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For eight years, Ximena has been the decoy of the Condesa — the last remaining true heir of La Ciudad. She’s dressed like her. She’s said the words her friend puts in her mouth. She’s lived in hiding among their band of rebel Illustrians and hidden her true identity from everyone except the handful who know the truth. All the while, Ximena has known she can never truly be herself until the Condesa is back on the throne.
When Atoc, usurper and self-proclaimed king of La Ciudad, demands the hand of the Condesa in marriage, Ximena is determined to go in her friend’s place — not as a decoy bride, but as a spy.
Atoc once overthrew Ximena’s people using an ancient relic with the power to summon the dead. He no longer carries it with him, but if Ximena can find its location, she and the Condesa may just have the means to restore their country to what it once was. But as she hunts for the relic and uses her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the Illustrian resistance, her path crosses with the masked vigilante known as El Lobo, the warm-hearted princess, and a healer, who both challenge Ximena with a new way of thinking.
There are those who wish to overthrow Atoc without starting another war. Ximena knows if she goes through with her plan to deliver the magical relic to the Condesa she’ll be bringing the country she loves more bloodshed, but if she doesn’t, she’ll be turning her back on her Condesa.
When I first heard about Woven in Moonlight, I found the premise fascinating but was leery and afraid it was being overly hyped. Then I read it. And loved it.
It took me somewhere completely new — to a place full of spicy food and dangerous jungles, of Bolivian politics and revolutions, of rich color and South American flair. It also features a vigilante reminiscent of Zorro (for which I’ve always had a soft spot) and a fierce, yet compassionate, heroine faced with the hard choice of standing up for what is right despite the consequences.
Rated: Mild, for over 20 uses of mild language and one use of moderate language. Characters kiss and sleep together on the same bed, but nothing happens beyond that. In the way of action, there are several instances of magical torture. In one case, two men lose their hands and one his tongue for vocally disagreeing with their ruler. There is also a bloody battle at the end, but, all things considering, it’s not too graphic or gory.
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