. The pacing is also great for this genre. I never felt bored or too rushed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy fantasy, or those that are new to the genre.

I couldn't get into the writing at all, the style was very impersonal with lots of ready-made expressions that grated against me and kept pulling me out.
There really was a lot of potential in this book, as the whole story is totally up my alley, but it just lacked the type of personality and voice I usually enjoy.

“The Stormborne Vine,” by Tilly Wallace

This book is definitely what I would consider a cozy read. It was focused on botany and a girl trying to figure out what is going on with the plants on this estate. The FMC was focused on helping the plants, animals and people in this house. She was very curious, smart, and stoic with the single goal to do the right thing always. It had a cottagecore theme mixed with historical England vibe. I would say this book is perfect for readers who love character driven (not romance) books with cozy slow-paced feel. 3 out of 5 stars.

-Botany
-Cozy
-Magic/ Supernatural

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed the unique magical realism setting. Historical fiction, just add magic and dragons and witches. You’re a bit thrown into the story, it almost felt like I was missing some information introducing these characters. It all comes together, though, and I was actually left wanting more detail about these characters in Fern’s life.

There are aspects of the story that do feel a little over-explained. Fern is different, we get it. She wears trousers and digs in the dirt and lives with her gay uncles. Once or twice could’ve covered that, but instead Fern seems to dwell on these points any moment she’s alone. Just driving that point home over and over again.

I would be interested in checking out more of this series. I’d love to know more about the alchemist lord and there’s the mystery of Fern’s father’s death that was not-so-subtly hinted at throughout this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: 4.25/5

The Stormborne Vine was an enjoyable cozy fantasy with interesting worldbuilding and a pretty, atmospheric style of writing. I found it difficult to get into first, but once the plot about the vines and the dragon were introduced, the book quickly became more engaging. However, I felt that this plot should have been introduced a bit earlier in the story or the story should have been longer. The conclusion felt rushed, with loose ends (e.g. Lord Drakeman, the connection between dragons and a specific tree type), and I wish the third act was longer. I know that there's going to be a sequel but these subplots didn't feel explored enough in the first book. However, I am certainly eager to read a sequel and find out more about the worldbuilding and the characters!

The Stormborne Vine is a cosy historical fantasy set in regency era England and is the first book in the Leaf and Scale series.

Fern spends her days as a botanist growing and selling rare plants for gardens and potions. When a storms brings to life a rare man-eating plant and an origami dragon, which is inexplicably somehow connected to the vine, Fern will need to work quickly to separate the connection before they’re both destroyed.

I really loved the premise of this book and appreciated the world building and descriptive botanical and alchemy imagery. I also really enjoyed the magical realism in this story with its magic, dragons and Macbeth-like witches.

The book laid the groundwork to expand on certain characters in future books, particularly the dragon Eurydice and the alchemist Lord Drakeman, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series to see how the characters have grown. There were also some mysteries that have yet to be resolved and I’m looking forward to reading more about them as well.

Fern Oakby was a likeable character, as were the two uncles she lives with, and I enjoyed the gothic vibes, the snarky dialogue and the Jane Austen shoutout for Northanger Abbey (a satire of gothic novels). I’m definitely reading book two as I’m curious to see how all the different plot points are resolved.

The Stormborne Vine by Tilly Wallace was an enchanting read. I enjoyed the whimsical characters and the small world Tilly Wallace built for Fern. I would have bumped up to five stars with more emphasis on Eurydice and dragon lore.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this lovely book! I found the tale captivating = dragons, magic, strong women and botany - what more could a reader want? I was enthralled and read the book in a day! Looking forward to the next installment!

Fern Oakby is an unmarried (much to society’s chagrin) botanist, supporting herself and her family using knowledge passed down from her late father. On one fateful job at a neighbouring house, she discovers an enormous carnivorous vine that is inexplicably linked to an origami paper dragon now come to life during a magical storm. Lord Warrington is only concerned about removing the monstrous (murderous?) vine before his garden party, but his widowed sister, Millie, refuses to let anything hurt her pixie dragon formed of parchment and ink. Fern has one week to figure out how to magically separate the two, before Warrington torches the whole lot.

This story is short but sweet, with a plethora of interesting characters with unique voices that are the heart of the tale. It’s cosy with relatively low stakes (other than, y’know, a man being eaten by a plant), and set in a world suffused by magic, though in recent years it seems to be dwindling. I loved the dragon concepts and mysteries, and obviously adore both Eurydice and Squib, the two dragons under Fern’s care. I really felt for Millie, trapped in the house as she was, and adored the playful bickering of Ambrose and his partner George - though their science vs magic debates were somewhat repetitive and two dimensional. Lord Drakeman was an intriguing mystery, left for future entries in the series.

That, however, is part of my problem with this book. It feels like half a book. That is not a criticism of the length (as it’s certainly possible to tell a compelling short story), but the fact that almost no mysteries were resolved, no character arcs were concluded, and the ending felt entirely unsatisfying. I imagine that when the second book comes out, the two would have done better as one cohesive story. Some of the mysteries are understandable, such as the lost trees and dragons, set up as a wider series intrigue. However, we are in Fern’s POV the whole book, but she continuously, repetitively refers to a few threads (her disgrace from society, the death of a dragon at Kew Gardens, to name a few) that she would reasonably know or say more about in her internal monologue, or not mention as frequently. It felt cheap and a little irritating to keep dangling the same thread before the reader with no further information each time.

This book is a 3.5 (rounded down to 3) for me - there is a lot of really good and interesting worldbuilding and characterisation, and I am left with the desire to find out what happens next, but the lack of plot substance and resolution has left me feeling frustrated. I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who does want to read a cosy fantasy about saving dragons - although I’d recommend to wait until the second book is out, so that you can read them back to back.

4.7 / 5.0

The Stormborne Vine by Tilly Wallace is a cozy botanical fantasy set in regency era England with magic, science, and dragons.

Reminding me a little of Emily Wilde and a little of A Tainted Cup, this story is inventive and mysterious. It has a vibe reminiscent of Jane Eyre, with a “mad” woman locked in a tower and a FMC that is a societal outcast.

Our FMC is also deeply academic and precise in her way of thinking and behaving. I thoroughly enjoyed this and am happy a new series is coming out this year to continue my library of cozy reading books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.