In a remote village, bordered by woods and an endless winter, Saatcha lives in the attic of her ailing father's blacksmithery.
As her father's health fades and he is no longer able to work, Saatcha takes it upon herself to keep the forge running.
But when a pair of thieves appear in the dead of night, Saatcha's duty to her father is torn from her. Forced to leave her home behind, the bounds of magic that once held Saatcha begin to slip away.
Papa is gone.
Magic is real.
And her kidnappers are much more than simple thieves.
As Saatcha's world is irrevocably altered, she must rely on her new friends to find the truth of her past - and what it might mean for the future of the kingdom.
An extremely entertaining novel on finding friendship and regaining one's self. The characters are all so unique and well developed and their relationship to one another is so pure and really fun to read about. The magic system is unlike anything I've read before and I loved Saatcha's character development throughout the novel. I miss Kav and Ren's fights already!!
This is a YA fantasy that actually feels like the YA part of the classification is appropriate. The language and plot are both simple enough that I reckon it'd be an accessible read for younger readers - and I don't say that as a backhanded compliment, because I actually quite enjoyed it myself, too.
I do think there are some more emotional depths that could have been explored along the way, and the end was, perhaps, wrapped up a bit too neatly considering the circumstances, but neither of these were big enough issues to take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. Compared to some other debut authors that have had praise heaped on them, I think this is pretty darn good; and I'll be keeping an eye out for the implied sequel.
One final note: this is a book where I think polyamory was the appropriate way to resolve the love triangle. A polycule, even. Because you can't convince me that Ren and Kaverin weren't keeping each other warm at night before Saatcha showed up.
"The time for hiding is past. You must undo what I have done and set the world to right."
Saatcha's life it turned on its head when two mean break into her father's blacksmith shop one night, and she is forced to leave everything she knows behind. But then she discovers the truth about her reality, and the dire state of the kingdom, and resolves to do what she can to help.
Saatcha is one adaptable woman. I admire her resolve, and her ability to stay calm in hairy situations. I really enjoyed both our leading men, and didn't know where my ship was going to dock haha. This story of magic and finding yourself and overcoming great odds is wonderfully written. It has an old fairytale feel to it, as well as clever and entertaining humour, and beautiful settings. The Weaver would be perfect for fans of Lynette Noni and Brigid Kemmerer.
Unfortunately, I was rooting for the wrong side of this love triangle (which has never happened to me before).
The storytelling is captivating and brilliant. The characters are gorgeous and the found-family theme was so special.
Jodi McAlister's review on the cover says that this book is perfect for fans of Lynette Noni (the reason why I picked this up in the first place). I would agree, and additionally recommend it to Brigid Kemmerer fans, who may enjoy the dark fantasy and love triangle elements of it.
The setting of The Weaver is reminiscent of an old fairy tale. Brilliant characters, a wondrous and terrifying world, and the mysteries of magic. Each character deserves their own novel.
I cannot write more because I'm not sure what words will accurately describe how wonderful this book is, and how much fun I had reading it.
Kanicky has great promise as a writer. The Weaver has some wonderful story elements, however feels rushed. The character development needed some extra chapters to allow you more time to know them, and make the bonds between the characters feel more realistic. A solid 7/10, and I'll certainly be watching out for what Kanicky writes in the future.
This might be my favouirte book ever. i was in a reading slump and i picked this up, and i have reread it so so so many times its not even funny. i love how dramatic the scenes are and the relationships between the charecters were so sweet how much the cared for one another. truly a wolderful book:)
I loved this book! Watching Saatcha find a family and home for herself as she discovers the power within herself brought me so much joy! My only complaint it was over too soon! I can’t wait to see what else is to come from this amazing new author!
I loved it. A good mix of romance but not enough to override the story. Beware there is some swearing, however I believe that it really helps to develop the severity of the situations. Overall great book and I would highly recommend reading it.
This was an unexpected spontaneous find in my local library. I began reading it in the morning before work and finished it by the end of the day. It was engaging and emotive and generally a wonderful, easy read. I look forward to reading any books to follow.
If you like the way Leigh Bardugo writes and crafts stories then you will LOVE this I devoured this and will happily read whatever is next in the story
I am a judge for the 2023 Aurealis Awards. This review is my personal opinion and does not reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinators, or the Aurealis Awards management team
This book had me absolutely hooked!! I loved the love triangle trope, but even more so loved that she chose to do what she believed to be the right thing in the end.
A really entertaining story, one that I got entranced into and got lost in For a first book - incredible. Can’t wait to see what else this author publishes:)
A young girl, working alone in her father's shop is confronted by two men she believes are thieves. While Saatcha defends the store and herself, the two men must show her that life is not what she has been led to believe.
I didn't really know what to expect from The Weaver, except that it had an interesting cover and excellent ratings across all platforms - and I understand why! A young adult fantasy adventure that lives up to the YA tag, The Weaver is marvelous from cover to cover; it's a fairy tale for modern times.
Melanie Kanicky created a fascinating world and wonderful characters. I was instantly charmed by Saatcha, Ren and Kav and invested in their successes and failures. I appreciated that the cast, including side characters, was generally pretty small so it was easy to keep track of everyone from the very beginning.
Overall, The Weaver is about strong friendship, found family, resilience and finding yourself when everything you know is upended. Plus, Saatcha is a kickass heroine who speaks her mind and doesn't need a man to be successful. This would be a great gift for the YA reader in your life.
I really enjoyed this. Considering how short this book is when compared to other fantasy novels (including those with multiple books) the characterisation of the main cast was done really well. Each one felt like a person, rather than a cardboard cutout.
The plot was also interesting and moved at a mostly good pace. The Worldbuilding was well done - it was understandable without being too basic or infodumpy.
Having said that the reason I bumped this down from 5 stars is because of the ending. After a specific plot point that occurs around the 75% mark, the rest just feels rushed. I felt it could do with a little more fleshing out.
Having said that, great story overall and I can’t wait to read what Melanie Kanicky writes next!