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Woven in Moonlight

(Woven in Moonlight #1)

Isabel Ibañez (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 6,213 ratings · 1,585 reviews

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

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 reve ...more

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Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published January 7th 2020 by Page Street Books

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Start your review of Woven in Moonlight (Woven in Moonlight, #1)

Sep 24, 2019 Isabel Ibañez added it · (Review from the author)

Hi everyone!

I don't spend a lot of time on Goodreads but as WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT heads out into the world, I wanted to quickly mention a few things!

First, WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT is a standalone, but the Inkasisa world is expansive so I imagine there might be a few stories I can still hope to write! The next book set in this world is WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT, and while the story takes place directly after the events of WIM, it can be read on it's own—though you might enjoy it more if you read them in ord ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

came for the gorgeous cover but stayed for the latin american representation, lush magic, a swoon-worthy rebel, fluid writing, THE MAGIC SLOTH, and the slow simmer into an explosion of an ending.

while there really is a lot to love about this, my main complaint would some aspects of the world-building are lacking. im not sure if it was mentioned and i just missed it, but i cant remember reading about why there is magic and why people have different kinds of it. its not really explained - the rea ...more

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Mar 08, 2020 Marquise rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign-language-fail, fantasy, character-butchery, plot-elements-from-ludicrousville, hugely-disappointing, needs-an-editorial-red-pen, bad-execution-of-a-good-premise, overt-authorial-bias, prose-is-mediocre, dialogue-is-a-wince-fest

The book purports to be "inspired by Bolivian politics," but the reality is that it's based on a perpetuation of Bolivian stereotypes with a sprinkle of local mythology to give this fetishisation of the exotic a feel of genuineness. That the author got this second-hand from her parents doesn't make this any less poor a portrayal, and might in fact be another reason for why it's so.

The problem here is that this author divides the people in this world, Inkasisa, into two camps: the "good" illustr The book purports to be "inspired by Bolivian politics," but the reality is that it's based on a perpetuation of Bolivian stereotypes with a sprinkle of local mythology to give this fetishisation of the exotic a feel of genuineness. That the author got this second-hand from her parents doesn't make this any less poor a portrayal, and might in fact be another reason for why it's so.

The problem here is that this author divides the people in this world, Inkasisa, into two camps: the "good" illustrians, which are very recognisably the Mestizo & Spanish portion of the Bolivian population as anyone familiar with the country will notice, and the "bad" Llacsans, who are the indigenous peoples of Bolivia, clearly, and whose leader is very obviously based on Evo Morales, the former socialist Amerindian president of Bolivia. In Bolivia, there's historically been tensions between these two demographics and a West/East divide that's driven much of the turmoil the country has experienced in its history, so Ibañez's bias is made obvious by her portrayal of the aristocratic Good Guys and their leader, who she describes as having ousted and killed the Illustrian royalty "out of ungratefulness," and who makes a drug that is his "main export" (that anyone will recognise is cocaine). Now, to put it in real-world terms, she's saying the indigenous peoples are the villains here and perpetuating the bad reputation of Bolivia as a country of cocaine exporters. Stereotypes much? This is as bad as inventing a fictional world based on Mexico in which the white and mixed-white population are the rightful dethroned rulers and the Mayan/Aztec population are the ungrateful villains for shaking off their chains, and whose economy is all drug-based.

Think of it, would it pass? Would this book be as popular and get as many high ratings if people realised this? Or if the world was based on the US, with the whites as the good Illustrians and the Native Americans as the bad Llacsans? No! Of course it wouldn't. Then, why is this book given a pass? All I can think of is: because most readers aren't aware of Bolivia's reality and complicated politics. The less you know of a remote and little-known country, the easier to fetishise it and ignore issues in media portrayals of it.

And, mind you, I do get Ibañez's point about Morales & socialism being very negative for the country of her parents. However, I do not give her a pass because that is the GOVERNMENT, NOT THE PEOPLE. You can hate socialism in Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, all you like, and you'd be right to hate it given what it has done to those countries and its long-suffering peoples. That doesn't give you any right to insult the people (and your readers' intelligence) with a Manichaean and poorly written black-and-white novel with a strong whiff of racism and ethnocentrism that you attempt to handwave in the name of hating socialism.

Also, I wonder what Eastern Bolivians would say about this novel's caricaturisation of their culture, very different to the Western Bolivian one this novel takes and runs away with to build its world on.

Now, the novel also has other problems besides the above. The worldbuilding is so very weak that all Ibañez did was just change names or put them in Spanish ("La Ciudad Blanca" would be Sucre, the capital, I guess. Not even subtle, since the actual city is called that often even now). So, again, anyone familiar with Bolivia will recognise how it's merely changing the names and altering some details of the real country for this fictional one. Lazy writing, that.

And speaking of lazy writing, Ibañez is guilty of what has become one of my most hated literary sins: bad use of a foreign language. She drops words and entire phrases in Spanish every other passage, and very needlessly so, as the stuff she puts in Spanish is stuff that can stay in English just fine. Does this author think that saying azúcar instead of sugar, primo instead of cousin, qué? instead of what?, etc., etc., is going to make her world more believable or realistic or whatever she thinks it will? All those words are basic Spanish that you could learn at school or look up on Google. I can understand the use of Quechua and words in Quechua that convey something better than Spanish, but all these are just basic words for basic everyday stuff. I mean, she even put "azúcar = sugar" in her Glossary. That's really laughable. Not to mention that she also becomes repetitive by saying it first in English and then in Spanish ("I'm sorry" and then "Lo siento" in the same sentence), aaand... something that's told me a lot about her research: she makes her oh-so-Bolivian character say a slang word in Spanish that Bolivians don't say but Spaniards do.

Sigh, now I'm getting a headache thinking of all the issues in the novel. I'm cutting it off here and leaving it at that, I think I've made my point already. ...more

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Feb 07, 2020 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, les-arcs-de-triomphes, poc-interracial

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest

I picked up WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT on a whim because it was offered to me as an ARC and I thought the cover was really pretty. I was a little leery, though; the cover looked cutesy and cutesy fantasy rarely sits well with me. But this is one of those instances where the cover doesn't really match the book. WOVEN IN MIDNIGHT looks like it's going to be a sweet and sleepy middle grade fantasy story about some brave and plucky girl.

Instead... i ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: diverse, gorgeous-covers, 2-stars, eh, owned, from-publisher-author, reviewed, ya, arc, couldn-t-wait-to-read

Two things to say about this book:
1) This is getting a lot of backlash for allegorically condoning racist sentiments and stereotypes about native Bolivians. As a reader, I thought the point of this book was that our protagonist begins the story filled with racist thought due to a prejudiced and propagandized upbringing, which she ultimately grows out of after interacting with plenty of the people she was previously bigoted against. I didn't realize this was a problem other readers had until afte ...more

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Jan 07, 2020 Olive Fellows (abookolive) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-2020, ya, olr-reviews

See my review on Booktube...

And the below review originally appeared on Open Letters Review.

Inspired by Bolivian culture and history, Isabel Ibañez spins a glittering and richly drawn story in her young adult fantasy debut, Woven in Moonlight. A tale of revolution, loyalty, and identity, it begins with a shaky show of leadership by heroine Ximena Rojas, giving her questions about her ability to rule over her people, the displaced Illustrians.

Her self-doubt has roots. Unknown to all but a few wit ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Amy Imogene Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-fantasy, read-in-2020, arcs-reviewed

4 stars

Ximena can weave moonlight into lush tapestries of wool, and sometimes they come to life. When her people need her to infiltrate the enemy's kingdom to take down the false king, Ximena doesn't hesitate—she's ready to fight. But what happens when the cause you've been fighting for becomes more gray than black and white?

World: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Dialogue: ★★
Pacing: ★★★

Ximena's job is to be the decoy Condesa, who is the true heir to the Illustrian throne. The Illustrians were recently ove ...more

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Apr 29, 2020 Elle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

I read the first couple chapters of this a while ago, and I was excited to see more of Inkasisa. There was magic and Bolivian history and politics and some pretty stark realities we don’t see often in YA fantasy (like food shortages and ration lines). But all of that seemed to melt away pretty quickly and the story devolved into a trope-heavy and predictable offering from this genre.

I’m not sure if this has been given a name, but there’s a particular type of plotline that I think of as ‘captive I read the first couple chapters of this a while ago, and I was excited to see more of Inkasisa. There was magic and Bolivian history and politics and some pretty stark realities we don’t see often in YA fantasy (like food shortages and ration lines). But all of that seemed to melt away pretty quickly and the story devolved into a trope-heavy and predictable offering from this genre.

I’m not sure if this has been given a name, but there’s a particular type of plotline that I think of as ‘captive in luxury’, which I’ve become increasingly exasperated by. It’s typically a young woman who is held against her will in a lavish setting with servants, elegant gowns, an abundance of decadent food, etc. But she is very angry about being forced to sit around & eat bonbons all day and takes it out on whatever poor sap has to be her keeper. She lobs sarcasm at anyone who crosses her path and feels bad about being surrounded by all that opulence for approximately two seconds before indulging in another bubble bath.

I know this is a pretty cynical take on this type of character, but it’s just been done so much and I dread it every time it starts to happen. There’s this vibe that’s not unlike a bunch of rich celebrities or corporations singing about ‘coming together’ while the rest of the world is suffering. I dunno, maybe I’m just sensitive to that kind of thing at the moment.

As for the book itself, Isabel Ibañez is not a bad writer. The characters are grating, but her descriptions are lush and inviting. The magic system isn’t elaborated much on, so you just kind of have to go with it. It’s not really explained how moon dust makes you sleepy, but also lets some people see the future and can be used by others to weave magical tapestries? I wish we had gotten more of Bolivia and the setting as opposed to whatever bullshit Ximena is getting up to with her Stockholm-Syndrome family. And even though there’s a lot of death, you don’t really form emotional attachments to the characters, so they’re no biggie.

I’d still be willing to pick up more from Ibañez, all that said. This one just disappointed me, despite the pretty cover. Oh publishers, why do you do this to me?? 😩 ...more

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May 13, 2020 Rue rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-star, fantasy, buddy-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Who knew I would dislike a book solely because of the last 10 Chapters. But here we are...
figure-it-out-gif-4

While I liked the concept of this book the execution wasn't right. It's definitely atmospheric, the writing sucks you in from the get go. It has solid plot points, atleast in the beginning. Okay yeah! The magic here was unique. But the protagonist didn't include it as much other then for making tapestry and cute animals. I mean if you are mentioning a flexible magic system I want to see it in action. That c ...more

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May 11, 2020 Tani rated it it was ok

RATINGS: 2.5 STARS

Warning: Spoilers and cursing ahead. Read at your own risk.

Let's unpack this shitcase. Have you ever worked hard for something but ultimately failed at it? This is how I'm feeling right now.

First, let's talk about the good.
-The world building is awesome.
-The cultural representation is refreshing.
-The stereotypically feminine characteristics are shown as strength.
-The political undertones were rightly hit in the nail.
-The beginning was a kick-start.
-The blurred lines betw ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Elena marked it as to-read · review of another edition

BOLIVIAN POLITICS!!!!!!!!

my latina ass wants this so bad especially because of bolivia's current political situation ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 jade rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: anyone who loves YA and finds the combination of woolly animals and bloody revolutions intriguing

Recommended to jade by: Damaris Huerta

Shelves: fantasy, pretty-covers, diverse-rep, young-adult

ADDITION: recently, i’ve been made aware of the questionable elements of this novel more explicitly. earlier this year (2020), there was a discussion going on about the portrayal of indigenous bolivian culture & its people versus the portrayal of descendants from the colonizers of bolivia.

colonization is a theme within this novel and the main character is quite harshly confronted with her opinions and prejudice towards the indigenous characters. however, the onus is still put upon the indige ...more

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Dec 08, 2019 sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, my-reviews, read-2019

Woven in Moonlight was an impressive debut from Isabel Ibañez.
The fantasy setting, based off Bolivia was refreshing and unique. The atmosphere was enthralling and immersive. Descriptions of the food, clothing and palace made the world tangible.

Woven in Moonlight covers the aftermath of war and the intricacies of morality when nothing is black and white.
There were clear parallels between political and cultural aspects of past and present Bolivia, and the Spanish Inquisitor overthrow of the nat ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Zoraida rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-fantasy, debut-2020, diversity-in-ya, 2020, latinx-sff

Review for Tor.com https://www.tor.com/2020/01/08/moon-m...

TL;DR - I loved it. Genuinely. Clever take on Latin American/Andean history and politics. It's inspired by Bolivian history and the post-conquest between the peoples of Bolivia and the Spaniards. I wasn't sure I'd like Ximena from the jump, but her journey is about unlearning her bias and the lies she's grown up with. It's definitely not a narrative for everyone! There's a masked vigilante but I can't talk about him without giving away s ...more

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Nov 23, 2019 fanna rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-releases

January 19, 2020:

Woven in Moonlight weaves clashing cultures and strong women with a loom placed on societal consequences of war, stepping into enemy grounds, fighting for yourself and your people, and learning, understanding, loving what you once thought you never could. A definitive recommendation for those who love a diverse background and POC in a mixture of politics, history, and magic. Animals literally woven in moonlight, a mysterious vigilante, a handsome healer, and the incorporation of

...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Adrienne Young rated it it was amazing

Isabel Ibanez brings a modern story to an ancient world in her debut novel, WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT. With immersive prose, original magic, and characters as rich as the Bolivian culture that constructs the story, Ibanez delivers a wholly unique book for the YA shelf.

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Feb 07, 2020 Ararita (Okretačica stranica) rated it it was ok

I'm in shock. So many great reviews and so many stars for this? I feel like I've read a different book O.o
The characterisation is flat, except Ximena's and Rumi's. There is one "mistical" character, El Lobo, but if you read more than 10 books in your life, you know who he is almost immediately.
The blurb (and the reviews) promised a book filled with magic, but that part is so poorly explained and presented. The plot would not change much if that part was ommited.
The romantic part was also so ob ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 ʙᴇʟᴀ.: ☾**:.☆*.:｡. marked it as to-read

I'm a simple girl. I read "Moonlight" & "Masked Vigilante" and add it to TBR;)
description

...more

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Mar 16, 2020 Alice Lippart rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2020, fantasy

Great setting and loved all the history and lore.

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Jan 06, 2020 laurel [the suspected bibliophile] rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-read, arcs, poc-mc, ya-books, fantasy

Ten years ago, the Llacsans overthrew the Illustrians and took over La Ciudad with an ancient relic filled with powerful magic. Now, as the food stores for the last remaining Illustrians runs dry and their general is missing, the Llacsan king sends a bleak message: the Condesa must marry him, or all Illustrians will die.

It seems bleak, but there is one trick left up their sleeve: Ximena, the decoy Condesa. She will infiltrate La Ciudad, find the relic, and return her people to glory.

This was a p ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Shealea marked it as will-avoid-forever

I'll be honest: I had zero interest in reading Woven in Moonlight simply because I did not vibe with the synopsis.

However, it's come to my attention that there are some readers who refer to my will-avoid-forever shelf for context, educational purposes, and what-have-you. So, this one's purely to raise awareness and to encourage readers to make an informed decision before reading, supporting, and/or purchasing Woven in Moonlight and its sequel.

Helpful references regarding the problematic content ...more

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Sep 01, 2020 Abbie | nerdyabbie rated it really liked it

A wonderfully warm tale woven with magic, intrigue, and romance ✨

😏See what I did there ^ ? This lush fantasy inspired by Bolivian politics and history was so captivating! The dynamics of the court were truly maddening - as I said before, that Atoc can go and DIE. I loved reading about the food, the fashion, the history, and the language. Everything was so lush and glittering. To me, some of the best fantasies are the ones with vast descriptions of the dishes that the protagonists eat in the nove ...more

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May 22, 2020 Mrinmayi rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

*3.5
This book pretty much summed up : what happens when a Gryffindor "TRIES" to save the world but keeps on making " Stupid and reckless decisions " and in the end ....ends up doing more STUPID THINGS 🥱😠🥱
Then the Slytherin has to step in and save the world ; clear the mess GRYFFINDOR has created ,make sacrifices and be loyal to the Gryffindor and yet get betrayed by the same Gryffindor 😒😶.....Oh and as expected the Hufflepuff dies😠🤨
Cherry on the top: The Gryffindor gets the credit for saving the ...more

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Jan 23, 2020 Sophie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, arc

It took me a while to get into the story as it came off as very simply written, but I grew to enjoy the world and the magic, though I would have liked to see it more developed. This is one of those stories where it is easy to guess what is going to happen, but still enjoy the ride.

I liked the difference in the two cultures displayed (and how the constant conflicts hurt each other and the constant back and forth in power) and the two cultures learning about each other through Ximena and her enco ...more

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Jan 03, 2020 Rebecca Ross rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cover-love, fantasy, favorites, engrossing, ya, heroines-i-love

A spellbinding, vivid debut. Plot twists abound, the magic is uniquely drawn, and intrigue illuminates the pages. The world of Inkasisa is so beautifully rendered I never wanted to leave it.

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May 22, 2020 Diana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Drawn inspiration from rich Bolivian culture — the world, the magic system and the representation are all as beautifully woven in this book as Ximena's tapestries

"Words empowered by justice can never be silenced."

Focused on fighting political oppression and overthrowing a corrupt government, Ximena Rojas is our impulsive and very determined main character who due to the circumstances she was dragged in as the decoy of the Illustrian Condesa had a change of heart for their sworn enemy — the L ...more

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Dec 23, 2019 TheBibliotheque ♡ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-faves, faves-young-adult, read-arc

If you think the cover is stunning, wait until you open up this gorgeous book and see what awaits you.

Isabel Ibañez has managed to create not only a lustrous world bathed in moonlight, vibrant scents and dazzling colours but also, she has knocked my socks off with one of the most *beautiful* magic systems I have ever come across. All that woven in the rich Bolivian culture of her very own roots.

Man, was I blown away. I am telling you, you don't want to miss out on this.

But don't be tricked by th ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Kate (Feathered Turtle Press) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2020, sff-latin-american

Edit: it's finally catching on how messed up the indigenous rep in these books is, wooo

The Good
– Ibañez is capable of some lovely descriptions
– Some plot points are really solid
– Ximena's weaving magic and how she uses it is great
– Main love interest is a healer

The Bad
– Painfully lacking originality
– Ximena is a miserable protagonist
– Ximena's magic not utilized to its full extent
– So much emotional telling over showing
– Concept is messy as hell
– Pacing is uneven at times
– Strong anti-indigenous ...more

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Jan 06, 2020 Jessica | Booked J rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2020

Blog | Twitter | Instagram |You can find my stop on the blog tour here.

As always, a copy of this book was provided by the authors in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

What a stunning, enchanting story. What a way to kick off a new decade. Get ready for an instant classic and one the strongest debuts I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I mean that genuinely: EVER. And I've been reviewing YA books for over a decade. This novel has now taken its righ ...more

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Mar 01, 2020 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, fantasy

CW: revolution, gore/violence, death, abuse, culture erasure, and discrimination against groups

What a lush, imaginative story. I was completely captivated by Ximena's story. She's Illustrian and the Illustrians have been kicked off of the throne by the Llacsans. Atoc is ruling and he's a cruel ruler, discriminating against the Illustrians left in the city. Ximena is a part of the Illustrians trying to get back onto the throne as she's the body double for Catalina, the Condesa and heir to the thr ...more

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About Isabel Ibañez

Isabel Ibañez

789 followers

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian
immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a
Pitch Wars mentor for three years. Isabel is an avid movie goer and loves hosting family and
friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her
husband, their adorable dog, and a serious col ...more