By Alexandra Bracken
Published by EgmontUSA
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Source: from EgmontUSA
5 out of 5 starsSynopsis(
from EgmontUSA):
When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.
The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.You know when you turn the last page of a book and get that feeling of "Oh, wow..."? That's exactly what I felt as I closed the pages of
Brightly Woven. Oh, wow. I will now try to refrain from using the verb "woven" because it's truly one of my favorite words to use in reviews and it's exactly what Alexandra does in this story. She takes single threads of characters and plot and starts masterfully bringing them together. Before you know it, you are in a world that is so rich in detail, characters and plot twists that you do not want the story to end.
The story starts off with Sydelle, a simple girl from a small, dusty, desert town on the outskirts of a larger country who has a unique gift -- she can weave beautifully. When Wayland North appears in her life, he takes her away on an adventure that a young village weaver cannot begin to imagine. It's not easy to keep up with Sydelle's and North's steps as their adventure moves through the countrysides into the main cities and to the very heart of a war between two countries. Their journey is delightfully full of unexpected plot turns and dips and their developing relationship will make you laugh and sigh with frustration.
There were so many times that I literally gasped out loud (sometimes scaring my dog) and all those times revolved around the system of magic which Alexandra created. Like most magic, there is light and dark but hers is intermingled in swishes of capes, twists of landscapes, curses and blood. The magic is incredibly powerful and can be used to make war or create peace. I guarantee that you will be at the edge of your seat and reading at a fast pace because you will want to know more. More about danger, magic and oh yes, devilishly handsome wizards.
If you enjoy losing yourself in new worlds, wrought with political issues based on old prejudices and myths and told from a point of view of a protagonist who is just beginning to discover her own role in life, you will love Brightly Woven as much as I did. It's a story that will leave you thinking long after you place it back on it's shelf.