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Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez

Young adult

Woven in Moonlight

Debut

We love supporting debut authors. Congrats, Isabel Ibañez, on your first book!

by Isabel Ibañez

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Quick take

A decoy bride becomes the face of Bolivia's revolución as she exacts revenge in a fiercely Latinx fantasy.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, Romance

    Romance

  • Illustrated icon, Action_packed

    Action-packed

  • Illustrated icon, Magical

    Magical

  • Illustrated icon, Graphic_Content

    Graphic violence

Synopsis

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.

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Check out a preview of Woven in Moonlight.

Woven in Moonlight

Capítulo

Uno

My banged-up spoon scrapes the bottom of a barrel that should’ve held enough dried beans to last for three more months.

No, no, no.

There has to be more.

Sickness churns my stomach, and my knuckles brush against bare wood as I coax a handful of shriveled beans into a half-empty bag. I wipe dirty hands against my white trousers and ignore the sweat dripping down my neck. The kingdom of Inkasisa is in the middle of her stifling wet season. Even though it’s night, there’s no escaping the muggy heat.

“Something wrong, Condesa?” asks the next person in line waiting for their ration.

Yes, in fact. We’re all going to starve. Not that I can say this out loud. It goes against everything I know to do as their leader: A condesa should never show fear.

I school my features into what I hope is a pleasant expression, then turn to face the long line of Illustrians waiting for their evening portions. Drawn faces stare back at me. White clothes hang off gaunt frames, loose and big like the tents the Illustrians sleep in next to the keep.

My whole life, I’ve trained for situations like this: manage expectations, soothe people’s worries, feed them. It’s the condesa’s job.

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Why I love it

When the weather gets colder, I like to curl up with books that take me into an entirely new setting. So I was thrilled to stumble upon Isabel Ibañez's Woven in Moonlight, a lush Latinx fantasy based on Bolivian folklore that allowed me to immerse myself in a culture I don’t typically have a chance to read about.

The book tells the story of Ximena, who lives a harrowing life ruling over her people as the decoy Condesa. Ximena’s people have been driven from their homes and into hiding by an enemy king with the power to summon destructive earthquakes. When this cruel king demands to marry the Condesa, Ximena finds herself alone in his court, navigating dangerous court intrigues, making enemies, and becoming unlikely allies with the masked revolutionary who teaches her that the friction between her people and his is far more complicated than she realizes.

This book has everything I could ask for in a winter read: action, romance, unique magic, and tough women. I loved how beautifully written it was, with fully fleshed out characters, plot twists that caught me off guard, and a well-rendered window into a rich vein of Bolivian history, politics, and folklore. Woven in Moonlight kept me guessing and rooting for its characters, and since reading it, I’ve been recommending it to basically everyone I know. It will enrich any New Year's TBR list!

Member ratings (1,534)

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Young adult
View all
The Wild Huntress
Ruthless Vows
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Dragonfruit
The Thirteenth Child
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Check & Mate
Divine Rivals
Foul Lady Fortune
Anna K Away
I Must Betray You
A Wilderness of Stars
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Bloodmarked
Instructions for Dancing
The Boy in the Red Dress
Color Me In
Not So Pure and Simple
Throw Like a Girl
Frankly in Love
Wayward Son
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
Anna K
Patron Saints of Nothing
The Kingdom of Back
Yes No Maybe So
Permanent Record
Full Disclosure
Oasis
Where the World Ends
I Have No Secrets
Song of the Crimson Flower
When the Stars Lead to You
All the Bright Places
Saving Zoë
Symptoms of a Heartbreak
All of Us with Wings
The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World
Past Perfect Life
There's Something About Sweetie
Again, But Better
Sky Without Stars
How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom
Night Music
Shout
The Deceivers
Top Ten
A Million Junes
And We're Off
Salt to the Sea