5/5 stars

Woven in Moonlight is a compelling tale set in a rich fantasy world with an amazing cast of characters. I absolutely adored this book and could not stop reading it! 

"Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa."

One of my favourite things about this book was the politics of the world. The fantasy world was full of nuance. The story begins as a clear-cut tale of a girl seeking revenge for 10 years of wrongdoing against her people. But as the story develops, right and wrong becomes a lot less distinct and both the reader and Ximena begin to question everything they've believed thus far. It led to a very interesting discussion on justice and right and wrong and I loved seeing Ximena's opinions and beliefs change throughout the book as she learnt more about Inkasisa's past. 

I also adored the characters in this one. As i previously mentioned, Ximena has so much character development throughout the book and it's really wonderful to watch her grow and change and figure out what she truly believes. I also really enjoyed some of the side characters, particularly the princesa and Rumi. They were so interesting and fun to read about. I just loved this whole cast of characters and really wish I could read more about them. 

This fantasy world was also so rich and magical. Everything from the clothes and foods to the plants and animals feels so real and developed. When reading the book it just felt like I was living in Inkasisa. 

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loved the politics of The Winners Kiss and the magic in Spin the Dawn. You will absolutely not be disappointed in this book. 

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