A brilliant blend of magic and politics, there's a reason this book was listed as a best fantasy by Time Magazine. Readers who are looking for something unique will enjoy this enchanting and important story.

I really enjoyed the storyline in world building in the novel. I also really liked the characters. I thought this was a solid read, and I will definitely be reading more by this author.

This wasn't as I thought it would be. I tried to connect with the story but I felt so distant with it and I find it hard to jive with the book.

I really liked the book ! The main character was liakable and I loved the plot ,I wish it was longer tho ,to enjoy it a little bit more

I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I gave this a three out of five stars, I thought it was okay at first but ended up enjoying it more in the last bit. I liked the build up of the relationships on this book. It kept me interested and makes me want to continue on and read book two. I totally recommend this book.

LOVED the magic in this book. The magic system was so intricate and the SLOTH omg! Will definitely be adding this to my classroom shelf for my students to get lost in too!

This was a fresh take on a different brand of magic. Ximena is standing in as the decoy for Condesa as their world is in turmoil due to Atoc the fake king taking the throne and pitting the world into battle. Ximena battles with her anger and need for revenge on the Jackson people while learning of a whole different way of thinking. The magic aspect of this book fascinated me. It was so different and unique and I loved it. Revenge, drama, and a little love story made for a well-rounded story. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. 4 stars.

Historical fiction is my second truest love when I comes to the hundreds of genres and sub genres out there, and Fantasy is my first love so when I read Woven in Moonlight it was like Isabel Ibañez combined my greatest loves and created a novel that touched my soul!

Woven in Mooight was RIVETING! It was filled with political intrigue, a fierce female lead, and REVOLUTIONS. I love me a book that has rebellion in it. This books was intense. The rebellion brought a tension like none I've ever experienced in literature before and I appreciated the enemies to lovers trope that added even more tension to an already stressful situation with the usurper known as Atoc.

I thoroughly enjoyed the life and heart Isabel Ibañez brought to this unforgettable and magical world. This debut novel will capture your heart if you loved Reneé Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn and Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin!

This book was unfortunately not the right fit for me. It felt slow and the pacing felt off. I wasn’t invested in the characters and would have loved to have been.

I was really looking forward to diving into this one because the cover for this is insanely beautiful and the premise of the story sounds so magical and captivating, but unfortunately those are the only things I'm able to comment on regarding this book because I haven't read it and I'm not sure I want to anymore due to concerns that have recently been discussed. In the past few months I've been seeing reviews from Own Voices reviewers that discuss how this book, and her second book even more so, have some very anti-Indigenous and colonization themes.

I'm not able to comment on the specifics, as previously mentioned I have not read the book, but I do recommend that before you decide to pick this one up simply based on it's cover and description that you take the time to read reviews on Goodreads as well as Instagram so you can better understand the criticism and then make the decision on whether this is something that you want to read.

I wanted to really love this and to fall in love with it after hearing so many beautiful things and seeing such a beautiful cover. And then I read reviews of this book which highlighted how anti-indigenous it was. So, sadly, I don't love this book. It's a shame, really.

Ximena has not lived as herself for years. She is posing as the Condesa, leader of the Illustrians, to protect her friend the real Condesa. While she knows the exiled Illustrians will eventually have to stand again the usurper Llacsan king Atoc, she does not expect to be facing him alone as his betrothed.

The political themes of the story are based on Bolivian history, and there are magical realism elements woven in, as well. I normally enjoy magical realism, but in this book the magical talents characters possess seem almost thrown in for convenience. I enjoyed the plot and political intrigue, but I found the writing to be a bit juvenile.

My main concern with this book relates to the portrayal of indigenous peoples. I am not an own voices reviewer, but I have read other reviews finding the treatment of indigenous peoples in this book to be offensive. It is based in history, and there is actually a large portion of the plot that centers around Ximena unlearning her prejudices against Llacsans. I just think it could have benefited from some sensitivity readers, as this is clearly a contentious topic, both in Bolivia and worldwide.

I’m totally biased here because I may or may not have written this one. So...ten ten! All the stars!

During 2019, I only enjoyed a handful of fantasies, many of which were rereads (which I still didn't like as much as I normally would). It gives me joy to start 2020 really enjoying a fantasy debut. Am I getting my fantasy mojo back? I hope so.

There's a lot of Spanish in here, and a lot of terms thrown at you right at the start. The only Spanish I took was in elementary school, so if it's not a color, a time of day, or a number, I probably never knew it. But, take heart, friends, because after the first chapter I really settled in to the narrative. Ibañez doesn't translate everything, but there's definitely enough that readers who don't know Spanish will be able to keep up.

Ximena's the decoy for the Contesa, the daughter of an overthrown ruler who aims to get back her rightful throne. The Contesa's goals have always been Ximena's, and she can't wait until the Illustrians regain the throne and return society to its proper order. There are some nice tensions right at the outset between Ximena's apparent role in the world and her actual role, and, before the plot has started, it's clear that she's already struggling with being a decoy.

Enter a messenger from King Atoc, aka the guy who killed the Contesa's parents and took over, demanding that the Contesa come and marry him. Ever loyal, Ximena sets out for La Ciudad to spy on the Llacsans, find the relic that can turn the tide in the Illustrian's favor, and maybe kill Atoc if she gets a chance.

Things...do not go as planned. From the beginning, Ximena's foiled in pretty much every plan she intends to make, and this is a theme that will carry on through most of the book. There was something so relatable about how Ximena acted emotionally to most stimuli and made bad choices. This is hard to get right, because often it makes the heroine seem TSTL, but Ibañez made it work. When she's calm, the reader can see how smart Ximena is, but when her friends are hurt, she sees red and doesn't think things through. Who hasn't been there?

The plot takes some turns that I wouldn't have expected, which is something I always love to see, at least when I like the turns. ;) Woven in Moonlight deals heavily with colonization, and I thought the handling of everything was brilliant. It's complex and morally gray, and there are no easy answers for Ximena.

The magic in this world is super cool. For the most part, there's not a lot of magic in this fantasy. It felt to me like magical realism in a fantasy world, with certain people or objects having a unique power innate to them. Ximena, for example, can weave with moonlight (you must have seen this coming), and another girl can weave truth. There are a few others mentioned, but magic's certainly not pervasive in this world. I'd never read a fantasy that did magic in quite this way, and I thought it was super cool.

The only reason this wasn't a five star for me is that, while I really really like Ximena, the characterization could have been just that little bit stronger for the rest of the cast. Ximena spends a lot of time isolated, so even Rumi and Juan Carlos are distant enough I don't have a real sense of their personalities. The romance with the Zorro-like masked man has so much potential for shippiness but didn't have enough screen time to really land for me (or leave land? I'm confusing myself with metaphors).

An excellent debut with gorgeous writing, excellent world building, strong plotting, and an interesting cast. Recommended!

Woven in Moonlight is all about understanding that the world that we live in; and the world that we think we understand is never divided into black and white, no matter how much we would like it to be and that sometimes doing the right thing is far easier than understanding WHAT exactly the right thing is.

Ximena has been bought up with only one job in mind – to be the decoy for the current Condesa; the rightful heir to the Illustrian Throne – the same Illustrains who were recently dethroned in a bloody and brutal battle – paving the way for a new regime under the new King (or the false King as the Illustrians call him) of the Ilyacans.

When Atoc, The king demands the hand of Condesa in marriage, ostensibly to bring a new era of peace to both the people – the Illustrians, their real COndesa and Ximena see this as their chance to infiltrate the palace; and maybe end up taking down the false king.

Now, as with all the politically inspired plotline; not everything is what it seems; and with Ximena’s life on the line, it doesn’t take her long to identify the fact that the “evil enemy” is not exactly black and white – and with an interesting set of characters; a grouchy & cantankerous healer, a masked vigilante and an imprisoned healer – it will take all of her perseverance and cunningness to play the game and make the choice of right and wrong.


Woven in Moonlight is a beautiful and lyrical debut – the author has taken a culture, so little known and put it forward in a way to grab the reader’s attention – and the fact that it has such a magnificent cover absolutely helped its cause (not going to lie – it was the main reason why I actually signed up for the blog tour!).

Plus, the character growth Ximena shows throughout the book – from a girl who doesn’t understand diplomacy to a woman who displays the strength and steel spine combined with compassion and loyalty, shows the queen she actually is (and, no this not a spoiler!). She is supported by some amazingly grey characters who define the meaning of right, even if it may not look like so outwardly.

Yet, even though I definitely enjoyed the book overall; it does take a while for it to show its promise; the start is a bit slow and at times, I was honestly wishing for the pace to move forward a little quicker + the fact that it fell into the YA trope of a romance that could have taken a little more finesse, in my opinion.

Yet, Woven in Moonlight shows promise, a whole lot of promise, enough so that I am really looking forward to the next book that Isabel would right – all I know is that the only way forward is upwards for her!

Overall, I loved the premise of this book, and I had a great time reading it. I loved the culture and atmosphere, and the author wrote fleshed out, relatable characters!

Love the concept and the magic system but the pacing wasn't for me. I prefer fantasy where there is more of a slow build up than being flung straight in to the action which was how this one felt. I would still be interested in following what else the author brings out in the future however.

I really enjoyed reading this, initially it was the gorgeous cover that drew me in, but I found so much more worth staying for between the covers. Luscious world crafting, exciting action and devious court politics taking place in a fantasy country inspired by Bolivian culture, I can’t wait to read the second instalment in this series when it comes out.

Originally published on Forever Young Adult on 1/28/20: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2020/01/28/woven-in-moonlight/

BOOK REPORT for Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

Cover Story: Montell Jordan
BFF Charm: Eventually
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: A Solid Start
Bonus Factors: Tasty Business, Magic
Anti-Bonus Factor: Prejudice
Relationship Status: In Like

Cover Story: Montell Jordan

I would totally hang this cover up as art (bloody knives and all); it’s so colorful and whimsical. I love the nods to the little animals Ximena makes, her wildly patterned skirt, and the tapestry hanging off the title. I also literally just noticed the little El Lobo in all black with just his face peeking through the bushes at her! So cute!

The Deal:

Ximena’s life was blown apart as a child when the oppressed Llacsans rose up and overthrew the Illustrian queen. She wandered the streets for months until she was chosen to become the decoy Condesa for the last remaining royal, Catalina, and trained in the art of fighting, diplomacy, and subterfuge. Years later, when the new king forcibly requests the Condesa’s hand in marriage, Ximena is ready to go in her place. Her goal: look for weaknesses and find the Estrella, the mystical jewel King Atoc controls that helped him defeat the Illustrians.

But the Estrella is nowhere to be found, King Atoc is a royal dick, and life in the palace is harder than Ximena could have imagined. When she stumbles upon El Lobo—a masked vigilante whose loyalties are unclear—things start to get a lot more complicated.

BFF Charm: Eventually

Ximena willingly admits she can be impulsive, and she’s been raised to staunchly support one side of a political issue. Her actions at the beginning, when she almost casually sends thirteen messengers from King Atoc to their deaths because one was rude to her, left me seriously contemplating whether she would ever earn a BFF charm. She has a lot to learn about the world she’s been sheltered from for so long, but luckily, she can be flexible, and she eventually realizes you can’t shove an entire people in a box and expect them all to behave the exact same way. I can see a point in the future where I allow her to weave me a friendship bracelet.

Swoonworthy Scale: 4

I didn’t get a lot of swoon from the romance, but it was…fine. It felt like a foregone conclusion, but that often happens in books, so I can’t say that was the problem. The author tried to make El Lobo’s identity a mystery, but it felt pretty obvious from the start.

Talky Talk: A Solid Start

Woven in Moonlight is Ibañez’s first novel, and she’s filled it with so many of the things I enjoy: strong, talented female characters; complicated world issues; magical moments, and even some cute and unique animals. The world she’s built is vibrant and special: she drew inspiration from her Bolivian heritage to bring something new and fresh to the fantasy genre. I had a clear picture in my head of what La Cuidad’s marketplace looked like, the surrounding farmlands and lush mountains, and the brightly repainted walls of the palace (anybody up for a trip?). I’m very interested to see if Ibañez returns to her world and focuses on other areas (like the magical jungles where a certain person is now headed) for her second novel, because I would’ve loved to have traveled around more with the characters.

In comparison to the sense of place, the plot felt a little less…punchy. There was nothing glaringly wrong, but I didn’t find myself as connected to the characters as I wanted. Some parts were a tad repetitive (my personal pet peeve). I personally would have liked more complex/longer interactions between the characters to really find the depth within their personalities versus Ximena going on so many night searches for the Estrella. Overall, it felt like a good start for a first novel, and I’m excited to see more in the future from this new author!

Bonus Factor: Tasty Business

Do not read this book while hungry. Or do, but make sure your favorite South-American-inspired restaurant (I’m guessing not everyone has a Bolivian restaurant within driving distance, but hopefully you can find similar flavors near you) is open when you’re done, because you will want to be snacking on salteñas and marraqueta ASAP. And the fresh fruit juices—I want to drink all the jugo.

Bonus Factor: Magic

The magic in Inkasisa isn’t for everyone, but many people have special and unique gifts. Catalina, the actual Condesa, can read fortunes in the stars. The king’s priest can control people’s blood. And Ximena has a talent for weaving, and is able to weave pure moonlight into shining thread that only Illustrians can see. This talent ends up expanding into something even cooler, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Prejudice

The author pulled from true history to build a society where there is misunderstanding, hatred, and no real winners. The Illustrians were not the fairest of rulers for all people in Inkasisa, but King Atoc of the Llacsans hasn’t become a beacon of charity while in power either. Ximena is very concerned with Atoc’s ever-increasing production of the “koka leaf” and it’s not hard to see the unfortunate parallels to real life.

Relationship Status: In Like

I wasn’t sure where our time together would lead, Book, and now that I’ve gotten to know you better, I think you’re pretty interesting. You’ve got some maturing to do, but I could see us becoming more serious friends in the future.