Review: Woven by Michael Jensen and David Powers King

 

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher:  Scholastic 
Pages: 352
Source: ARC from Scholastic (thank you!!)

ISBN-10:      0545685729

Rating: 4 Hearts

Book Description

"Two unlikely allies must journey across a kingdom in the hopes of thwarting death itself.

All his life, Nels has wanted to be a knight of the kingdom of Avërand. Tall and strong, and with a knack for helping those in need, the people of his sleepy little village have even taken to calling him the Knight of Cobblestown.

But that was before Nels died, murdered outside his home by a mysterious figure.

Now the young hero has awoken as a ghost, invisible to all around him save one person—his only hope for understanding what happened to him—the kingdom’s heir, Princess Tyra. At first the spoiled royal wants nothing to do with Nels, but as the mystery of his death unravels, the two find themselves linked by a secret, and an enemy who could be hiding behind any face.

Nels and Tyra have no choice but to abscond from the castle, charting a hidden world of tangled magic and forlorn phantoms. They must seek out an ancient needle with the power to mend what has been torn, and they have to move fast. Because soon Nels will disappear forever."

Review

Short and Sweet:

I really enjoyed this fantasy/action story! The romance was super sweet, and I loved the idea of the weaving.   

To Elaborate... 

What Nels wants more than anything is to be a knight, but his mother keeps him far away from the festival every  year where potential future knights are selected. When Nels decides to sneak out and go, he is plunged into a world of secrets and mysteries that he never knew existed. When he is murdered, the Princess Tyra is the only one who can see him...and the only one who can help him. Together, the work to restore something bigger than Nels' death.

I spent so long trying to read this. I hate having large gaps between readings, because I end up losing some of the emotional height and suspenseful buildups.Sadly, I was super busy the last few weeks, so I could only read this periodically. I really enjoyed all the chances I did get to sit down with it though, because I love the two main characters, Nel and Tyra. Both are so complex, and I love the slow romance that builds between them. 

I also really love the premise of the story. I wish some of it had been more detailed, but the concept of everyone having a thread and being able to weave it or sew it to something is really interesting. I liked how he mystery kept building as the characters were plunged deeper and deeper into the hidden world.

Overall, this is a great read for fantasy lovers. While I wish some parts had been elaborated a little, I fell so hard for these characters and enjoyed discovering more about them as their journey unfolded. Definitely recommend this one!        



4 Hearts!