The literary world, especially YA, is filled with romantic fantasies – I assume it’s what the publishers see the readers wanting. It means that in order to stand out, the story needs to be unique and engaging, and Woven, by Michael Jensen and David Powers King does just that.
Nels is a knight in all the true sense of the term. Tall, strong, and honorable. He also happens to be dead. But the spirit of Nels is everything the man was.
Tyra is a princess. She’s heir to the kingdom, and she’s a spoiled little brat. She also happens to be the only person who is able to see Nels’ ghost.
Tyra doesn’t want anything to do with Nels, but he’s relentless (because he needs a connection and she’s the only one who can help and he needs to to settle the matter of his death. There appears to be more behind his murder than at first believed, and Nels and Tyra will need to work together, leaving the castle that Tyra calls home, to discover that there’s a bond between them – more than just the fact that she’s the only one who can see him.
The writing here is fresh and exciting and the characters are everything young readers want in their fantasies … a dead knight and a beautiful princess who shows some grit.
And then there’s the magic. I remember smiling when the reason for the title became apparent – the magic here comes from a magic needle and the literal weaving of magic. This was so clever and seemed so natural as Jensen and King brought it all together.
Libraries and bookstores are filled with books like this … fantasies of knights and princesses, ghosts and magic, love that takes some time to develop, and some nasty bad guys that most be vanquished. This book stands out by finding a way to be original and being fun to read.
Looking for a good book? Woven by Michael Jensen and David Powers King is a delightful YA fantasy that will appeal to young readers. You will definitely want more.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
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Woven
authors: Michael Jensen and David Powers King
publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0545685729
hardcover, 352 pages
