literary gluttony

Sometimes you crack open a book expecting a slice of lemon drizzle cake and end up with a dry scone. The Stormborne Vine isn’t a bad read by any means—it has flavor, it has charm—but the texture’s just a bit off.

We’re introduced to Fern Oakby, a self-sufficient spinster with a sharp mind and a deep love for plants. Her peaceful, tea-sipping existence is upended when a storm brings a piece of Boston ivy to sinister life and animates a fragile little origami dragon. One tries to kill people. The other steals every scene it’s in.

Wallace serves up an intriguing concept: a world where science and magic co-exist awkwardly, where women in society’s margins must fight to keep control of their own narratives—and sometimes their own houses when carnivorous vines come knocking. Fern is a solid protagonist: smart, capable, unafraid to question both herself and the status quo. But the real hook here—the vine, the dragon, and the mystery of what’s been awakened—needed a bit more simmering.

The biggest snag? The writing style. Wallace leans into a formal, period-inspired tone that feels like it should be immersive, but it often reads as stilted and unnecessarily clunky. Dialogue can feel like characters are reading aloud from politely worded letters rather than speaking with urgency or wit. And while the pacing never fully stalls, it doesn’t exactly pick up steam, either.

For a book with deadly flora and a morally ambiguous magical dilemma at its core, the tension stays lukewarm. The emotional stakes are whispered rather than shouted. I wanted to feel more—more risk, more investment, more life in the language itself.

Still, there’s a coziness to this world that’s hard to resist. The origami dragon alone is worth the price of admission, and readers who enjoy a gentler, low-stakes fantasy with strong women and hints of danger will likely find enough here to chew on.

Devour or Nibble?
Nibble.
A charming concept with a slightly fussy presentation—The Stormborne Vine is like a well-meaning tea party with slightly stale biscuits. You won’t regret the visit, but you may not go back for seconds.

Note: This review is based on an ARC provided by NetGalley and Ribbonwood Press. The opinions expressed are my own.