Customer Reviews

Brightly Woven

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sydelle has always lived in a small village in the desert, where it hasn't rained in nearly ten years and not much changes. When Palmarta's king dies and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death incites a war, Sydelle's village is threatened, and she is rescued by Wayland North, a young wizard. Sydelle's talent for weaving and her quick mind catches his interest, and he needs her help if he's stop the war and the dangerous, vindictive wizard behind it.

Brightly Woven is a rousing, humorous, and adventurous book that fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore can enjoy. This is a clever novel, seamlessly combining the art of weaving and the art of magic to form a story full of intrigue and suspense. Bracken's characters are well-portrayed and complicated, especially Wayland North. His own story is rather unexpected and fascinating, and he has a few twists and surprises about him, some foreseen and some not, and his personal struggles make for a very interesting subplot.

The story moves quickly, keeping you on edge, and Bracken packs a lot of action and travel into her pages. Sydelle's and North's journey takes them all across Palmarta and further, showing the breadth of Bracken's fantasy world, though at times it would have been nice to have a few more details and for certain situations to be fleshed out a bit more to avoid some confusion. However, the story is entertaining and rounds off nicely, with a very satisfying resolution. It's a relief to have have a solid fantasy novel that doesn't leave you longing for a sequel, or require a whole slew of companion novels to resolve the conflict. Brightly Woven is a nice, lightly romantic and adventurous read with depth and danger.

Cover Comments: This cover is really pretty! I like the scrolling on the side and the background a lot. The contrast in the dark blue backdrop and the girl's white skin is nice. I don't think this is the best cover I've ever ever seen on a fantasy book, but it's really nice.

When I first read the dust jacket blurb I thought this book sounded as if it had great promise, but in the end I have to admit it didn't really work for me. I had the feeling that, while the author may have very clearly seen these characters and this world in her mind's eye, she just wasn't able to get that vision onto the written page.

Also, I have to say that some of the plot developments were all over the place---seemingly random at times. And there was one HUGE thing that happened at the end that didn't make sense, and that I didn't believe for even a fraction of an instant---so that was kind of annoying.

I could probably overlook a lot of this if I had really liked the hero and heroine, but----oh, they're not bad, but they just didn't appeal to me all that much. On the other hand, this certainly did throw the reader right into the adventure instantly, and the pace never let up..... Still.... not a major diss on my part, but I'm not really going to recommend it either. I suppose I'd give it two-and-a-half stars.

The cover is just another one of these generically pretty photo dust jackets that really reflects in no way whatsoever on the contents of the book. (Honestly, I have seen just about ENOUGH of these.) I'll add that the girl's appearance doesn't capture the will and stubbornness of the main character at all, and in fact looks rather worryingly inanimate....

I would give this book 2.5 stars.

From what I've seen on other blogs so far apparently I am in the minority in being disappointed by this book. It combined fantasy and romance and had me excited to start it but I did not really care for either of the main chracters. Sydelle's character seemed unrealistic. Yes, I can understand she was upset at Wayland for not staying to protect her village but she totally seems to brush off the fact that her parents basically traded her away to Wayland. I expected her to have some anger towards them and then eventually come to the realization that they wanted to get her away to safety but there was no internal struggle. Watching Sydelle's behavior she did not strike me as being mature enough to come to this realization right away.

Wayland's character was hard for me to like as well. He initially comes off as someone who loves to drink and doesn't know his limits. I think it was supposed to be implied later on he drinks because of his the pain from him curse but I don't really buy it. The way he acted towards Sydelle for much of the story made it hard for me to believe that she was starting to fall for him. The connection seemed to come very abruptly to me.

The ending also seemed awkward. I was surprised by how easily Sydelle seemed to be able to master and utilize her power just when she needed to. The queen's and the sorceress imperial's behavior towards Sydelle seemed to swing back and forth on a whim. I hate sounding so negative in a review but I really found this a hard book to get through.

I will be the first to admit that I am generally not a person who enjoys fantasy books (I leave that up to my husband). I don't mind a bit of creativity or a fantasy based object, but when the whole book is fantasy I usually have a hard time getting into it and keeping all of the characters/powers/other fantasy-y things straight.

Let me tell you - Brightly Woven did not fall into the no Shanyn category! Well, let me back up a bit - for the first chapter, I was asking myself what I was thinking by trying another fantasy novel so soon after Incarceron (which had me so confused I had to stop reading). But, I let it wash over me and kept going to where I could get a grasp on the story - and what do you know, 50 or 100 pages later I'm wondering how I got so many pages into the book so quickly.

While I did still occasionally get confused, I mostly just loved North and Syd. Characters came and went, but as long as I was reading about those two and their adventure, I was good to go - and believe me, there is quite a bit of adventure and action in this novel.

While Brightly Woven did not change my overall view of fantasy novels (I doubt this will happen in my lifetime, to be honest), I did really enjoy myself reading this book. You know a book is good when you are reading in huge chunks, turning the pages as fast as you can - this is how it was for Brightly Woven, and I am very happy to have read it.

The day the rains finally come to Cliffton, Sydelle Mirabil doesn't know her life is about to change. She has no idea foreign soldiers are preparing to invade her small village. She doesn't know that her country is on the precipice of war. She certainly don't know anything about wizards.

All of that changes with the rain.

Wayland North does know all of those things. When the town offers the young wizard a reward for bringing the much-needed rains he also knows exactly what he needs: the young weaver named Sydelle.

Sydelle has no choice but to accompany the wizard on his long journey to the capital. Much as she detests being tied to him she knows they have to get to the capital if the war is to be avoided. Plagued by foul weather, Sydelle's temper and North's black mood, the trip is not easy. Wayward wizards and dangerous secrets threaten to derail their journey long before they reach the capital.

As the pair make their way across the country Sydelle begins to understand there may be more to North than his vague statements and mercurial temperment. There might even be more to Sydelle herself. Like any good weaving, it is going to take Sydelle many layers to see the full picture in Brightly Woven (2010) by Alexandra Bracken.

Brightly Woven is Bracken's first novel.

While the story could have used slightly more resolution in some areas, Bracken has created an appealing fantasy here. Sydelle's narration is lyrical and Wayland North is one charming mess of a wizard. In a story where the two main characters are mostly crossing varied terrain, Bracken's ability to build drama and maintain tension is impressive.

Without giving away too much, the weaving aspect of the story added a nice dimension to the story. The combination of textiles and magic makes the premise of the story unique. Sydelle's focus on weaving also fleshed out her character and only helped to enhance the narrative.

Brightly Woven has everything readers hope to find in a traditional fantasy. Beautifully written, this novel evokes not only the physical landscape of Sydelle's world but the culture as well. Sydelle and North are wonderfully rendered characters that are dimensional, funny and completely captivating. In other words Brightly Woven is absolutely a must read for fantasy lovers and Bracken herself is definitely an author to watch.

Possible Pairings: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore, Warped by Maurissa Guibord, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Hourglass by Myra McEntire, Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

The first chapter of this book blew me away. I thought, "This is going to be great!" I even called my mom up (we share books like this one) and said that she should read it...

What a disappointment. This book was oookaaay; here and there it's funny, here and there I cared about the characters, here and there it was interesting. But mostly I forgot this book as soon as I put it down. For such a short book it took me weeks to read because I rarely went back to it.

Oh well...

This book was only okay for me. I found myself dreading having to read it and I never really got into it. I'm not saying that its a bad book, but it just didn't hold my attention.

I found that at times I got confused. Which lands were which and which goddess they believed in and who was fighting who. They all got mixed up in my head and I didn't really care enough to go back to try to re-read through it. A lot of the book seemed to be about religion and politics. Not my thing.

The characters were okay. Sydelle seemed a little flat to me. I didn't think that any of her characteristics were something that I really enjoyed. And I went up and down with how I felt about North. Sometimes I liked him, and sometimes I found him annoying.

This book is set up nicely for a series, but I'm not honestly sure that I'm interested enough to read it, if there is one. I guess I would need to see what it is about before I would make up my mind.

First, let me give a shoutout to all you 1987 babies out there! Best year ever. (I'm biased, so what?) I haven't had the opportunity (that I'm aware of) to read a YA book written by someone my age. Not that I discriminate based on age - it's just that the majority of my peers are still pretending like they're in college with the bar hopping on Tuesday nights. And when I read that Ms. Bracken began writing this novel at the age of 19, can I just say..I was seriously impressed.

Okay, so yes the cover was what attracted me - like how all relationships start out. It was pretty so I was interested (hehe). However, the inside (whether it be a person or a book!) can turn you away just as quick as the outside drew you in. This was not the case here.

For me, this book was about the relationship between Sydelle and North. Yes, there were many things going on around them (bad guy coming to get them, bad weather, etc) but when it came down to what I was interested in most, it was the two of them.

If I'm being honest, North irritated me for about half of the book with his drunkenness and inability to act like an adult (yes yes I know he's only 18 but come on!). Then he really made me mad three-quarters of the way through the book. (Seriously, how did Sydelle put up with him?) Were his intentions good or was he just being selfish and unfair to Sydelle? I'm not so sure I know the answer. I'm all for 'protecting' the people you care about but was that really what he was trying to do? I feel like Sydelle was giving him the benefit of the doubt because don't we all believe that the people who we love have good intentions for us?

Seriously, come on North..quit holding out on Sydelle. Honesty is the best policy, you know..

Now, now..I'm not saying that I didn't like North - I really did like him..eventually. I'm just saying that he made me mad for much of the book. You can like someone and still get irritated with them (Isn't that basically what Owain had said to North about Sydelle?).

And there is a MAP in the beginning of the book. She had me at hello. For me, it's all about the visualization of the setting. Can I see it in my mind? Where are they traveling? How are they getting there? Just how far do they have to go? It was nice to see the world come to life! Especially since Sydelle frequently referred to their map during their journey and though it was North's map, he never looked at it..and got lost much of the time. What is it with men and directions? :)

"Brightly Woven" is a young adult fantasy novel set in a fairly generic medieval-type world. The setting and culture weren't very developed. The magic system (based on individualized talismans used to do magic) was potentially unique and interesting, but even that wasn't developed very deeply despite the large role that magic played in the story.

I found the characters engaging and their road of discovery intriguing. The suspense was created by uncovering the various important secrets and the urgency of reaching the capital in time to stop the war. Both kept me reading. I thought the rate that new information about the various secrets was uncovered was excellent--not too quick, not too slow.

Another reviewer mentioned how Sydelle tended to need rescuing when she ignored people's advice to stay away from a fight. This didn't bother me since she ran into danger to figure out what's going on and due to a desire to help. Also, she's not supposed to be competent against magic. (If she did it to prove something or was competent but still needed rescuing, then it would have bothered me.)

Some details were left uncertain--though tending a certain direction--in a way that made me think a sequel is planned. There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of "he cursed" style of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this intriguing, enjoyable tale.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.

Sydelle's story begins with a raindrop. In a land where it hadn't rained in almost a decade, suddenly it begins to pour. This might seem strange, but something else unusual has just happened: a wizard dropped by. He doesn't stay for long. With an army on his heels he flees with Sydelle grudgingly in tow. Why he came, how he called the rain (he actually didn't), and why he chose to take Sydelle aren't fully explained right away. For every answer Sydelle uncovers, five more questions arise until a plot and a destiny much larger than anything Sydelle ever imagined confronts her square in the face.

There are a few books I've read that I carry around in my heart hoping to someday discover their equal again. Vivian Vande Velde's Conjourer Princess and Dragon's Bait and Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel are just such books, and, meeting all my hopes, Brightly Woven is their equal. What elevates this book to that special status is not the plot, which really is exciting and good on its own, but the characters. For me, characters will make or break a book. As individuals, both Sydelle and the wizard North are charming characters with fire, depth, intelligence, imperfection, and growth. Together, their relationship is one of those fictional relationships that make me squeal, clutch my heart, and grin like an idiot. They play off one another well and their combative relationship helps each character recognize both their faults and their strengths. At the end of the book, neither character is the same as when the story began, and both are improved as a result.

The ending concludes well but leaves the possibility for a sequel. Whether Bracken writes more about Sydelle and North or tries her hand at a new set of characters, she is firmly on my "Authors to Watch" list.