Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven
Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 354

Rating: 5 stars

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

Brightly Woven is a stay-up-reading-late-into-the-night worthy book! I was up half the night reading it, as I couldn't stand to put down the perfection Brightly Woven is. It is one of my absolute favorites!

Some fantasy can be overbearing, but Brightly Woven was a perfect mix of everything a good book needs. Bracken drew me in with page one, and didn't let me go until the last page. Brightly Woven really puts a new spin on wizards and the magical abilities that come with a world like that. The world that Brightly Woven was set in, was absolutely enchanting. It was the perfect place to escape! With the first SENTENCE, Ms. Bracken had already made the real world disappear, and taken me to Sydelle's world.

The writing is Brightly Woven is absolutely fantastic. It's pure magic. There were so many scenes where I was just captivated. Bracken managed to paint vivid pictures in your mind. The romance in Brightly Woven is pretty magical itself. It was absolutely adorable!

The characters were fantastic! All the character continued to grow as the story went on! All the characters had numerous layers, and every time you thought you'd figured out a character, you discovered something else about them. Another thing I loved about the characters was that none of them were perfect, they all had some flaw. I loved North. He was so swoon-worthy. Sydelle was a wonderfully developed character. She wasn't weak and frail.

Brightly Woven is a book for everyone. It's filled with a magical world, is original, has wonderful characters, and phenomonal writing. I can't even express my words for this book with a simple review, it is that amazing. If you like fantasy, definately read this! If you're not a fan of fantasy, still give this a try, as it is mind-blowing! This is a book that will stick out in your mind, and remain memorable. I desparately am awaiting a sequel, as I am dying for more of North and Sydelle's story!

***I also feel I must mention Brightly Woven stunningly, beautiful cover. I am in love with it! It's gorgeous.

Check out my INTERVIEW with Alexandra Bracken! :)