Unraveller

**Unraveller** is a book written by Frances Hardinge. It is her tenth novel. It was published in 2022.

### Synopsis

*In a world where anyone can cast a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them.*

Kellen does not fully understand his unique gift, but helps those who are cursed, like his friend Nettle who was trapped in the body of a bird for years. She is now Kellen's constant companion and his closest ally.

But the Unraveller carries a curse himself and, unless he and Nettle can remove it, Kellen is a danger to everything - and everyone - around him...

### Plot Summary

*This summary contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!*

*This summary may be too long and contains unnecessary details. It may need further editing.*

While helping a snobbish merchant unravel a curse inflicted upon him, Kellen loses his temper and insults the merchant, getting Nettle and himself arrested by his guards. Gall, a marsh horseman, approaches them with a proposition from his employer - help them investigate a possible plot involving one of the cursers Kellen helped to apprehend, in exchange for Kellen's and Nettle's freedom. Kellen accepts the offer despite Nettle's misgivings, and the trio sets off to the Red Hospital, where all apprehended cursers are held.

At the hospital, they discover that one of the cursers Kellen has apprehended was swapped with an innocent woman when she was transferred from another gaol to the hospital. Gall reveals that his employer suspects that someone is collecting confirmed and potential cursers to form Salvation, a hidden league of cursers advocating for their freedom from persecution. Since Salvation's agents may have infiltrated Chancery, Raddith's government, Gall's employer has no choice but to conduct a secretive investigation with Kellen and Nettle's help.

Their investigation leads them to the Greywater canal and then the marshes of Havel, a hamlet in the Shallow Wilds guarded by Pale Mallow, a bog spirit who lures and drowns boys and men. Nettle reunites with her brother Yannick, who chose to remain cursed as a gull instead of letting Kellen unravel his curse. With his help, they manage to unravel a curse at each location to acquire more leads about Salvation.

Kellen and Gall have an argument that ends with Gall attacking him. While Gall is distracted by the sudden appearance of his husband, Harland, Kellen and Nettle escape to the Rescued, a community of ex-cursed people who had their curses unraveled by Kellen and Nettle. Gall finds the Rescued and invites Kellen and Nettle to the Amicable Affairs department of Chancery to meet his employer, Assessor Tharl. As Kellen's unravelling of woven things around him becomes worse, they deduce that he must be cursed.

Accepting Gall's invitation, Kellen and Nettle head to Amicable Affairs where they meet Harland, who wants to negotiate Gall's release from his contract with Assessor Tharl. Kellen and Nettle are tricked into following a creature resembling a Bookbearer, but discover too late that it is holding a bone cage instead of a book. The creature and some thugs ambush them but Gall rescues them with his marsh horse, acquiring the cage. Gall brings them to Assessor Tharl, who is revealed to have been cursed into a bat, explaining why she was absent that day. Her investigation is in disarray as her trusted associates are slowly being removed by Salvation agents. Nettle realizes that the cage belongs to a Dancing Star, which uses it to trap souls.

To formulate a plan to catch the Dancing Star, they head to the Department of Perilous Contrivances, which is located on an island. However, shortly afterwards, they see the Dancing Star approaching the island followed by a fleet of boats with weapons. Nettle forms an alliance with the Dancing Star, and they manage to drive the boats away. They learn that Salvation is led by Shay Ammet, who has gone into hiding. When Kellen and Nettle are investigating a victim cursed by Salvation, they are captured by the victim's family who hope to give them to Salvation in exchange for having the victim's curse removed. Kellen loses his temper and unleashes his unravelling to help Nettle and himself escape, but discovers that he can unravel and hurt people. For everyone's safety, he is apprehended in similar conditions as the cursers he helped to capture.

After Nettle and Gall help him escape from capture, they travel to the Deep Wilds to find Salvation's base. After helping to unravel another curse, Nettle has an argument with Kellen over Salvation's intentions. She leaves and is found by Salvation agents, and it is revealed that she has a curse within her. Gall and Kellen are attacked by Salvation agents, and Gall is severely wounded. After stumbling upon a nest of Little Brothers, Kellen travels alone to a Moonlit Market to find a cure for Gall, who requires another human heart to replace his damaged one. At the market, he finds Yannick and buys his freedom, and learns that he requires a "small throat" to help Gall.

At Salvation's base, Nettle discovers how cursers are being manipulated to serve Ammet's wishes by targeting their curses at specific Chancery officers or their family members. With Yannick's help, she relays information to Kellen as they formulate a plan to attract Ammet to the Moonlit Market using Kellen as bait. As they head to the market, Nettle and Yannick discover that Ammet has captured Harland as a possible bargaining chip against Gall. In Ammet's absence, Nettle manages to escape with Harland.

At the market, Kellen is being auctioned, with the highest bidders being Ammet and Harland. During Nettle's escape, two creatures belonging to Ammet each caused an offense in the market, resulting in Ammet being given two warnings. Kellen learns that Ammet uses two small boxes to communicate with his associates, and realizes that the boxes form a portal that must be a "small throat". By raising the stakes of the auction, he forces Ammet to trade the throat to the Little Brothers in exchange for him. Kellen causes Ammet to unwittingly make a promise before a Bookbearer, thinking that it is his Dancing Star. Ammet attacks the Bookbearer, which is considered an offense in the market, leading to his death after three offenses.

Kellen reunites with Nettle as both help to put an end to the persecution of cursers, and Gall and Harland now share a heart using the throat.