Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez

 

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez

Reviewer: Ariana A., Grade 10

Star rating: 4 stars

This is a classical tale of adventure, loyalty, and forbidden love inspired by Bolivian culture and politics, with a dash of folklore magic. Ximena’s harrowing life is to be the decoy Condesa to protect Catalina, the last heir to the Illustrian throne. When the false king demands for the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, Ximena must become a spy and infiltrate the kingdom to return the crown to its rightful place. But what happens when her black and white beliefs on the entire community turns grey? 

This standalone has complex characters, vivid worldbuilding, and a beautifully written magical aspect. Ximena is a strong female protagonist who uses her “feminine characteristics” as her strength. On top of that, her unique ability of weaving moonlight into tapestries allows her to create and hide things. I love how this book incorporates strong female characters, not stereotyping them. El Lobo, the masked vigilante, will become your favorite character! The descriptions of the world, magic, and the food will leave you hungry, figuratively and literally, for more.

In the beginning, I was confused about everything but after a few chapters and connecting to the characters it became clear. This book allowed me to immerse myself in a Latinx fantasy that I don’t read often. Also, if you are expecting lots of action there isn’t much, as Ximena has to sneak around the kingdom for information. On that note, another book called Written in Starlight is set in the same world. Can’t wait to read it!