The Severed Thread Is A Must-Read For Queer Fantasy Lovers Of All Ages

Fantasy literature has long been a favorite of mine. So like The Bone Spindle which preceded The Severed Thread I absolutely devoured it.

In these tales, Leslie Vedder introduces characters that we recognize from other fantasy and fairy tales — the author's take on characters like Sleeping Beauty’s Aurora and Maleficent but with a twist. Not only do their stories take shocking turns, readers an even better surprise: queer characters abound in this young adult novel, and best of all they get to exist in a world that readily accepts them.

All too often LGBTQ+ characters seem to have to justify their existence. While this trope is frustrating but to some degree understandable (I mean, look at the world around us and the crazy things some politicians are actively endorsing), I crave a world both fictional and real where queer people can simply exist unbothered and accepted — which made slipping into Vedder’s creation a wonderful escape.

While Bone introduced Shane — a huntsman who spurned her birth title not only because it wasn’t the role she wanted, but because the person she was betrothed to did not love her — Thread further builds on the character by delving deeper into her past.

While there is plenty of conflict for Shane, a woman who is being pushed to take a throne she doesn't want and marry a woman she has no emotional connection to, none of that conflict focuses on the fact that she is a lesbian. Seeing this story play out through a queer lens is just one of the ways that this series is refreshing and was precisely the kind of fantasy story I craved growing up.

Shane is not the only character who carries over to this second story, ‘The Severed Thread’ picks up right where ‘The Bone Spindle’ left off, with Shane, Fi, and Briar searching for the secret to take down The Spindle Witch and restore the kingdom. Fi and Briar continue to hold secrets from one another which surely will lead to issues between them and those around them and Shane cannot shake the mysterious Red from her mind.

To not spoil either book, we'll simply say that the journey that our characters go on is in keeping with many middle volumes of fantasy literature; furthering both lore and the hurdles of what it means to be a legendary hero. However, what really sets it apart is the friendship between Fi and Shane which is impactful and heart-warming.

Vedder’s writing style and tone support an engaging and enthralling story. However, we could offer a note as there is one trademark fantasy element this book lacks: A map. I want to know what this world looks like, and where different locations are in relation to one another, it helps to both orient the reader and enrich the world-building.

The Severed Thread is out now and fantasy should seek both it and its preceding story, and join this reader in impatiently waiting for the release of the final volume in the trilogy.