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nenolove's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutly LOVE this book! It brought me to a whole new world that I have never seen or experienced before. The book was creative and unquie unlike the other books that I have read. Although it was a little confusing in the beginning, since I had no information about the world the author was talking about, as the story progressed it was very easy to catch on and fall in love with the new world. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to visit a new world with many new possiblities!
stephxsu's review against another edition
3.0
BRIGHTLY WOVEN is a rollicking good read that will appeal most to fans of Stephenie Meyer and Bree Despain’s straightforward writing styles. It provides hearty doses of adventure, magic, romance, and danger, and yet never fully comes together as it could’ve at a higher level.
Sydelle and North are an amusing pair to follow if you’re not too bothered by the generic flatness of their interactions. I like that Sydelle is not a weak girl: she’s more than willing to give the sometimes-irresponsible North what he deserves. Sydelle is hands down the strongest part of this novel, and I loved reading about her as she discovered what she is capable of.
However, I felt as if the other parts of the story did not connect as well as I would’ve liked it to. BRIGHTLY WOVEN is a mixture of so many fantastic things, but it was inadequately put together. I never felt any true fear of or anger towards the villainous wizard, Rueun Dorwan, nor was I able to fully invest myself in the outcome of the pre-war tensions. Sydelle and North were cute, but they didn’t make an indelible impression on me, and the supporting characters were sadly underdeveloped and one-dimensional.
As far as young adult fantasy goes, BRIGHTLY WOVEN shows itself to be the work of a young author. It’s no masterpiece, but all of its desirable elements will serve to recommend it to most readers, and most will be able to enjoy at least something about this book.
Sydelle and North are an amusing pair to follow if you’re not too bothered by the generic flatness of their interactions. I like that Sydelle is not a weak girl: she’s more than willing to give the sometimes-irresponsible North what he deserves. Sydelle is hands down the strongest part of this novel, and I loved reading about her as she discovered what she is capable of.
However, I felt as if the other parts of the story did not connect as well as I would’ve liked it to. BRIGHTLY WOVEN is a mixture of so many fantastic things, but it was inadequately put together. I never felt any true fear of or anger towards the villainous wizard, Rueun Dorwan, nor was I able to fully invest myself in the outcome of the pre-war tensions. Sydelle and North were cute, but they didn’t make an indelible impression on me, and the supporting characters were sadly underdeveloped and one-dimensional.
As far as young adult fantasy goes, BRIGHTLY WOVEN shows itself to be the work of a young author. It’s no masterpiece, but all of its desirable elements will serve to recommend it to most readers, and most will be able to enjoy at least something about this book.
poppymonster's review against another edition
2.0
Could not invest in the characters at all, which was disappointing because the plot had so much potential.
pumpkinejuice's review against another edition
1.0
Gave up on page: 57
Brightly Woven is a story about Sydelle and her mysterious wizard not friend North. Together they go on a prolonged camping trip in order to save the nation from certain destruction. Probably a lot more happens but I gave up part way through the book.
I'm very disappointed in this book because I really wanted to like it. I loved Bracken's Darkest Minds Trilogy and was excited to see her tackle the fantasy genre. The plot was interesting, and the character's were likeable. Sadly the execution didn't live up to my expectations.
As one who doesn't normally read fantasy, the lack of background information and world building didn't so much bother me. I could accept the layout of the kingdom and got the information I needed as I needed it. I actually appreciated the lack of heavy info dumping, as this usually confuses me and is the reason why I don't read the genre that often. Yet the largest flaw, and maybe the only flaw for me was that the narration didn't feel complete. The story felt more like a creative writing project then a novel. There were so many, seemingly random, time jumps that I found myself asking "How did they get there" or "When did that happen?". It made it increasingly hard to follow the plot and difficult to sink into.
Thankfully as time has gone on Bracken's writing has greatly improved and I'm very excited for new upcoming work.
Brightly Woven is a story about Sydelle and her mysterious wizard not friend North. Together they go on a prolonged camping trip in order to save the nation from certain destruction. Probably a lot more happens but I gave up part way through the book.
I'm very disappointed in this book because I really wanted to like it. I loved Bracken's Darkest Minds Trilogy and was excited to see her tackle the fantasy genre. The plot was interesting, and the character's were likeable. Sadly the execution didn't live up to my expectations.
As one who doesn't normally read fantasy, the lack of background information and world building didn't so much bother me. I could accept the layout of the kingdom and got the information I needed as I needed it. I actually appreciated the lack of heavy info dumping, as this usually confuses me and is the reason why I don't read the genre that often. Yet the largest flaw, and maybe the only flaw for me was that the narration didn't feel complete. The story felt more like a creative writing project then a novel. There were so many, seemingly random, time jumps that I found myself asking "How did they get there" or "When did that happen?". It made it increasingly hard to follow the plot and difficult to sink into.
Thankfully as time has gone on Bracken's writing has greatly improved and I'm very excited for new upcoming work.
eyreguide's review against another edition
4.0
I so loved Alexandra Bracken's second novel The Darkest Minds, that I was eager to read her first novel and her take on young adult fantasy. This is a standalone tale (finally!) and it has all the elements of a good fantasy story - a wizard, a quest and a journey with romance and magic sprinkled throughout. The story moves quickly and kept my interest throughout (especially with the mysteriously troubled Wayland North) and I found the story very enjoyable.
As I said before the plot does move quickly, and at times the thought processes of the characters can be a little unclear in my opinion as they made decisions or came to conclusions that did't always feel well explained. The magic elements and the world-building are just enough to get into the fantasy aspect, but I think the characters are the best part of this story. Sydelle is fiery and emotional and Wayland masks his worries with a carefree demeanor and it was interesting to read them getting to know and admire each other. I loved how protective they are of each other and how so many times they tried to make sacrifices for the other but it is barely appreciated. Their relationship really drives the narrative forward, especially when it comes to certain secrets that made for pretty shocking reveals towards the end.
The twists and turns of the story and the slowly built romance made this a wonderful read for me, and I loved how well the author tied up each character's story. This is a lovely book with a great pace and sympathetic, likable characters.
As I said before the plot does move quickly, and at times the thought processes of the characters can be a little unclear in my opinion as they made decisions or came to conclusions that did't always feel well explained. The magic elements and the world-building are just enough to get into the fantasy aspect, but I think the characters are the best part of this story. Sydelle is fiery and emotional and Wayland masks his worries with a carefree demeanor and it was interesting to read them getting to know and admire each other. I loved how protective they are of each other and how so many times they tried to make sacrifices for the other but it is barely appreciated. Their relationship really drives the narrative forward, especially when it comes to certain secrets that made for pretty shocking reveals towards the end.
The twists and turns of the story and the slowly built romance made this a wonderful read for me, and I loved how well the author tied up each character's story. This is a lovely book with a great pace and sympathetic, likable characters.
krissasaur's review against another edition
I decided that I would drop this book after reading 100 pages and... still having no idea what was going on. It was just really really terrible. I mean, the idea of the book was really nice, but the execution? Terrible. And it is sad because I really loved the whole opening, and the idea.
Basically what got to me what that there were so many instances, more than I can count, were something would happen, out of nowhere, and I was CONVINCED I skipped PAGES or even WHOLE CHAPTERS. Things would just happened with no explanation and... I... did not... understand. Here are some reviews I found that summed up my thoughts:
"Even though much of it was overwritten, it seemed to leave out important details and was so confusing that 100 pages in, I still had no idea where they were going or why. " - Liz
"I liked the first chapter okay, but sixty pages in this book is a lost cause. Nothing is making any sense -- plot, characterization, dialogue, magic. It just isn't good." - Emily
"I just kept saying "What?" "Where the hell did THAT come from" "What? What? What?" "O, Srsly!" Had to stop before I broke my brain & shot my mood even further. Just not working for me. At all." - Simba
Anyway, yea. Definitely dropping. I am not having good luck with books it seems.
Basically what got to me what that there were so many instances, more than I can count, were something would happen, out of nowhere, and I was CONVINCED I skipped PAGES or even WHOLE CHAPTERS. Things would just happened with no explanation and... I... did not... understand. Here are some reviews I found that summed up my thoughts:
"Even though much of it was overwritten, it seemed to leave out important details and was so confusing that 100 pages in, I still had no idea where they were going or why. " - Liz
"I liked the first chapter okay, but sixty pages in this book is a lost cause. Nothing is making any sense -- plot, characterization, dialogue, magic. It just isn't good." - Emily
"I just kept saying "What?" "Where the hell did THAT come from" "What? What? What?" "O, Srsly!" Had to stop before I broke my brain & shot my mood even further. Just not working for me. At all." - Simba
Anyway, yea. Definitely dropping. I am not having good luck with books it seems.
bonbonsandreveries's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This was one exciting adventure. Sydelle lives in a poor small village where there is currently a drought. It hasn’t rained in 7 years. One day a wizard, North Wayland, comes and makes it rain. At his request Sydelle’s father gives her to North for this service. Both begin their journey to warn the queen about the upcoming war and who truly poisoned and killed the King. Clearly upset at being forced from her home, Sydelle tries to ignore him, but actually ends up yelling at him quite a lot. North ignores her yelling, especially when he’s drunk. After several messy encounters with other wizards, Sydelle finds it difficult to be mad at him. Her hatred turns to compassion.
Sydelle is 16 yr. old weaver who has the ability to repair magical talismans. I really respected her strength and determination. She also has a habit of attracting the worst sort of trouble. However, North doesn’t mind rescuing her and playing the part of hero. I just loved North. He reminded me of Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle (the movie). On the outside he is strong, stubborn, very good looking, and optimistic. On the inside, he is cursed and tortured. Both North and Sydelle are very selfless characters. Their willingness to do anything to save their country, even sacrifice their lives, was touching.
Magic is a large part of this book. However, the relationship between Sydelle and North forces the reader to look beyond all the magic, war, and secrets and watch as two people see the good and importance in the other. Both characters have always felt insignificant and do their best to fight that feeling. That doesn’t mean the feeling goes away. Their love and kindness for each other removes their insecurities making them all the more powerful and useful.
Behind this love story, there is a journey involving a war. The upcoming war is based on rumor, and therefore does not need to be fought, especially since it is a false rumor. Alexandra Bracken handles the issue of a reason-less war with care. The threat of many lives lost hangs over the characters giving them a very real consequence if they fail. It gave the story a sense of urgency.
Alexandra Bracken built a beautiful and very original world. The countries had their own religions, myths, legends, etc. She established guilds, abundant resources for the regions as income, and different terrains. It was all very engaging. I would love to jump back into the world, even though Bracken currently has no plans to write a sequel. I adored this book. The writing flowed easily and Bracken’s word choice and phrasing made Sydelle’s voice clear and relatable to the reader. Brightly Woven is an enthralling adventure that will leave you eager for more.
Sydelle is 16 yr. old weaver who has the ability to repair magical talismans. I really respected her strength and determination. She also has a habit of attracting the worst sort of trouble. However, North doesn’t mind rescuing her and playing the part of hero. I just loved North. He reminded me of Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle (the movie). On the outside he is strong, stubborn, very good looking, and optimistic. On the inside, he is cursed and tortured. Both North and Sydelle are very selfless characters. Their willingness to do anything to save their country, even sacrifice their lives, was touching.
Magic is a large part of this book. However, the relationship between Sydelle and North forces the reader to look beyond all the magic, war, and secrets and watch as two people see the good and importance in the other. Both characters have always felt insignificant and do their best to fight that feeling. That doesn’t mean the feeling goes away. Their love and kindness for each other removes their insecurities making them all the more powerful and useful.
Behind this love story, there is a journey involving a war. The upcoming war is based on rumor, and therefore does not need to be fought, especially since it is a false rumor. Alexandra Bracken handles the issue of a reason-less war with care. The threat of many lives lost hangs over the characters giving them a very real consequence if they fail. It gave the story a sense of urgency.
Alexandra Bracken built a beautiful and very original world. The countries had their own religions, myths, legends, etc. She established guilds, abundant resources for the regions as income, and different terrains. It was all very engaging. I would love to jump back into the world, even though Bracken currently has no plans to write a sequel. I adored this book. The writing flowed easily and Bracken’s word choice and phrasing made Sydelle’s voice clear and relatable to the reader. Brightly Woven is an enthralling adventure that will leave you eager for more.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
3.0
Brightly Woven is a story that follows the journey Sydelle has with wizard Wayland North. They are on a race against time to present evidence in order to halt a war. Something I liked about this book is the way that magic is manipulated by wizards through a magical object and based on color. The romance that slowly develops pleasantly reminded me of that between Wizard Howl and Sophie in [b:Howl's Moving Castle|6294|Howl's Moving Castle (Castle, #1)|Diana Wynne Jones|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165560187s/6294.jpg|2001]. The writing was a problem for me at times, however. There were points while reading the story that became lost in what was happening. It was as if connections were missing between plot points and character actions, causing me to have to read passages over and over again to understand what was going on. This jarred me out of the story, something that I don't like when reading fantasy. I think the writing could have used stronger editing on the part of the publisher.
amethystbookwyrm's review against another edition
5.0
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
Sydelle has always lived in a desert village but when danger threatens it she must leave with the stranger and wizard, Wayland North. However Wayland has secrets about both himself and the reason he choose Sydelle to assist him. All the characters, but especially Wayland, have hidden depths and secrets which kept the story interesting. Also I like how the magic system works in this book and how it is unique from all other books I can think of. This is an astounding YA fantasy book and I hope someday Bracken will write a sequel so we find out more about Sydelle, Wayland and their adventures.
Sydelle has always lived in a desert village but when danger threatens it she must leave with the stranger and wizard, Wayland North. However Wayland has secrets about both himself and the reason he choose Sydelle to assist him. All the characters, but especially Wayland, have hidden depths and secrets which kept the story interesting. Also I like how the magic system works in this book and how it is unique from all other books I can think of. This is an astounding YA fantasy book and I hope someday Bracken will write a sequel so we find out more about Sydelle, Wayland and their adventures.