Title: Brightly Woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: March 23, 2010
Pages: 354
Source: won
Challenge: none
Summary: 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.
Rating: 5 stars! 
Review:
Sydelle lives in a land where it hasn’t rained in years but one mysterious day when rain starts to fall from the sky Sydelle meets a suspicious and handsome warlock in the mountains of her land. It is then that her village is attacked by solders from another country and everything start to unravel. Sydelle soon finds out that the warlock, Wayland, has requested that she go on a journey with him to the palace where the Queen resides to stop the growing war. Now, Sydelle, with her talented weaving skills and determination, sets out with Wayland, a mysterious and cocky warlock that gives her more questions then answers to his intentions.
Wow, this was really an incredible book! It had so many elements to it that made it such an enjoyable read that I stayed up way later then I should have to finish it. I must say that I wish there were more single novel fantasy books out there. I love my trilogies but the waiting it a kill. And what made this story so wonderful was that Ms. Bracken was able to create her world world and tell a complete start to finish story in just one book. That takes incredible skills I think.
The characters were very good. I enjoyed Sydelle and how she never put up with Wayland’s odd behavior. Wayland was a very interesting character and he knew how to make me laugh. The romance between them was subtle and worked very well. The ending took a very unexpected turn and I loved it! It was an overall well-written, fantasy filled novel and I can not wait for more of Alexandra’s work!
