Liv The Book Nerd: {Review} Woven In Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez

Page Count: 384

Published On: January 7, 2020

Published By: Page Street Kids

Genre(s): YA Fantasy

Source: ARC provided by the publisher and Bookish First
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa.

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Content Warning: Forced/arranged marriage, oppression, war, violence, on-page death, executions

Hey, guys!

Back in early January, my fiance and I decided to go to a book event in the Indianapolis/Franklin area for Isabel Ibanez's debut tour. Tour perk! Shelby Mahurin was also speaking with her.

I had just finished Shelby's debut release, Serpent and Dove, and I was so excited to meet her. But because WIM was Isabel's debut, I had to hurry and read the book so I could potentially gush about it with Isabel and anyone I met at the event. I decided to get a copy from Book of the Month and hope that I got it before the event. The next thing I knew, I was winning a copy from Bookish First and it came the day the book came out. *victory pose*

This book was absolutely phenomenal. An instant new favorite and auto-buy author. I cannot wait for book #2! I have so many predictions for the companion story. This was everything I could have hoped for.

Woven in Moonlight follows Ximena, the decoy Condesa for a warring country. When the usurper Illustrian, Atoc, demands the Condesa's hand in marriage (promising peace, of course), it's Ximena's job to go for the real Condesa. If Ximena can find a relic that could stop the war, she can fix everything that the usurping Illustrians destroyed. Unfortunately, when she arrives in La Ciudad, not everything is as black and white as it seems. When she meets a group of kind, funny, and thoughtful people, she has to rethink her position and do what is best for every citizen.

This book was masterfully written. Not only were the characters realistic, compelling, and wonderful to read about; the story was lush with Bolivian culture, the politics were spot on, and the magic was everything I could have hoped for. I loved this book so so so much!

I have a massive soft spot for the arranged marriage trope. I love to see how the character or characters escape the marriage or defy the person they don't want to be with. It's strangely one of my favorite tropes because it can either be done well or terribly. I think I just like those odds.

This book's plot and conflict were just so compelling. I didn't want to stop reading and I couldn't stop reading. I think that this book was just what I needed. The books I had read before picking this up were either let downs or just meh reads. I'm so glad I pick up this magical story. Please pick it up!

{Purchase Through Book of the Month here!}