queenterribletimy's review against another edition
3.0
The review is also up on my blog, RockStarlit BookAsylum!
Actual rating: 3.5* - this is one of those books that makes me wish there was a half star rating available...
I've got a copy from the author, M.D. Presley in exchange of an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!
Let's make one thing clear right at the beginning: I have no idea how this review will turn out. I have pretty mixed feelings about The Woven Ring and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it either. As some trusted blogger friends of mine seem to be really into this series, I guess it must have something to it and I'm willing to follow the adventures of these characters to see if I can fall in love as well.
In The Woven Ring we follow Marta's story both in the present and the past. Through her eyes we get a look into the horrors of the Great War as she follows the instructions of her family. The Cildra clan is a wealthy, prestigious family, which has ears, eyes and other useful body parts at both sides. But while the war leaves Marta scarred for life both physically and mentally - fighting for survival and dealing with the mark of being a traitor could weigh heavy on anyone -, her brother Carmichael rises up into the highest circles of politics. And now he has a task for Marta with the promise of redeeming herself in their father's eyes. So she sets out to deliver the daughter of the man he despises the most. All the while her need to please her father and brother wars each other inside her.
Let's get my criticism out of the way first, but rest assured, I have some praise too. My biggest problem with this book lies with the characters. I couldn't really like any of them. Well, okay, except maybe Caddie, but then who has anything against an innocent child is just a monster. At the beginning I thought I'm going to like Marta, who was a fierce child, one who didn't mind fighting back when she felt threatened. But as the story progressed, I started to like her less. Understandably, her years fighting in the war - which was depicted really well, especially the parts about the pit - left their marks on her. What irked me was the way she treated everyone around her in the present. Now, I don't say she should have trusted in Luca and Isabella from the start, but she looked down on them and treated them like they were her soldiers and didn't even bother to actually talk to them, instead of running rounds in her head. Honestly, to me she seemed a bit shallow.
Luca and Isabella can turn out as interesting characters as the story progresses further in later books, but so far we didn't get to know them much. Or Graff, the Render for that matter, and we've spent more time with Luca and Isabella than him. Carmichael intrigues me, and I'm really hoping we'll get him as POV character sometime, because the guy is clearly a psychopath, or something close to it anyway.
I also struggled a bit with the writing. While I liked the fact that we see the events unfold both in the past and the present until the two timelines were waving seamlessly together like Marta's treasured ring, I felt confused quite a lot. Let me explain. It took me a long time to understand what's the difference between Weavers and Renders for example. Or to place some names or phrases like emet, nodus, festation. And that's because we don't get eased into the world-building, but rather thrown in it. Which can work if it's done well, but every time I came across a new thing or person like Orthoel Hendrix I wondered: am I supposed to know who he is / what it is? And why is this matters anyway? Of course later we get everything explained and things will make sense, but at times it was damn frustrating. But then, now that most of the world-building is done, I guess it'll be easier to navigate in the later installments of the Sol's Harvest series.
And since we are talking about world-building. Someone mentioned it was dense. Well, yeah, maybe, but that's to be expected in every first book of a new series, and I didn't have a problem with it aside the aforementioned things. Though, since one of the main plot is traveling through Newfield, it is required to have a pretty detailed world at hand so we could experience it as we travel along. Which at one hand is great, but on the other, I just prefer to stay at one place or two and discover it to the last nail. But this all comes down to preferences, and M.D. Presley did a pretty fine job of giving his world an outline which can be filled with a lot more things as the series progresses.
If I didn't know beforehand that the inspiration behind Newfield and its history came from America and the Civil War it would still have been obvious. As far as I can tell this was pretty well done - I mean, I'm not well versed in these topics, even though I have History degree (we Europeans are more focused on our own history, you see). The argument about festations and manifestations reminded me a bit the way North and South argued about the slaves. Or the way Renders and Weavers argued about Sol's Breath reminded me the way Catholics and the believers of the Reformed Church argued about religion. Both thinking their own way was the only option and everyone else be damned. Maybe it may seem the religious system in The Woven Ring builds on Christianity, I think it draws more from Judaism. Though there is one main god, Sol, there are hints about more godlike creatures, or there is something about the Dobra tribe's back story which brings to mind the Old Testament.
There were quite a few ideas I liked in The Woven Ring. The Breaths for example - every human being is born with three Breaths, but there are Blessed who has four, gifting them with special abilities depending on where that four Breath resides. Marta is a Shaper who is able to use her Breath as a weapon of some kind depending on her need at the time. And then there are Listeners and Whisperers. The former can see into a person's mind and catch their thoughts unless they are protected, while Whisperers can plant ideas into other's minds. Since we have Marta as POV character, we mostly learn about how shaping abilities work and how hard it is to learn and manipulate using it. I'm interested to learn more about the magic behind these abilities later on. Besides humans, plants and animals have Breaths as well in a smaller number. After one's death, Breaths are freed and they join to their fellows along leylines. Now, these leylines are pretty fascinating. They are not only pretty natural occurrences, but thanks to the "advanced" technology they can be used for transportation - I loved the idea of the trains - sending messages - I want to learn more about the Dobra as they seem to have the most interesting culture, a bit like a wandering carnival, or gypsies and they are damn mysterious - or giving birth to creatures like the emets. Monsters created by Breaths and having the most eclectic forms they can have. They can be evil or good but they are mostly left alone. Not that that stops them to have a prominent role in the grand scheme of things.
All things said, there is a lot to like about The Woven Ring. It's an imaginative flintlock fantasy with the potential of growing into a fantastic series. Maybe it's a bit rough around the edges, but no one can say The Woven Ring doesn't set a pretty solid foundation for the future for when Sol finally comes to harvest.
Actual rating: 3.5* - this is one of those books that makes me wish there was a half star rating available...
I've got a copy from the author, M.D. Presley in exchange of an honest review. Thanks for the opportunity!
"In that moment Marta understood misery in its entirety. Most believed misery had a purpose, its existence to make joy seem all the sweeter in contrast, but they were all fools. There was no real comfort, no joy or ease in life. Moments of joy just existed to make the pain of every day more pronounced since one could not understand the true depths of suffering without the dizzying heights of joy."
Let's make one thing clear right at the beginning: I have no idea how this review will turn out. I have pretty mixed feelings about The Woven Ring and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't love it either. As some trusted blogger friends of mine seem to be really into this series, I guess it must have something to it and I'm willing to follow the adventures of these characters to see if I can fall in love as well.
In The Woven Ring we follow Marta's story both in the present and the past. Through her eyes we get a look into the horrors of the Great War as she follows the instructions of her family. The Cildra clan is a wealthy, prestigious family, which has ears, eyes and other useful body parts at both sides. But while the war leaves Marta scarred for life both physically and mentally - fighting for survival and dealing with the mark of being a traitor could weigh heavy on anyone -, her brother Carmichael rises up into the highest circles of politics. And now he has a task for Marta with the promise of redeeming herself in their father's eyes. So she sets out to deliver the daughter of the man he despises the most. All the while her need to please her father and brother wars each other inside her.
Let's get my criticism out of the way first, but rest assured, I have some praise too. My biggest problem with this book lies with the characters. I couldn't really like any of them. Well, okay, except maybe Caddie, but then who has anything against an innocent child is just a monster. At the beginning I thought I'm going to like Marta, who was a fierce child, one who didn't mind fighting back when she felt threatened. But as the story progressed, I started to like her less. Understandably, her years fighting in the war - which was depicted really well, especially the parts about the pit - left their marks on her. What irked me was the way she treated everyone around her in the present. Now, I don't say she should have trusted in Luca and Isabella from the start, but she looked down on them and treated them like they were her soldiers and didn't even bother to actually talk to them, instead of running rounds in her head. Honestly, to me she seemed a bit shallow.
"Because hate is easy, love is hard, and indifference the most difficult."
-Carmichael Childress
Luca and Isabella can turn out as interesting characters as the story progresses further in later books, but so far we didn't get to know them much. Or Graff, the Render for that matter, and we've spent more time with Luca and Isabella than him. Carmichael intrigues me, and I'm really hoping we'll get him as POV character sometime, because the guy is clearly a psychopath, or something close to it anyway.
I also struggled a bit with the writing. While I liked the fact that we see the events unfold both in the past and the present until the two timelines were waving seamlessly together like Marta's treasured ring, I felt confused quite a lot. Let me explain. It took me a long time to understand what's the difference between Weavers and Renders for example. Or to place some names or phrases like emet, nodus, festation. And that's because we don't get eased into the world-building, but rather thrown in it. Which can work if it's done well, but every time I came across a new thing or person like Orthoel Hendrix I wondered: am I supposed to know who he is / what it is? And why is this matters anyway? Of course later we get everything explained and things will make sense, but at times it was damn frustrating. But then, now that most of the world-building is done, I guess it'll be easier to navigate in the later installments of the Sol's Harvest series.
And since we are talking about world-building. Someone mentioned it was dense. Well, yeah, maybe, but that's to be expected in every first book of a new series, and I didn't have a problem with it aside the aforementioned things. Though, since one of the main plot is traveling through Newfield, it is required to have a pretty detailed world at hand so we could experience it as we travel along. Which at one hand is great, but on the other, I just prefer to stay at one place or two and discover it to the last nail. But this all comes down to preferences, and M.D. Presley did a pretty fine job of giving his world an outline which can be filled with a lot more things as the series progresses.
If I didn't know beforehand that the inspiration behind Newfield and its history came from America and the Civil War it would still have been obvious. As far as I can tell this was pretty well done - I mean, I'm not well versed in these topics, even though I have History degree (we Europeans are more focused on our own history, you see). The argument about festations and manifestations reminded me a bit the way North and South argued about the slaves. Or the way Renders and Weavers argued about Sol's Breath reminded me the way Catholics and the believers of the Reformed Church argued about religion. Both thinking their own way was the only option and everyone else be damned. Maybe it may seem the religious system in The Woven Ring builds on Christianity, I think it draws more from Judaism. Though there is one main god, Sol, there are hints about more godlike creatures, or there is something about the Dobra tribe's back story which brings to mind the Old Testament.
"You're right, the moral is stupid, but no more than any other story. There is no Waer any more than there is Sol. The story's just a way simpletons explain away the past and try to make sense of the Blessed. Everything that happens in life, it's all by happenstance. There's no order to it, no plan, no Sol guiding it."
-Luca
There were quite a few ideas I liked in The Woven Ring. The Breaths for example - every human being is born with three Breaths, but there are Blessed who has four, gifting them with special abilities depending on where that four Breath resides. Marta is a Shaper who is able to use her Breath as a weapon of some kind depending on her need at the time. And then there are Listeners and Whisperers. The former can see into a person's mind and catch their thoughts unless they are protected, while Whisperers can plant ideas into other's minds. Since we have Marta as POV character, we mostly learn about how shaping abilities work and how hard it is to learn and manipulate using it. I'm interested to learn more about the magic behind these abilities later on. Besides humans, plants and animals have Breaths as well in a smaller number. After one's death, Breaths are freed and they join to their fellows along leylines. Now, these leylines are pretty fascinating. They are not only pretty natural occurrences, but thanks to the "advanced" technology they can be used for transportation - I loved the idea of the trains - sending messages - I want to learn more about the Dobra as they seem to have the most interesting culture, a bit like a wandering carnival, or gypsies and they are damn mysterious - or giving birth to creatures like the emets. Monsters created by Breaths and having the most eclectic forms they can have. They can be evil or good but they are mostly left alone. Not that that stops them to have a prominent role in the grand scheme of things.
All things said, there is a lot to like about The Woven Ring. It's an imaginative flintlock fantasy with the potential of growing into a fantastic series. Maybe it's a bit rough around the edges, but no one can say The Woven Ring doesn't set a pretty solid foundation for the future for when Sol finally comes to harvest.
mistrum_crowe's review against another edition
5.0
The Woven Ring is a fantastic novel with a lot of intricacy and depth. The characters are well-written, if a bit on the bleak side, although that's to be expected in a Grimdark fantasy book. The main draw for me though is the world-building, unusually enough for me, but the level of effort that has gone into it and into making the world feel like a living thing is obvious and very much appreciated. I will definitely be looking to pick up the sequel at some point.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
5.0
I was planning to read this book some time ago but decided to wait after the author mentioned on his social media he was planning to change the cover. I enjoy good covers. I buy with my eyes and the cover on the first edition was, to put it mildly, uninspiring. The new one, on the other hand, looks great. I think it would stand a chance in already finished best SPFBO cover contest, had it been released earlier. It seems there was a reason behind the cover choice and change, as you can read in an interesting blog post by M.D. Presley.
Even most stunning cover won’t make up for mediocre content. The Woven Ring has few reviews and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The synopsis sounds interesting – it suggests The Woven Ring will offer something else then gazillion of stories happening in pseudo-medieval Europe settings. Civil War is a tough subject but also the one that gives a lot of space for creativity and drama.
After finishing the book, I feel satisfied with the story, plot, and characters. I want more. Waiting for sequels sucks.
The world of Ayr is an exciting place permeated with the Breath of Sol (their God). Literally. The glowing Breaths float in the night and can be caught in a glass and used to illuminate a house (although you need to free them before Dawn, otherwise you may be sentenced to death). Ayrians’ faith is based on the conviction that Sol split himself into countless pieces of Breath that animate the living world. Humans usually have three breaths but some of them, so-called Blessed, have a fourth Breath that gives them all kinds of fancy powers. Here’s an excerpt from the book explaining it and showing book POV discover she’s one of the Blessed:
There were the usual three all humans were born with, one in the centre of the chest representing the Body, the second in the middle of the forehead for the Mind, and the third at the crown of the head signifying the Soul. But in that moment of clarity, Marta could feel a fourth Breath nestled deep in her chest next to the Body. Were she not so angry, she might have been surprised to find it, to feel it thrumming with its own frequency. It had a resonance, a musical identity all its own that only she could hear.
Being Blessed is a huge thing. Some people inquire after it, try to breed Blessed, but it seems there’s no principle to follow. It’s as if Blessed appear randomly. On the other hand, Childress clan seems more successful in breeding Blessed than other families. The book protagonist – Marta belongs to Childress clan. She is a Shaper – she can fashion Phantom Blade, Rabbit Legs, Armor and other deadly appendages with her Breath. Shapers are quite powerful, but Weavers and Renders are even more dangerous.
The sides of Civil War are divided by religion and politics (not uncommon in the real world).
When we meet Marta she is a ruined, battle-hardened beauty who drinks too much and is fueled by anger. The story is told almost exclusively from her POV. It happens in two timelines. One occurs after the war and follows Marta’s mission to bring little girl Caddie to her father. Father Marta plans to kill. The other one happens in the past and shows us why Marta has become who she is now. Her story isn’t uplifting, and some of the things she went through were devastating. We learn about them as we go, and personally, I enjoy this type of narration. It keeps me interested and engaged while the answers to questions I have are slowly revealed.
Apart from Marta, characters that count are her brother Carmichael that I’ll allow Marta to characterise: She felt like a chess piece moved against her will. She had thought herself safe as a queen, only to realize too late she was again her brother’s pawn./ You really don’t want to stand in his way unless you want your life turned into a misery.
Marta is helped by two “freebooters” – Luca who’s addicted to to the feel of exquisite torture of teetering between success and failure and Isobell who remains a bit of mystery throughout the book.
There’s also Caddie – a girl that’s escorted by Marta and freebooters. Some things are hinted, and we can only guess that Caddie is much more than she appears. I hope we’ll discover this in the sequel.
I think that pacing of the story is excellent as we continuously learn new things about both Marta’s mission and her past in the Traitors Brigade of Shapers. Intertwining storylines keep the plot fresh and make it difficult to put the book down. Apart from malevolent humans, there are all kinds of monsters: Ghouls, Emets, Glassman and the scenes featuring them were remarkably well written. I especially enjoyed a scene with glowing Ghouls on spider legs. It was both creepy as hell and visually suggestive.
World building is meticulous and in-depth, but there’s not much of info-dumping. We learn about the world as we follow Marta through it. The plotting is well done, and there’s quite a lot of twists.
It’s not an uplifting book, and some of the scenes are terrifying. Marta’s story is sad and tragic. There’s not much humour in the book to balance things a bit. And yet I enjoyed it a lot. A rare thing indeed.
I root strongly for Marta. I’m sure some readers won’t enjoy this unlikely protagonist with all her rage, occasional self-loathing and anger management issues but I find her complex and believable. It’s possible some readers will perceive her as one-dimensional as she intends to finish someone (sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly all the time) but there’s much more to her than that. She may have darkness in her, but there is some light as well, no matter how she tries and hides it. I care about her M.D.Presley. Don't you dare kill her at the end of the series or else I’ll find you. And bad things will happen.
I think The Woven Ring is well written, intelligent book with an exciting and unusual setting, excellent pacing and just the right amount of drama.
I want a sequel, especially after reading sample chapter that suggests we’ll get more Luca POV in the sequel called The Imbued Blade. I’m not sure when it’ll hit the shelves, but once it does, I’ll grab a copy.
Even most stunning cover won’t make up for mediocre content. The Woven Ring has few reviews and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The synopsis sounds interesting – it suggests The Woven Ring will offer something else then gazillion of stories happening in pseudo-medieval Europe settings. Civil War is a tough subject but also the one that gives a lot of space for creativity and drama.
After finishing the book, I feel satisfied with the story, plot, and characters. I want more. Waiting for sequels sucks.
The world of Ayr is an exciting place permeated with the Breath of Sol (their God). Literally. The glowing Breaths float in the night and can be caught in a glass and used to illuminate a house (although you need to free them before Dawn, otherwise you may be sentenced to death). Ayrians’ faith is based on the conviction that Sol split himself into countless pieces of Breath that animate the living world. Humans usually have three breaths but some of them, so-called Blessed, have a fourth Breath that gives them all kinds of fancy powers. Here’s an excerpt from the book explaining it and showing book POV discover she’s one of the Blessed:
There were the usual three all humans were born with, one in the centre of the chest representing the Body, the second in the middle of the forehead for the Mind, and the third at the crown of the head signifying the Soul. But in that moment of clarity, Marta could feel a fourth Breath nestled deep in her chest next to the Body. Were she not so angry, she might have been surprised to find it, to feel it thrumming with its own frequency. It had a resonance, a musical identity all its own that only she could hear.
Being Blessed is a huge thing. Some people inquire after it, try to breed Blessed, but it seems there’s no principle to follow. It’s as if Blessed appear randomly. On the other hand, Childress clan seems more successful in breeding Blessed than other families. The book protagonist – Marta belongs to Childress clan. She is a Shaper – she can fashion Phantom Blade, Rabbit Legs, Armor and other deadly appendages with her Breath. Shapers are quite powerful, but Weavers and Renders are even more dangerous.
The sides of Civil War are divided by religion and politics (not uncommon in the real world).
When we meet Marta she is a ruined, battle-hardened beauty who drinks too much and is fueled by anger. The story is told almost exclusively from her POV. It happens in two timelines. One occurs after the war and follows Marta’s mission to bring little girl Caddie to her father. Father Marta plans to kill. The other one happens in the past and shows us why Marta has become who she is now. Her story isn’t uplifting, and some of the things she went through were devastating. We learn about them as we go, and personally, I enjoy this type of narration. It keeps me interested and engaged while the answers to questions I have are slowly revealed.
Apart from Marta, characters that count are her brother Carmichael that I’ll allow Marta to characterise: She felt like a chess piece moved against her will. She had thought herself safe as a queen, only to realize too late she was again her brother’s pawn./ You really don’t want to stand in his way unless you want your life turned into a misery.
Marta is helped by two “freebooters” – Luca who’s addicted to to the feel of exquisite torture of teetering between success and failure and Isobell who remains a bit of mystery throughout the book.
There’s also Caddie – a girl that’s escorted by Marta and freebooters. Some things are hinted, and we can only guess that Caddie is much more than she appears. I hope we’ll discover this in the sequel.
I think that pacing of the story is excellent as we continuously learn new things about both Marta’s mission and her past in the Traitors Brigade of Shapers. Intertwining storylines keep the plot fresh and make it difficult to put the book down. Apart from malevolent humans, there are all kinds of monsters: Ghouls, Emets, Glassman and the scenes featuring them were remarkably well written. I especially enjoyed a scene with glowing Ghouls on spider legs. It was both creepy as hell and visually suggestive.
World building is meticulous and in-depth, but there’s not much of info-dumping. We learn about the world as we follow Marta through it. The plotting is well done, and there’s quite a lot of twists.
It’s not an uplifting book, and some of the scenes are terrifying. Marta’s story is sad and tragic. There’s not much humour in the book to balance things a bit. And yet I enjoyed it a lot. A rare thing indeed.
I root strongly for Marta. I’m sure some readers won’t enjoy this unlikely protagonist with all her rage, occasional self-loathing and anger management issues but I find her complex and believable. It’s possible some readers will perceive her as one-dimensional as she intends to finish someone (sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly all the time) but there’s much more to her than that. She may have darkness in her, but there is some light as well, no matter how she tries and hides it. I care about her M.D.Presley. Don't you dare kill her at the end of the series or else I’ll find you. And bad things will happen.
I think The Woven Ring is well written, intelligent book with an exciting and unusual setting, excellent pacing and just the right amount of drama.
I want a sequel, especially after reading sample chapter that suggests we’ll get more Luca POV in the sequel called The Imbued Blade. I’m not sure when it’ll hit the shelves, but once it does, I’ll grab a copy.
filipmagnus's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve taken the exploration of flintlock fantasy to heart over this last year. From exploring Brian McLellan’s original Powder Mage trilogy, to Bulletproof Witches, all the way to Wax and Wayne’s part-Victorian, part Wild West adventures, some of the novels I most enjoyed spending my time with, evoke more than just a sniff of gunpowder as I run my eyes over page after page.
The Woven Ring is the latest name to add to this ever-expanding flintlock catalogue of titles, and it makes for good company to powder mages and Mistborn alike. In fact, before I get any further with this review, I must point out that author M. D. Presley shares with McLellan and Sanderson a deep love for a complex and carefully thought-out (or hard) magic system. The magic in “The Woven Ring” intrigues and fascinates, after a fashion. But more on that later.
This is the first book in “Sol’s Harvest” series, and as such has a lot of ground to cover. Not only does Presley have to introduce a fully realized world, but he also tackles a dual narrative, first introducing protagonist Marta Childress as a gaunt husk of a woman in the present, and then pulling the reader back in time in order to witness the full tragedy behind this young woman’s fall from grace. The horrors of surviving through a bloody Civil War during which Marta is seen as traitor both to the East and West have turned her into a bitter woman and a pariah who wishes for nothing but to earn enough for the bare necessities and move on from one small town to the next before she is recognized. The brand on her forehead, hidden only by a raggedy hat, does little to help.
But the Childress clan requests its elder daughter and middle child to return to the fold by performing a dangerous feat that, if Marta proves successful, will restart this bloody conflict. But to return to her family’s good graces, Marta is more than willing to follow through on the task at hand: reunite a traumatized child, Caddie, with her father, a scientist whose brilliance armed the West with the deadly weapons used to decimate the East. But will Marta stop there, or will she kill the man she blames for the worst part of the past conflict?
This is but one of the leading clashes in this story. The overarching conflict behind the Civil War is caused by the different ideologies of two types of magic users or people Blessed with a fourth Breath; the East’s Weavers can twist Breath (think souls) to create deadly “festations” and send them off to cause horrific destruction; Renders, meanwhile, can literally pull the Breath out of living things and cut it. They also look on Weavers as abominations, considering their Eastern counterparts to be working against the will of the god Sol, who blessed all living things with Breaths – but especially the Blessed.
Marta is a Shaper, herself, but we meet many more types of Blessed who use their Breaths in interesting and cool ways. The companions Marta finds herself burdened with in the present are a talkative Listener(mind-reader) and a mysterious mute woman. Fun banter there, despite Marta’s continued game of “How can I best kill and/or run away from these two ‘Freebooters’ and get away with Caddie while avoiding a deadly array of other horrors whom I’ve avoided by the hair of my chin?” Living life as Marta is not easy; neither in the past nor in the present. What past Martha does for close to half the novel is learn to be a spy for her clan; when she’s inevitably pulled deeper into the overarching conflict, she has to learn a number of other, less subverting skills.
My major complaint has to do with a beginning that, I felt, was too heavy-handed in its introduction to the magic system. Reading the first 20-25% of The Woven Ring took me longer than finishing the rest; at the end of the day, I don’t regret reading it, since all those explanations on the magic world and system were well and truly worth it in the end, but someone less invested and interested than I am might find the info dumping overwhelming.
With the introduction of Lucas and his silent companion Isabella, the plot in the present moved more fluidly. Dialogue was wittier and lighter – which, in hindsight, was sorely needed. As for the past, if anything, the pacing was a little bit too rushed; but then again, there could easily be a novella’s worth in-between most of the chapters in Marta’s past, and I bet some of them would be interesting to read, too!
And now, let’s move onto scoring; this time around, I’ll attempt to give a short explanation as to why I score each of the elements below.
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10 Great; The more I read of “The Woven Ring,” the more I enjoyed it; by the last quarter of the book, I was thoroughly hooked, and I’m looking forward to reading the
Dialogue: 7/10 Good; Some conversations now and then didn’t quite ring with authenticity, but for the most part, this novel offers an entertaining and good dialogue.
Magic: 10/10 Masterpiece; The magic system is one area which I can’t find any faults with, and you know what? I don’t want to, either.
Prose: 7 /10 Good; Despite some pacing issues and the info dump in the first quarter of the book, the prose makes for an easy read with vivid descriptions in which characters come alive.
The Rest: 8.5 Great; I wasn’t sure whether to put Character Development or Conflicts in this last slot, since I think they play off one another but Marta goes through changes in this novel, even if it’s a slow, subtle kind; and the conflicts between her and members of her family, a powerful Render, and the overarching conflict between East and West all make for an excellent read.
My recommendation? Read “The Woven Ring.” It’s well worth it if you like flintlock fantasy, tales of a country tearing itself apart, dual narratives in different time-periods, angry and deadly female protagonists, one of the finest magic systems I’ve come across in recent months, and more! Prob’ly.
I’ve divined the final score of “The Woven Ring” by preparing a concoction of gunpowder, powdered bits of bird bone, and a single drop of rum with some almond extract! And the Score is… 4 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads! With all the world-building out of the way, I expect sequel novel “The Imbued Lockblade” to fare even better under my strict criteria and lead-poisoned brain!
This book was kindly handed me over by M. D. Presley in return for an honest review!
The Woven Ring is the latest name to add to this ever-expanding flintlock catalogue of titles, and it makes for good company to powder mages and Mistborn alike. In fact, before I get any further with this review, I must point out that author M. D. Presley shares with McLellan and Sanderson a deep love for a complex and carefully thought-out (or hard) magic system. The magic in “The Woven Ring” intrigues and fascinates, after a fashion. But more on that later.
This is the first book in “Sol’s Harvest” series, and as such has a lot of ground to cover. Not only does Presley have to introduce a fully realized world, but he also tackles a dual narrative, first introducing protagonist Marta Childress as a gaunt husk of a woman in the present, and then pulling the reader back in time in order to witness the full tragedy behind this young woman’s fall from grace. The horrors of surviving through a bloody Civil War during which Marta is seen as traitor both to the East and West have turned her into a bitter woman and a pariah who wishes for nothing but to earn enough for the bare necessities and move on from one small town to the next before she is recognized. The brand on her forehead, hidden only by a raggedy hat, does little to help.
But the Childress clan requests its elder daughter and middle child to return to the fold by performing a dangerous feat that, if Marta proves successful, will restart this bloody conflict. But to return to her family’s good graces, Marta is more than willing to follow through on the task at hand: reunite a traumatized child, Caddie, with her father, a scientist whose brilliance armed the West with the deadly weapons used to decimate the East. But will Marta stop there, or will she kill the man she blames for the worst part of the past conflict?
This is but one of the leading clashes in this story. The overarching conflict behind the Civil War is caused by the different ideologies of two types of magic users or people Blessed with a fourth Breath; the East’s Weavers can twist Breath (think souls) to create deadly “festations” and send them off to cause horrific destruction; Renders, meanwhile, can literally pull the Breath out of living things and cut it. They also look on Weavers as abominations, considering their Eastern counterparts to be working against the will of the god Sol, who blessed all living things with Breaths – but especially the Blessed.
Marta is a Shaper, herself, but we meet many more types of Blessed who use their Breaths in interesting and cool ways. The companions Marta finds herself burdened with in the present are a talkative Listener(mind-reader) and a mysterious mute woman. Fun banter there, despite Marta’s continued game of “How can I best kill and/or run away from these two ‘Freebooters’ and get away with Caddie while avoiding a deadly array of other horrors whom I’ve avoided by the hair of my chin?” Living life as Marta is not easy; neither in the past nor in the present. What past Martha does for close to half the novel is learn to be a spy for her clan; when she’s inevitably pulled deeper into the overarching conflict, she has to learn a number of other, less subverting skills.
My major complaint has to do with a beginning that, I felt, was too heavy-handed in its introduction to the magic system. Reading the first 20-25% of The Woven Ring took me longer than finishing the rest; at the end of the day, I don’t regret reading it, since all those explanations on the magic world and system were well and truly worth it in the end, but someone less invested and interested than I am might find the info dumping overwhelming.
With the introduction of Lucas and his silent companion Isabella, the plot in the present moved more fluidly. Dialogue was wittier and lighter – which, in hindsight, was sorely needed. As for the past, if anything, the pacing was a little bit too rushed; but then again, there could easily be a novella’s worth in-between most of the chapters in Marta’s past, and I bet some of them would be interesting to read, too!
And now, let’s move onto scoring; this time around, I’ll attempt to give a short explanation as to why I score each of the elements below.
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10 Great; The more I read of “The Woven Ring,” the more I enjoyed it; by the last quarter of the book, I was thoroughly hooked, and I’m looking forward to reading the
Dialogue: 7/10 Good; Some conversations now and then didn’t quite ring with authenticity, but for the most part, this novel offers an entertaining and good dialogue.
Magic: 10/10 Masterpiece; The magic system is one area which I can’t find any faults with, and you know what? I don’t want to, either.
Prose: 7 /10 Good; Despite some pacing issues and the info dump in the first quarter of the book, the prose makes for an easy read with vivid descriptions in which characters come alive.
The Rest: 8.5 Great; I wasn’t sure whether to put Character Development or Conflicts in this last slot, since I think they play off one another but Marta goes through changes in this novel, even if it’s a slow, subtle kind; and the conflicts between her and members of her family, a powerful Render, and the overarching conflict between East and West all make for an excellent read.
My recommendation? Read “The Woven Ring.” It’s well worth it if you like flintlock fantasy, tales of a country tearing itself apart, dual narratives in different time-periods, angry and deadly female protagonists, one of the finest magic systems I’ve come across in recent months, and more! Prob’ly.
I’ve divined the final score of “The Woven Ring” by preparing a concoction of gunpowder, powdered bits of bird bone, and a single drop of rum with some almond extract! And the Score is… 4 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads! With all the world-building out of the way, I expect sequel novel “The Imbued Lockblade” to fare even better under my strict criteria and lead-poisoned brain!
This book was kindly handed me over by M. D. Presley in return for an honest review!
richard_nell's review
4.0
I picked this up as a random freebie, and just kind of slotted it into the TBR pile. I've now devoured it in the last day, mostly because it could very well win SPFBO and become 'cool'. Well, take that other guys, I read it first!
Tl;dr
Hugely imaginative, great world building. If you're a high-fantasy lover who's looking to get lost in the details of a magic-system and how it affects the fictional world, this is the book for you. And that's coming from a guy who much prefers low-fantasy. Easy recommend.
Main Review
This is a unique story. You get exactly what the book description promises: a kind of re-imagined, fantasy version of the American civil war. Presley has likely wisely stripped out the slavery aspect, so it's more of a war over culture and theology. And I'm not American so some of this is lost on me, but I also suspect civil-war/American history buffs will find additional treats in the names/places/battles.
On the negative side, I didn't feel particularly attached to the protagonist Marta (who is at least 90% of the pov), and because of the jumps back and forth through time there's a certain feeling of inevitability. The story of Marta the child is a tragic one, and the story of Marta the woman is not about character development, so the past sections can feel more like exposition than experience.
On a more neutral note, the writing style does its job and is not intrusive, though with the occasional oddity. There's some info dumping, and some pretty obvious string pulling, but I found these to be small flaws and not barriers to enjoying the book.
Ultimately - I rarely read high fantasy, I'm not particularly interested in American history, and I enjoyed this book anyway. That says something. A great debut from a young author, and a perfect demonstration of why indie publishing is awesome.
Tl;dr
Hugely imaginative, great world building. If you're a high-fantasy lover who's looking to get lost in the details of a magic-system and how it affects the fictional world, this is the book for you. And that's coming from a guy who much prefers low-fantasy. Easy recommend.
Main Review
This is a unique story. You get exactly what the book description promises: a kind of re-imagined, fantasy version of the American civil war. Presley has likely wisely stripped out the slavery aspect, so it's more of a war over culture and theology. And I'm not American so some of this is lost on me, but I also suspect civil-war/American history buffs will find additional treats in the names/places/battles.
On the negative side, I didn't feel particularly attached to the protagonist Marta (who is at least 90% of the pov), and because of the jumps back and forth through time there's a certain feeling of inevitability. The story of Marta the child is a tragic one, and the story of Marta the woman is not about character development, so the past sections can feel more like exposition than experience.
On a more neutral note, the writing style does its job and is not intrusive, though with the occasional oddity. There's some info dumping, and some pretty obvious string pulling, but I found these to be small flaws and not barriers to enjoying the book.
Ultimately - I rarely read high fantasy, I'm not particularly interested in American history, and I enjoyed this book anyway. That says something. A great debut from a young author, and a perfect demonstration of why indie publishing is awesome.
phillyrea's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cpark2005's review
4.0
I love magic systems, and M.D. Presley’s The Woven Ring has one of the most unique and imaginative magic systems I’ve come across. Add to this a unique and enthralling setting and you have a formula for a fantasy with vast potential. That potential is tempered, however, by a main character that is unlikeable at best and a plot that never quite connected for me. This is one that will be easily loved by some and difficult to love for others.
First, the magic system in The Woven Ring is wonderful. It’s unique, imaginative, and highly engaging. In Presley’s world each human being is endowed with three Breaths. This separates them from other living things. Animals only have two Breaths. Plants and insects have merely a single Breath. Yet some humans are endowed with a fourth Breath and depending on the location of this Breath within their bodies they can do various magical things. For example, some can listen to others’ thoughts. Others can create a kind of armor around themselves. Still others can use Breath to create creatures. When a person dies their three Breaths leave their body and return to the flow. Breaths can be harvested from the flow via lines of ley and used in technologies or in other ways. It’s an absolutely fascinating system and I want to see more of it. The world itself is also wonderfully realized. Presley has created an analog to Civil War era America—but with 100% more magic and airships. This backdrop for the story is something that really shines throughout the book. There were moments when I just wanted to learn more about the setting itself. This is a fresh take on a fantasy setting that I think will appeal to many fantasy fans. There are a number of plotlines that don’t get much screen time in the novel, but are intriguing. There are plots and counterplots taking place, many of which the reader can only guess at. On top of this there are a couple of secondary characters that I really enjoyed and would love to learn more about in the future.
My main disappointment with the novel came in the form of the main character. While Marta is well fleshed out as a character, she just isn’t likeable. She’s angry at everything—sometimes without really having a reason to be so. She’s a broken person, and we’re able to see why she’s so broken through a past timeline that is scattered throughout the novel every few chapters. This shows Marta’s life before and during the Grand War (analog to the American Civil War). There is an element of fascination here as we get to see how Presley has crafted this character—and Marta is probably very true to life in that I can imagine someone who has gone through what she has gone through being very much like her. She’s believable, but not likeable. There are moments when I feel sorry for her, but then there are also moments when I think she is being stupid and if she would take just a couple moments to calm down and think she’d probably make decisions that were much better. In the end, I found myself preferring the past timeline to the current timeline in the novel. In either timeline, I often found myself confused as to what motivated Marta to act in the way she acted. My second big disappointment with The Woven Ring is that the main plot feels like it drags a bit in the middle and never amounts to much beyond a fetch quest. It’s true that the plot is left dangling at the end, as this is the first book of a trilogy. Even so, the plot never gripped me and thus I didn’t feel much tension at the cliffhanger ending.
This is a hard one to rate. The world building and magic system are out of this world. A couple of the secondary characters are interesting, and the past timeline really gives us a glimpse into why Marta is the way she is. All excellent elements. Marta herself, as a character, is difficult to root for, and more problematic is that the main plot failed to grip me at any point. I think folks’ reactions will be tightly linked with their take on Marta.
3.5/5 stars
First, the magic system in The Woven Ring is wonderful. It’s unique, imaginative, and highly engaging. In Presley’s world each human being is endowed with three Breaths. This separates them from other living things. Animals only have two Breaths. Plants and insects have merely a single Breath. Yet some humans are endowed with a fourth Breath and depending on the location of this Breath within their bodies they can do various magical things. For example, some can listen to others’ thoughts. Others can create a kind of armor around themselves. Still others can use Breath to create creatures. When a person dies their three Breaths leave their body and return to the flow. Breaths can be harvested from the flow via lines of ley and used in technologies or in other ways. It’s an absolutely fascinating system and I want to see more of it. The world itself is also wonderfully realized. Presley has created an analog to Civil War era America—but with 100% more magic and airships. This backdrop for the story is something that really shines throughout the book. There were moments when I just wanted to learn more about the setting itself. This is a fresh take on a fantasy setting that I think will appeal to many fantasy fans. There are a number of plotlines that don’t get much screen time in the novel, but are intriguing. There are plots and counterplots taking place, many of which the reader can only guess at. On top of this there are a couple of secondary characters that I really enjoyed and would love to learn more about in the future.
My main disappointment with the novel came in the form of the main character. While Marta is well fleshed out as a character, she just isn’t likeable. She’s angry at everything—sometimes without really having a reason to be so. She’s a broken person, and we’re able to see why she’s so broken through a past timeline that is scattered throughout the novel every few chapters. This shows Marta’s life before and during the Grand War (analog to the American Civil War). There is an element of fascination here as we get to see how Presley has crafted this character—and Marta is probably very true to life in that I can imagine someone who has gone through what she has gone through being very much like her. She’s believable, but not likeable. There are moments when I feel sorry for her, but then there are also moments when I think she is being stupid and if she would take just a couple moments to calm down and think she’d probably make decisions that were much better. In the end, I found myself preferring the past timeline to the current timeline in the novel. In either timeline, I often found myself confused as to what motivated Marta to act in the way she acted. My second big disappointment with The Woven Ring is that the main plot feels like it drags a bit in the middle and never amounts to much beyond a fetch quest. It’s true that the plot is left dangling at the end, as this is the first book of a trilogy. Even so, the plot never gripped me and thus I didn’t feel much tension at the cliffhanger ending.
This is a hard one to rate. The world building and magic system are out of this world. A couple of the secondary characters are interesting, and the past timeline really gives us a glimpse into why Marta is the way she is. All excellent elements. Marta herself, as a character, is difficult to root for, and more problematic is that the main plot failed to grip me at any point. I think folks’ reactions will be tightly linked with their take on Marta.
3.5/5 stars
eyed's review
4.0
This was my first full length flintlock fantasy and I must say I am very impressed. Mr. Presley has created quite an amazing world and filled it with some very interesting characters. Then he kinda destroyed it with a civil war. While this sounds awful, let me tell you it makes for a great read.
The magic in the world is a product of the breath that all living creatures posses. All humans have three breaths but the blessed have four. The fourth breath is what gives people special abilities. There are whisperers who can manipulate the thoughts of others, listeners who can hear peoples thoughts, shapers who can make physical objects such as armor and swords. The truly blessed are the renders and weavers. Renders can pull the breath from living creatures and weavers can use breaths to create manifestations to use for labor or war.
The chapters alternate past and present tense told from the POV of the main character Marta. The past chapters begin with the tale of her childhood and indoctrination as a shaper into her Childra family clan. It proceeds through her years as a young woman and her experiences in the Grand War. The present chapters are years later, Marta a woman both estranged from her family and battered by life but still unwilling to give up. Marta is definitely not a character for everyone, I personally love her. I think she was wonderfully written, probably one of my favorite characters I have encountered this year.
About 95-97% of the story is told through Marta's POV, we do occasionally get glimpses of some other characters who may play a larger role as the story progresses.
Marta's mission in the present is to find and deliver a girl named Caddie to her father. Caddie is catatonic and requires quite a bit of work on Marta's part. Marta does have a few others who are at the moment helping her. They are Luca and Isabelle, Luca is a listener and Isabelle is a non speaking member of the Ingio tribe which are similar to Native Americans.
There was a lot of action and the writing was very engaging. Overall it was a really good read. I will for sure be picking up book two in the series and reading it as soon as I have a chance.
I recommend this to anyone that enjoys flintlock fantasy or anyone likes fantasy but wants something outside the standard fantasy setting. If you are not familiar with it I would also recommend checking out Sigil Independent, they have an excellent line up of authors and you might just find your new favorite.
The magic in the world is a product of the breath that all living creatures posses. All humans have three breaths but the blessed have four. The fourth breath is what gives people special abilities. There are whisperers who can manipulate the thoughts of others, listeners who can hear peoples thoughts, shapers who can make physical objects such as armor and swords. The truly blessed are the renders and weavers. Renders can pull the breath from living creatures and weavers can use breaths to create manifestations to use for labor or war.
The chapters alternate past and present tense told from the POV of the main character Marta. The past chapters begin with the tale of her childhood and indoctrination as a shaper into her Childra family clan. It proceeds through her years as a young woman and her experiences in the Grand War. The present chapters are years later, Marta a woman both estranged from her family and battered by life but still unwilling to give up. Marta is definitely not a character for everyone, I personally love her. I think she was wonderfully written, probably one of my favorite characters I have encountered this year.
About 95-97% of the story is told through Marta's POV, we do occasionally get glimpses of some other characters who may play a larger role as the story progresses.
Marta's mission in the present is to find and deliver a girl named Caddie to her father. Caddie is catatonic and requires quite a bit of work on Marta's part. Marta does have a few others who are at the moment helping her. They are Luca and Isabelle, Luca is a listener and Isabelle is a non speaking member of the Ingio tribe which are similar to Native Americans.
There was a lot of action and the writing was very engaging. Overall it was a really good read. I will for sure be picking up book two in the series and reading it as soon as I have a chance.
I recommend this to anyone that enjoys flintlock fantasy or anyone likes fantasy but wants something outside the standard fantasy setting. If you are not familiar with it I would also recommend checking out Sigil Independent, they have an excellent line up of authors and you might just find your new favorite.
swiff's review
5.0
Fighting for your ideals is a noble cause, an honorable path in which to dedicate your life. But what if those ideals are corrupted, and everything you know and love is ripped away from you--what would you become? M.D. Presley attempts to answer these questions in the remarkable The Woven Ring, book one of the planned four-volume “Sol’s Harvest” tetralogy. This book is an achievement that excels in so many levels, yet is still greater than the sum of its parts. Presley has created a vivid world that has been shattered by civil war, yet pulses with life through its fine cast of characters and a rich system of magical Breath abilities. It is elegantly written, with a poetic cadence that rewards multiple passage readings. And it is a brilliant start to a series that paints a heartbreaking, yet endearing portrait of a woman who has lost everything, but will never stop fighting.
Marta Childress was born a high society noble, daughter of the leader of this continent’s Cildra clan. This secretive clan is a spy network of men and women gifted in the art of espionage and information gathering, and they hold great political sway. The clan was part of the Eastern alliance, known as the Covenant, who declared its independence from the Western territories due to the Covenant’s views on using their rare Breath ability to manifest phantom golems that handle their labor. The Westerners believe that the use of Sol’s gift of Breath manipulation is heresy, and deploy Reavers to cut out the Breath of those who mishandle these Blessed abilities. Tensions soon escalate, and a civil war, the Grand War, arises to kills untold thousands over several years of fighting. Eventually, the Westerners win the war due to a technological invention that shatters the Covenant into submission.
We follow Marta across two separate timelines that alternate at the end of each chapter. The present-day Marta is a broken woman: emotionally and physically scarred, unable to look herself in the eye in a mirror, numbing herself to life with alcohol and physical labor. She hides her identity and is on the run from her past, yet we do not know why. She is soon given a mission, sent by her hated brother Carmichael, to find and escort a girl across the country to reunite with her father. This father happens to be the man who invented the technology that decimated the Covenant, including Marta’s hometown and fellow Cidra clan members. Marta is simultaneously given secret orders by her own father that contradict Carmichael’s instructions, and must decide whether to choose duty over vengeance, or family over revenge.
We also spend time with the Marta of the past, learning how she discovered her Shaper powers, her years in training, her involvement in espionage, and eventually her tragic years fighting in the Grand War. We witness the breaking of Marta over time, witness to her life slowly disintegrating as she discovers that she is only a pawn in the bigger game of war and politics. Nevertheless, she persisted. It is heartbreaking to take this journey with Marta, who fights so hard to help her people be free.
If this sounds like a lot of information, you are correct. I’ve barely explained the various Breath abilities: Marta is gifted with the ability that allows her to Shape, or manifest her Breath into armor, or a phantom blade, or a lock pick, or even powerful, jumping rabbit legs. Listeners are gifted with hearing echoes of thoughts from people nearby who don’t protect their Mind. Whisperers can incept ideas in others’ heads; Renders can pull Breath from the Blessed out of their bodies, and sever their life force using glass weaponry; Weavers can pool Breaths to create and control ethereal automatons to utilize for work or combat. There is a detailed history brimming with stories on how Breath is the life force that gathers within all living things, and their Breaths are balls of light that return to the earth after death, joining rivers of ley before inhabiting life anew. There are ancient emets, phantom beasts that are either benign, malevolent, or indifferent that are worshipped by towns for generations. There are glassmen, creatures of such evil power and malcontent that are near impossible to kill. There are tribes of Native American-like Ingios, there are tech-savvy Tinkers, there are Gypsy-like nomads called Dobra that run a communication network across the lines of ley. And nearly all of this is introduced or alluded to in the first few chapters of the story.
The learning curve felt steep towards the beginning of the book, as I found myself highlighting a great many passages and scribbling notes while so many new ideas were introduced. Each passage felt like they were of great importance, and they were: much of what we learn early in the story is applicable to the rest of the book. Once I progressed past the 20% mark, I had absorbed which areas were siding with whom, which people had what abilities, and so forth. In fact, I didn’t mind the massive information dump; indeed, it was one of Presley’s biggest strengths in his writing: Presley not only spends time explaining the “what” of these new topics, but ensures that the reader understands the “how” and the “why” as well. It would have been easy to gloss over some of the bigger concepts that were introduced, but instead Presley applies some of these concepts into real-world scenarios, giving these concepts depth and consequence. I greatly appreciated how well-developed his ideas were, as these examples helped strengthen the concept that these new ideas carried weight and a sense of realism. As more and more concepts were introduced, the book dedicated extra time to hashing out the implications of these themes in vivid detail, which elevated the world-building into rare territory.
There is so much more than even what’s mentioned above, and therein lies perhaps the book’s greatest asset: it is continuously rewarding with each new chapter and revelation. While Marta’s story is a sad one, it is also fulfilling, fascinating, and incredibly compelling. I cared for Marta’s journey, both past and present. I warily attached myself to her companions over time, but was careful not to trust them any further than Marta did. I caught my breath during the scenes of battle, felt sorrow during loss, and felt hope as her mission edged closer towards something that resembled progress.
I don’t know where this story is going, but I will certainly be along for the ride. The Woven Ring is one of the most thought-provoking and overall favorite reads of the year.
8.7 / 10
Marta Childress was born a high society noble, daughter of the leader of this continent’s Cildra clan. This secretive clan is a spy network of men and women gifted in the art of espionage and information gathering, and they hold great political sway. The clan was part of the Eastern alliance, known as the Covenant, who declared its independence from the Western territories due to the Covenant’s views on using their rare Breath ability to manifest phantom golems that handle their labor. The Westerners believe that the use of Sol’s gift of Breath manipulation is heresy, and deploy Reavers to cut out the Breath of those who mishandle these Blessed abilities. Tensions soon escalate, and a civil war, the Grand War, arises to kills untold thousands over several years of fighting. Eventually, the Westerners win the war due to a technological invention that shatters the Covenant into submission.
We follow Marta across two separate timelines that alternate at the end of each chapter. The present-day Marta is a broken woman: emotionally and physically scarred, unable to look herself in the eye in a mirror, numbing herself to life with alcohol and physical labor. She hides her identity and is on the run from her past, yet we do not know why. She is soon given a mission, sent by her hated brother Carmichael, to find and escort a girl across the country to reunite with her father. This father happens to be the man who invented the technology that decimated the Covenant, including Marta’s hometown and fellow Cidra clan members. Marta is simultaneously given secret orders by her own father that contradict Carmichael’s instructions, and must decide whether to choose duty over vengeance, or family over revenge.
We also spend time with the Marta of the past, learning how she discovered her Shaper powers, her years in training, her involvement in espionage, and eventually her tragic years fighting in the Grand War. We witness the breaking of Marta over time, witness to her life slowly disintegrating as she discovers that she is only a pawn in the bigger game of war and politics. Nevertheless, she persisted. It is heartbreaking to take this journey with Marta, who fights so hard to help her people be free.
If this sounds like a lot of information, you are correct. I’ve barely explained the various Breath abilities: Marta is gifted with the ability that allows her to Shape, or manifest her Breath into armor, or a phantom blade, or a lock pick, or even powerful, jumping rabbit legs. Listeners are gifted with hearing echoes of thoughts from people nearby who don’t protect their Mind. Whisperers can incept ideas in others’ heads; Renders can pull Breath from the Blessed out of their bodies, and sever their life force using glass weaponry; Weavers can pool Breaths to create and control ethereal automatons to utilize for work or combat. There is a detailed history brimming with stories on how Breath is the life force that gathers within all living things, and their Breaths are balls of light that return to the earth after death, joining rivers of ley before inhabiting life anew. There are ancient emets, phantom beasts that are either benign, malevolent, or indifferent that are worshipped by towns for generations. There are glassmen, creatures of such evil power and malcontent that are near impossible to kill. There are tribes of Native American-like Ingios, there are tech-savvy Tinkers, there are Gypsy-like nomads called Dobra that run a communication network across the lines of ley. And nearly all of this is introduced or alluded to in the first few chapters of the story.
The learning curve felt steep towards the beginning of the book, as I found myself highlighting a great many passages and scribbling notes while so many new ideas were introduced. Each passage felt like they were of great importance, and they were: much of what we learn early in the story is applicable to the rest of the book. Once I progressed past the 20% mark, I had absorbed which areas were siding with whom, which people had what abilities, and so forth. In fact, I didn’t mind the massive information dump; indeed, it was one of Presley’s biggest strengths in his writing: Presley not only spends time explaining the “what” of these new topics, but ensures that the reader understands the “how” and the “why” as well. It would have been easy to gloss over some of the bigger concepts that were introduced, but instead Presley applies some of these concepts into real-world scenarios, giving these concepts depth and consequence. I greatly appreciated how well-developed his ideas were, as these examples helped strengthen the concept that these new ideas carried weight and a sense of realism. As more and more concepts were introduced, the book dedicated extra time to hashing out the implications of these themes in vivid detail, which elevated the world-building into rare territory.
There is so much more than even what’s mentioned above, and therein lies perhaps the book’s greatest asset: it is continuously rewarding with each new chapter and revelation. While Marta’s story is a sad one, it is also fulfilling, fascinating, and incredibly compelling. I cared for Marta’s journey, both past and present. I warily attached myself to her companions over time, but was careful not to trust them any further than Marta did. I caught my breath during the scenes of battle, felt sorrow during loss, and felt hope as her mission edged closer towards something that resembled progress.
I don’t know where this story is going, but I will certainly be along for the ride. The Woven Ring is one of the most thought-provoking and overall favorite reads of the year.
8.7 / 10
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