I fell in love with WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT even before the magic sloth entered the picture and I was captivated by Ibañez’s tale of love, loyalty, and bravery.
WOVEN begins ten years after the Llacsans, overthrew the Illustrians and took over La Ciudad. Aided by an ancient and powerful relic that summoned ghosts, Atoc led the uprising and took his seat as the Llacsan leader.
When Atoc demands the Condesa’s—the last remaining Illustrian royal—hand in marriage, Ximena, the decoy Condesa, must go in her stead.
Determined to find the ancient relic that helped Atoc overthrow her people, Ximena uses the opportunity to infiltrate La Ciudad to hunt for the relic. A talented and magical weaver, she weaves messages for the Illustrian resistance in her colorful tapestries.
Ximena is unwavering in her mission to see the Condesa back on her rightful throne, until the kind-hearted princess and a palace healer challenge all that she knows to be true—including whether things should go back to how they were before and if the Condesa truly belongs on the throne.
Ibañez injects an otherwise familiar story of power struggle and resistance with rich imagery and Bolivian culture. I would have appreciated more world-building in WOVEN, especially background as to the different types of magic. I also felt that certain aspects of the story were underdeveloped. Even still, WOVEN felt so satisfying and beautiful in other areas that I was willing to accept things without much explanation.
WOVEN can be summed up as one word: enchanting. Ibañez, like Ximena, masterfully weaves Bolivian culture and lore into the rich tapestry of her debut novel. WOVEN is magical, lyrical, and every bit as lovely as its cover.
WOVEN begins ten years after the Llacsans, overthrew the Illustrians and took over La Ciudad. Aided by an ancient and powerful relic that summoned ghosts, Atoc led the uprising and took his seat as the Llacsan leader.
When Atoc demands the Condesa’s—the last remaining Illustrian royal—hand in marriage, Ximena, the decoy Condesa, must go in her stead.
Determined to find the ancient relic that helped Atoc overthrow her people, Ximena uses the opportunity to infiltrate La Ciudad to hunt for the relic. A talented and magical weaver, she weaves messages for the Illustrian resistance in her colorful tapestries.
Ximena is unwavering in her mission to see the Condesa back on her rightful throne, until the kind-hearted princess and a palace healer challenge all that she knows to be true—including whether things should go back to how they were before and if the Condesa truly belongs on the throne.
Ibañez injects an otherwise familiar story of power struggle and resistance with rich imagery and Bolivian culture. I would have appreciated more world-building in WOVEN, especially background as to the different types of magic. I also felt that certain aspects of the story were underdeveloped. Even still, WOVEN felt so satisfying and beautiful in other areas that I was willing to accept things without much explanation.
WOVEN can be summed up as one word: enchanting. Ibañez, like Ximena, masterfully weaves Bolivian culture and lore into the rich tapestry of her debut novel. WOVEN is magical, lyrical, and every bit as lovely as its cover.