Now I want to learn to weave by moonlight...
Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez follows the story of Ximena, the decoy Contessa of Illustria, and the stand-in for the last member of the royal family. Ximena, like all Illustrians, has her own brand of special magic. She can weave moonlight into her tapestries. This not only creates beautiful designs capable of carrying secret messages, but also creates moon dust which can put her enemies (or even her friends) into an instant sleep. Like her magic, Ximena can be used for good or for evil. Sometimes it's up to her to make that choice. Sometimes it's not.
When the usurper king Atoc demands the Contessa's hand in marriage in order to spare captured Illustrian soldiers, it is Ximena who is sent in her friend's place. Immediately she is plunged into a world of intrigue and danger unlike she has ever known, and she's known plenty of danger in her life. But the court isn't entirely full of terrible tyrants. There are good people too. And perhaps her beloved Illustrians are not as innocent in the political turmoil as Ximena would like to believe. Maybe there's a peaceful solution out there to save her people and prevent further bloodshed. It's up to Ximena to find it.
Firstly, I LOVED the world building in this story. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, and I actually put it down for a week at around the 20% mark. I felt the story was a bit repetitive and I simply wasn't as excited about it as I was the Witcher books (which are a completely different genre and I am in no way comparing these stories). I am glad I picked this one up again.
The author was heavily inspired by the current political climate in Bolivia while working on this story. I admit that I now have a lot of research to do regarding that "corner" of the world. I love it when a fictional story makes me want to learn more about the real world around me. I think it'll leave you feeling the same way.
**For teachers and students, this book is about as clean as you'll find in the YA genre in terms of language and sexual content. There is some violence, but it is not shown without great personal cost and is never dehumanized. I appreciated that. So many books, shows, and movies are all about stabbing the bad guy, and this book does not feel that way at all. It shows a human cost to violence and a mental one as well. I feel perfectly at ease about putting this book in my junior high classroom library.**
When the usurper king Atoc demands the Contessa's hand in marriage in order to spare captured Illustrian soldiers, it is Ximena who is sent in her friend's place. Immediately she is plunged into a world of intrigue and danger unlike she has ever known, and she's known plenty of danger in her life. But the court isn't entirely full of terrible tyrants. There are good people too. And perhaps her beloved Illustrians are not as innocent in the political turmoil as Ximena would like to believe. Maybe there's a peaceful solution out there to save her people and prevent further bloodshed. It's up to Ximena to find it.
Firstly, I LOVED the world building in this story. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, and I actually put it down for a week at around the 20% mark. I felt the story was a bit repetitive and I simply wasn't as excited about it as I was the Witcher books (which are a completely different genre and I am in no way comparing these stories). I am glad I picked this one up again.
The author was heavily inspired by the current political climate in Bolivia while working on this story. I admit that I now have a lot of research to do regarding that "corner" of the world. I love it when a fictional story makes me want to learn more about the real world around me. I think it'll leave you feeling the same way.
**For teachers and students, this book is about as clean as you'll find in the YA genre in terms of language and sexual content. There is some violence, but it is not shown without great personal cost and is never dehumanized. I appreciated that. So many books, shows, and movies are all about stabbing the bad guy, and this book does not feel that way at all. It shows a human cost to violence and a mental one as well. I feel perfectly at ease about putting this book in my junior high classroom library.**