Brightly Woven

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 decades, 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 angrily so. Bracken's vivid prose and storytelling 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 extraordinary yet undiscovered. Between her sharp tongue and emerging powers and North's grungy appearance and hipster 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 Bracken is a debut author to watch. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)