mrs_mander_reads
Written on Sep 18, 2020
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. Using the opportunity to get close to Atoc, she can steal his relic and return the true aristócrata to their rightful place. But a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, and 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.
- ISBN10 1645672050
- ISBN13 9781645672050
- Publish Date 8 December 2020 (first published 1 February 2020)
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 2 January 2024
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Page Street Kids
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 400
- Language English
Reviews
thepunktheory
Written on Aug 25, 2020
Interesting concept! While I've read many books set in magical worlds, the Spanish/South American vibe we get from this one is rather unique. That's one of the main reasons I enjoyed Woven in Moonlight so much: it's a fresh breath of air!
Isabel Ibañez manages to really wave a picture with her words and you can practically feel her colorful world come to life around you.
This book features some different kinds of magic and I wish we would have heard more about that. Ximena mentions that her people are blessed by the moon but all in different ways. She's able to weave with moonlight but what everybody else can do was barely mentioned. I feel like there's a lot of interesting stuff and potential to be explored here!
Let's talk a bit about the characters. While I liked the idea of this novel, the main character Ximena was annoying and I wanted to smack her over the head several times. She wasn't really relatable and she never thinks about the consequences before acting. You'd think being the decoy Condesa somebody would have taught her that.
Overall, the story was a little predictable, and apart from the magic didn't seem all too unique. I don't mean in a foreshadowing kind of way but in a done that way. That's not too bad but you were warned. ;-)
Quirky Cat
Written on Jan 26, 2020
Ever since she was a little girl, when the Illustrians took control of La Ciudad, Ximena has had a very specific role in life. She's the decoy for the Condesa, her dear friend, Catalina. It's her job to stand in her place, and take on the risk that comes with that station.
Inevitably that means that Ximena is suddenly sent out into a fair amount of danger, when the Illustrian ruler demands the Condesa's hand in marriage in exchange for the lives of his prisoners. Ximena has no choice but to go – and hope that she can find a way to save her people.
“It’s an honor to protect Catalina. To give up my life for hers should it come to that. And despite my duty, despite the long years of living as somebody else, I love her. As a sister, as my future queen. Sometimes though, that kind of love just isn’t comfortable.”
Warnings: Woven in Moonlight has a lot of heavy themes to work with. Inside this novel, there are examples of slavery, torture, and forced marriage. There's also an overwhelming sense of desperation and devastation, alongside food and water shortages.
Woven in Moonlight was such a fascinating and brilliantly intense novel. Isabel Ibanez's use of fantasy to tell the story of Bolivian politics and culture was exceedingly clever, and made for an interesting point of view.
Isabel Ibanez has a beautiful writing style. Her words made the world and characters come to life. This fact makes me smile, given what Ximena's ability is (hint: it involves bringing life with her artwork). There's something very precious in that parallel.
I went into this novel expecting it to be a very heavy and serious read. And it was, there's no doubt about it. But I was impressed by how approachable Ibanez was able to make the whole subject. Though don't doubt that there's a lot of violence in this novel.
Alongside the themes already mentioned are several others, which helped to uplift the story. For example, there's a masked vigilante whose only goal is to make life better for the general populace. It's a common theme, I know. But it's always lovely to see.
It was fascinating to see the blend between culture and magic in this novel. Speaking of the magic – I honestly would love nothing more than to see more of that. I hinted as Ximena's power, but she's not the only one. I'm desperate to learn and see more about it.
Woven in Moonlight was a fast-paced and breathtaking read. I really enjoyed reading it, for both the fantasy and the unique perspective. I hope that more people will give this novel a chance, and that we'll bee seeing more of Ibanez's writing in the future. I do know that she already has another novel planned, which I can't wait for.
Check out my full review over at Word of the Nerd