I’m thoroughly enjoying this YA fantasy series from Lindsay A. Franklin! Not only do I love the world the author has created, with its storyweavers, songspinners, colormasters, and stoneshapers, (not to mention animals such as fluff-hoppers and marsh-grazers) but the writing is just so engaging and entertaining. And I love, love, love it when authors are able to create YA characters with that authentic mix of immaturity and maturity that speaks to YA readers at their level but also encourages them to think more deeply about themes like right and wrong, courage and sacrifice.

There’s plenty of adventure in this second instalment as Tanwen and the weavers sail the high seas into hostile territories looking for an ancient cure. It’s a land of political unrest in the wake of the overthrow of an oppressive king, even as his daughter, Queen Braith, struggles to right her father’s wrongs. And as the weavers soon discover, there is a much darker plot afoot to harness their powers for ill.

It’s exciting stuff, but there is also a serious side to the story with the introduction of a character who has suffered sexual abuse in the past. This information is implied rather than stated outright, and younger readers will be able to understand that something bad has happened to this character without necessarily knowing the exact nature of what occurred, but this is just heads up for parents who might want to avoid all references to such abuse, however subtle or sensitively handled. For my part, I’m keen to see how this character grows and finds a measure of peace over the course of the last book in the series. And, of course, I can’t wait to see how everything else plays out, too, because there have been some interesting developments over the course of this story!

This is a fabulous series, and those covers! I’m almost as eager to see the cover for the last in the series as I am to read it!