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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Sydelle has settled for a life in the middle of nowhere. One day she will marry her childhood friend they will have children. Her children will have children and then she will die. That is what Sydelle expects of her life. What any person from Cliffton would expect of their life but with the rain everything changes.
Alexandra Bracken has created a magical and adventurous love story like no other. I was hooked from the first page. The world was very visual and easy for me to imagine.
The story is told in a very different way then most young adult novels right now. There is romance but it is almost nonexistent. It takes a backseat to the adventure but still somehow stays a main focus. Did that make any sense...I loved the way it was done. It almost made you love North more. And crave the romance more!
Speaking of North. What an unlikely male lead! I get so tired of these perfect male characters with there perfect powers and perfect hair. Finally a character with flaws and funny ones to boot! I might have fallen in love a little bit! Just a little.
All in all I loved this book. Alexandra has written an excellent debut and I'm so happy she shared it with the rest of us. I do have one little complaint....I need a sequel! Like now!
Alexandra Bracken has created a magical and adventurous love story like no other. I was hooked from the first page. The world was very visual and easy for me to imagine.
The story is told in a very different way then most young adult novels right now. There is romance but it is almost nonexistent. It takes a backseat to the adventure but still somehow stays a main focus. Did that make any sense...I loved the way it was done. It almost made you love North more. And crave the romance more!
Speaking of North. What an unlikely male lead! I get so tired of these perfect male characters with there perfect powers and perfect hair. Finally a character with flaws and funny ones to boot! I might have fallen in love a little bit! Just a little.
All in all I loved this book. Alexandra has written an excellent debut and I'm so happy she shared it with the rest of us. I do have one little complaint....I need a sequel! Like now!
You're all going to laugh at me when I say this, but I thought this book was about mermaids. I took one look at the cover along time ago and thought "wow another mermaid book? I'll have to read it!". Well for those of you (probably none of you) who are as clueless as me, this book is not about mermaids.
I don't like reading books that contain witches, or a lot of magic elements. It's just a personal preference. I was really tempted to put this book down once I found out the whole book is based around magic, wizards, and witches. I decided not to because at that time I was already into the book.
BRIGHTLY WOVEN did not take long to get me interested. From the very first page to the last I was entertained and I loved the entire story. Sure there were some slow points, but very few. The story was unique, adventurous, exciting, and just a fun read that is sure to keep you interested too.
I actually enjoyed reading about Sydelle and from her point of view. Most female protagonists these days can be so annoying, helpless, dumb, ect., but Sydelle kept my attention. Sure at times she could possibly be considered any of those adjectives, but not very often. She was smart, attentive, and a strong character. North was also a great character. He was swoon-worthy, but different from all those other "swoon-worthy male fictional characters". It was a nice change to say the least.
Overall for a book not about mermaids, this was a delightful read. It wasn't the absolute best, but I definitely think you should check it out if you haven't already!
I don't like reading books that contain witches, or a lot of magic elements. It's just a personal preference. I was really tempted to put this book down once I found out the whole book is based around magic, wizards, and witches. I decided not to because at that time I was already into the book.
BRIGHTLY WOVEN did not take long to get me interested. From the very first page to the last I was entertained and I loved the entire story. Sure there were some slow points, but very few. The story was unique, adventurous, exciting, and just a fun read that is sure to keep you interested too.
I actually enjoyed reading about Sydelle and from her point of view. Most female protagonists these days can be so annoying, helpless, dumb, ect., but Sydelle kept my attention. Sure at times she could possibly be considered any of those adjectives, but not very often. She was smart, attentive, and a strong character. North was also a great character. He was swoon-worthy, but different from all those other "swoon-worthy male fictional characters". It was a nice change to say the least.
Overall for a book not about mermaids, this was a delightful read. It wasn't the absolute best, but I definitely think you should check it out if you haven't already!
Wonderful! I loved it. I was glued to it from the first page. I would have loved to have been there for the dragon slaying though. And did North ever take a bath? I hope so! I really hope there is a sequel because I want to find out if Sydelle is able to lift the curse from North. This is a light fantasy read so don't go into it expecting anything deep. I felt like the book didn't take itself too seriously and I would advise readers to not take this book too seriously either and then you might enjoy it more.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book popped up in my recommendation feed because I loved The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke. A couple of people said the books were similar in nature regarding the theme of curses, and I loved Clarke's book so much that I had to read this book to see if it would be just as good.
I wasn't disappointed. From the moment I opened the gorgeous cover and saw the detailed map waiting inside I knew I was in for a treat.
I'll start with the characters. Sydelle is a sixteen year old girl that's stuck in the small village of Cliffton that's been in a never ending drought since she was a little girl. She wishes she could be anywhere else, and talks about running away with her childhood friend Henry. She's feisty, described as having crazy, curly red hair and blue eyes. Basically, the entire time I read the novel I kept picturing her like this:
Heck yeah!
What sets her apart from every other YA heroine though, is the fact she's a skilled weaver. I LOVE characters that are artistically inclined, and there's some really nice passages about Syd working away at her craft, lost in thought, sewing together things for North. She's not only good with fabrics, she also has the unique gift of being able to repair North's cloaks, which are his talismans. Eventually she starts setting off to work on a personal cloak for North, which is a depiction of all the adventures they've gone through. I really wish I could have seen a painting of the finished product! It just sounded so gorgeous.
And of course I should talk about the love interest, Wayland North. North is such a lovely departure from the brooding, emotionally constipated teens you find riddled everywhere in YA. Yes, he's mysterious and has a dark past, but he's rarely serious, is a hilarious drunk, and most importantly, is compassionate and considerate of Sydelle's well being. He openly talks about how much Syd means to him and how much she makes him happy. Also, North says some of the best lines in the novel. There's just too many to list, but here's my favorite:
"Why did you bring me, then, if you knew I was only going to hold you back?"
North glanced up at the ceiling.
"Tell me," I said, leaning back in my chair.
"I don't know. Perhaps I thought that burning hatred in your eyes would give way to some faster walking."
There's some really tender moments that happen between North and Sydelle. There's a scene where Sydelle has to take care of North while he's incapacitated and it's really powerful; Sydelle finally sees the torment that North has to constantly go through and sees him completely vulnerable and helpless. She's humbled by this experience and lovingly sticks by his side and nurses him back to health. I actually teared up a bit reading that scene.
The progression of Syd and North's relationship is natural and never forced, and when they start trusting each other and become more comfortable, it's really sweet. There's plenty of moments that had me giggling and going "d'aww". Romance fans will be plenty happy.
There's a plethora of minor characters, but only three of them really stood out. There's a loud Scotsman type character named Owain who is creepily obsessed with his horse. And there's Oliver, the young commander of the wizard guard who is North's rival. And there's the Sorceress Imperial who was really interesting, but I cant talk about her at all without giving away spoilers. Everyone else was simply there to get the story moving and nothing else. I kind of wish Bracken had done more with Henry instead of just making him this ambiguous childhood friend from her village that's madly in love with her, but meh.
The world building in this novel is mind blowing. And this is just a stand alone novel! The level of detail that Bracken put into her world is at a level that is so rarely seen in YA fantasy. A large part of the country of Palmarta is beautifully painted in this novel - all the cities that Sydelle and North visit are described and all of them have their own cultural quirks right down to little things like how Sydelle's village doesn't have anything to offer for trade except it's yellow sand to the dilapidated castles of the regions capitol, Providencia. My favorite was the city of Fairwell, home of the artisans, and it's described as a towering marble city displaying glass sculptures and pottery. I wish I could be there!
This world has a very unique magic system that I've never read about before. In this world, wizards use talismans which they use to channel their magic. They can be anything at all - daggers, swords, or in North's case, cloaks. To symbolize which element the wizard prefers using they adorn their talismans with braids of colour that correspond to the elements, which is seen as a courtesy during wizarding duels. And there are plenty of those that happen in this adventure.
Spirituality is a big theme in the novel as well. Syd is deeply religious, and has her faith tested at times, but it never wavers, not even when she discovers the horrible truth about her secret. She's proud to worship her goddess Astrea, and often worships her for guidance and protection for others. I thought her religious faith was beautifully depicted.
And holy crap, there's character development! And it didn't suck! Characters grew from their circumstances and some relationships were mended and forged stronger. It's been a while where I read a novel where I felt a character actually changed from what they went through.
I only really have some minor quibbles with the book. There's some awkward sections that could have been rewritten to flow better, some scenes that happened offscreen that would have been interesting to read about, and some things should have just been more elaborated in general. But it wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book, thankfully.
Thank you, Bracken, for giving me this novel. =) I will be looking out for your other work from now on.
I wasn't disappointed. From the moment I opened the gorgeous cover and saw the detailed map waiting inside I knew I was in for a treat.
I'll start with the characters. Sydelle is a sixteen year old girl that's stuck in the small village of Cliffton that's been in a never ending drought since she was a little girl. She wishes she could be anywhere else, and talks about running away with her childhood friend Henry. She's feisty, described as having crazy, curly red hair and blue eyes. Basically, the entire time I read the novel I kept picturing her like this:
Heck yeah!
What sets her apart from every other YA heroine though, is the fact she's a skilled weaver. I LOVE characters that are artistically inclined, and there's some really nice passages about Syd working away at her craft, lost in thought, sewing together things for North. She's not only good with fabrics, she also has the unique gift of being able to repair North's cloaks, which are his talismans. Eventually she starts setting off to work on a personal cloak for North, which is a depiction of all the adventures they've gone through. I really wish I could have seen a painting of the finished product! It just sounded so gorgeous.
And of course I should talk about the love interest, Wayland North. North is such a lovely departure from the brooding, emotionally constipated teens you find riddled everywhere in YA. Yes, he's mysterious and has a dark past, but he's rarely serious, is a hilarious drunk, and most importantly, is compassionate and considerate of Sydelle's well being. He openly talks about how much Syd means to him and how much she makes him happy. Also, North says some of the best lines in the novel. There's just too many to list, but here's my favorite:
"Why did you bring me, then, if you knew I was only going to hold you back?"
North glanced up at the ceiling.
"Tell me," I said, leaning back in my chair.
"I don't know. Perhaps I thought that burning hatred in your eyes would give way to some faster walking."
There's some really tender moments that happen between North and Sydelle. There's a scene where Sydelle has to take care of North while he's incapacitated and it's really powerful; Sydelle finally sees the torment that North has to constantly go through and sees him completely vulnerable and helpless. She's humbled by this experience and lovingly sticks by his side and nurses him back to health. I actually teared up a bit reading that scene.
The progression of Syd and North's relationship is natural and never forced, and when they start trusting each other and become more comfortable, it's really sweet. There's plenty of moments that had me giggling and going "d'aww". Romance fans will be plenty happy.
There's a plethora of minor characters, but only three of them really stood out. There's a loud Scotsman type character named Owain who is creepily obsessed with his horse. And there's Oliver, the young commander of the wizard guard who is North's rival. And there's the Sorceress Imperial who was really interesting, but I cant talk about her at all without giving away spoilers. Everyone else was simply there to get the story moving and nothing else. I kind of wish Bracken had done more with Henry instead of just making him this ambiguous childhood friend from her village that's madly in love with her, but meh.
The world building in this novel is mind blowing. And this is just a stand alone novel! The level of detail that Bracken put into her world is at a level that is so rarely seen in YA fantasy. A large part of the country of Palmarta is beautifully painted in this novel - all the cities that Sydelle and North visit are described and all of them have their own cultural quirks right down to little things like how Sydelle's village doesn't have anything to offer for trade except it's yellow sand to the dilapidated castles of the regions capitol, Providencia. My favorite was the city of Fairwell, home of the artisans, and it's described as a towering marble city displaying glass sculptures and pottery. I wish I could be there!
This world has a very unique magic system that I've never read about before. In this world, wizards use talismans which they use to channel their magic. They can be anything at all - daggers, swords, or in North's case, cloaks. To symbolize which element the wizard prefers using they adorn their talismans with braids of colour that correspond to the elements, which is seen as a courtesy during wizarding duels. And there are plenty of those that happen in this adventure.
Spirituality is a big theme in the novel as well. Syd is deeply religious, and has her faith tested at times, but it never wavers, not even when she discovers the horrible truth about her secret. She's proud to worship her goddess Astrea, and often worships her for guidance and protection for others. I thought her religious faith was beautifully depicted.
And holy crap, there's character development! And it didn't suck! Characters grew from their circumstances and some relationships were mended and forged stronger. It's been a while where I read a novel where I felt a character actually changed from what they went through.
I only really have some minor quibbles with the book. There's some awkward sections that could have been rewritten to flow better, some scenes that happened offscreen that would have been interesting to read about, and some things should have just been more elaborated in general. But it wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book, thankfully.
Thank you, Bracken, for giving me this novel. =) I will be looking out for your other work from now on.
This was a good book. I thought the ideas were interesting. However, I had two little nit-picky things that I didn't like. First, I thought that some parts (especially toward the end) were gag-inducingly cute. I found myself rolling my eyes. Sometimes, I dissapointed myself by sighing girly(ly)(ish)(platyapeople?) like... some people I know. (Not going to mention names... EM!!!) Sydelle is supposed to have a huge temper and be relient on herself. And she is... for most of the book. Also, some parts were really confusing. Sometimes I didn't know why someone did something (like the whole drama issue with Henry). However, I eventually got it. This is a good read if you like fantasy and romance.
the last little bit (100 pages or so, almost made me want to rate this higher)
But, I couldn't ignore the problems... writing/pacing/clunkiness.
but boy was it interesting. it has that Bracken charm. and.characters that are real, something that I have always loved about Bracken Books <3
though I know a sequel will probably not see the light of day... I would definitely read.more about these characters. because Bracken is just great. :),
But, I couldn't ignore the problems... writing/pacing/clunkiness.
but boy was it interesting. it has that Bracken charm. and.characters that are real, something that I have always loved about Bracken Books <3
though I know a sequel will probably not see the light of day... I would definitely read.more about these characters. because Bracken is just great. :),
This book was a wild ride from start to finish. Recently I have been looking for books that are similar to Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and through my sleuthing I came across this title.
It is the story of a girl names Sydelle who is from a small desert town that is in the middle of a ten year drought. She is a talented weaver and longs to travel. We find out early on that there have been some political upheavals since the death of the king, but to Sydelle it is all a far away thought when your very survival hangs in the balance from the drought. Then suddenly these problems are brought to her doorstep with the wizard Wayland North. He has sensitive information about the king's death that could prevent a war, but he is being chased by an evil wizard and an army. To slow down those who are pursuing him he brings forth a rainstorm, breaking the ten year drought. Thankful for his help Sydelle's parents, the leaders of the village, offer a reward for Wayland telling him to take anything he wants. What he wants is Sydelle. Sydelle is angry at North because he has forced her to leave her home against her will and has left her village under siege. Too make matters worse North is keeping things from her, important things, like why he choose her, what this is all really about, and about North's mysterious past.
Like I said this book is comparable to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's similar in such a way where the feel of the story is alike without it seeming like you're reading the exact same thing over again. This is a marvelous book that every fan of fantasy books will enjoy. My only complaint is that I cannot find an eBook copy to buy of this book anywhere, and I know it has to be somewhere as I read this through my library's overdrive program. Alas I have resigned myself to buy a physical copy (don't feel too sorry for me it's not as all dramatic as that).
It is the story of a girl names Sydelle who is from a small desert town that is in the middle of a ten year drought. She is a talented weaver and longs to travel. We find out early on that there have been some political upheavals since the death of the king, but to Sydelle it is all a far away thought when your very survival hangs in the balance from the drought. Then suddenly these problems are brought to her doorstep with the wizard Wayland North. He has sensitive information about the king's death that could prevent a war, but he is being chased by an evil wizard and an army. To slow down those who are pursuing him he brings forth a rainstorm, breaking the ten year drought. Thankful for his help Sydelle's parents, the leaders of the village, offer a reward for Wayland telling him to take anything he wants. What he wants is Sydelle. Sydelle is angry at North because he has forced her to leave her home against her will and has left her village under siege. Too make matters worse North is keeping things from her, important things, like why he choose her, what this is all really about, and about North's mysterious past.
Like I said this book is comparable to Howl's Moving Castle, but it's similar in such a way where the feel of the story is alike without it seeming like you're reading the exact same thing over again. This is a marvelous book that every fan of fantasy books will enjoy. My only complaint is that I cannot find an eBook copy to buy of this book anywhere, and I know it has to be somewhere as I read this through my library's overdrive program. Alas I have resigned myself to buy a physical copy (don't feel too sorry for me it's not as all dramatic as that).
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!