I read 100 pages of this one, but it's not for me. I've been trying to get into fantasy more and thought YA was a good place to start, but I couldn't get into it. Thank you for allowing me the chance to read it.

I absolutely ADORED "Woven in Midnight". It is such a magic, immersive, wondrous read that kept me eagerly turning the page, and the writing is GORGEOUS. One of the best books I've read in a LONG time!

My soul is crying, I loved this book so much.

Let me paint the scene for you. I had just hopped off a disappointing read not three weeks into 2020. My hope for a five-star read was already shaken and I was ready to slide into my first reading slump of the year. Then my mouse clicked over to my NetGalley shelf where I got a panicked surprise that my approved copy of Woven in Moonlight came out at the beginning of January.

A disappointing read AND I was late to review a book? Great start to the year, Sha! I swore to finish the book quickly to get the review out. At that point, y'all, I didn't even remember the synopsis. I was hot mess.

But. But. BUT. Can I tell you honestly that finishing this book quickly was nOT ONE PROBLEM because I needed more. (Can't believe this sat unread in my Kindle for so long! I deprived myself for so many days!) Ximena is a force all of her own. Raised to be the condesa's decoy, she has lost none of her own fierce personality.

I was captivated every second of this book. Ximena never let anyone dictate what she did, throwing even me off guard several times. (And I'll admit it, I like to believe I can guess the plot to half the YA books out there.) The descriptions of the Llacsan culture was gorgeous and vivid, and the politics between them and the Illustrians fascinating. Nothing about either the Illustrian nor the Llacsan's governing was simple. My hopes are that book two looks more into the fallout of book one. If you know what I mean.

The romance in this book. I called it, I'm just going to say that. I can't not say that. I still adored the pairing. I want to comment a bit more but I'm worried I'll dive into spoilers so *my lips are now zipped*.

Oof, but the death toll in this book. Part of me wants to knock off half a star and part of me is like, Sha, it's war. People will die. I'm just slightly frustrated that there wasn't as much mourning as I would have expected. There is sadness, but we don't get extended periods. I'm back and forth on how I feel about it all because there are a lot of factors.

Blog review going up Monday 10 February on https://bookprincessreviews.wordpress.com/

Beautifully done. I loved all the aspects of this book. The magic the arguing worlds. Even the history between the two rivals. I adored the slow burn romance between Rumi and Ximena. And I love a character who is willing to change her beliefs for the good the world. This entire story was so wonderfully constructed between the tasteful but rude interactions between the two counties to the banding together to defeat the common enemy. So so so so so wonderful in so many ways!

I’m kind of a sucker for books that explore post-war relationships between former enemy groups. In this case, they’re still enemies, still at war, but in WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT, Ximena finds the hate she’s nursed for Lllacsans her whole life may be based on things that aren’t true. Or based on only parts of truth.

Her emotional journey as she lives among her enemies really drew me into the story. It was complex and sometimes rough or ugly, but felt so real and understandable. I loved her character and all the layering to it. Condesa. Decoy. Survivor. Weaver. She’s so many things, and it’s really only through seeing all those things about herself that she begins to see what her future could be and what her place in that future would look like.

I kind of have to talk about El Lobo, the masked vigilante. I loved the way those threads were woven into the story. And the scenes where Ximena meets him. I was pretty sure I knew who it was from early on, but I don’t think that detracted anything from the story. I also think the author may have meant for there to be a trail of breadcrumbs, because a few of the clues were pretty pointed. So it was kind of fun feeling like I was figuring out El Lobo’s identity right along with Ximena.

I kind of wish the tapestries had had more of a role in the story. They do have a role, for sure. I guess I wanted there to be more to them – something special they could do. There is something critical to the plot that happens because of them, so it’s not like they were pointless. I loved how creative and unusual they were.

Overall, I loved so many things about this book. I can’t tell from the ending– it might be that there’s a sequel or at least a companion novel to follow? I would love to see more of this story world, and especially would love to know what happens next with Ximena and the Condesa.

If you’re a fan of stories like Zorro or the Scarlet Pimpernel– put WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT on your list! I think it’s also a great pick for fans of fantasy like The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Page Street Books for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Oh my god.

I literally have no words for this except holy cow. This book, this plot, these characters, I’m blown away. Ibañez really just blew me away and basically made me her forever fan with this novel. I’m literally at a loss for words right now. The love and care that went into this novel, not just coming from an #OwnVoices author, and not just writing just to write, but the actual heart and soul that went into this novel is so transparent when you read it that you can’t help but feel something for this. It’s like Ibañez opened up her heart to us, her love of Bolivia, her culture, her family, her thoughts on the political climate happening in Bolivia and the people that have to live through that kind of turmoil every single day… just wow.

I am so, so, so glad that this book is out in the world. I’m so glad that Ibañez wrote this novel for the world to see. I’m so glad that Page Street Books said they would publish it, and gave her the support that she deserves in making sure that people are able to get this book, to read it, to digest it. To support HER. To support her world. To support more Latinx authors and Latinx inspired fantasy novels because this was not even heard of back when I was growing up. To support more #OwnVoices authors telling their story in their space, showing people that YES, we do exist and YES we want our stories to be heard and YES we can and should be celebrated.

I’m just so glad.

I just couldn't get into this book. I ended up dnf ing it. I loved the cover so much tho. I would have probably bought it in the store just for this cover

An absolutely gorgeous fantasy!

Loved the characters, especially Ximena, and loved the gorgeous world that the author has created. Would definitely recommend this book to fantasy fans, especially those who enjoy strong characters and lush world-building.

Full review on blog!

Woven in Moonlight had the makings of a good fantasy novel: a throne to be reclaimed, a decoy sent on a high-stakes mission, an incredible form of magic with unexpected benefits. There was plenty of tension and suspense, the romantic subplot was engaging, and the supporting characters were varied and interesting. However, there were aspects of the book that bothered me, specifically the way colonization and the Indigenous people were portrayed. The main character, XImena, comes from the colonizer class, the Illustrians, and has to unlearn her prejudice as well as unpack her own privilege, but she spends a long time refusing to learn about the Llacsans, the people that her ancestors colonized. Though she eventually learns and grows and shifts her worldview and allegiances, there's a significant part of the book where her prejudice overshadows everything and makes her distasteful at best and a complete asshole at worst. I think this issue of centering the colonizer could have been minimized if there had been another viewpoint character who was Indigenous, thus pushing back against the one-sided, Othering gaze of the main character.

Woven in Moonlight is a fantasy, own voices novel, heavily based on Bolivian culture.

In public, Ximena Rojas grows up to be Catalina, the Condesa’s (Queen) double. At age eight, Ximena starts impersonating Catalina and takes on the burden of protecting the last living Illustrian royal, who also becomes her best friend behind closed doors.

One day, King Atoc, an evil Llacsan and usurper, demands that the Condesa become his wife, or he will kill Ana, her general and friend. Finding herself in an impossible situation, the Condesa nevertheless sees an opportunity. If she accepts, she will have enough time in the Castillo (castle) before the wedding to steal the Estrella, a powerful weapon that could help the Illustrians win the war against the Llacsans. Unfortunately, once she reaches the Castillo, nothing goes according to plan. Ximena will learn that there is more to the story than what she was raised to believe.

I will start by saying that this book is a wonderful surprise. The cover of the book is colorful and intriguing—truly beautiful. I heard the author created the cover herself, which is pretty amazing if it is true.

The novel is well written. For a young adult novel, the book did not have much of a juvenile feel to it. Bolivian culture is ingrained into the story, and this made me feel like I was traveling without leaving my home. Both of these things made me want to read the book.

Ximena is a stubborn, sometimes reckless, character—but she also has a good heart. Her character changes as she gains knowledge of what truly happened to the Llacsans under the Illustrians’ regime. Rumi is a very interesting character too. He fights for what he believes in, not once wavering from his goal. Their romance is slow but effective.

The action is a little slow to begin with, even if it does have quite a few unexpected twists. The story becomes very interesting about a third of the way through the book. I enjoyed reading this story and would definitely recommend it for the culture, the slow burn romance, and the fight for a better world.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez follows the story of Ximena, the decoy Contessa of Illustria, and the stand-in for the last member of the royal family. Ximena, like all Illustrians, has her own brand of special magic. She can weave moonlight into her tapestries. This not only creates beautiful designs capable of carrying secret messages, but also creates moon dust which can put her enemies (or even her friends) into an instant sleep. Like her magic, Ximena can be used for good or for evil. Sometimes it's up to her to make that choice. Sometimes it's not.

When the usurper king Atoc demands the Contessa's hand in marriage in order to spare captured Illustrian soldiers, it is Ximena who is sent in her friend's place. Immediately she is plunged into a world of intrigue and danger unlike she has ever known, and she's known plenty of danger in her life. But the court isn't entirely full of terrible tyrants. There are good people too. And perhaps her beloved Illustrians are not as innocent in the political turmoil as Ximena would like to believe. Maybe there's a peaceful solution out there to save her people and prevent further bloodshed. It's up to Ximena to find it.

Firstly, I LOVED the world building in this story. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, and I actually put it down for a week at around the 20% mark. I felt the story was a bit repetitive and I simply wasn't as excited about it as I was the Witcher books (which are a completely different genre and I am in no way comparing these stories). I am glad I picked this one up again.

The author was heavily inspired by the current political climate in Bolivia while working on this story. I admit that I now have a lot of research to do regarding that "corner" of the world. I love it when a fictional story makes me want to learn more about the real world around me. I think it'll leave you feeling the same way.

**For teachers and students, this book is about as clean as you'll find in the YA genre in terms of language and sexual content. There is some violence, but it is not shown without great personal cost and is never dehumanized. I appreciated that. So many books, shows, and movies are all about stabbing the bad guy, and this book does not feel that way at all. It shows a human cost to violence and a mental one as well. I feel perfectly at ease about putting this book in my junior high classroom library.**

In the land of Inkasisa you can hear the distinct sound of a loom at work. The threads are laced in a practiced manner as they strive to convey the story of the land. Before long, we have an image of a young, steadfast woman named Ximena. As the stand in for the last Illustrian royal, a condesa, Ximena believes herself to be a pale imitation of a sun that orbits around her people. The panel shifts over to a new scene where Ximena is taken to La Ciudad at the hands of the false King Atoc who seeks to enslave his people to his command and will dispose of any who rival against him.



After being taken to La Ciudad, expert hands now show how, despite the darkness that Atoc invites, Ximena's strength becomes a powerful brilliance that stems from her conviction and yearning to obtain justice for her people. No longer afraid to be in the shadow of her duality, Ximena embraces her true identity through the strength of the moon and, with her Illustrian magic, comes to find that her ability to create creatures of moonlight may just hold the key to save her people....and the enemies she never expected to become dear to her heart.



The loom now stops. The tapestry is complete.



Once mounted on the wall, you see the color and actions of life depicted in vibrant hues and moonlight animals full of valiance shimmer with a pulsing heart. Most of all, you see the edges of the tapestry filled with the words to Ximena's valiant heart and how unlikely allies, such as El Lobo, unexpectedly weave into our story.



You can trace these images over and over in your mind's eye and run your fingers along the tapestry corners and never tire of its vibrant nature and how it paints such an illustrious tale that captures you until the last thread.



This was a story Woven in Moonlight where our weaver, Isabel Ibañez, took the corners of the night and filled them with her fantastic imagination. In all honesty, it is rare that I have immediate connections to stories, or characters, since it is my practice to observe the story from beginning to end. Yet, I was so compelled by the first few pages by Ibañez's spirited passages where Ximena struggled with her two selves as Ximena and as the figure of the people's condesa. The circumstances for Ximena and her people were bleak and yet, instead of succumbing to circumstances, Ximena quells her fears and continues striving onward, always having the fate of her people at heart.



In this debut work, author Isabel Ibañez elegantly showed her capability to channel Bolivian history, politics, and pure moonlight into an absolutely singular reading experience. As you turn the first page, be prepared to seize the night. Carpe Noctem.

Woven in Moonlight was a really good read! It took no time at all to get into, and I found myself reading it very quickly as I was completely enamored by the world building. The author has done a fantastic job building this world that is inspired by Bolivian myths and politics, and because she was clearly quite invested in her craft, I was as well.

I think the world building was the strongest point of the book, as the main plot of Ximena being a decoy was a bit of a let down. Ximena’s character or personality may have had something to do with this, as she was far too open about everything she was talking about. Because she kept talking about herself and her background, and because she was so impulsive, the whole decoy plot point fell apart, as it didn’t really make much sense.

I wasn’t too keen on the romance, but this is YA so what can you do? I often feel very meh about YA romances nowadays, so to be honest I wasn’t expecting much.

Overall, Woven in Moonlight is a solid debut, and if you’re into YA fantasy then I would recommend picking it up!

This book is down right delightful (with a beautiful cover to match!)! A fantasy tale rooted in Bolivian folklore, it's about Ximena, who has trained her whole life to be a decoy for the Condesa and needs to infiltrate the enemy’s palace. But once she’s in the midst of her mission, things aren’t exactly what she expected. There’s magic, intrigue, love, violence, politics, adorable-ness, and one hefty dose of girl power. Don’t miss this one!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

At a glance, this book has everything I could ever want. Magic, romance, teen angst.. but it fell flat for me. I felt the story itself was very rushed and I would have to flip back to make sure I didn't miss anything... I had not missed anything because it just wasn't there. I really wanted to love this book. The cover art is absolutely stunning, but the story was lackluster.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

*I WAS PROVIDED AN e-ARC AND A PHYSICAL COPY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG TOUR. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*


After hearing nothing but praise for this book, I'm excited to say I've joined the hype-train!

Woven in Moonlight is just as the title insinuates—beauty. The world and character building are phenomenal, and the addition of the Spanish language and culture—maravilloso! I think it's really important that we start bringing these additions of languages and culture into novels, so I was really excited to see that in this one.


However, one thing that kind of set me off about this novel was the pacing. Something that should've happened in the late-beginning to the middle of the novel ended up happening where the falling action was supposed to be. Because of that, I felt like a chunk of the novel just felt weird to me.

Though, the greats clearly trump the bads with this one; otherwise, I wouldn't be saying that I loved it.

I thought that the storyline that was curated for this book was absolutely perfect. I want to see more of these original, new and fresh fantasies. I'm really tired of seeing books with similar characters or storylines, so this one was really like an eye-opener in the end.

For that, I rate this novel 4 stars. I look forward to seeing more from Isabel, and I'm already planning my reread for the future.

These are initial thoughts right after reading the book.
Thank you to The Fantastic Flying Book Club and Page Street Publishing for a copy of the arc.

Right now, I'm leaning towards 3.5 stars only because that ending feels so rushed. Otherwise, Woven in Moonlight is such a beautifully crafted, rich, and colorful book, so to speak. The Bolivian culture is overflowing from the pages of the book, especially the food, OH THE FOOD. I read this in 2 days and believe me, the amount of snacking I had to fend myself from was so real.

I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Ximena was so wonderful, a good friend, model citizen, and amazing person. She has her prejudices, but then she learned and admitted her mistakes. I absolutely enjoyed her character, and how she blossomed in the book. Rumi was also wonderful and mysterious and funny. I loved his banter with Ximena and Juan Carlos.

The magic system was also splendid and different. Using the power of Luna was so unique and the creative way that each individual had different talents and gifts was great too. The world building was vivid and such a wonder, I just felt the color splash around my eyes while reading this book.

Honestly, I would have given it 4 solid stars if it not for the ending. But that's just my personal opinion. Nonetheless, I recommend this book for those who enjoy a good representation YA fantasy novel and characters that are teachable, and how learning about other people's perspective is important to get the bigger picture.

Content Warning: Forced/Arranged Marriage, Oppression, War, Violence, On page death, Executions
Rising tides can’t be held back, but they can be ridden. I have to ride this wave through. It’s the only way I’ll be free.

I was really excited to get into this book after receiving an ARC from Page Street Publishing. The overall diversity, foreign setting, magical properties, and societal upheaval grabbed my attention immediately. To say the least, I had high hopes for this new series.

Woven In Moonlight takes place in the land of Inkasisa—a place inspired by Bolivia. Two peoples groups, the Illustrians and the native Llacsans have been warring for centuries. For the last four-hundred years, the Illustrians have ruled over the Llacsans. That was until recently, when they were overthrown by the "false" king's magical stone that summons ghosts of the dead. Overwhelmed and defeated, the usurper took the throne of La Ciudad for himself.

Ximena lost her parents during the revolt. In turn, she was taken in, and trained as a decoy for the true Condesa, Catalina. Privy to the ugly details of the conditions her people are now subjected to, Ximena gets a taste of what responsibility is like for an entire nation of people. While Ximena oversees her people, Catalina waits in the wings to take over and become queen when the opportunity arises. But, food and supplies are running low. Forced to exit the safe magical barriers of their haven, scouts are sent out in order to bring supplies back. When they do not return that Ximena knows something is wrong.

With the Captain of the Queen's Guard, Ana absent on a scouting mission, the only magical defense the Illustrians have against the usurper's priest are her magical powers. Ximena, too, holds the ability to weave tapestries using thread spun from moonlight.

King Atoc soon demands the Condesa's hand in marriage. Ximena, acting in her place, must leave the safety of her home, and travel to La Ciudad to prepare for the wedding. She does not desire to marry him, but her duty to the Condesa calls her to spy on the king to give her as much intel from La Ciudad as possible. Ximena, rather resourceful in her ways, figures out how to send Catalina messages by her magical tapestries through the city's merchants for the members of the Resistance to see and relay. She also begins to search for the relic to call upon the dead and regain the city that was stolen from them.

As time passes for Ximena in the white walls of the city, she comes to the realization that her viewpoint on the situation between her people and the Llacsans is unfounded. Surprisingly, she befriends a slightly-eccentric healer that introduces her to other "allies" in a sense. She later finds herself quick companions with an imprisoned princess, as well as a masked-vigilante who's identity remains a secret for a vast majority of the book. For a story that is founded in seeking revenge, Woven In Moonlight does an amazing job at investigating the truth further, and redirecting revenge into something more useful.
I've never thought about what that day must have been like for the Llacsans. It's easier to focus on what we lost and what they gained. Beyond that, anything else makes the solid ground I'm standing on wobble. I want to remain standing...not topple over and forget where I came from.

Woven In Moonlight is an interesting story. I say "interesting," because it doesn't fail to explore a variety of subplots, details, and topics. Love, magic, the paranormal, politics, and so much more are additions to the overall story-line. Furthermore, topics like fairness, prejudice, responsibility, and acceptance are deeply represented. Ximena's character undergoes a lot being the decoy for her best friend. Subject to position, then humiliation, she experiences an entire spectrum of authority and adversity.

It is powerful when someone from the point of privilege, understands a viewpoint from the opposite side. Ximena has certainly known struggle, but was never postured to live in the footsteps of the oppressed Llacsans. Barred from receiving an education, and many other basic rights, the Llacsans were oppressed underneath the Illustrian rule. While it isn't a direct fault of Ximena, everything she stands for when first entering La Ciudad at the beginning of the story isn't correct. She sees life through what she knows. When she learns about how many people lived before the usurper took the throne, Ximena goes through a period of processing and comparing what she knows to what she's made aware of.

One of my problems with this book was that there simply wasn't enough world building. Since it's a diverse read (which I love) and set in Bolivia, I want to know more about where I am. When introducing a diverse setting, it is vital to include as much detail and backstory as possible to aide the reader in understanding more about where they are, how the people are, what customs are common, etc. It cannot, and should not be assumed that the readers just "gets it" with a few explicit details. Need I say, this should be done for all settings, especially in fantasy novels, even if the world is "familiar."

I definitely think that Woven In Moonlight has some great lessons to tell. I was much more interested in these details of the story than anything else. The world building needed more work, in my opinion, as well as the reasoning for the magic in this story. In all honesty, I feel that the magical aspect could have been left out, and this rather told as a fiction, or possible historical fiction if this is based off of a true historical event. (I'm not privy to Bolivian history, so excuse my negligence if this is based on a specific event,) and its message would be just as effective.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Kissing.
Violence: Moderate (see Content Warning for further details.)

My Rating: ★★★1/2​

Woven in Moonlight weaves clashing cultures and strong women with a loom placed on societal consequences of war, stepping into enemy grounds, fighting for yourself and your people, and learning, understanding, loving what you once thought you never could. A definitive recommendation for those who love a diverse background and POC in a mixture of politics, history, and magic. Animals literally woven in moonlight, a mysterious vigilante, a handsome healer, and the incorporation of language & food into the world built through these pages is like an icing on the cake!

What sets Woven in Moonlight apart is how it draws inspiration from Bolivian culture, history and language into its world. That was, by far, my favorite aspect of the book as it was definitely on the "fantasy light" side and more or less followed typical (read: obvious) YA fantasy tropes. That being said, I still had a lot of fun reading this! The heroine, Ximena, is a decoy Condesa meaning she's pretending to be the last remaining Illustrian royal in order to keep the real princess safe. It's a life that Ximena is devoted to because she wants nothing more than to protect her people from Atoc, the false king and usurper who used an ancient relic to summon ghosts to drive her people out from the city. It was interesting to see how the lines between her pretending to be the princess blurred with her natural leadership. Not to mention, that it's understadnable to wonder who she'd be if she wasn't the decoy and just a regular girl with a rare ability to spin thread from moonlight (very cool albeit a tad hard to picture while reading). When Atoc demands the Condesa marry him, Ximena goes in her place determined to use this opportunity to help her people. But when she meets individuals in the palace who challenge everything she's known, suddenly the right path becomes less clear. And it was that aspect, especially in the last quarter of the book, that really clicked for me and set a more urgent pace for Ximena's journey. If the entire plot had felt that way and the book was longer (in order to develop the characters and world more), I think I would've loved Woven in Moonlight. It's still a solid debut though and I'm curious to see what Ibañez does next!