Lindsay A. Franklin
Enclave Publishing
Published on May 1st, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
About The Story Peddler
Selling stories is a deadly business.
Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.
During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers . . . and they’re after her too.
My Review
I’d heard a lot of hype about this book, so I was excited to get to read it. The Story Peddler was a neat tale about how art reveals truth. It balanced allegory with action, and reminded me a lot of writers such as Serena Chase and Nicole Sager.
While I didn’t find The Story Peddler quite as enthralling as I’d hoped, it was a pretty good read. The plot had a good bit of action, and tied up neatly enough at the end (no horrible cliffhangers here!) while still leaving room for a sequel. Plus, Tanwen was such a fun character to read about! She had so much spunk and personality, and it was fun to see most of the story play out through her eyes. The one quibble I have with characters is about the love triangle—I didn’t feel like it was realistic, and it seemed to spring out of nowhere. One other thing: while the author was very creative in describing plants and animals (“fluff-hoppers” for rabbits, and “bitter-bean brew” for coffee), it did get kinda confusing at times. I didn’t care for it as much, but that might just have been personal preference.
Overall, I’d rate this book 3 and a half stars. I liked it, but it didn’t enthrall me like I’d hoped. Fans of allegories and characters with plenty of spunk will definitely want to pick this one up.
Cultural Elements
The enslaved Meridioni people are described as having dark skin. A legend explains this as being caused by their pride. The Tirian people are described as being fair.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None
Romance/Sexual Content
Mentions of mistresses, sleeping around. A forced kiss between a young lady and an older man, who also is hinted at taking advantage of women. Hints at prostitutes.
Spiritual Content
The Tirian people have three goddesses, though the story says that only the most uneducated peasant believes in them. A Creator is mentioned, and a dark force is hinted at.
Violent Content
Injuries and attacks from both men and beasts, non-graphic.
Drug Content
Characters drink ale, and use herbs for medicinal purposes.
