Overall, a really strong conclusion to the duology - I enjoyed reading it and will continue to recommend to others. The writing was great and I loved the elemental magic system.

I feel like the series would have been stronger as trilogy: the latter half of the book was a bit rushed and I wish we had had more time to explore the repercussions of everything that happens in Alamaxa - the government changes, the societal shifts, life without some main characters, etc. I also spent a large portion of the book hoping for a little more character development from both Nehal and Giorgina - by the end of the book there was a bit of growth from each of them but, this could have been further developed in more pages.

Fans of The Legend of Korea and Paris Paloma songs will definitely enjoy parts of this duology. It’s a refreshing fantasy story that’s focused on politics, magic and how women are viewed in society and features multiple, diverse FMCs (no romantasy here).

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC of this in exchange for my honest feedback.

I probably would have enjoyed this much more if I had known it was part of a duet before agreeing to read. I ended up having to find a synopsis of the first.

Beyond that this was predictable and bland as far as the actual plot. It's biggest win was the world building.

I really enjoyed Daughters of Izdihar, but was surprised to find myself enjoying The Weavers of Alamaxa even more. One thing I loved about the first book was the world, and Elsbai lets us explore even more, including spending time with the Ziranis and learning even more details about the political landscape and competing factions. Nehal and Giorgina continue to be complex protagonists, and it was a joy to watch the ways they grow and gain deeper understanding of themselves throughout the novel.

Did I make the dramatic mistake of not rereading the previous book? Yes, that's on me. Although I believe that all fantasy series should have a recap at the beginning. I do remember that I was lenient lenient on my rating of book 1 but I decided to get into book 2 without too many a priori. Book 2 has a bit more lore with Giorgina becoming the Avatar, Nehal is annoying and even the most dramatic scene holds zero weight. I'm going to be honest I found the Giorgina thing very silly.

I felt like all the grounded women's rights politics took a back step to magic and war, even the setting itself was less proeminent than in the first one. To be honest, I found myself bored, hoping something would reignite my interest for this book. I don't have a lot to say because I couldn't find myself engaging with the story on any level.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was an excellent follow up to The Daughters of Izdihar. Book one was a nice set up, great world building, had me attached to the characters. It ended in such a cliff hanger that I couldn't wait to read book two, so I'm glad I got to dive back into the story sooner.
I noted a lot of similarities in wars back then and wars now. It's true that people people who have wealth have a lesser struggle and worry than the poor. It is so true that women have influence and are able to change outcomes in war. I do feel like the story could have expanded a bit more during the ending but all in all, I was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the e-arc!
So excited for this conclusion! The first book, Daughters of Izdihar, was such a highlight of last year, and I am ecstatic that the second book is finally here. I have to say Elsbai does such a fantastic job in this series; the characters in the world are so captivating. I remember flying for the first book, and I was so happy that the second one captivated my attention the same way.
This series is definitely worth checking out!

The sequel was better ? I loved book one and book two blew my mind ! i love this world and Hadeer is such an incredible writer.

Thank you for the eArc .

Unfortunately, this book was not for me, and I declared a DNF at ~ 50%.
I enjoyed the first book in the duology and had hoped for some character growth, but ultimately was not invested in the storylines.

For those in the target audience - YA/New Adult fantasy, I think this duology is an excellent opportunity to add diversity to the repertoire. Hadeer Elsbai has a compelling magic system, fascinating politics, and magic war. This should have been a recipe for success for me, but the younger naive characters just didn't work for me. Look, the youth can start a revolution, sure, but I need measured middle-aged rage for real change these days.

An action-packed conclusion to a fantastic duology! I'll admit, I was a little lost at first because I didn't reread book one and there are a lot of POVs, but the fast pace soon drew me in and then I didn't want to stop until I'd finished! We follow several women weavers as they use their nature magic to revolt against their rulers who would see their magic quashed. Would've loved even more from this world and these characters, but it is a satisfying conclusion, even if it feels a bit rushed at the end.

The Weavers of Alamaxa was a highly-anticipated follow-up to The Daughters of Izdihar for me. Having left the first book on quite a cliffhanger, I tore through my copy of this follow-up as quickly as I could! Elsbai set the scene for this tale of female rage and revenge beautifully in book one and readers get to see the results (and the extent) of it all in book two. She does an excellent job deepening our understanding of the socio-politcal unrest in Alamaxa and beyond its borders, as well as our affection for the main characters, Giorgina and Nehal.

I don’t want to get too spoilery in this review, but there are a few aspects of this book I’d love to highlight as my favorites: the WEAVING! This book goes hard and shows readers more weaving than we saw in book one, which was so much fun! I also really loved watching the relationship dynamic blossom between Giorgina/Nehal, Giorgina/Nico, and Nehal/Malek. And our big bad character was SO GOOD (bad)! I LOVE to hate evil characters.

ANYWAY I really loved this book and the only thing I wish we had seen more of in book two was downtime for our characters. That being said, since it’s only a duology, I understand a faster pacing choice and it was still an extremely enjoyable and satisfying conclusion to Giorgina and Nehal’s stories.

I loved reading the follow up to "The Daughters of Izdihar" and seeing what Nehal and Giorgina continued to go through! Seeing their relationship develop was so interesting, I loved every moment of it. The world was just as incredible as it was in the first book, and I was captivated the entire time. The plot development had me engaged, I couldn't wait to see what happened next between the Weavers and the Zirani.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Weavers of Alamaxa" and will most definitely be revisiting the duology in the future to fully experience the two books back to back!

We rejoin the Daughters of Izdihar after our first book, determined, captured, and out for change.

I enjoyed this book a different spots, but there was so much death and heart break to reach our final conclusion that it really slowed my reading. What really frustrated me was that we still had men in this book explaning that women were inferior and I know that's part of the story but holy moly I was ready to beat some fictional characters to get them on board.

A slow adventure, leading to as much of an okay ending as one can get.

I'm glad, I read this book right after the first one: the daughters of Izdihar. The book ended in such a weird spot in the story that I would be extremely upset having to wait for book 2. And as much as the first book was amazing and an easy 4-star read; the second book got a bit too chaotic for me. I understand how we needed the backdoor players in this political intrigue, but they were mixed up with some supporting characters that eventually, I have no clue who is who. It distracted me from the main story big time. Another thing that got me is the twist in the dynamics of narration. The first book was focused on Nehal, whereas the second was on Giorgina. This shift also made me stumble because Nehal's presence was so strong and developed contrary to Giorgina. I do admit that I realize it could've been done purposefully but due to my personal preference, I think it was uneven. Other than that, I just simply love the worldbuilding and the overall messaging and its queer elements. Of course, I noticed how the book hates men altogether, but I also noticed that the author tries to be as fair as she can. I liked the pacing and language, but also the parallel between some elements from our world which are easy to draw. As duology goes this will be in my favorites, but on its book doesn't hold a special place in my heart.

The Weavers of Alamaxa picks up a few days after book one ends and is a solid conclusion to the duology. The book was filed with many heart racing moments. However, I did not enjoy this as much as the first book and that is mainly due to pacing issues.
Elsbai has a way with words that constantly keeps you in her grasp. I often enjoy books that invoke strong emotions, and this book is adept at doing so. Many times, I caught myself holding my breath until the characters reach safety.
While the book begins with a bang, it slowly fizzles out. It seems like the beginning to middle of the book is just the characters trying to gather information and regrouping, which became quickly repetitive. The first half was too slow, and the second half moved entirely two quickly. Without getting into spoilers, many major things occurred in very few pages. It made the resolution of the novel seemed rushed and unsatisfactory.
While I did not enjoy the sequel as much as the first book, I still highly recommend picking this up. The characters are realistic and the world, and magic system are well built. This duology is definitely underrated, and I will for sure be picking up further books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Weavers of Alamaxa picks up where The Daughters of Idzihar left off, and I really loved seeing the characters from the first book grow and change. Elsbai puts Georgina and Nehal through a really compelling journey, and does a fantastic job at growing her world within the span of a single book in a way that is still very satisfying at the end.

There were definitely some things I hadn’t been anticipating, and I thought everything was well-handled and while I remember being annoyed with the characters at times in the first book, by the end of this I felt very proud of who they became. I do think at times the dialogue and prose could’ve been improved, but I didn’t mind so much because everything that was happening was interesting. I loved the way this ended and while part of me wishes I could get like… a little epilogue, Elsbai really stuck the landing. I had a great time reading this and this is a solid duology that I definitely recommend.

A great conclusion to this duology. Everything felt resolved and I loved the further character development. Can't wait to see what else Hadeer Elsbai writes!

First, let me say that I loved this book, in fact I loved the whole duology, but before I talk about that I need to say something.

if a person just picked up The Weavers of Alamaxa, and began to read, they would be completely lost as to the plot, and for many chapters have no clue to the why of the story, I know that you are not supposed to start with the second book in a series – although I did not know it was a series – but in many cases, you can pick up enough information to get a decent idea of the characters and the world and continue reading without being totally lost.

It was by pure chance that I stumbled on the first book in this duology, "The Daughters of Izdihar", right as I was starting to read this book, and thought it might be helpful if I at least looked at the first book for some background. "The Weavers of Alamaxa" picks up immediately (mid-events) after the end of The Daughters of Izdihar and is deep into the plot-line by the second page. There is no backstory or explanation of anything relevant to the characters or the world, either at the beginning, or anywhere in the remainder of the book. I would never have understood what weaving was or who the characters were and how they related to each other, let alone the overall plot of the story.

The book is set in a fictional world that resembles, at least to me, what we call the Middle East. It is written in alternating chapters, which are based on two of the characters, Nahel, and Giorgina. It took until almost the end of the book for me to see why the second character was Giorgina, because at the beginning, and for many chapters, she is hardly as important to the story as Nahel.

The two main themes of the overall story are the fight for women’s rights, particularly the right to vote, and the attitude of the government towards a particular group of citizens known as weavers. Weavers have magic that allows them to control the elements, but they are scorned and persecuted by both the government and other people because of the actions of one particular weaver during the last war.
Nehal is a weaver of water and is entering into an arranged marriage with a rich man, Nico, who is a pretty nice person. She is, of course, against the idea and wants only to attend the Academy of Alamaxa to learn how to control her gift. Giorgina is a girl from a poor family who works in a bookshop and just happens to be in love with Nico and he with her. Giorgina is a member of The Daughters of Izdihar, a secret society of women who are fighting for the right for women to vote and have more autonomy.

Nehal was for me a totally unlikeable character but a great one. I loved and loathed her at the same time. Giorgina was a quiet little mouse until suddenly she wasn’t. I loved the characters in this book. They were alive and real. not all were nice, and they just interacted so well. What this second book does so well, is allow the secondary characters to shine while still growing the two main characters.

The story is about the intersection of these two groups – the government of Alamaxa and the Daughters of Izdihar. The weavers are there since many of them are members of the Daughters society and to further complicate the plot. Primarily it is the story of what happens in the aftermath of the first book.

All said and done I really, really liked this book (and its prequel) and would recommend it to anyone from 11 – 17 as a great read.

I love this series. This was a great read and I had a good time. Nehal was on and off at times, but I do like how the story proceeded
I can't wait to read more by this author

Book Two of the the Alamaxa duology literally drops us where the last book left off; Malak and Giorgina have just escaped prison, Nehal has been drugged and kidnapped and we find he'd behind enemy lines in Zirana as a "guest" of Queen Rasida and King Hali. They explain that the drug Attia injected in her not only knocked her out but it has blocked her weaving a "gift" Rasida calls it and one she plans on giving to the Weavers of Alamaxa whether they want it or not. With the help of a Ziranaian rebel group Nehal is able to get back to Alamaxa in time to warn parliament of the queen's plans only for the Royal Family of Alamaxa to turn on their own people and agree to Rasida's plan. Nehal and Giorgina are now not just in a fight to save the women of Alamaxa they are in a fight to save all of Alamaxa from the Queen's sick plot and Giorgina is rapidly realizing with her new found powers she may be the only person who can save everyone, but she is terrified of losing herself.

I think I'm going to have the same complaints about this one as I did book one; the dialogue is awkward at times, the plot is moved forward by characters making unbelievably stupid decisions, there's never a feeling of urgency even when the shit hits the fan, and Giorgina is painfully wishy-washy up until almost the very end. That all being said The Weavers of Alamaxa was significantly better than Daughter's. The final chapters are really well done, we finally see Giorgina embrace who she is, which is a complete badass who can actually communicate with the gods (although the reason how this happens is genuinely just ridiculous), people actually start listening to Malak (men included), and Nehal actually learns some patience. And it's wrapped up with a nice happy ending with all the girls living together who don't care what other people think.

Overall, I'm really glad I decided to read this second one. While there is still definitely room for improvement, especially and painfully in the dialogue department I found that once Elsbai hits her stride in the latter half of the book I could overlook that complaint.

As always thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eArc!

I generally have a hard time getting back to a series, but THE WEAVERS OF ALAMAXA had me hit the ground running.

Blistering pace, a lot happens without feeling like too much, a slightly expanded scope for the magic system I wish was given more page time, and though not a trailblazer, this series is a short, fast-paced one for those who love feminist political fantasy with elemental magic.

Full review on my blog.