Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: June 4, 2023
Pages: 498
ZARIA IS A SLAVE WITH ONE DREAM: FREEDOM.
Her brother is lost to a Dark Rip.
Indigold lords have bought her sisters.
And now Zaria has been claimed by Harken, the infamous Savage King.
Harken trusts no-one, not even the immortal Weavers he is sworn to protect. He keeps his Savage Court locked away behind the Woven mists.
Along with his past.
And his heart.
But now Harken’s court is in danger from an old enemy. And whoever is behind the plot seems determined to kill Zaria, making her the most valuable piece in a savage game.
In a bid to expose his enemies, Harken offers Zaria a bargain: play the part of his slave for Astria’s glittering season of Revels, and in return, he will help her win freedom and riches in the Maverick’s Race.
But Zaria has secrets of her own. Secrets that bind her to Harken, body and soul, and show her the past he guards so fiercely.
Telling him the truth means losing her chance at freedom. Concealing it means betraying his trust—and the Savage King doesn’t tolerate betrayal.
But the darkness is coming, and when it does, Zaria’s secrets might be the only thing that can save them all.
I received a copy of this audiobook through Netgalley. This is my honest review.
I felt pretty freakin' lost for large parts of this book, but part of that is because there are a lot of things about her own life that Zaria doesn't know. And since the story is told from her POV, we only get to know things that she knows. Living as a shadow-woven slave in the Seam with no memories of how she even got there puts her at a serious disadvantage, especially among the Indigold lords she finds herself rubbing elbows with after Harken claims her.
Even though the odds seemed impossibly stacked against her, I couldn't help but cheer for Zaria to achieve all of her goals. She has so much determination, it was unreal. I admire her ability to believe that she'll succeed no matter what. And I could even understand why she kept the secrets she did from Harken. The way she lived didn't breed a whole lot of trust in others.
It took me a little bit to get accustomed to the narrators accent, so I actually had to slow down the speed of the audiobook from my usual 1.5 to 1 for the first couple of chapters, just until I got used to the accent. I don't recall being annoyed by the opposite gendered voices, but I think I'm mellowing on that front as I listen to more fiction audiobooks.
I'm a little bit sad that there isn't a sequel to this book out at this time (I'm not sure if there's one coming, but I would 100 percent add it to my shelf). I just want more from this world. Overall I give Woven in Darkness 4.896 out of 5 stars. - Katie
Lucy Holden is a pseudonym used by Paula Constant, author of historical fiction and travel memoir, to write paranormal romance. Paula lives in Broome, a small pearling town in the remote far north west of Australia. She absolutely adores romance of all kinds, and magic in every form. She gets inspired by sitting beneath the full moon on beautiful Cable Beach with a shiraz gin martini, and talks all her books through with her friends at pool book club. You can become an advance reader of all Lucy Holden books at Paula's website, www.paulaconstant.com.
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