Woven in Moonlight

I really don't know what I was expecting with this book...but it wasn't this! I devoured this book because it came as such a surprise. A well written, captivating fantasy book right when I needed it. 

Woven in Moonlight was recommended to me by Addie Thorley (author of An Affair of Poisons and Night Spinner). The author, Isabel Ibanez, was inspired by her Bolivian ancestry and the history and culture there. Mixed with fantasy and masterful storytelling, the characters brought to life a story of revolution and tackling one's own prejudices. 

Ximena was raised to be a decoy for the Condesa, the last Ilustrian royal, ever since the Llacsans, led by the evil ruler Atoc, drove them out of their own city. He used the power of the Estrella, a relic that summons spirits, to overthrow them and claim the kingdom as his own. Now that the Illustrians are running out of time and running out of food, Ximena must do everything she can to put the rightful Condesa, Catalina on the throne. Her chance to discover the whereabouts of the Estrelala comes when Atoc proposes marriage and she must stay in the capital city awaiting the wedding. Luckily she can use her magic abilities to weave moonlight into thread to send messages back home. But will staying among the Llacsans fuel her hatred for them or simply teach her that they are more alike than not and that revenge does not bring peace?

First off, do you see this gorgeous cover art? It was actually designed and created by the author herself. They reached out looking for Bolivian artists who might be a great fit for the cover art. Ibanez was hesitant at first but ended up submitting her own art! How cool!

As an English teacher I'm always looking for books with representation of other cultures and as a Spanish speaker I loved the Latinx representation in this book. Ibanez based the kingdom off of Bolivian culture and politics which includes not only the Spanish-speaking population but also the indigenous peoples who speak languages like Quechua. (It has words peppered throughout from both languages). When it comes down to it, this novel is all about Ximena realizing that history can be one- sided, there is no space for bias and prejudice, and that revenge does not bring peace. These are great messages not just for my minority students but my white students as well. 

The fantasy aspect of this book is great and I wish that it had been built on a little more. We mostly hear about Ximena's ability to weave moonlight. There are others mentioned in passing but we don't get details about why they have these abilities, how they work, and they're not used extensively throughout the book except for Ximena's. I'd have loved to see more of an expansion on that. 

This novel also has a great romance that develops over the course of the novel. I like that it has a slow build up...and while you can see it coming, Ximena does not and that makes it even better I think. The romance didn't overwhelm the rest of the plot, however, and I feel only added to everything else I enjoyed of the story.

Ibanez is set to release a companion novel (not a sequel!), Written in Starlight with Catalina, the Condesa and Ximena's best friend, as the main character. It is set to release January 2021. 

I would recommend this for anyone who loves young adult literature, is looking to expand their fantasy enjoyment into multicultural literature, and craves romance. You can purchase a copy here!