Review | Brightly Woven

Title: Brightly Woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Egmont
Pages: 368
Rating: 5/5

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.

Brightly Woven was a captivating novel that had me breathless with each page I turned. This normally isn't the type of book that I would read and love, but the author had a way of taking me in and not letting go with her writing. The author also created a world full of magic, wizards and everything in between that was realistic in plenty of ways. Definitely my kind of fantasy world. The characters were all my favorite! Um, especially Wayland! Can I have him? The relationship between Sydelle and him weaved (no pun intended) perfectly from the beginning. It was pretty much realistic and I adored that. This story is definitely something I'd love to read over and over again.

Favorite line (that shows Wayland's adorable attitude):

"I'm trying to feel sorry for you, really, I am," North said. "If you wait just a moment, I'm sure the tears will come."

"Oh, shut up!" Oliver burst out...