Woven in Moonlight - Becca In A Book

Summary:

Ximena’s parents were killed when she was very young by the Llacsan armies. She demands vengeance for her family’s murder so she agrees to become the decoy for the Condesa, the leader of the Illustrians. When the leader of the Llacsan demands the Condesa as his bride, Ximena goes in her stead hoping that this will lead to the end of the war. However, Ximena is forced to confront that maybe everything she knows is a lie and in order to achieve peace, she must betray the ones she loves most.

My Thoughts:

I had never heard of this book, but when I saw one of my bookstagram friends hosting a buddy read, I was intrigued, but I had no idea how amazing this book was going to be! I loved every minute of this read and I probably will recommend it to everyone I know.

I loved the writing so much! The author used so much detail about Latin foods, smells, and customs that I felt so at home! Usually I get bored very easily by the details of a book, but I was never bored with this book. The words the author used were so colorful and perfect that I could see exactly what she was talking about. I also loved how much she wrote about the food! The main character was always eating and I wanted to try everything!

This fantasy was also so unique to what I usually read. I enjoyed that the author based it on true events from Bolivia’s history and I want to explore this much more! The fact that the ruler ordered most of the farming land to be used for the cocaine plant was an interesting twist and a sad reminder of reality. I always am keen for a good rebellion and I enjoyed that addition to this fantasy landscape.

I really enjoyed all of the characters so much and I loved all the twists and turns they provided to the plot. All the characters blended well together to create a true fantastic Latin masterpiece. Ximena of course was my favorite. She is everything that I want in a main character, she is a fighter and has a sarcastic humor that could make anyone laugh. Rumi was an adorably awkward healer that ran hot and cold when it came to treating Ximena. Juan Carlos of course stole my heart with his debonair nature and how he liked to poke fun at Ximena. I also really enjoyed Tamaya and wished I could have gotten to know her better.

I also loved El Lobo. He reminded me of Zorro from my childhood so it is such a wonderful addition to the plot. Ximena and El Lobo’s encounters were really fun to read and added a sexy element to the plot whenever they bickered.

Dare I say this, but I could not STAND Catalina. She was kind of awful and she got on my nerves. From the very beginning, I knew that Catalina would make a terrible queen. She just could not stand not being liked and she did not have the strength to be a powerful leader. I also could not get on board with Atoc being a villain. He was so boring and I could have done without him. Honestly, I would have been more okay with the priest being the villain because he creeped me out so much! Something about religious figures in ancient civilizations or fantasies give me the heebie jeebies!

My favorite part in the book, other than the food, were the magical tapestries. OMG! They just sounded so beautiful and I wanted every single one that she made. It was such an unexpected magical element and it truly made the book a five rating for me.

Overall, this was such a fun and colorful read that I look forward to rereading over and over again.