Shadowstitch is the sequel to Cari Thomas’ debut novel Threadneedle, and continues the story of Anna and Effie as they try to discover a means to break their family curse. Following the turbulent events at the end of Threadneedle, Anna now lives with Selene; a dream she may have once had, but a reality that’s proving very different. Effie and Attis have abandoned her for the summer, fled to Wales together, and so Anna is left alone to deal with her nightmares and her grief, retreating within herself. Fear dogs her steps and colours everything she does as her magic is seemingly out of control. In response, she simply stops doing any magic; yet another thing she bottles inside. It’s a bleak start to this next step in Anna’s story. When Effie returns, they decide they must find a way to break the curse together, a way that doesn’t risk Attis’ life, and to do this they must follow in their mother’s steps and find out what it was she discovered. With neither agreeing with the methods of the other, it seems an impossible task; they need to come together, to get through this together, but emotions are running far too high and driving a wedge between them. Of course, outside matters aren’t going to help them either. Terrifying events of mass hysteria keep breaking out across the city. It starts with the ravens in the Tower of London, as they’re seen flying in circles around the tower, ever uncontrollably faster, before hurtling to the ground. But this soon moves on to people, and before long, Anna’s school is struck. These events of course bring unwanted attention to the world of magic, and people are believing in witchcraft once more. It seems Aunt’s fears of hunters weren’t entirely unfounded, and Anna and Effie find themselves unsafe in school, under the scrutiny of an inspector. All this to say that Thomas has really ramped up the stakes this time round, in what was already a heart-poundingly dramatic series. There is so much danger threatening the sisters from so many different angles, I was afraid to put the book down, burning through the pages to find out what would happen next; would the inspector discover them, would Anna solve another piece of the puzzle of their curse, what would her magic do next, what accusation would Darcy throw at them next, and what the hell is wrong with Manda now? It really doesn’t let up. I think probably my favourite aspect of these books is Thomas’ world of magic. It’s so easy to be utterly consumed by the sheer imagination of her magic, and I could read story after story in this world – it’s the purest form of escapism. This time round, we explore the dark and subversive world of death magic, a cult-like grove of witchcraft equally seductive and dangerous. Anna, Effie, Miranda and Rowan are all yet to discover their own languages, so we’re treated to a plethora of possibilities as they explore their magic; Anna reluctantly, as every time she does it goes hopelessly wrong and her fear grows. This is a story about emotions, about the importance of allowing yourself to feel them. It’s a story of sisterhood – friendship and love, and the bonds you make therein. It’s a powerful story that continued to sweep me along right to the very last page and left me suspended, desperate for more. You need this series in your life.

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.

There are spoilers for the first book in this series in this review. This book is spell binding. Effie and Anna are at odds after her aunt’s death. Focused on trying to circumvent the curse they are forced to move forward in a world growing in paranoia of the paranormal. Effie is loud, passionate, and angry but despite her outbursts holds so much inside her that is hard to glean. Anna in contrast is calm, controlled, cautious, but despite trying, all of her worries and fears are laid bare to the reader. As the story unfolds the characters constantly circle one another, trying to create trust and friendship while they dance around the corpse of their dead Aunt and the curse. It creates a twisted dance where the characters are forced to handle the threads of their character that define them. Will Anna continue to sacrifice herself and happiness so others will be happy? Can she learn to be brave? Will Effie continue to mask her true feelings in a show of rage and manipulation? Can she learn to trust? Will Attis be able to become his own person instead of a reflection of what he thinks others want? Can he find his own value? The ending is devastating, alluding to the end of the world. It leaves the reader wanting to scream at and slap the characters. To the author, Cari Thomas, I hope you’re writing. That was cruel. You’re worse than Jay Kristoff.

Love this book so much - an incredible follow on from the first in the series; love how it continues to build the most amazing magical world (I WISH I lived in) and the characters (who i WISH were my friends) - AND the overall story is somehow even more captivating, dark and thrilling than the first. Already ready for the next :)

Shadowstitch is the second novel in The Language of Magic series and follows Threadneedle, Hedgewitch, and is succeeded by The Burial Witch. In Threadneedle, Cari Thomas created a wonderful magical world, set in contemporary London, and in Shadowstitch, we return to this world but delve even deeper, continuing to explore the themes of sisterhood and curses. Effie and Anna are attempting to build their shattered relationship as sisters and discover their magic but must also discover and battle the curse that has destroyed generations of their ancestors, including their parents. Meanwhile, the Binders draw ever closer and Anna fears that her Aunt’s threats may have an element of truth. Especially as the fear of witches once again tears through society and witch trials may become a reality. Shadowstitch is darker and longer than the previous novel and while some readers may feel that the story slows in parts, I enjoyed this “downtime” with the characters as we had more time to learn about their feelings and to understand their behaviours and interactions. A compelling and intriguing, dark witchy read.