by Lindsay A. Franklin
publisher’s synopsis
A shattered heart, a fate foretold. The world undone by tales of old.
Emlyn DuLaine just wants to know what happened to her sister, Camille, seven years ago on the fateful day she vanished—literally. Emlyn witnessed Camille unravel and disappear, but no one believes her. Since they think she’s crazy, the least the cops could do is solve Camille’s case. Is a little closure too much to ask?
But Emlyn’s life is upended when she is pulled through a portal into the fantasyland of her childhood imaginings—a magical library holding the storyworlds of every story ever published. And trouble is brewing in the land of Rivenlea. Rogue characters threaten their plot lines, and broken classics are beginning to crumble, but Emlyn only wants to find Camille.
As she searches for her sister, Emlyn begins to learn the reality of Rivenlea and her own origins. A nefarious plot is afoot, and the line between fact and fiction is becoming hopelessly blurred. The truth threatens the storyworlds, Rivenlea, and Earth—the fabric of creation, itself.
Once again, Lindsay Franklin has crafted a riveting tale about the magic of stories.
You can’t help but love Emlyn as a main character. Her sarcasm is hilarious and makes her character voice shine. Her jumping train of thought was also something I can relate to. =)
I don’t want to say much about the plot to avoid spoilers. Franklin has twists and turns along the way!
As with her other novels, worldbuilding is one of Franklin’s strengths. I mean, who doesn’t want to read about a magical library? And some of the ways she ties the worldbuilding and plot together. . . again, I won’t say more for spoilers.
I also really loved the subtheme of sisterhood that Franklin wove in with Emyln and Camille, and how that drove Emlyn.
The only thing that I struggled with a little was how Emlyn doesn’t really consider how her disappearance to Rivenlea will affect her parents. It does come up later in the book, but she doesn’t think about it in the moment.
Also, Emlyn frequently describes the shade of Laramie’s eyes in reference to food, which I honestly found a little more humorous than annoying.
The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine is a captivating start to Franklin’s new duology that will delight fans of portal fantasy, snarky characters, and books in general. I can’t wait for the next book!
Cautions: light/moderate romance; brief mention of a rude gesture; non-graphic moderate violence
(I received an eARC from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The Unraveling of Emlyn DuLaine release from Enclave Publishing in February 2025).
Hailey Huntington 
Leave a comment