Early Review: Shadowstitch (Language of Magic #2)

Shadowstitch (Language of Magic #1)
By Cari Thomas

Published By: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: May 9, 2024
Date Read: April 23, 2024
Genre: YA – Urban Fantasy
Source: ARC from Harper Voyager
Format: Paperback
Pages: 670

From Goodreads:
Anna survived the attempt to bind her magic, but Anna and her coven aren’t free from danger yet.

Haunted by her aunt’s death, living in fear of her curse, and fated to love the one man she can never have, the last thing Anna needs is a witch hunt. Now she must conceal her magic once more or risk losing everything.

But when deadly hysteria strikes across the capital, and in her own school, the coven are left dangerously exposed. Delving deeper into the magical underworld of London, Anna and Effie must find a way to work together to protect the coven.

But as the witch hunt intensifies and the hysteria spirals out of control, can Effie and Anna truly trust each other?

“She’d been taught her whole life to fear and despise love but it has been unloosed now – she’d opened all its nuts and let it out and now she had no way to control it.”

There are no words to describe just how excited I was to get my hands on Shadowstitch. Ever since I read Threadneedle back in early 2022, I have been dying to get my hands on the long awaited sequel. This was probably my most anticipated book of 2024… and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I am absolutely obsessed with everything about this series and once again Cari Thomas holds me in her magical clutches.

Shadowstitch picks up exactly where Threadneedle left off, with Anna having survived the Binders and moving in with her sister Effie, their guardian Selene and the boy they both love. I absolutely loved this new dynamic between all of the characters now than Anna knows the truth about her family and their curse. It is definitely much darker than the first book, as they journey more into forbidden magical worlds to try and find a way out of the curse without Anna or Effie killing the other. This book is such a tumultuous journey and I absolutely loved every moment of that. It was so addicting to see the characters grow more into their own and them going through their own personal journeys.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book that is super fast paced, then this is not what you’re looking for. But that definitely does not mean that this book is boring. It is slow paced, definitely. But it fits this story so well because Anna is so new to the world of magic, we learn tidbits as she does. Honestly, I’m usually such a plot focused reader and usually if a book is slow I’m like nope, I’m out. I don’t know what sort of magic Cari Thomas is weaving into her books but despite the slow pace, there was not a single second that I was bored or wishing that the pace would pick up. Cari expertly sprinkles these little bits of information at us every few pages that we grab onto greedily and cannot wait to see how they all weave together. It was utterly perfect.

This series has my whole, witchy heart. I loved every single moment of it. It made me feel all the emotions. I was in love one moment, scared for my favourites fate the next and crying the next. It was a definite rollercoaster of emotions and I already just want to dive into it again and experience it all over again. I have no doubt that this series has so many hidden depths that we just won’t know about until we re-read, and I am dying already to do that. The ending of Shadowstitch has me reeling and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book. I need it like I need air to breathe… but I guess I’ll just distract myself with other books until I can get my greedy little hands on it. If you enjoy witch books an urban fantasy then I highly recommend that you pick up this series. It’s honestly so fantastic… you won’t be disappointed.

“The dead are nothing to fear. They are us. We do not forget our dead like cowans. We live beside them, feast with them, dance with them and love them still, for that is how we keep them alive.”