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juliesinstaricelife's review against another edition
1.0
Dnf at 50%. I don’t even want to try to figure out what’s going on. It started promising but now it’s just become so confusing but also boring at the same time? I don’t know what to pay attention too. I received a free audio ARC from Netgalley. Maybe this would be better to read but when I listened I found myself just not even trying to pay attention.
lost_in_tome's review against another edition
4.0
Could not get enough of this read!!! Zaria is a slave purchased for the Savage King, Harken. Her initial goal was to join a completion and win freedom for her and her siblings. Instead, she has been tasked by Harken to find out who is behind the Dark Rip that took her brother. Soooo much is going on in this one book! I probably would have suggested splitting this story up into, at the very least, a duology. I think it would behave given Holden the opportunity to go into more detail about the world she built. It may have also helped with getting the readers more invested in her characters. That aside, I really enjoyed the plot line and the relationship built between Harken and Zaria. The hateful banter and borderline hostility made this a very entertaining read. I would definitely pick up more by Holden
thebookdragonskeep's review against another edition
4.0
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!
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!
spookymessreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cschaepe84's review
3.0
Thank you Netgalley for the Arc
I really wanted to love this book so much more than I did because of the intriguing plot and premise and wonderful characters. The story is about a girl who is enslaved along with her four siblings (even though they are not biological siblings). She wants to win the Braid Race so she can buy her and her family's freedom. Well, a Dark Rip steals her brother from her, and along with that, she meets a mysterious stranger who wants to know why there have been an increase in Dark Rips.
So our heroine, Zaria enters the Braid Race, but loses, and none other than the Savage King Harken, who is the mysterious stranger she meets, claims her for his own as decreed in their laws to spare life. Naturally, she's suspicious of him and his also concerned about his reputation, finding out though that he is not quite what he seems. He in turn starts having feelings for her as well despite knowing that he needs to keep those feelings for her at bay because he feels that she is she may be the key of why there are Dark Rips as he is the sworn protector of the Woven Court, now known as the Savage Court after a war that had torn the world apart...
I really enjoyed the romance between Zaria and Harken, but alas, it was buried underneath way too much political intrigue and world building. Lucy Holden can really write good spicy scenes, so it kind of disappointed me that I didn't get more romantic tension between Harken and Zaria, especially when considering the nature of their relationship and what they are: A Savage King and a little Criminal (even thought I didn't really care much for the nickname to be honest). I felt like most of the story was a lot of explanation about the history and politics and yet I still managed to be confused.
This story would have been a two star had it not been for the fact that I really liked the characters and the story premise, though it would have been 4 or a 5 had it focused more on Zaria and Harken's relationship, which in and of itself is an intriguing story, but the opportunity was missed.
I really wanted to love this book so much more than I did because of the intriguing plot and premise and wonderful characters. The story is about a girl who is enslaved along with her four siblings (even though they are not biological siblings). She wants to win the Braid Race so she can buy her and her family's freedom. Well, a Dark Rip steals her brother from her, and along with that, she meets a mysterious stranger who wants to know why there have been an increase in Dark Rips.
So our heroine, Zaria enters the Braid Race, but loses, and none other than the Savage King Harken, who is the mysterious stranger she meets, claims her for his own as decreed in their laws to spare life. Naturally, she's suspicious of him and his also concerned about his reputation, finding out though that he is not quite what he seems. He in turn starts having feelings for her as well despite knowing that he needs to keep those feelings for her at bay because he feels that she is she may be the key of why there are Dark Rips as he is the sworn protector of the Woven Court, now known as the Savage Court after a war that had torn the world apart...
I really enjoyed the romance between Zaria and Harken, but alas, it was buried underneath way too much political intrigue and world building. Lucy Holden can really write good spicy scenes, so it kind of disappointed me that I didn't get more romantic tension between Harken and Zaria, especially when considering the nature of their relationship and what they are: A Savage King and a little Criminal (even thought I didn't really care much for the nickname to be honest). I felt like most of the story was a lot of explanation about the history and politics and yet I still managed to be confused.
This story would have been a two star had it not been for the fact that I really liked the characters and the story premise, though it would have been 4 or a 5 had it focused more on Zaria and Harken's relationship, which in and of itself is an intriguing story, but the opportunity was missed.
katemc7's review
2.0
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.
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.
kkimlyreads's review
3.0
Woven in Darkness
Plot: .5
Writing: 1
World building: .5
Characters:.5
Themes: .5
3/5
Spice: .5/5 There really isn’t spice in here, just some angst
What you can expect:
- Morally Grey, dark MMC
- Extensive World building
- Interesting magic system based on needles and “weaving” openings between spaces.
- Political intrigue
- Tournament-esque games
Woven in Darkness had a strong start. I was instantly sucked into Zaria, her family, and their slave status via braid. There was a lot of world building, which is expected for a fantasy book, so I didn’t mind it. However, as we went on, the world building never really stopped. I remember looking at how far I was and thinking, “How is there STILL worldbuilding 70% into the book?!”. Because the world is so expansive (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a story like an epic fantasy series), we get chunky worldbuilding. As a slave, our FMC (Zaria), is completely oblivious to the world and how it works. So we have a lot of world building being explained to her because she asks questions (FBAA flashbacks) and the other big chunk of worldbuilding is through flashes of the MMC’s past. I do appreciate getting the info in different ways but man, it was a lot. I wish there was a glossary of terms or something I could flip to and refer to when something comes up because honestly, I’m still confused.
There were some plot points that I felt were repetitive. I love a good tournament but the way it was done in this book made me question if there could have been a different type of game that could still be used to further the story. I really enjoyed the beginning and I really enjoyed the end but that middle chunk took a bit for me to get through. The pacing was a lot slower. Slower pacing + dense worldbuilding = an almost DNF. I did a light DNF and read a couple spicy books so I wouldn’t burn out. The story has so much potential, I think it could have benefited from less information.
I liked Harkan as a character. He’s old and doesn’t act like he’s 19. That’s a win in my book. I felt like we got to see so much into his life and by the end I knew him better than Zaria. I felt more invested in him as a character even though we don’t get too much growth in the current story.
I loved Huxley. I wanted more of Huxley.
The overarching story was not resolved as this is a series but the ending felt like it was a stand-a-lone. It wouldn’t hurt to give this one a shot because even if you choose not to continue with the series, you’re getting a satisfying ending.
This is NOT a starter fantasy book. This is NOT a spicy book. This is a high fantasy for those who love a unique and extensive world and magic system.
I listened to some of the audiobook and I have to say I enjoyed it much more. The narrator did a wonderful job.
Thank you to Booksirens for an eArc and Netgalley for an advanced listener copy of Woven in Darkness. This is my honest review.
Plot: .5
Writing: 1
World building: .5
Characters:.5
Themes: .5
3/5
Spice: .5/5 There really isn’t spice in here, just some angst
What you can expect:
- Morally Grey, dark MMC
- Extensive World building
- Interesting magic system based on needles and “weaving” openings between spaces.
- Political intrigue
- Tournament-esque games
Woven in Darkness had a strong start. I was instantly sucked into Zaria, her family, and their slave status via braid. There was a lot of world building, which is expected for a fantasy book, so I didn’t mind it. However, as we went on, the world building never really stopped. I remember looking at how far I was and thinking, “How is there STILL worldbuilding 70% into the book?!”. Because the world is so expansive (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a story like an epic fantasy series), we get chunky worldbuilding. As a slave, our FMC (Zaria), is completely oblivious to the world and how it works. So we have a lot of world building being explained to her because she asks questions (FBAA flashbacks) and the other big chunk of worldbuilding is through flashes of the MMC’s past. I do appreciate getting the info in different ways but man, it was a lot. I wish there was a glossary of terms or something I could flip to and refer to when something comes up because honestly, I’m still confused.
There were some plot points that I felt were repetitive. I love a good tournament but the way it was done in this book made me question if there could have been a different type of game that could still be used to further the story. I really enjoyed the beginning and I really enjoyed the end but that middle chunk took a bit for me to get through. The pacing was a lot slower. Slower pacing + dense worldbuilding = an almost DNF. I did a light DNF and read a couple spicy books so I wouldn’t burn out. The story has so much potential, I think it could have benefited from less information.
I liked Harkan as a character. He’s old and doesn’t act like he’s 19. That’s a win in my book. I felt like we got to see so much into his life and by the end I knew him better than Zaria. I felt more invested in him as a character even though we don’t get too much growth in the current story.
I loved Huxley. I wanted more of Huxley.
The overarching story was not resolved as this is a series but the ending felt like it was a stand-a-lone. It wouldn’t hurt to give this one a shot because even if you choose not to continue with the series, you’re getting a satisfying ending.
This is NOT a starter fantasy book. This is NOT a spicy book. This is a high fantasy for those who love a unique and extensive world and magic system.
I listened to some of the audiobook and I have to say I enjoyed it much more. The narrator did a wonderful job.
Thank you to Booksirens for an eArc and Netgalley for an advanced listener copy of Woven in Darkness. This is my honest review.
talkingchicle's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The world that has been created in this is so complex and I really enjoyed that, There's a lot of depth to it but I didn't feel like it was difficult to understand and I was kept engrossed by it the whole time. The main character Zaria is fighting for not only her freedom but also the freedom of her siblings. There's so much deception and many secrets woven into the story that can makes it difficult to see how Zaria will make the right choices.
I really enjoyed seeing the backstory into why Harken, the dark and mysterious savage king, is the way he is. I especially appreciated that his story was told in the style of flashbacks for Zaria. I was happy to see that the end of this story wasn't covered in violence and uncertainty like the rest of the story.
If you enjoy high fantasy with excellent world building then definitely pick this up.
The world that has been created in this is so complex and I really enjoyed that, There's a lot of depth to it but I didn't feel like it was difficult to understand and I was kept engrossed by it the whole time. The main character Zaria is fighting for not only her freedom but also the freedom of her siblings. There's so much deception and many secrets woven into the story that can makes it difficult to see how Zaria will make the right choices.
I really enjoyed seeing the backstory into why Harken, the dark and mysterious savage king, is the way he is. I especially appreciated that his story was told in the style of flashbacks for Zaria. I was happy to see that the end of this story wasn't covered in violence and uncertainty like the rest of the story.
If you enjoy high fantasy with excellent world building then definitely pick this up.