Brightly Woven

Brightly Woven
By Alexandra Bracken
Egmont USA, 2010. 354 pgs. Young Adult

Sydelle longs to leave Clifton, the small, drought-ridden town she has always lived in, but she wants to do so on her own terms. When soldiers from a neighboring country invade and a wizard decides he needs her help, she has no choice but to leave. Sydelle and North, the wizard, begin their treacherous journey to the kingdom’s capital with a lot of mistrust on Sydelle’s part. She doesn’t understand why North chose her and he is a slovenly young man. As they progress on their journey, Sydelle and North learn more about each other and Sydelle learns more about magic and herself than she thought possible.

While not as complex as Incarceron or as rich in character as Finnikin of the Rock, this is an enjoyable fantasy about a young woman who really comes into her own self as she leaves her home and the security she has always felt.

MN