Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom

Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom #1

by Beth Hilgartner

At first Alexandra thought it was a dream. She would just lie there in the forest, quite still, until she really woke up. But the birdlike little girl tugged at her hand again. She tried to explain: "I'm Zan, and I'm lost." The little girl only smiled, clearly not understanding.

That was how Alexandra Scarsdale first encountered the Orathi, the gentle forest-dwellers. She woke from her own private sorrow into a mysterious, peaceful world that seemed removed from time. The Orathi called her 'Tsan, which in their language meant stranger; but as she learned their words and their ways it became clear that she had been sent to them for some special purpose. And when emissaries from the City came with their cruel demands, Zan knew what her destiny was. Only she could protect her new friends from the peril that threatened them.

Zan's quest was to take her far into alien lands, and it brought her a little band of companions whose unexpected talents combined with hers to win a surprising success. Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom is a fantasy in the grand tradition, filled with varied and fascinating characters and rich in color and adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Gods

241 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1989

About the author

Beth Hilgartner has published ten books. In addition to her writing, she is an Episcopal priest (now retired), a musician (recorders and voice), a musical editor (modern performing editions of relatively unknown 17th and 18th century composers), an equestrian (dressage), an accomplished knitter, and an avid gardener. She returns to the publishing scene with The Ivory Mask (which she promises, absolutely, is NOT the first book in a series!), after a prolonged absence during which other priorities bumped writing to the bottom of the To Do list. She lives in Vermont with her husband of 45 years, their two cats (Lewis and Clark) and her elderly dressage horse, Solace.

Reviews

[Arya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Are we all just Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom?" - 'Tsan

Alexandra Scarsdale is about to start the adventure of her life. When her father (a famous author) dies she is heartbroken. They were never close, but she never got to resolve their problems and unresolved problems can eat at the soul. But none of that really matters, the Weaver has strung Zan's color on the loom and she has no choice but to respond.

She is convinced that this new world is some strange hallucination, but the problems in this world are real. The Orathi, a peaceful forest people who has taken her in, need her help. The Vemathi (City-People) are threatening to take their land using their vast armies. The Orathi have been invited to parley, but only the "spirit-gifted" can leave the forest. So Alexandra - or 'Tsan as she is now known - takes her place as the Oratheh's Wanderer, leaving the forest along with two young spirit-gifted twins.

When they arrive in the city 'Tsan realizes that she has developed her own spirit-gift. She can hear the thoughts of others. This proves helpful as she sees that the City Lord has no intention of actually parleying, so she turns to his General and gets his oath that if the three companions can get a degree of the gods the Khedathi (the army) will leave the forest to its people.

To get a degree of the gods the companions must travel to Windsmeet and they must have a person from each kindred. Shapeshifter, Vemathi, Khedathi, Orathi and Wanderer . . .

These companions make a delightful collage of characters. This book is amazing - as is every story I have read by the gifted Ms. Hilgartner - and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

So here's what.

I read this because I remembered getting it from the library when I was in the YA target market... I was probably around 12. I thought my copy had a printing error because the story just cut off in the middle, right when I was all wrapped up in the world with the shapeshifters and the desert people and mind reading and all that cool stuff.

Well OF COURSE there was a sequel that I had no idea existed until now, 20+ years later. So before I go on, let's say this: This first book is a good book and one I wondered about for 20+ years.

So, here I am, in my mid-to-late 30's. I rip through the first book again and get the sequel finally. It is burning holes through my hot little hands and I am so excited to finally finish the story, and...

...big sad trombone.

The characters are completely decimated in the sequel. The protagonist is "stalked by madness" and just about disappears from the narrative except to do 80's-stereotypical-crazy-person things. The shapeshifters and desert people come from their world to ours and play "what's a credit card?" and "what's a phone book?" for the next 150 pages, and some super boring kids from rural Vermont or wherever (I don't even care at that point) help them read phone books and then for no good reason get to attend a council of the gods, the end.

There is kind of a weird, sweet love story in the second book (between two characters who weren't really even in the first) (well, one of them was, but she's a totally different character in the sequel) (literally, she changes bodies) but it's not enough to make it up. Wah wah.

[Eskana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an excellent novel! Classic fantasy adventure, cut from the "average modern day girl finds herself in a fantasy world and has to manage as a "chosen one"" cloth, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Synopsis:The story follows Zan, a college student who is devastated following her father's death due to the old resentments she had against him and the things she never told him. Lost in grief. she is soon inexplicably swept into a fantasy world, and adopted by the peaceful forest people. She learns their language and some of their ways, slowly coming to terms with the fact that she may not be dreaming, and soon finds that these peaceful people who have adopted her are in danger of losing their land.
She sets out with two of her new friends and ends up on a quest (with several side-quests) to help them, meanwhile learning about the new world around her.

The Good: What a classic... As I mentioned before, this is classic fantasy fare, nothing too deep, but it is a great example. The characters aren't super deep, but they feel fleshed out. Even though each ethnic group seems to have stereotypes (such as conniving city-dwellers, fierce desert people, etc,) the characters representing them do have more than that to them, and I liked that the characters are mostly outcasts of their groups anyway. While the book doesn't focus on this (and you shouldn't in real life anyway,) it does add to the story a bit.
I also enjoyed the different peoples- the jacket gave little away that I remember- and I enjoyed the turning of the plot and seeing the glimpses of the other cultures and their ways. Is it groundbreaking? No, but it is well done and very enjoyable.

The Bad: ... The fact that it ended very quickly, like a cliffhanger? Also the sidequests did get annoying... first they go to place A, but place A directs them to Place B, then they get directed to Place C, and each place has plenty of travel to it... but that's really all I can say negative.

All in All: A really enjoyable book, definitely recommend. It is intended for younger readers, maybe Lloyd Alexander reading level, but is good for anyone!

[Elli Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 90% of the book gets 5 stars from me. The ending gets 1 star at best. This book had so much potential, but the ending made me mad enough to throw the book across the room and ruminate over it how it ruined the entire story for the next 20 years.

20 years after the first reading, I discovered there was a sequel I hadn't known about, so as an adult I gave this book another try. The ending is still awful. The sequel was even worse. This book started so well, but just left me angry overall.

[Kidlitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that's been recommended to me by several fellow good readers but which I found strangely detached and entirely without humor. The universe building is thoughtful and the characters are well-constructed but it was oh-so-serious, and perhaps a little preachy. The ending was jarring, an obvious cliffhanger - but based on the reviews of the sequel, I think I'll leave her heroine where the book does.

[Michael James Wilbur · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorites from my junior high days, this story of a young woman dropped into a strange world has always stuck in my mind, so much so that the Dreamweaver concept became the basis for the Dream Realm's 'Braid' in my own books. While it does have a sequel (which I admittedly haven't read yet), the nature of the ending felt perfectly fine to me.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved reading/hearing this story as kids. All of us. What a unique tale to be told, during one's formative years. To hint at the concept that LIFE might just be a tapestry- woven into one bigger picture by some higher power, each strand of thread used representing every individual, new threads being added as people are born, deaths of others represented by threads suddenly breaking. Completely unrelated threads becoming hopelessly entangled with each other, producing a new pattern, changing the structure and integrity of the fabric. New colors being tied to old ones when one shade runs out, altering personality and outcome.

I still love this tale, and it's sequel, and have been intending to re-read both again, for quite some time now. Every once in a while something will remind me of the story. Last night I watched a movie that hinted at a similar plot. I have a healthy appreciation for any flirtation with this tapestry concept. It puts things in perspective, but it also takes me back.

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the space of a single novel, Hilgartner creates a rich, unidealized fantasy world, bringing together characters from fascinatingly disparate cultures. She handles the slowly deepening friendships among her band of questing misfits with great delicacy, and although the book’s conclusion is undeniably bleak, it still holds an open note of hope.

2025 PS Reading Challenge
30. A book that reminds you of your childhood.
I was low-key obsessed with this book as a child, despite the abrupt ending, the heroes’ victory bought at terrible personal cost. There is, I know, a sequel, but I read it once, loathed it for lacking what I loved about this book, essentially declared it non-canon in my head, and managed to forget virtually every detail. Since then, I’ve read Colors many, many times, and occasionally, I’ve considered giving the sequel a second chance, but at this point, I’ve grown to treasure even the dark poetry of its bleak ending, and I don’t see the need to disturb that.

[Black Bones · Rating 4 out of 5]

- "...but what do you mean, bad ones? Dreams are patterns of the truth, neither good nor bad."
----------------------------
- "Why were you afraid of the horses? I thought you liked animals."
- "They were obedient and tame, but inside they hated—very much. They wanted to be free, and they raged at the people who forced them not to be. Couldn't you feel it? It was horrible; I couldn't bear it."
---------------------------
- "We're all misfits here, perhaps that means we all belong together."

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, despite a couple of things I didn't like – largely, the duel and the ending (which screamed for a sequel – and it's got one!) As for why I loved it: likeable characters, compelling writing that I fell in love with in A Murder for Her Majesty, intriguing world.

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I remember this book as being pretty good but I just hate the ending SOOOOOO much. It ruined the whole story and I've never gotten over it. But for some reason I'm thinking about re-reading it. I wonder if I've grown up enough to appreciate it now. But man, thinking back on that ending still makes me angry.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zan's father has just died, and grieving, she drives off into the Vermont woods and takes a walk. She wanders into an unfamiliar world and is taken in by the Orathi. Chosen because she is a Wanderer, Zan must travel with twins Iobeth and Karivet to sae the forest from the Vemathi city dwellers.

[Marc Gagnon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible ending to an otherwise decent story! I felt like the author just gave up writing and used a tired old closing to "wrap" things up. The terrible ending has lodged itself in my mind as making this the worst book ever I ever read in probably 20 years.

[Logan Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book shows a new culture and point of view that puts the book to life. It also let your imagination run wild and dig deep into the book. Also it helps you come to a understanding in many different things.

[Mercurybard · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books from junior high with the sudden-onset telepathy, the bitchy shapeshifter, the wise-beyond-their-years twins, and the scarred changelings. I still love that their adventuring party is four women and only two men.

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

pleased to discover i loved this as much as i remember loving it as a teenager. on to the sequel!

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing. But has a potential to be good. Just didnt pull me in though.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I did not love it. I thought that Ms. Beth did a good job developing her characters but the plot was a little slow. All in a all a good not great read.

[Eliza Filbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have read this book, but I loved it when I did!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just coded to my tastes. It is exactly what I look for in a good book.