Friday, May 14, 2010

Brightly Woven Alexandra Bracken

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past. The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

1 comment:

  1. I think this book should win a Newbery Award because the author used very descriptive words to explain the characters' emotions and what they were feeling. When I started this book, I immediately got sucked in and couldn't stop reading it. I also felt as if sometimes I was one of the characters and I was experiencing what they were. This book reminded me a lot of The Princess Academy because Miri, who was the main character in The Princess Academy, also got taken away from her family as Sydelle did, though not in the same way. I think this book is appropriate for rising 5th graders and up.

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