Woven in Darkness by Lucy Holden is the first story in a new fantasy series. This is the story of Zaria, who was found with four other foundling children with shadow slave braids and no memories of the first five years of her life. The book starts when she was twenty years old scraping to save coin and find a way to earn freedom for herself and her siblings. She met Harken in the woods when he saved her life, and their lives seemed to be connected from that point onward.

This author was new to me and I really enjoyed the original story world she created which was mixture of fantasy and romance and apparently Persian and Greek mythology. The hero was complex and the heroine independent and determined. She succeeds despite the terrible odds against her, thanks to the help of her hero. There is a small amount of spice, but it isn’t a large part of the book. The story reached a satisfying ending for those who don’t like to commit to many books in one series, but it is obvious that there will be more to come for those of us who do love a series. I would recommend this to fantasy and romance lovers. I am voluntarily submitting this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Fehu Press.

I absolutely loved this story. Its so different than any other fantasy story I have encountered. I love stories with a strong female protagonist and the journey Zaria goes through to free herself and her family is thrilling. I love the world that is built and the creative characters that readers encounter. The romantic relationship between Zaria and Harken is so sweet and I love the ending of this story. I cant wait for the next book!

Thanks you for proving me the ARC. This is my first time reading fantasy in english and it was a quite unique travel.

I really tried to like this story, but it's wasn't for me. It isn't bad, it just not appeal for me. I kinda liked the fmc. She's strong and lovely. I love how she started being slave and ending being a lady. What a amazing glowup!

Anyways, if you want to read some fantasy good to not think about anything else, maybe this is for you.

This book is amazing! The world, the politics, the history, the magical system, the characters—everything about this story is intricate and unique to anything I’ve ever read.

Absolutely a forever fan of Lucy Holden from here on out and am excited to go back to the rest of her books and spend more time in this world!

Just finished reading an incredible book set in the captivating world of Astria! This high fantasy tale explores the struggles of Zaria, a strong and determined protagonist who fights against the prevalence of slavery. From the moment Zaria found herself by a dark rip as a child, she became the guiding light for her newfound siblings. But when tragedy strikes and her brother is lost, Zaria makes an unexpected connection with the enigmatic Savage King. 😳 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The author, Lucy, has crafted a complex and immersive world that kept me hooked from start to finish. The concept of the slave braid connection is truly fascinating, and the competitions had me on the edge of my seat, especially the thrilling slave race and the exhilarating Maverick race with gondolas! 🛶 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The characters in this book are incredibly likable, and I loved unraveling the mysteries behind their true intentions. There is a character who identifies as 'they,' which took me a moment to grasp because at first it was a bit confusing, but that might be because English is not my native language. I do love this character and I’m sure you will too!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This book left me craving more, as it ends with an exhilarating cliffhanger! 😱 So brace yourself for an intense conclusion. If you enjoy a slow-burn romance, a richly imagined high fantasy world, and a strong-willed protagonist who embraces the consequences of her actions, then this book is perfect for you. 🔥

“Take what you want and pay for it”⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Woven in Darkness
Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC. This review is entirely my honest opinion of the book.
Rating: 5 stars
This story is woven together quite beautifully!
This book felt raw, gritty, and real. I was surprised by the darkness in Zaria’s life. Zaria is a slave who is desperate to save her family, so she enters a competition with her life at stake. Zaria was perfect- fierce, determined, and didn’t get everything handed to her on a silver platter. Lucy Holden did not hold back, and this book genuinely made me feel emotional.
I initially did struggle a bit to understand the magic system because it is hard to picture and different than anything I have read, but I ended up really liking it. I’m tired of reading books with the same old magical powers, and this idea of weaving brings something really refreshing. The magic system in this book is so unique and I would love to see more of it.
Harken is the perfect morally grey character. He was very mysterious, but the circumstances in the writing allowed me to empathize with him.
The writing was excellent, with several plot twists that managed to surprise me. It was executed well so that I wasn’t able to guess the plot twists, but I could put the pieces together after it was revealed. I love the characters, the world, the plot, and everything about this book and it is definitely a favorite read of the year. I’m so glad there are more books in this series because I absolutely can’t get enough!

I really enjoyed this book!

I wasn't sure how i felt about it during the first 15% or so, but once the story started picking up i was hooked and couldn't put it down. As an older sister myself i deeply related to the feeling of responsibility Zaria felt for her younger siblings and could feel her struggle.

I 100% recommend this book!

This book had a well developed plot and a really enjoyed reading this book,! The world building was awesome and it was original. Having said that…it was really hard to follow at the beginning as the author threw in a lot of story specific words and phrases unique to the world it was set in and weren’t explained in enough detail. As the story moved on theses words made more sense but it was challenging to keep everything straight in my head at first. As I said, the world building was fantastic, The interpersonal relationships particularly between Zaria and Harkan were lacking in depth and needed more dialogue, exchanges that made their relationship more complex. But overall this was a great book and I am look forward to the sequel.

This book had so much promise but it didn't deliver. I felt so bored and the plot moved along so slowly. I did manage to finish it but I don't think it will be a reread for me.

I am giving this book a 4 stars out of 5. It is VERY rich with detail, and as the title would suggest, it weaves quite a magical tale. I was lucky enough to receive both the ebook copy and an audiobook copy. Regretfully, it was my first attempt at an audiobook ever, and given it's such a rich tale, I found it hard to keep up very often. I ended up switching back to reading the ebook exclusively as I didn't want to miss any of the story/plot, and that was the best decision I could have made. The spice levels are low, but that does not mean you won't fall head of heels for the love interest, Harken. The FMC is slightly unreliable, in the sense that she lets her emotions rule her decisions, and makes the wrong choice several times, taking others down with her. I found myself yelling at her aloud when frustrated with her decisions, which only made it more fun to continue reading! I love that it had a super happy ending but also left the perfect opening for more books, from other POVs! I’d definitely consider adding this to my physical shelf!

I really wanted to like this book. In reading the description, it has so much potential. However, it overall fell flat to me. I found myself in a little bit of a slump while reading this and going to other books.

This is the story of Zaria who is a slave with her four "siblings" in an area of the world called the Seam. Her only goal in life is to gain her freedom and then her siblings. She decides to enter into the Braid Race but before she does she encounters a stranger who heals her. She later learns that he is none other than Harken, the Savage King, AKA the ruler of the Woven Court. She ends up losing the race but instead of being killed as the losers normally are, Harken buys her braid (which announces her as a slave). She is to follow him and help him along on his journey to discover who has been opening rips in the world and allowing creatures from other worlds to come and bring destruction with them.

There are a few things in this book that were hard for me. The chemistry between Harken and Zaria is not really there for me. Zaria's relationships seem to develop really fast without a lot of interaction. There almost seems to be too much going on. I dig fantasy books but this one had a ton of information and worlds and things happening that I almost feel like I missed the first book that helped slowly introduce these things. I found myself getting overwhelmed and not really being invested while reading this. I am debating on pushing through and reading book 2 just I know what happens next and to see if things develop better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic story this was! I am VERY impressed with the details Lucy Holden was able to extrapolate and boy does she have a great imagination! I loved the theme, characters, places, and can’t wait to read her next book! The push and pull with the love connection had me on the edge of my seat. I thank you for putting yourself out there with this book and making it uniquely your own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of Woven in Darkness by Lucy Holden. Woven in Darkness is a fantasy novel unlike any I've read before. Oftentimes fantasy novels have similar mythical creatures (fae, vampires, etc.) but this novel. was unique. You have to read the first few chapters carefully as there is a lot of world building but then it gets easier. I enjoyed this story and will certainly look for other books by Lucy Holden in the future. The ending is satisfying but it seemed to happen to fast and too perfectly. There is certainly room to continue this a series as there a few unknowns.

If you like ACOTAR, you will enjoy Woven in Darkness. I admit the beginning was a bit slow for me to get into trying to grasp what was happening. Once I did, it was enticing. I enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters and I hope there will be other books in this series. It is YA, so nothing too spicy. All in all an enjoyable read.

Thank you Lucy Holden and #NetGalley for the ARC. As I am my own person, all the above opinions are my own.

Thrust into a life of braid-bound slavery with no memory her past, Zaria will do just about anything she can to protect her siblings from the harsh world they live in. But then her brother, Doron, gets sucked into a Dark Rip, her sisters are bought by 2 Indigold lords and her other brother is sent to train for the Braid Race in Doron’s place. Feeling as though her small family is being ripped apart, she joins the braid race herself for the chance to win back her and her siblings’ freedom… or meet her end. When the race doesn’t go exactly as planned, she is publicly claimed by the Savage King, a Woven Lord sworn to protect the immortal Weavers and the Woven Palace, who offers her a bargain - pretend to be his slave and help expose his enemies in exchange for his help in winning her freedom and riches in the Maverick Race. But there are bigger things at play as the stories of the past come to light and the darkness that has being looming over Astria is coming for all of them…

When I initially started this book, I had a hard time getting into it. There is a slight overload of information that is thrown at you right off the bat. The magical and political aspects of this story are very complex and expansive, to the point where I feel like there is probably even more that she could elaborate on in the following books, and I found myself being slightly confused while reading; although it could’ve been because I did a good bit of my reading at night. I feel like this story has a lot of potential, it is original and I did enjoy it, but at times it seemed to dragged on because of all of the information and stories from the characters. There was almost too much detail.

I did love the connection between Harken, the Savage King, and Zaria. It wasn’t forced and their relationship bloomed beautifully throughout the story. You really get a look behind Harken’s stoic mask the closer him and Zaria become. A little bit of everything is mixed into this story including slavery, Magic, alchemists, demons, shadows, werewolves and even a dragon! Reading that list probably doesn’t seem like a good mashup, but Lucy Holden really meshed everything together very well!

A few plot points seemed to have been barely touched upon and I’m hoping they come to light in the next book because I definitely have questions that weren’t answered! This book ends on a pretty good cliffhanger, so I will be watching out for the next one to see where the story goes from here! Thank you to Lucy for the free ARC, I am glad I was able to be among the first to read this story!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this e-arc title.
I really like it but at some parts the writing carried on and kind of got boring.

Okay Read

I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Lucy Holden for the opportunity to read and listen to your book. This was an alright read. This is the first book of a multi-part Fantasy Romance saga called the Woven Saga. The premise of the story was really interesting and drew me in, but I did feel a little bit disappointed with the story because the story was too slow-paced. I love listening to the audiobook while reading the physical or digital copy. In this story, Zaria, the heroine, is a slave who wants to protect her siblings and win her freedom. Along the way, a series of unfortunate events occurred, and she was sold to the Savage King, Harken. This is a slow-burn romance. I wish that the pace of the book was faster. Also, I would have liked it if we got more chapters from the hero's perspective. As for the characters, I liked Harken. To me, he was really interesting to read about. I liked that we got to know about what happened to him to make him the Savage King. Zaria was another good character. I think she is intelligent and protective. She does whatever she can to protect her family, and that is something that I think we can all relate to. She experienced a lot of things from the grief of losing her brother in the beginning. I thought the romance was good. I thought that they had great chemistry. I will continue the series to see what happens next, but I hope that the pace will be faster. Overall, an okay read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Woven in Darkness, which is the 1st book in the Woven Saga by Lucy Holden. I have never read anything by Luicy but when reading the description of Woven darkness I was automatically interested! 

This book follows  Zaria and Harken and while this is a fantasy novel I would also say there are heavy elements of romance, which is my absolute favorite. Zaria is a slave and she is trying to buy her family's freedom. Throughout the story, you get glimpses of the past and you find out a lot more of Zaria's backstory which I loved, I love a good rotating timeline that helps you fill in holes as you move through the main plot. 

I thought the author did a good job of balancing the fast pace plot with the slow burn romance. 

I would highly recommend - I will be eagerly awaiting the second installment!

Authors I believe have incredible power in their hands, especially those that write fantasy, to create a magical world so dazzling that for a time, one loses sense of the reality existing outside the book is such an amazing gift. Lucy Holden’s fantasy story set in Astria is brimming with intense electricity, the kind that is stunning in impact.

Woven In Darkness starts off with Zaria losing her brother Doron to the Dark Rip and her other brother Levin blaming the whole fiasco on her. The first chapter of the story itself packs a punch, a stranger helping her, snippets about Zaria’s and her siblings' past, silverscye, Pathfinder, Darkwine, DarkRip, Zumi, a whole avalanche of words that make absolutely no sense to the reader and it feels like chaos. But then the story like the desert rose mentioned in it grows slowly as the fantasy world and the varying plots threaded thru with the minutest details begin to take shape.

The world created by author Lucy Holden is rich and described in extensive detail and honestly breathtaking in its scale, which makes it a tad confusing initially. Once Zaria is claimed by Harken, the woven lord, and given a chance to compete in the Maverick’s race, the reader is made aware of each square piece woven into the quilt. The politics, the intrigue, the different races of people, the magic and the danger that threatens them, the mystery of the past, the history of war and the reasons for it, and the game of chess being played around, Zaria did have her task cut out in that high flying Indigold world. The arcs of the characters is another highlight of the story. There are quite a lot of them to keep track of, but even without going into too much depth, the decisions and reasoning become clear.

Zaria is the protagonist that everyone can root for, protecting her siblings and being free, her only driving force and hence, all her thoughts are predominantly explained but Harken is more or less like an enigma. The flashbacks surely give the reader an idea about him though his actions in the present are kept mysterious but in spite of his morally greyish character, one can’t help but fall for him. The romance I felt was kind of running in the background, it is a slow burn and for readers looking for spice, this definitely is not it.

Woven in Darkness is book #1 in the Woven series and it offers such an exciting start as the past about Zaria and her ability to hold a needle for magic work and her connection to animals, the storm dragon that befriends her, Anahita the evil queen plotting in the background is waiting to be explored.

Let the party begin!

Many thanks to Net Galley, Fehu Press, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published on my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Book Bub, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

An immersive fantasy story that will keep you hooked!

Plot- 3.5/5🔆
Romance-.5/5💗

I really enjoyed Woven in Darkness. The story line of this book felt so fresh and I would definitely read more books in this series if they were to come out. I enjoyed the world building and the different characters I met along the way!

You will find in this book:

🔘Sloooooow burn
🔘 Interesting FMC
🔘 Enjoyable supporting characters
🔘 Storyline that will keep you guessing
🔘Intense plot-Detailed!
🔘Competition focused


Zaria was interesting to follow through the story and I found myself rooting for her from the beginning. Harken was an interesting MMC. I am not sure why, but while reading this story I was getting "Howl's Moving Castle" vibes from Harken. I loved Everett and Brooks! It seemed like there were a lot of good natured characters in this book and I enjoyed that a lot.

There were some things that kind of pulled me out of the story at times. First, this plot is very detailed, and at times I felt like there was info dumping happening. Those parts of the book were hard to get through. Also the flashbacks to Harken's memories were mostly skimmed by me. I do not usually enjoy flashbacks like that, and feel like it sometimes takes away from the main story rather than helping build on it. It seemed like a lot of the character building for Harken was done through those past memories, rather than in the present plot, and that made Harken's character feel a little disconnected for me. Maybe it was because of this disconnect that I was not invested in the small romance storyline. The book was described as "a gleaming, spicy, new adult fantasy romance" and I say with 100% certainty that this book was not spicy at all. The romance was on the backburner of the story in my opinion. But the plot was so good that it did not matter than the romance was lacking.

I definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers. Just keep in mind that if it is spicy romance you are looking for, you will be disappointed.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!