In the first of what appears to be a series, Dianne Greenlay’s “Quintspinner A Pirate’s Quest” is a fantastic historical-fiction adventure, with a hint of fantasy thrown in. This newbie author has created a wonderfully entertaining page turner filled with dark magical lore, murder, pirates and romance. From the first page the reader is drawn into the tapestry of destiny that is being spun; each thread a fully developed and relatable character or event that influences Tess Willoughby’s once ordinary life. A naïve teen from the outset of the story, Tess’s dull life changes drastically from the moment she encounters an old crone and her mysterious spinning ring.

Dianne Greenlay has accurately and tangibly captured 18th century activities, portraying the difficulties of daily life in such a way that astounds the reader while simultaneously drawing the reader even deeper into the adventure. From medical practices involving mercury to the pressing of children into service for the navy as ‘powder monkeys’, these activities seem so barbaric that it could easily disconnect the modern reader from the experience. But Dianne Greenlay is able to maintain the tether connecting the reader to the story through the use of colorfully descriptive context, bits of commonly known historical references and communicative dialogue between an informed character and an uninformed character, thus educating the reader.

While the edition I read had multiple technical errors in the type (I am unsure if this problem resides with the editor or the publisher, not knowing the process that manuscripts go follow), none of it detracted from the experience. One feature that I found I very much appreciated was the short chapters. After reading some fantasy novels where chapters contain dozens of pages, the brevity of each of Dianne Greenlay’s chapters made this novel easier to pick up and read during a spare minute or two.

A fast paced first installment into what looks to be an exciting series, Dianne Greenlay’s entrance into the literary world offers a fast and furious ride from the first page to the last. ( )

I am not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book. Probably a light-hearted adventure with romance and derring-do and a splash of magic. Quintspinner was not at all what I expected. The story is dark and harsh, so cruel that it was at times painful to read, but I couldn't stop. No matter how awful it got, I had to keep reading to reassure myself that there was some hope for Tessa and Cassie and the others.

I really liked most of the main characters. Tessa was strong and interesting, William was likable and heroic. And Cassie, poor Cassie. I came to care for her the most, and I could truly respect how she stayed strong despite everything that happened to her. There was one thing that she did (can't tell you what, major spoiler) that disappointed me, but I could sympathize anyway.

Edward Graham was very intriguing. He started as a villain, and then perhaps he wasn't so bad, and then he was a villain again. It was difficult, even towards the end, to tell what his true intentions were and I am not entirely satisfied with the author's explanation of his motives. Perhaps in book 2...

No matter how much I liked the characters and the storyline, there were a few points that just grossed me out or made me shudder. The pirates in this book were in no way the "gentlemen pirates" that one finds in Errol Flynn movies. There was gore, cruelty, rape, torture and even cannibalism. While this makes them perhaps more realistic, it also makes the story more disturbing.

This book was a mixed bag for me. I liked the characters and story, but there were many elements that I disliked. Will I recommend it to all and sundry? Probably not. Will I read book 2 when it comes out? Probably yes. ( )

When I received "Quintspinner" from the author, Dianne Greenlay, it came well recommended: shortlisted for the 2010 Saskatchewan Book Awards; honorable mention for the Creative Arts Council 2011 Fiction Book Award and recipient of the Reader Views 2011 Reviewers Choice Award. All very well and good but I have had bad luck with highly lauded and award winning books lately so a grain of salt was warranted here. Or not.

It has been said that I devour books and rightly so. I did not devour this novel, however. "Quintspinner" is not a book to be devoured - it is a book to be savoured! Just look at the front cover: warm, inviting, hinting at adventure. It made me happy to look at. And then I opened it and was introduced to an era of hard times and strong people; of superstition, adventure and romance; magic rings, the high seas and pirates that would eat (perhaps literally) Captain Jack Sparrow for lunch and go looking for more. I will say that I was a little lost for the first couple of chapters but stick with it. It all comes together and pretty soon you will be drawn in just as I was. I wasn't even half way through the 324 pages when I started hoping there would be a sequel. I knew I wouldn't be ready to let the characters go at the end of this amazing book.

Appropriate for older teens and adults, this pirate's quest makes a great foil to the overdone vampire and werewolf stories out there. Available at amazon, chapters/indigo, iUniverse and elsewhere. Trust me - keep your eye on this author, she's a keeper! ( )

Let me begin by explaining that I normally do not read historical fiction. Most of the historical fiction books that I have tried to read in the past were basically the same story told over and over again using different characters. THIS book… Quintspinner, is absolutely NOT your typical historical fiction! Combining romance, danger, history, and magic is probably not an easy thing to do well, but Diane Greenlay has created a wonderful work of art which I hope is only the beginning!

One of the things that I love about a good book is great characters. Characters that I can relate to and make mistakes just like I do. Diane has gone even further with her characters by making them likeable and interesting. At many points in the book, I found myself thinking that Tess and I must have been formed from the same mold. “Act first, think later” has always been one of my faults, and it was amazingly refreshing to find that Tess shared that with me. The supporting characters are also extremely well thought out, but never overbearing on Tess’s lead role.

What impressed me the most about Quintspinner was the incredibly imaginative and beautiful world building. Mrs. Greenlay has an amazing talent for describing the scenes so well that it feels that you can walk right into the book. When an author is talented enough to paint the picture without requiring much of the reader’s imagination, it’s truly impressive.

There was only one thing that I would like to have changed, and that is the length of the chapters. When I really get into a book, chapter changes force me back into reality a bit. Quintspinner’s chapters are very short, which I found to be a little annoying even though I completely understand the reasoning behind the chapter lengths.

All in all, I found this book to be very enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone. I know that it will be staying on my bookshelf for a future re-read, and that doesn’t happen very often. ( )

In the first of what appears to be a series, Dianne Greenlay’s “Quintspinner A Pirate’s Quest” is a fantastic historical-fiction adventure, with a hint of fantasy thrown in. This newbie author has created a wonderfully entertaining page turner filled with dark magical lore, murder, pirates and romance. From the first page the reader is drawn into the tapestry of destiny that is being spun; each thread a fully developed and relatable character or event that influences Tess Willoughby’s once ordinary life. A naïve teen from the outset of the story, Tess’s dull life changes drastically from the moment she encounters an old crone and her mysterious spinning ring.

Dianne Greenlay has accurately and tangibly captured 18th century activities, portraying the difficulties of daily life in such a way that astounds the reader while simultaneously drawing the reader even deeper into the adventure. From medical practices involving mercury to the pressing of children into service for the navy as ‘powder monkeys’, these activities seem so barbaric that it could easily disconnect the modern reader from the experience. But Dianne Greenlay is able to maintain the tether connecting the reader to the story through the use of colorfully descriptive context, bits of commonly known historical references and communicative dialogue between an informed character and an uninformed character, thus educating the reader.

While the edition I read had multiple technical errors in the type (I am unsure if this problem resides with the editor or the publisher, not knowing the process that manuscripts go follow), none of it detracted from the experience. One feature that I found I very much appreciated was the short chapters. After reading some fantasy novels where chapters contain dozens of pages, the brevity of each of Dianne Greenlay’s chapters made this novel easier to pick up and read during a spare minute or two.

A fast paced first installment into what looks to be an exciting series, Dianne Greenlay’s entrance into the literary world offers a fast and furious ride from the first page to the last. I eagerly await the sequels!
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