Review of Brightly Woven

My review of Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken is based on a paperback copy of the book that I won in a giveaway from of. The following review is my honest opinion of the work.

Goodreads Summary: "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."

The cover of Brightly Woven is what had originally caught my eye; it's utterly gorgeous! The rich colors and the fanciful font were perfect for the story within though at the time I did not know them. I simply knew that between the cover lust I was experiencing and the captivating summary that the back cover held it was a must read for me.

Being an extremely stubborn girl myself, often to the point of getting myself into a great deal of trouble for not giving in when I should, I related well to Sydelle. Despite having always dreamed of leaving her home one day to train amongst the great weavers of her land Sydelle clung to her home in the beginning; I understand completely, I had been wanting desperately to leave home myself when it comes to college but I balked as soon as the opportunity arose. It was too soon, too much, too everything. I was glad to see this play out in her character, to see how she longed for her family and the comfort of that which she had grown up with. I loved watching her come alive as she left her home and continued on the journey with North. Sydelle was just such an amazingly deep character.

By page 140 I had fallen head over heels for North Wayland. He was the ultimate brooding wizard reminding me of characters from novels long ago; mysterious, dark with the secret long buried deep inside. Oh how he made me swoon.

Even her side characters had, well, character! They were individuals, the kind of characters that are memorable, stand out in your mind so that you're not constantly having to flip back dozens of pages to remember who did what, etc. Her writing is simply gorgeous, so perfectly fantasy while not being overdone or too wordy.

I'm giving Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken a five out of five stars review. I have no complaints; this story was amazing! The quote on the cover said that I would want to put it right up their with my Tamora Pierce novels and those by Kristin Cashore and it is so right. This is a must read for fantasy fans; and I'll add to the Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore recommendation in saying that if you loved Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith you'll likely fall for this tale as well.