Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Brightly Woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Published: March 2010
Source: Bought
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, h ...more Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers.

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry. 

I've had this book for a long time, but for some reason I kept putting it off. I think that I was scared that it wouldn't meet my expectations. I've read so many great reviews of it, some even saying that it's their favorite book, and I didn't want to be disappointed. I so wasn't disappointed.

This is one of those books that just calls to you. You start it, then have to stop and do something else, but it's always in the back of your mind, forcing you to rush whatever you're doing so you can get back to it. I love books like that! I think that a big part of the call was the characters. They are so, so well developed.

Syd is a strong heroine, but she has faults. She's stubborn and a bit rash at times. North is unlike any hero I've ever encountered. He doesn't like bathing, is an expert at evading questions about himself, and has a terrible sense of direction. But as the novel progresses we get to know him. We find out why he is the way he is, and that he's more than we thought at first glance. The way the relationship grows between them is so natural, I loved reading about it.

The world that Bracken created was wonderful. It's completely unlike our own, but it doesn't leave you confused. Everything is explained is such a way that you don't realize it's being explained. There were a few times when I wasn't sure about the politics, and a couple when something magical confused me, but more or less I sailed right through it.

Basically, I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, adventure, romance and comedy. It's definitely staying on my shelf, and I really, really hope that there's a sequel!

Characters: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Originality: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 48/50 A
Cover/Title Comments: This is one of my favorite ever covers, it's just so beautiful. The title is a great fit too.