Brightly Woven (review)

Young weaver Sydelle Mirabel can barely remember a time when her valley hasn't been plagued by a devastating drought. She's therefore intrigued by a brash young wizard, Wayland North, who brings rain along with his dread tidings of imminent war to their village. When asked what he would like as a boon for relieving the drought, he chooses Sydelle, and the two embark on an arduous trip to the capital, where they hope to be in time to warn the wizards that circumstances aren't what they seem, and that war is not necessary. Strong feelings spark along the way, and it becomes evident that the supernaturally gifted Sydelle is more than she seems—she is in fact a sort of weapon that both sides seek to use to press their cause. Gaps in the narrative make tracking the progress of the couple's relationship difficult; emotions run high over seemingly small slights, and character development moves in fits and starts. Strong action, clever plotting, and an ultimately sweet romance help compensate for deficits in character mapping along the way, though, and by the exciting end, Sydelle herself proves strong and resourceful, and Wayland is sympathetic if not completely comprehensible. Readers who enjoy immersive fantasy wrapped around a romance plot may therefore appreciate the complexities of Sydelle's dilemma and her choices.