There's an overarching plot having to do with large, shadowy conspiracies (of course; this is Hardinge, after all), but the start of the story feels almost picaresque as Nettle and Kellen travel around unravelling curses. This is a job the impetuous Kellen is quite unsuited for, as a curse cannot be unravelled without identifying the curser and their motivation. That's where the cooler-headed and reserved Nettle comes in. Some of these episodes are fascinating and have the texture of folklore (Pale Mallow the bog-witch!), and many of the cursers are sympathetic - victims themselves who were given, unasked, the power to take revenge. My hosts started to realize that just because somebody *feels* wronged, that doesn’t mean they are.” Moss hung in great, green-grey swathes from the branches. Everywhere there was the cold, lush smell of the woods with its undercurrent of rot, its fierce green freshness and the scent of a thousand marsh flowers gaping their fat silken petals in the summer dark. I can't really shake the feeling that all the people raving about all the "layers" in this book must not read awfully complicated books often, because I found the "layers" utterly underwhelming. Even if you didn’t dwell on the past, however, sometimes the past dwelt on you. Sometimes it remembered you and came after you for revenge.”

L'ho trovata una storia avvincente e suggestiva, ispirata da varie fiabe gotiche (tra tutte, la fiaba dei Cigni Selvatici di Andersen), ma sempre tesa a sviscerare il problema del senso di colpa di chi maledice e la sofferenza di chi subisce e viene guarito. Spesso, le maledizioni traggono origini da motivi futili, da incomprensioni familiari, ed è vero il concetto che il male invocato può ritorcersi contro chi ne ha fatto un uso dissennato. Like so many Hardinge characters, Kellen and Nettle are primarily focused on survival; it’s the arrival of Gale, with his marsh horse and mysterious employer, that sets them on a different kind of adventure—one that asks very Hardinge-y questions about freedom and justice and wisdom and rage. Kellen is the title character, but Nettle is his equal, and Hardinge is very clear in how both their skillsets are valued, both their flaws painful and real. He acts and she observes, until a time comes that Nettle, too, has to act—because she’s learned so very much by watching, and by beginning to understand her human self again. I like sinking into a Hardinge book knowing absolutely nothing. Not even reading the flap copy. It makes for a uniquely rewarding experience. And, to my delight, I discovered that this particular book was attempting something wholly original. At its heart, this is a detective novel. You have our two heroes, one the detective who can unravel each case they come across and other the moral compass that keeps him pointed north. You have evil on both a governmental level (always a topic Hardinge enjoys) and on a smaller more cult-like level. But through it all our two heroes are interviewing suspects, solving crimes, and trying to keep from getting gutted along the way. So much of the fun comes from watching Kellen gather the clues together to find the connecting (forgive me) thread. It’s not Agatha Christie but it ain’t half bad. Sometimes you catch on to what Kellen’s after before Nettle does, but most of the time you’re with her, floundering along in his wake. Written in 2 POVs: Kellen and Nettle, they live in The Wilds… where anyone can create a “Life Destroying Curse” people can turn into animal, grow strange things on their bodies, even turn into things. Kellen has the ability to “unravel” curse… he can cure the cursed people tho not everyone happy about it and some even want to capture him because of this special ability.

Moreover, every person we meet was so unique. Some were infuriatingly self-righteous, some were true villains, others were victims of circumstances, there were unteachable idiots and cunning conspirators. In the middle of this varied group of people, we had two marvelously wonderful kids that had to grow up way to fast and are now trying to navigate heartbreak and danger without losing themselves in the middle of it all. I really liked both main characters we’re introduced to. Kellen is a rash, flawed and complex character who finds himself with a gift to unravel the curses that are inflicted from “cursed eggs”, formed from the build up of people’s long buried hatred and spite. I really enjoyed exploring his concept of justice, but his anger issues (one of his biggest flaws) were also really interesting to watch as his “gift” of unravelling can cause everything in his vicinity (garments, furniture, objects) to unravel when he experiences heightened emotions. Most of the narrative revolves around his impulsive tendencies and the result of his rash decisions—most of which do get him into a spot of trouble on more than one occasion. But his journey does involve some self reflection and I enjoyed seeing him learn the importance of having a little patience. After being imprisoned for mouthing off to some pompous idiot merchant, Kellen is rescued by a marsh horse and her rider on behest of their female patron - she has a job for the unraveller. Kellen is a young man with an uncanny gift: he can undo (unravel) curses. That's how he met Nettle. She and her siblings had been cursed by their stepmother and Kellen helped ... only Nettle didn't leave his side afterwards and now they are traveling this strange, hate-driven world together.

In short and without giving anything away, what takes place is a captivating tale, set deep within a beautifully crafted world that as a reader, we slowly get to explore. The many mysteries in need of untangling, and the numerous twists and turns, make the story all the more enjoyable. My only complaint would be that I found it a *bit* to long - however, there was no way I wasn't finishing! It's not the fault of the setting. Hardinge is an audacious worldbuilder, and this one is set in a swampy world full of spiders that bestow the ability (or maybe inevitability) to curse upon people who have enough hatred in them, allowing even the poor and downtrodden to have power over those they hate. Main characters Nettle and Kellen have both been touched by curses: Nettle and her siblings were turned into birds by their stepmother's curse, and Nettle watched as her hawk-brother killed her dove-sister. Kellen was bitten by a spider and given the exceedingly rare gift of being able to unravel curses, including Nettle's.Meglio ancora, la Hardinge (non per nulla, pluripremiata) riesce a trasmettere con un linguaggio accessibile e fresco dei messaggi che possono definirsi universali.

Once again Frances Hardinge has delivered a story that's a little bit different and creepily atmospheric. Set in a world full of disagreeable magic and malicious curses, the plot is complex, multilayered and full of rich imaginings. It introduces us to a whole host of questionable characters. Those who curse, those who are cursed and anything and everything in between - think inventive supernatural creatures. Our main protagonist, Kellen, has a talent for unravelling curses. One day he meets Nettle and unravels her curse and they become close friends. But then Kellen discovers he’s become cursed. As Kellen and Nettle investigate his curse, they go on a journey where they discover secrets and lies and the truth about their friendship.

Discovering the flaws in one’s society (large or small, country or village) is a huge and important part of growing up, and one that Hardinge explores and pokes at with questions and ideas. If anyone can do something wrong, or feel something wrong, and wind up an outcast, then what? What grace can the world learn to offer to the rejected and outcast and othered? What can be learned from anger, and what are its limitations? How do you know when anger is righteous and useful, and when it’s merely cruel? Can power that comes from anger and pain be used for good? It sounds very critical and don’t get me wrong, there’s so much creativity and enjoyment here. But it just never came together and I never cared about any of the characters. And then that overcomplicated ending just happened and I was already losing patience by that point. I doubt I’ll remember much of this story in a few months. Regrettably, this one joins the other forgettable books, like Skinful of Shadows, Verdigris deep and Deeplight.

The story itself follows Kellen, it's unruly protagonist, who has a rare and highly sought after gift. A gift that allows him to unravel (undo) the previously mentioned curses. We witness as he and his unusual companions, throw themselves deep into the unknown, in a bid to save those who have been cruelly jinxed and to bring down a unidentified enemy abetting those who curse. Of course, nothing is quite as it seems...But I also loved the more visual parts of the worldbuilding. From bogs to marshes, from rivers to the metropolis; whether we were in lonely places or ones bursting from the seams with inhabitants - this world was beautiful in every way. Unraveller feels like a true fairytale, there may be wondrous creatures and mysterious forest settings, but there's also a Marsh Horse that may eat you and definitely a solid chance of being turned into a harp, a bat or a ship if you get on someone's bad side. It's very funny throughout, but balances that out with themes of grief, fear and rage. Frances Hardinge’s Unraveller is a beautifully written and richly imagined fantasy with a deliciously twisted, dark fairytale-esque aesthetic I couldn’t get enough of! Frances Hardinge is without a doubt among my absolutely favorite writers, and her books are always a delight and pure pleasure. Not only is she excellent with words and is able to create brand-new fully fleshed worlds that are fresh and feel vividly real, but she also does what I wish every writer felt comfortable doing. She trusts her readers. She trusts us to understand subtleties and nuances and to make our own conclusions without ever hitting us over the head with any anvil-sized messages. She’s too skilled for that. She trusts us to think — actually, she *expects* us to do that. And for that I love her works. She makes her writing feel effortless — and that’s the skill to be admired.