Tangled Threads and Unraveling
- Apr 29, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2024
Princess. Magic. Deaf.
A young adult novel filled with magic, adventure, and even a little romance with warring nations.
"A little danger adds to the feeling of adventure, doesn't it?
Marguerite is a deaf princess in a world where her uncle would do anything to get on the throne. He is evil and twisted who would do anything to rule and implement his idea of government: women in the background, looking pretty, and eliminating witchcraft. Marguerite has hidden her skeincraft magic all her life. He has abused her all her life - from banning hand language, to smashing her left hand with an anvil. She flees to a neighboring empire where her gift of magic can flourish and where being deaf is more accepted. When war threatens, she returns home only to have her uncle seize the throne and imprison her. She resists him even in isolation, and continues to gather stories and embroider his crimes on her dress. To break free, she’ll have to depend on her magic, some questionable friends, and Tys… a boy who has a hidden secret or two of his own.
"It takes courage to leave home... or great pain."
I loved the magic within the book. The different types of magics, and their color, were interesting and I liked seeing how they all played together. Having Marguerite weave her magic into her embroidery was a unique way to show her magic. I also loved hearing about the “Broid Cypher” - stitches used to send secret messages.
Deaf and Hand Language
Not only did it have interesting magic, it also had deaf representation. Not only was Marguerite deaf, but there were several other characters that were deaf and they had their own version of sign language, called hand language, within the book.
A unique aspect of hand language in the book is that while the spoken language was not all the same (for example, Valonians couldn’t understand Haps-Burdia), the hand language was a common language for all. Since Valonian did not have any other deaf people, they were the only ones who did not use hand language. Marguerite only learned it because she visited Mirvray, the island, and found out that her mother was from Mirvray.
Marguerite had hidden her deafness from her country - or at least - she didn’t go out of her way to say that she was deaf. She had magical combs that acted like hearing aids. They helped her amplify sound but didn’t make her hear everything. Marguerite’s self-journey of accepting her deafness was wonderful to see. Towards the end of the book, she began telling more people that she was deaf, and asked them to be her ears, or to use hand language, rather than just lamenting that she wished she could hear (or wished for her combs back after they were stolen).
From Unspeakable Acts to Sweet Romance
The romance was light with an implication of a future together rather than a full happily ever after. She is only seventeen at the end of the book, and I was happy that the romance fit the age of the characters. Tys’ humor, and his ability to get Marguerite out of her own head, was a delight to read.
Marguerite was a compelling character who goes through a lot of horrendous things in a short amount of time - from losing her grandfather, her father, to imprisonment, to an iron mask, to having her magic suppressed… she is incredibly strong and determined to save her country and people from her evil uncle. She selflessly stitches people’s stories so she doesn’t forget. She plots to take down her enemies and save her kingdom from war - never giving up no matter the personal cost.
"I'm not broken. I'm not dead. I'm still a witch. No one can drive the magic out of me."
Overall, the book started a bit slow but quickly picked up the pace. It is a magical YA fantasy with rival kingdoms, political intrigue, romance, and deaf representation by a debut author.
"No one likes being ignored, and no one ignores better than a deaf person who never heard what was said.
Happy Reading!
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