Brightly Woven
Alexandra Bracken. Egmont USA, $16.99
(368p) ISBN 978-1-60684-038-2
Syd is a talented weaver who lives in a
poor, remote village, long plagued by
drought and largely removed from the
politics and duels of the ruling wizard
class. On the day of the first rain in de-
cades, a handsome wizard, North, arrives
and warns of approaching soldiers—a
war between kingdoms is brewing and
the village will soon be overrun. To save
Syd, her parents promise the 16-year-old
to North as a wizard’s tailor, and the two
set out to try and stop the war, Syd angri-
ly so. Bracken’s vivid prose and storytell-
ing offer a fresh, fun take on magic and
wizardry, with North as a tantalizing,
brooding hero and Syd, as a feisty, strong
woman of many talents, her most ex-
traordinary yet undiscovered. Between
her sharp tongue and emerging powers
and North’s grungy appearance and hip-
ster attitude, they make a charismatic
pair. Though at times the dialogue can be
melodramatic and overwritten, and the
plot occasionally falls out of focus, overall
this fantasy novel is a delight, and Brack-
en is a debut author to watch. Ages 12–
up. (Mar.)