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The Bookweaver's Daughter

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Member Reviews

"The Bookweaver's Daughter" by Malavika Kannan is a captivating young adult fantasy novel that combines rich world-building with themes of identity, family, and the power of storytelling. Set in a world where magic is bound to the written word, the story follows protagonist Reya as she grapples with her destiny as the daughter of a bookweaver and the complexities of her own magical abilities. Kannan's vivid prose and imaginative storytelling create a spellbinding narrative that will enchant readers of all ages, offering a compelling exploration of the importance of embracing one's true self and the transformative nature of literature.

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I wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t get into it. Love the concept and it sounds really interesting! I had a new baby at home when it came out, so my attention was not what it usually is.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

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The Bookweaver's Daughter is a strong, own voices debut fantasy with a lot to offer readers! While it didn't quite land for me, it does have powerful female characters and strong femme friendships, set in a historical fantasy world, inspired by Indian lore.

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This book was a huge let down. I read the description and walked in excited. However all hope was quickly diminished.

This book was simply not for me.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

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I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

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I was really excited for a book with Indian rep, especially in a fantasy world where I felt like it would be very well done. Unfortunately, this book rehashed a lot of tropes that we've seen before and did not do them well. There were issues reading the book as the sentences sometimes felt stilted which made it hard to read. Nothing made this something that would stand out compared to the several other novels that tackled the same idea. I can't think of anyone I'd recommend this to as the rep was incredibly bad and I don't think it can stand by itself as a fantasy novel.

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I liked this book because of the representation and plot. Unfortunately the writing ruined it for me.

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

This book had an amazing plot, the writing was okay.. but the story is what matters. Character driven goodness.

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

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I was not impressed. There seem to be a lot of cultural miss cues and flaws. Sorry, I just did not like this book at all.

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This was a dnf for me. I didn't make it far which was pretty sad, but I was not a huge fan of the writing style.

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I rarely review books without finishing them, but due to the feedback given on this novel, I found that I did not want to continue reading it and voice my own opinions when there are other reviewers who have expressed their hurt and frustration. From what I read, the plot book is written decently, with a promising-if not a bit basic-story and interesting magic system.

Where this book really fell flat is in the way that it aims to represent Indian mythology. Multiple reviewers have stated that the representation is problematic and shows that no research took place in the creation of this novel. I have linked some of the Goodreads reviews that express why this book is harmful:
-https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3222585702?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
-https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3485409710?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

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I did not enjoy it. I thought there were many plot holes, as well as cultural appropriation. At first, I thought it was because I lacked knowledge of the culture; but I soon realized it was a writing error. The plot also felt very typical to any normal fantasy.

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Although I did finish this book, it was a struggle. I was very uncomfortable with many of the author's choices. I do feel like, as a young, author, there is time to hone and perfect her craft and this book might have benefitted from time and edits. The name choices and ideas presented seemed like poor representation.

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I DNF'd this book. After a few chapters, I realized this just wasn't something I was interested in reading at the moment. Maybe one day I'll give it another chance.

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An Indian based fantasy with a strong female protagonist. Reya is thrust into a position she doesn't completely understand except for the fact that the ruler wants to eliminate those with magic. On the run and then being controlled by someone who hates her she needs to figure out who she really. There is action & adventure. Understanding nothing about Indian mythology, I found it an entertaining story by someone just starting out. Maybe not the best story out there, but interesting enough to make me want to look into Indian mythology.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

After seeing several other reviews for this book over the years, I am officially DNFing this book. It's wonderful that Kannan was able to write and publish a fantasy novel so young and we all make mistakes when we're young, but to me it seems as though Kannan and her readers were let down by this book being sent out into the world before it was ready. From reviews I've seen, it seems like more research should have been done to prevent the Islamophobic echoes present in this story.

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Couldn't even finish this book, it was clear there was a lack of research and as an #OwnVoices book, it was disheartening to see the reviews online agreeing that this book is a poor representation,. Not one I will recommend, and not one I enjoyed. Its unfortunate as I was looking forward to reading about a new culture and had high hopes after the cover and synopsis. But alas, just a disappointment. Giving 1 star because I can't leave zero.

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I loved the idea of this story when I first read the description; the title and the beautiful cover also convinced me to request this book.
I do feel that portions of the book could have been put together better (jumping around to different cultures for ideas, it would have been great if it would have continued with one idea)
I did had a lot of hope for this book but I felt a bit lost and pushed my way through it.

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