A review by saessenach
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

3.0

.
3.5 stars. it was a nice story. nothing throughly special, not exactly outstanding, but it was a fast read, and an easy one at that.
it's probably aimed at girls in their early teens, so that may be why i haven't enjoyed it all that much.

nonetheless, the story was engaging, the characters easy enough to imagine, what with their little details and characteristic elements. i believe i felt a whiff of Howl's Moving Castle, but it lacked its sophistication.

the pace was maybe too quick, it might have needed a better, stringer build-up, and the plot twists, if one can truly call them that were far too quick to either shock, or set in.

also,the characters, excepting the lovey-dovey leads in some situations (only some, not all), felt quite under-developed. i might have had a lot more fun if North's antics were a bit more elaborate, the concept of Owain's knightly sense of loyalty more deeply explained, Sydelle's anger and resentiment more fleshed out.

well, can't expect that from every book i read. especially not from YA. nevertheless, it doesnc't even come close to the worst I've seen of this genre, so I consider myself lucky. it was not bad, but all that brilliant either.