I absolutely loved The Stormborne Vine by Tilly Wallace! It's a cozy fantasy story set in Regency England, and it had everything I was looking for—exciting characters, interesting special interests, dragons, friendship, and a well-built world. I just wish I could jump right into the next book!

The only small thing I noticed was that the chapters changed abruptly, which caught me off guard a few times during intense scenes. I found myself checking to see if I had missed a page.

Thank you to Ribbonwood Press and NetGalley for letting me read this early copy and share my honest thoughts!

I was expecting to adore this story: the historical setting, cozy vibes with dragons and vines that come alive, and the author definitely knows how to paint the scenes. But there was a bit too much painting of the scenes—too much thinking, description of the setting, and doing of things (like eating and drinking) that do not contribute to the plot. This made everything slow down and we don’t get to the exciting parts until 70% in.

I received an eARC of The Stormborne Vine courtesy of NetGalley, the author Tilly Wallace, and the publisher, Ribbonwood Press. The Stormborne Vine is set in Regency England where ladies should be proper and kempt (and most certainly do not wear trousers), but Fern Oakley is much more than what society demands of a noble woman. She takes up the legacy of her deceased father as a botanist and supports her entire estate by growing and selling rare botanical species to alchemists and magical practitioners alike. She is called in for assistance at the pompous Lord Warrington’s estate to examine why the soil around his property is decaying. During her first night there a storm brings to life not just a carnivorous ivy but an adorable origami dragon. In this cozy, magical realism novel Fern uses her wits and resources to solve the arising issues on Lord Warrington’s estate.

I absolutely relished this book. Magic is real, dragons are real, but the world building was also mixed with the societal demands of 1800s England and I had no trouble immersing myself into the story. I loved following Fern as our main character because she is smart, resourceful, and kind. I adored the supporting characters who brought their pieces of individualism to the plot, such as her Uncles who love her for who she is and not the noble woman she should be, the Oakley estate workers who help Fern in anyway the can, and her knew friend Millie who is being suppressed by her brother Lord Warrington. This book was pleasantly crafted and everything just felt well paced from one chapter to the next.

Thank you again to those involved for giving me an eARC of The Stormborne Vine. 5/5 stars. I can’t wait to read more of Fern Oakley’s adventures and hope her story doesn’t end here.

The Stormborne Vine offers a compelling premise - a gothic tale set in a parallel-reality England, blending magic, alchemy, dragons, and a touch of mystery. The combination of these elements should have been a recipe for a great read, and while the ideas were creative, the execution fell a bit flat.

The atmospheric setting and gothic vibes were well done, drawing me into a dark and intriguing world. However, the story was impacted by its slow pacing and repetitive elements, which made it hard to stay fully engaged. The potential for high-stakes drama and tension was there, but the narrative often felt really slow.

The ending was abrupt, unsatisfying and rushed.

Overall, while I appreciated the inventive world-building and unique blend of genres, as well as strong female main character and feminist ideas, the book struggled to maintain its momentum. It’s a solid read for fans of gothic mysteries, and I will probably continue with the series, but I hope the second book addresses the pacing and repetition issues.

This is a sweet cosy story, but as with Tilly Wallace's previous books, I feel like it never quite manages to reach its full potential because it wants some serious editing. There are a fair few grammatical errors and awkward phrasings, the pacing is uneven, and characters and the narrative often repeat information in a way that is probably just accidental, but ends up feeling patronising, A strong edit would have these books at the top of my cosy fantasy lists!

This was everything that I was looking for from a opening chapter in the Leaf and Scale series, it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the feel of this world. I thought the concept was everything that I was looking for and had that fantasy element that I was looking for. Tilly Wallace has a strong writing style and left me wantng to read more in this series.

"Determined spinster vs carnivorous wallflower...

In a corner of rural England, Fern Oakby makes a living through her knowledge of botany. An unusual case erupts during a storm when a Boston ivy turns monstrous and...carnivorous.

However, the solution is not as simple as hacking down the exceedingly rare and hungry plant. The storm also gave life to an origami dragon and bound it to the vine. When a lonely woman pleads with Fern to save the tiny dragon, she is forced to confront a profound question - what defines the value of a life?

In a world where ancient magic lingers, every life - no matter how small or strange - holds immeasurable worth. As Fern races against time to unravel dark secrets at the estate, the vine continues to grow. She must find a way to destroy it before it spreads or snatches more lives. Nor, as she discovers, is the little dragon the only life in need of saving...

Start a brand new cozy fantasy series from the author of Manners and Monsters. Set in Regency England, explore a world that celebrates friendship and where magic and nature intertwine."

Regency Magic! Muppet arm flail!

This book was warm and fun, cozy with enough intrigue to keep the pages turning. It was very easy to be swept away by the charming and mundane life Fern Oakby shares with her two uncles, and is the prefect entrance point to the larger story.

As tension builds on a vast estate, Fern finds new friends and tests her own resolve in the face of her convictions. This book effortlessly weaves building the main character's...well, character, and developing the plot. The two parts of the story entwine hand in hand, but in a subtle, natural way.

I enjoyed the magic of this world. It is very classic, cosy fantasy, but it doesn't shy away from the darker aspects that come with magic. It makes the world building feel whole and complete, without losing what so many find charming about the cozy genre.

Additionally, I think people will find Fern, the main character, very reminiscent of the classic regency/historical fiction heroines, like Anne Shirley and Elizabeth Bennet.

Overall, I think this was very fun and worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for letting me read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. Fern and her family are very unique and entertaining in this type of fiction. The story had a great way of pulling you in and keeping things open for more stories from Fern.

I am left having more questions and I cannot wait to read the second one. I do wish I had more closure on aspects like the alchemist, Eurydice, and all of the magic in general. Knowing that this is a series I know that it will all be understood in due time.

This is a cozy fantasy set in our world but with magic and dragons. My favourite parts were the little dragons Eurydice and Squib, and the carnivorous monster plant. The scenes involving them were the most exciting - however I found the filler in-between to be a bit slow paced for my liking. The dialogue between characters was great, and I enjoyed Ferns little family and the friends she eventually made. I think the writing style had a bit too much telling rather than showing for my taste - we didn't need the breakfast, dressing and nighttime routine every day.

If you are a fan of books like legends and lattes, this will likely be to your tastes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ribbonwood press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Tilly Wallace for the e-ARC!

A lovely cosy fantasy set in an alternate regency England. I enjoyed the tie-ins between the history of dragons and true historical events such as Elizabeth I and also the burning of Richmond Palace.

I loved the third person, one POV writing style but felt it could have been a little longer. However, the ending sets up an opportunity for a sequel nicely and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I would recommend this book to those that enjoyed ‘A Natural History of Dragons’.

A charming historical cozy fantasy featuring a confident young woman and dragon companions, The Stormborne Vine sets up a delightful new series brimming with hope and adventure!

This was a nice mix of cute with a stick-it-to-the-man attitude combined with classic animal companions (who, of course, have a bit of endearing snark) and stakes that feel exciting but not too heavy. This story set up a lot of interesting threads and I hope to see them and the characters introduced get even more fleshed out in the next books of the series, as some of them, like the dragon Euyredice, didn't get nearly as much screen time as I was hoping given how important they seemed at the beginning. This was an overall lovely read though, and I'll be looking out for the next story in this universe!

Who doesn’t love a cozy fantasy?! I absolutely loved the story and the characters. I think it’s so important to have strong lead female characters in books. Fern was strong and dedicated and never held back. A true badass. If you are looking for a cozy fantasy book this is your book! I’m looking forward to reading Tilly’s next book! I really enjoyed her writing style.

Be sure to check this out on February 5th 2025!

Thank you NetGalley, Tilly and Ribbonwood Press for the E-ARC!

#NetGalley #TheStormborneVine

While I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, there's something about Tilly Wallace's prose that makes me love her stories. The characters, the plot, and overall coziness of the story were captivating. The botanical aspects spoke to me as someone who loves to garden and the dragons were fun as well.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. There's a little bit of magic, a little bit of dragons, a murderous plant, a cozy esque feel, and likable characters.

Slightly spoilery content ahead.

While the ending isn't a dramatic cliffy, not everything is 100% wrapped up. But there is a note about an upcoming sequel. I will definitely be reading it when it's available.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have been a fan of Tilly Wallace since her exceptional and criminally underrated Manners & Monsters series (which I have queued up for a reread this year). As such, I’ve been looking forward to The Stormborne Vine for a while.

As with Manners & Monsters, there is a really interesting magic/world set up that felt unique, but also accessible. But where Wallace really excels is in creating interesting characters that exist within a cozy familial dynamic.

It took me a minute to get into this book, but once the story got going, I was ensconced. There was some anachronistic and awkward language in parts, and I would like to see some fuller world and character building as the series progresses. But all told, I really enjoyed this. It’s an excellent setup for a promising series to come. I can’t wait to see where the characters go from here, what happens with Squib, and I hope to see a romance develop.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Reviews are linked below and posted on my Goodreads and my Bookstagram account, Trinas.Tomes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the free arc.

I absolutely adored this cosy, sweet, cute, historical fantasy. Ugh, baby dragons, pixie paper dragons, carnivorous vines that eat people, a female MC who is in her 30s!, cranky alchemists, sweet Macbeth style witch sisters, the supportive uncle and his very good friend who is surely just a roommate, and the beginning of a lovely female friendship. It's everything.

Not only do we get a fun and interesting mystery for our FMC to solve, we also get tantalising little pieces of mysteries that no doubt will be delved into throughout the series. What happened to her dad? How do you germinate those special tree seeds? (I think I know). Why is magic slowly disappearing from the world? Is she gonna make the cranky alchemist less cranky? 🤨😂

I can't wait to find out. 😍😍😍

A stunning, unique, and beautiful cozy fantasy! I've read a lot of books in the last year, but none quite so charming as this one! with beautiful imagery, an exciting mystery, a touch of morbidity, and a cast of delightfully wonderful characters! the worldbuilding is amazing, and gives off feelings like howls moving castle, or Arietty. soothing, beautiful scenes filled with an array of plants, dragons, and snark mixed in with a surprising amount of low risk action. if your a fan of gardening, dragons, and magical mysteries, this is a book for you!a charming humor, a light hint of romance, and newfound friends, awaits!

Such a delightful cozy fantasy, with a very likeable protagonist and a fantasy world meshed with Regency historical vibes. I was immediately drawn to the main character, and her botanical work and tragic personal history were very interesting.

4.5 ⭐️

thank you to netgalley and tilly wallace for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

in ‘the stormborne vine’ we follow our main character fern oakby , a kind and determined botanist who roots (no pun intended) our story so so well. i absolutely loved all of our characters - fern, millicent, ambrose, george, and the origami-dragon-come-to-life, squib; just to name a few. they were all excellently fleshed out and i can’t wait to see them built upon throughout the books in this series. the abundance of botanical and alchemical imagery made the story all the more immersive, and the addition of dragons and magic is always something i’ll love.

i read this very quickly, and if you ever need a book to just whisk you away and restore some of your faith in humanity, then this is it! a cozy historical fantasy perfect for fans of heather fawcett, caitlin rozakis, and t kingfisher 𓇢𓆸