Wednesday 10 July 2013

Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

The day the rains came was like any other, blistering air coating the canyon in a heavy stillness....

Just as the rains come after ten long, dry years, a young wizard, Wayland North, appears, to whisk Sydelle Mirabil away from her desert village. North needs an assistant, and Sydelle is eager to see the country - and to join him on his quest to stop the war that surely will destroy her home. But North has secrets - about himself, about why he chose Sydelle, about his real reasons for the journey. What does he want from her? And why does North's sworn enemy seem fascinated by Sydelle himself?

Through a journey that spans a country, magic and hard-won romance are woven together with precision and brilliant design by a first-time novelist.


As a first impression, I was entranced by this book. The title is simple and elegant with a beautiful, beautiful title page. (And unlike some title pages, this picture actually matches the description of the main character *GASP!*). This book from beginning to end was absolutely entrancing. Romance, magic. The works.

THE PLOT - ADORED IT. An evil wizard, a cruel mother, and a "naïve" young queen along with Sydelle's and North's own secrets. What's not to love. Pure fantasy.

THE CHARACTERS - I really liked the characters' names. They just all seemed to...fit. Henry, Sydelle, Wayland, Owain... There were a few times I was a bit confused about the characters' actions that were never fully explained, but this was mild. North and Sydelle's interactions were perfect. The right amount of tension and care as they warmed to each other.

THE WRITING - I'll admit, I was a little uncertain about the style. Everything was perfectly laid out except the odd tiny bit of confusion. The only thing is, perhaps it was a bit TOO laid out. It was really simple. Nothing really hidden and then later revealed. Wasn't very complicated which I guess has its pros and cons.

THE END - I'll try not to spoil this but, what kind of a fight was that? Not necessarily predictable how it ended but... still. Not quite the epic battle you'd expect. But I really liked how everything unraveled at the end. There was still a small... issue left, but things were looking up and it was something to really ponder after the book was over.

I liked this book. Loved the topic, the names, the end(despite the disappointing fight). Writing style seemed a little simple but that really just makes it more accessible. 4 out of 5 stars.

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