Tale of the Seasons' Weaver

by D. Wallace Peach

"Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late."

In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver's mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion - a breathtaking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature's awakening across the land.

But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter's white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith's tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.

Genres: Fantasy, Coming Of Age

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2025

About the author

I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show. Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit.

Tolkien … literally changed my life.
I love to write. It’s a luxury I never expected I’d have time for – life got in the way. You know how that goes – kids, work, chores… sleep. I worked for 18 years in business where amassing coin was the all-consuming objective. It required huge amounts of time and mental energy. And for me personally, it was soul-slaying.

Then on September 11, 2001 two planes flew into the World Trade Center. I was working in Connecticut, about 2 hours from ground zero, and remember sitting in a conference room, watching the second tower fall.

That tragedy initiated a process of redefinition for me, an evaluation of what was vital and important. Life felt short and precarious, and I started to wonder if it was time to do something that actually mattered. I began to write.

Reviews

[Chris Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book from D. Wallace Peach. I was hooked from the start. It begins with the lovely come-of-age Erith who is feisty and clever. She’s half human and half charmed and she lives between the two worlds.

Sadly her human father has died, and her charmed mother has decided to go to the underworld with him. Erith is on her own, apart from several good friends. Meanwhile, Erith has to go with her new task, since she is the Season’s Weaver now. She will weave a new tapestry each season and then take them to the charmed isle.
But things become difficult and dangerous since the King of Winter refuses to allow the season to change into spring. And it seems that Erith will have to save both the mortals and immortals, including the two worlds.

What a fantastic and fantasy novel. I thoroughly recommend it. Just wonderful.

[Stephanie Gillis · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s fine. Nothing super spectacular and it struggled to hold my attention. My biggest problem is the author used AI for their cover and therefore I can’t support them. This was one of the first NetGalley arcs I received when I first signed up and had I know ahead that was an AI cover I never would have picked it up. Authors who use generative AI for their covers or text are thieves. Do better.

[Sally Cronin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking on the mantle of her mother who was the much revered Season’s Weaver, was not without challenges as Erith works to complete the necessary tapestry to ensure the change from winter to spring. This is her first tapestry, and despite her Hospot Nobbin ‘s encouragement, doubts in her ability are not eased by the fact her heritage means she lives on the border between mortal and enchanted worlds, and belongs to neither.

It is an age old honour to be the Season’s Weaver and a heavy burden, especially when the four seasons are not always gracious about handing over the crown at the appropriate time. Erith has to remain impartial to not cause any further disharmony; to the extent she herself only wears black or grey to avoid showing a preference.

The journey to the magic island to deliver the spring tapestry is fraught with danger and encounters with the creatures that live in the forest, and in the streams and lake. There is an additional edge to the delicate balance between the worlds following a recent human related incident which has left both sides on edge. Erith is already nervous about her reception by the Winter King and the rest of the seasonal royalty with her first tapestry, and by the time she arrives to find the equinox party in full swing, she is prepared for disaster.

This sets the scene for this fantasy and from the first page it is enchanting. The writing is as beautiful as any of the seasonal tapestries created by the weaver. Nature has been captured in all its glory with the stunning colours and bounty of each, but also the starkness evident in winter, and as part of the autumnal dying process before the rebirth of spring and summer.

As the story gathers pace so does the violence and destruction to the environment and both the humans and charmed who live within it. There are moments which are both tragic and senseless and at times a positive outcome seems impossible. Thankfully we are in the hands of a master storyteller and the reader has to trust in that, and keep turning the pages.

There are amazing characters Erith will come into contact with, being charmed does mean many hide their true selves behind what they call glamour. Glorious though they appear, can they be trusted. Especially the stunningly handsome prince of autumn who seems to be particularly attentive.

This ability to hide behind the mask of glamour is not the only aspect of this story which reflects on some human traits we might recognise in those we meet. The more evil of the inhabitants of the island and forest are also portrayed with a wonderful sense of malevolence and are stunningly crafted.
As you follow Erith deeper into the story, and the human and charmed worlds come into more conflict, the underlying message becomes much clearer. Humans need to respect nature at the risk of losing its vital and essential role in their own survival.

But as always with this author, there is hope, and love that can blossom despite the chill of a winter that threatens the world and all its creatures. There is magic in the air and those who doubt can find strength and courage to take on monsters, find their place in the world and uncover secrets which can heal.

This is a fantasy which charms the reader from the first page to the last and I can highly recommend.

[D.L. Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erith is half human and half charmed/magical and lives in between worlds. She has replaced her deceased mother as the Seasons’ Weaver and has been given the burden of weaving the next season into existence. On the eve of spring, she takes a tapestry into the charmed land. Instead of it being a simple process of changing winter into spring, the King of Winter refuses to allow the change. He insists she continues his season by only weaving winter, but the human world can’t survive if spring doesn't come. Unprepared for this magical world, she is at a loss on how to fight for what she knows needs to be done. I could easily empathize with Erith as the odds seemed stacked against her, but she didn’t completely give up, either. The relationship between Erith and Autumn’s Prince was easy to root for and the attraction was immediate. The setting was lush and vividly painted, drawing me into both worlds, one of humans and one of magic. In a place where Erith must learn who to trust, she also must trust herself. That is one of my favorite parts as she learns who she is and her place in the world. I recommend this well-written fantasy that had me hooked, eager to discover what would unfold next.

[V.M. Sang · Rating 5 out of 5]

OVERVIEW:

Ms Wallace Peach has done it again. This is a wonderful book.

BLURB:

“Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late.”

In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver’s mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion—a breath-taking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature’s awakening across the land.

But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter’s white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith’s tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.

With humanity’s fate on a perilous edge, Erith must break free of the king’s grasp and unravel a legacy of secrets. In a charmed court where illusions hold sway, allies matter, foremost among them, the Autumn Prince. Immortal and beguiling, he offers a tantalizing future she has only imagined, one she will never possess—unless she claims her extraordinary power to weave life from the brink of death.

In the lyrical fantasy tradition of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, D. Wallace Peach spins a spellbinding tale of magic, resilience, and the transformative potency of tales—a tapestry woven with peril and hope set against the frigid backdrop of an eternal winter.

STORY:

Erith is the Weaver of the Seasons. She has inherited the job from her immortal, Charmed (magical) mother who decided to follow her mortal husband into the underworld on his death.

The young Erith is unconfident of her abilities, being only half Charmed. She doubts her magic is sufficient to weave the seasons.

It is winter, and human hunters entered the Charmed forest in pursuit of a stag. They killed some of the Winter King’s creatures, and now he is out for revenge.

Erith has to travel to the magical Isle of Innisholm to spread her magical tapestry, woven by her with her mother's magic threads. At the equinox, the spreading of Spring’s tapestry will enable the change from winter to spring to take place. The Winter King will relinquish his throne to the Spring Princess.

Or will he?

Intent on punishing the humans, he captures Erith and destroys her tapestry, insisting she weaves only winter. This will cause the death of all living things, and eventually, as there is no one to believe in them, and to pass on their stories, the immortal Charmed, themselves.

Who can Erith trust? The Charmed courtiers? The Spring Princess? The Autumn Prince? The Summer Queen?

CHARACTERS:

Erith is full of doubt. She is very young to have this responsibility thrust upon her. We can understand how she feels. She is alone in the world.

She feels anger at her mother for leaving her to perform this task alone. This anger is mixed with love for her mother.

She is a character we can relate to. I think everyone has felt, to some degree, what Erith feels.

But she must find the courage from somewhere to stand up to the Winter King.

The Winter King is a typical depiction of winter. He has icy blue eyes and long white hair. His personality is cold and ruthless. He has little empathy for the humans he is destroying by his refusal to allow spring to arrive. Even when his actions are impacting his own people he will not relent.

The Spring Princess loves pastel colours. She has blonde hair and wears a dress with spring flowers on it.

She is slightly insipid, I thought, and does not have the courage to stand up to Winter King. She seems to think he’ll relent and all will be well.

The Summer Queen dresses in bolder colours than the Spring Princess, as befits a summer day. She doesn't stand up to the Winter King, either, and doesn't seem too bothered about what is happening.

The Autumn Prince is the only one of the season's royalty who is on Erith’s side. He does all he can to help her, even if she doesn't always appreciate it.

There are lots of other characters, many of whom are Charmed. I especially liked Erith's hospet, a small, goblin-like creature who, in exchange for clothes and food, keeps the house clean and tidy.

WRITING:

Ms Wallace Peach writes like the Weaver of the title. Her prose and word choice weave magic, just as Erith weaves magic into her tapestry.

Her descriptions are beautiful. I could picture the cold beauty of Winter with the glittering ice and snow, and with Erith's visit to the realms of the other Seasons' rulers on the Isle of Innisholm, the delicate loveliness of Spring and the bountiful colours of Autumn.

I found no grammatical errors, nor typos. Definitely one to read if you are a fan of fantasy, and maybe even if you are not. The writing alone is worth it.

I give it 5*.

[Joy York · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Necromancer’s Daughter, I knew Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver would be another absolutely stunning fantasy. The lyrical and poetic styles of D.W. Peach are always eloquently written. The words flow as smoothly as silk blowing in a breeze, and there is such vivid imagery that literally comes to life on the page. I am in awe of Peach’s creative and vibrant imagination. Every detail of the magical realm and charmed creatures, both whimsical and terrifying, is magnificent.

Erith wears the Season Weaver’s mantel, a title she reluctantly inherited from her immortal mother who left the Charmed Island of Innishold to marry her father, a mortal. When Erith’s human father died, her mother followed him to the underworld, leaving the lifelong responsibility of weaving the tapestries of the seasons to Erith. Though under the tutelage of her magical mother for years, Erith doesn’t believe she has the magical expertise to create the kind of exquisite seasonal tapestries her Charmed mother did. Erith has always lived on the edge of two different worlds, one human and the other Charmed. One brutally real and the other fraught with glamor and illusion. When she makes her first perilous journey to Innishold to present the spring tapestry she created on her mother’s loom for the ceremony on the night of the equinox, she is fearful of disappointing the Winter King. What she doesn’t realize is the local humans have breached the magical forest of the Charmed and killed a silver stag and white wolves. In an act of punishment, the King takes Erith prisoner, demanding she only weave winter tapestries so the humans will die of cold and starvation. With the help of some sympathetic Charmed creatures and the Prince of Autumn, she is determined to save humanity and the ungrateful charmed world despite her inadequacies.

I was totally captivated by this story. This is a fast-paced adventure with brutal battles, dangerous underworld creatures, chases through perilous territories, battles of wits, revenge, betrayal, and deception. I loved all the beautifully woven characters. Erith is bold, defiant, caring, clever, brave, and quick-witted, but is unsure of herself and what world she fits in. The Autumn Prince, a handsome Charmed immortal, is the perfect mix of supportive ally to Erith and slightly ambivalent about his loyalties. I was constantly trying to figure out where everyone’s loyalties lay and who could be trusted. I loved the ending. I highly recommend this brilliantly written fantasy.

[Sandra Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Wallace Peach weaves some magic of her own.
Once again, the author creates a tale that flows like poetry and is filled with suspense, intrigue and twisty turns.
When the Weaver of Season’s leaves for the underworld, she charges her half-mortal, half-charmed daughter to take her place as weaver. If Erith can’t complete the weaving of the changing seasons, all will die. Mortal and charmed alike. Challenges face her at every turn, not the least of these self-doubt.
In this book, there are several characters and species to keep track of. But to be expected when building a new world. A book for fantasy fans and those who love a good tale.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter of a human father and a mother of ‘the charmed’, the halfling Erith Morningstar lives between the magical kingdom of Innishold and the neighbouring human world. Like her mother Dania before her, she weaves tapestries to mark the onset of the seasons at the behest of their rulers—the Spring Princess Gynnessett, the Queen of Summer Vellis, the Autumn Prince Brynlan Firesage, the Winter King Fardrifter and his Queen Belaphriel—yet she’s reluctant to use the magic of her mother in the creation of her tapestries, relying instead on the skills inherited from her tailor father.
 
Winter is almost at an end, at the start of the story, with Erith’s spring tapestry ready for the approval of Gynnessett. Trouble has arisen, however, because human hunters have killed four of the Weregield wolves of the Winter King—and have themselves been killed in retaliation. Not content with like for like, Fardrifter sets the wolves—under their leader, the giant black wolf Valanoth—to hunt and kill more humans. Further, he refuses to allow the start of spring, instead destroying Erith’s tapestry and imprisoning her to weave eternal winter until every human has died. Responding to her human side, Erith rebels, escaping from captivity and searching for the means to weave a new tapestry and release spring upon the land, thereby saving not only humanity but the community of the charmed.
 
This is a coming-of-age tale for the young Erith, cast in the role of Seasons’ Weaver too soon when her mother decided to follow her husband into the realm of death. She’s unprepared for so much that awaits her, lacking in confidence of her abilities and torn between the human and charmed sides at war within her. She’s also susceptible to the concept of love, and there’s more drawing her to the Autumn Prince than the help he gives in her quest to both unlock the secrets of her true identity and save the world.
 
And what a world it is, beautifully constructed and written by author D. Wallace Peach and peopled with a cast of characters which illustrate the breadth and depth of her imaginative powers. Hospets, Bonemen, Mori Duglum, Moss Folk, the Oak Witch, the giant black wolf Valanoth and the Weregield Wolves, the Lochalai, Wylyali, Fauns, the angel of death Nelithi, the Northern Skaarmen, Naggris—I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.
 
A magnificent fantasy story, a rich tapestry of words, woven, multilayered and glossed with the glamour of the four seasons. Highly-recommended. 

[Singer_of_Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75-5 stars, rounded up.

This was gorgeous. I picked up the book because the cover and blurb looked interesting, and I was quickly hooked. Here's what I think the book did well:
- The worldbuilding: Each of the different charmed were unique, drawing on folklore and legends I was familiar with while still creating something different. The world felt like it belonged to a place all of its own--both otherworldly and familiar--and I loved every minute.
- The imagery: I could picture everything in this book so clearly. The landscapes and characters were stunning, and I felt totally immersed in everything and lost in the magic and wonder of it all.
- The romance: This isn't a romance book, per se, but there is romance in it. It's very quiet and simple, but I thought that it made a lot of sense and I was rooting for it the whole book. I felt like the author did a good job showing why the characters fell for each other rather than simply telling us that the characters are suddenly madly attracted to each other and then moving on. It was sweet and wholesome and healthy, and I loved it.

Basically the atmosphere was just about as close to perfect as I've read.

While the actual plot itself wasn't necessarily the most groundbreakingly-new plot I've ever read, the vibrancy of everything else made it a truly enjoyable read. That and the fact that there was actual character development and growth and consequences. The main character drove me a bit crazy at times, but the story handled her decisions well and redeemed the things that frustrated me by giving me character development and growth. This was a book I didn't want to put down because I was so happy to just be present in the story with the characters, and it's a book I'll likely come back to and maybe even own one day.

This is my first D. Wallace Peach book, but, if this is how she normally writes, then it won't be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this read.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tale of the Seasons' Weaver is a wonderful fantasy story about the seasons, nature, the world, humans and magical creatures coexisting in the world and belief in yourself. When Erith's father dies, her mother, Dania, follows him to the underworld. That leaves Erith to pick up the role of Seasons' Weaver. She must prepare the tapestry for the change of seasons, and travel to the island of Innishold to unveil the new season. Erith is not confident of her abilities and is angry that her mother chose to leave her, without teaching her the skills she will need. Arriving at Court, King Fardrifter, steals the tapestry and refuses to allow winter to end. Erith is strong, independent and stubborn, but doubts her skills. She is imprisoned in a tower in Fardrifter's castle but is able to escape. The Prince of Autumn, Brynlyn, helps her out and they gradually develop more than friendly feelings towards one another, so there is the promise of a romance. I loved all the various magical creatures in this story. Some of immortal, some are not and can be killed. The continuous winter causes the world to start dying, including the human world. I was interesting to note that King Fardrifter began this whole thing when humans ventured into the enchanted forest and killed some of his weregeild, thus setting off the eternal winter. I don't want to give this story away, but it is one that I really enjoyed and recommend to those who enjoy fantasy. The writing was lovely. It is full of descriptions that allow the reader to picture the various creatures and setting. The imagery is beautiful. I do not read a lot of fantasy, but I am definitely glad I read this one. Entertaining and enlightening. I loved it.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does Erith the Seasons' Weaver belong to the mortal world or the enchanted? Or neither? Or is it both? This enchanting fantasy is filled with both mortals and the enchanted, misbehaving acorns, watermaids, a fire salamander, Moss Folk, Nobbin the potgoblin, royalty of each season, and the one being needed to weave the seasons into being, one after the other, although fraught with dangers. A captivating tale.

[Joni Caggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Wallace Peach has crafted a prologue in an exquisitely breathtaking setting- a winter forest marked by the harshness of an extreme mix of challenges. She weaves an enchanting tale rich with every imaginable metaphor and color. With a thrilling introduction to various creatures we will come to know throughout the chapters, Peach triumphantly guides us to each new page in this captivating adventure.

We also quickly realize that humans struggle to feed their families during what seems to be an interminably long winter. We learn that some creatures in the woods are dangerous and exist on an island where a Winter King resides. What we understand to be the beginning of the book may signify the dissolution of the human world as they know it. The hunters commit an unforgivable mistake, and their desperate actions will lead to severe consequences. With this information, we delve into the ethereal yet fragile world that a young woman must learn to navigate. She is tasked with weaving the seasons of their world onto her tapestry as we follow her through twists and enchantments that only the wildest imagination could conjure.

As lovers of nature’s seasons, all creatures, and the immeasurable beauty that the living world brings to all our lives, we often held our breath during the reading of, “The Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver.” (I buddy read this book with my husband, which was our treat at the end of the day.)

The main character is “The Seasons’ Weaver,” who is called Erith. Everything about Erith was remarkable. I loved the coziness of her woodsy abode and the visionary creatures that lived with her. She was half charmed and half human. Within Erith’s force of personality, I saw a lot of myself. Much of what made her such a lovable, captivating, and disarming character was, in many ways, the challenges we all deal with in life. Many unanswered questions about what happened to her and her family and the great expectations inflicted upon such a young woman made her anxious, untrusting, and often unsure of herself. I found a lot of today’s world in this captivating book.

Throughout the chapters, we meet extraordinary characters, some of whom we come to adore, but many of whom we know are foreshadowing.
The entirety of the book is written imbued with mystical and dangerous quests. D. Wallace Peach’s ability to write with such ease and flow, with her formidable use of creative description in each sentence, is particularly noteworthy. Her imagination is found while building a world that is both in trouble and one in which the protagonist, Erith, has many secrets to which she is not privy.

As a poet who does not often read fantasy, I found a considerable amount to be learned from reading this genre if you find a writer with a vision that lights a spark on every page. I will quote a few lines to show you an example of D. Wallace Peach’s sensational descriptive vein of writing.

“Gynnessett’s corona of buttercup curls bounced below a circlet of golden pansies. Her silk apparel boasted a garden of embroidered irises, and despite the wintery weather, living flowers trimmed her neckline and the hem of her ruffled skirt. She was as light as sunshine, as mercurial as a butterfly, and when she passed my me, the scent of lilacs lingered in the air. I wondered if she tucked wings beneath her finery.”
Peach, D. Wallace. Tale of the Seasons' Weaver (p. 16). (Function). Kindle Edition.”

“Wind clattered through the bare branches. Twigs chafed like eager fingers. A banshee swept into the clearing and whipped the falling snow into funnels that raced into the blue fire and spat cold sparks at the sky. Nelithi drifted from the evergreens, a phantom spirit of murder and mercy, crystal irises peering at me above a seductive smile.”
Peach, D. Wallace. Tale of the Seasons' Weaver (p. 177). (Function). Kindle Edition.

“Your true strength lies here.” He rested two fingertips on my temple and then tucked a stray hair from my face with a touch as light as a galiwhig’s wings, the gesture so tender I leaned into his hand. “Your magic far exceeds the limited illusions of the charmed. You must believe it, welcome it.”
Peach, D. Wallace. Tale of the Seasons' Weaver (p. 250). (Function). Kindle Edition.

The last quote is one from a particularly spectacular character in every way. A member of the charmed. Even though many possess staggering powers, one such person remains a true gentleman in every sense. He is a man every woman would love to know who holds her heart most valuable, even more than life itself. A tender romance added to the tension and fear felt while reading each time they headed into the night.

There has to be a hero in every story, and in this book, I saw a community of heroes in the end—people who wanted to conduct themselves morally. This was another inducement to my sheer delight in reading this book. An individual with an overwhelming sense of humanity wrapped this enthralling story with every aspect of the challenges one eventually encounters.

This book is a gift to those who love nature and find its very fabric something we need in which to exist – oh wait, we do, don’t we! D. Wallace Peach is a treasure to read, and if you are a writer of poetry or prose you may learn a lot while enjoying every page. I know I did.

At the end of the book is a poem that will touch your heart and speak to your soul through the visuals of the earth’s beauty and riches. The author chose to end with a poem called “Wisdom” by a brilliant poet, Michael Utley. I don’t think she could have picked anything that would have summed up this fantastical journey to preserve the earth’s natural bounty than by listening to the love of nature pour out so splendidly by Michael Utley.

I highly recommend “Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver.” I can honestly say I enjoyed every page and appreciate the love of nature the author herself must cherish.

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I dithered before reading this book, because of the premise that a single half-human, half-magical being could be responsible for the transitions from one season to the next. Nature is more powerful than any of the creatures who exist within it, right? But once I started reading, I realized I had to regard this story as a kind of fictional creation myth.

The story begins with a Prologue, in which desperate hunters dare to trespass into a forbidden forest and pay the ultimate price for their transgression. In contrast, the first few chapters, set in Erith’s world and with her first-person narration, are like a fairy tale. Erith’s cottage is located between the realms of the charmed (magical, immortal beings) and ordinary humans, who long for spring to end the trials of winter. Her dwelling and the journey through the enchanted forest to the celebration of the spring equinox invokes descriptions of the fantasy world and its many inhabitants, some charming and others terrifying. Peach’s talent for active description shines here.

Upon arrival on the island, Erith meets the seasons’ court and joins in its revels. Dazzled at first, she perceives a taint of decay beneath the gloss of glamour. Disillusion and peril strike hard when the Winter King refuses her creation and threatens an eternal winter.

The rest of the story involves Erith’s comings and goings within the charmed world and a brief but distressing foray into the humans’ village, where she witnesses starvation and despair as a result of the unrelenting winter and her failure to overcome it. In her travels among these places, Erith is inevitably threatened by fearful beings in animal form, or even more terrifying monsters such as the grotesque lochalai, the weird bonemen, and the ravenous wylyali. Bruised and exhausted, she is prepared to perish, but always a member of the charmed court intervenes, such as the Winter Queen Belaphriel, North Bearfrost the last Skaarman, or, best of all, Bryn the Autumn Prince. In each of these encounters, someone tells Erith that it’s up to her to create spring and that she has the resources to do so, even though she is convinced that as a half-human she is incapable.

With each instance of peril and despair, Erith learns something about herself and the world in which she exists. The revelations and realizations lead to climactic confrontations and a satisfying resolution.

The main strength of this book is its rendition into prose of a vivid and colourful imagined world. Descriptions of snow, frost, wind, growth, bloom, and decay are so detailed and realistic that while reading I experienced discomforts, richness, beauty, and terror. One of the most terrifying beings is Nelithi, a wispy girl-spirit without feet, who is an embodiment of death by freezing. Among the least threatening (but not entirely harmless) are the mischievous Gripe and Erith’s hospet Nobbin. This book is a great mind-movie.

Like JRR Tolkien, Peach has incorporated beings from various mythologies into her fantasy world. I thought I could see resemblances between some of her creatures and those found in Tolkien’s books, such as the Ents, orcs, and even hobbits. Discovering these similarities was a bonus.

Other strengths of this book are its examination of the relationship between immortality and belief and the power of creative imagination. Some of the story’s elements bring to mind challenges of the present day, such as climate change anxiety, the false glamour of technology, and the threats posed by capricious and irrational rulers. Added to the dramatic tale of Erith’s coming of age and self-realization, these themes make for a substantial reading experience. In whatever season readers pick up this book, they will feel and see beauties of nature in all its manifestations embodied in gorgeous prose.

[D.G. Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this sweeping and chilly fantasy, Peach introduces us to a land and its dangers, as well as to Erith, the half charmed (magic), half mortal weaver who has taken over the baton of her mother, Dania, a fully charmed seasoned weaver. Erith now has inherited the task to weave the seasonal tapestry for each coming season. Erith is deep in frosty winter and has finished her creation for the spring equinox, but to get the tapestry delivered becomes the problem because of the evil Winter King who has wicked plans to prevent winter’s end.

As Erith begins her journey through the charmed forest to Innishold to deliver the spring tapestry in order to release nature’s beauty and begin the growing season, the evil Winter King snatches her tapestry and locks her in his icy palace, prolonguing winter by making Erith continue to weave winter stories until everything and the land is destroyed from lack of change of seasons. Does she have enough powers to continue to weave while darkness looms heavily around her?

As Erith’s mission is to get out of the King’s grip and weave the next spring season again, secretly, she continues to weave for the seasons. Soon Erith hatches a plan of escape.

Erith lives on the border between two worlds – the enchanted and the mortal. And her attempted journey to deliver the spring tapestry brings in the action of the dangers of the creatures in the forest, from wolves and wraiths, to human hunters and all those who pledge allegiance to the Winter King. The change of seasons is sometimes a bringer of trouble because the royals of season are not always so gracious at allowing the change of seasons.

Crossing through the enchanted forest is never safe. And neither is being held the resident loomer of Winter King, as a hostage. But besides Erith’s despair, she has friends – or those who will try and help her with plans. Friends like the Acorn who turns into a Gripe, whose size is so small, making him easy to slip out of her pocket and send him on errands, perhaps a friend in North, the guard the Winter King kept at her chilly door who has a soft spot for Erith. And then there’s Bryn, the Autumn Prince who is also being held by the Winter King to hold back his season. It seems the other royals in charge of each season won’t speak against the Winter King, keeping us wondering why, despite all of them knowing if winter doesn’t let up, nature and many will die. Without any spoilers, I promise you, the end is delicious when all is said and done, and we will learn exactly what the Winter King’s real intentions were for.

With the help of some magical friends and friends of the forest, Erith’s daring escape and journey back to her homeland, all the while, holding the magical tapestry she wove, brings her to the next dilemma, saving it while trying to deliver it to the Spring Princess. Erith will face a lot trying to save the seasons, fighting off vicious attacks from charmed beasts and those who don’t wish her to succeed. The Winter King is relentless, and in the midst of this magical madness, about halfway through the book, there’s a huge twist we will learn about Erith.

Will Erith find her magic and help save the seasons, land, and people? Will she escape peril? You will want to read to find out how this tale unravels as the author weaves in subtle undertones to humanity, despite this being a sweeping fantasy. We’ll be swept into Erith’s world and her determination to save humanity, despite its errors, and demonstrating the hardships of climate change. As a masterful and lyrical storyteller, this author always includes hope in her stories. A wonderful book that will keep you turning the pages.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Wallace Peach's "Tale of the Seasons' Weaver" is a unique type of fantasy novel. It develops like a whispered folktale passed down from winter fireside to spring meadow, woven in silken language and soaked in quiet emotional resonance. Peach's prose is as complex as the tapestries her heroine produces and her story is both intimate and wide, a meditation on identity, belonging, the weight of duty.

From the first page the writing reveals itself as lyrical and immersive, shaped by a painter’s eye for tone and a poet’s sense of cadence. The language flows with organic rhythm moving easily between clipped, aching lines of dialogue—“I miss them both”—and the longer, more reflective sentences that trace the internal landscape of a character torn between two worlds. The voice of the central figure is rendered with remarkable subtlety: she is thoughtful, observant, touched by grief and duty yet not without humor or self-awareness. Her dry wit surfaces gently, never breaking the tone but enriching it as in her sardonic comparison of responsibility to “an overfed pot-goblin.”

In a kingdom torn between mortal and enchanted realms, a young woman born of both possesses a remarkable talent: she weaves the seasons into existence. Living between two worlds but not really belonging to either, she becomes the last hope for equilibrium when winter seeks vengeance on humanity and threatens to freeze time itself.
Imprisoned and forced to postpone spring's coming she flees, embarking on a journey defined by sadness, buried secrets, and the calm strength of her skill. With the help of magical allies and a growing conviction in her own power she must restore the seasons and heal a world on the verge of disaster. A story about resilience, individuality, and the delicate alchemy of creation.

What elevates this novel beyond its plot is the profound atmosphere it creates. Peach crafts her world not in sweeping expositions but in tactile moments: the creak of a bench, the flutter of moth-winged creatures, the bead of blood blooming on a fingertip. There is an undercurrent of sorrow throughout, a lingering ache for things lost—parents, innocence, simplicity. Yet hope is threaded into every scene, flickering like a hearth-fire or the coming of spring beneath snowdrifts. The result is an emotional landscape that mirrors the central character’s own dual nature: mortal and charmed, grounded and magical, weary yet ever striving.

"Tale of the Seasons' Weaver" does not haste to impress with show; instead, it lingers, like snow melting beneath the April light, or the comfort of a remembered lullaby. The writing is both delicate and firm, thoughtful and graceful, leading the reader slowly through a highly personal and universally resonant story.
This is a novel that recognizes that true magic is found not in display, but in meaning. It reminds us that even those caught between worlds can be the ones who keep them together—that from the torn edges of grief, hope and duty we can still create something lasting.

PS This may be a long review; I wasn't ready to say good-bye to this book yet.

Loved book quotes:
"Glimpses of spring and autumn flanked the frigid landscape, the lake slushy where warmer waters washed against their colder neighbor."

"Autumn dropped from sight as abruptly as it had appeared, the once-brilliant maples shredded of leaves. Wolf prints pocket the carpet of snow. My mother's winter tapestry enthralled me with its wonder..."

"Could be you is dead... Or nots." :)

"I blew a labyrinth of emotions into the wind so it might whisk my memories away."

"'You stitched yourself back together nicely, considering.' / The Pale bitermarks stood out like trickles of cream where my choice of color failed to match my skin."

"An eternity is a very long time. / All the better."

[Elizabeth Gauffreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Wallace Peach’s latest fantasy novel, Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver, is a multilayered coming-of-age story in which a young woman, Erith, must navigate between two worlds, the world of the immortal “charmed” and the world of mortal humans, each world with its own designated boundaries.

The charmed world is inhabited with a multitude of charmed creatures, including shapeshifters, based on various folkloric traditions. In keeping with ancient folklore, the plot’s underlying premise is based on an explanation of natural phenomena through the use of story. Specifically, the seasons don’t change because of the Earth’s rotation around the sun. They change because a weaver with magical powers weaves each season as a tapestry, which is then spread over the land for the new season to take root.

What I particularly enjoyed about this conceit was that the weaver took pains to make the new season as beautiful as possible.The descriptions reminded me that in the real world, my world, each new season has its own inherent beauty.

When the book opens, Erith, who is half charmed and half human, has just assumed the mantle of seasons’ weaver after her charmed mother followed Erith’s mortal father into the underworld when he died. Erith has assumed this responsibility reluctantly, doubting her own abilities. Nevertheless, she weaves a tapestry for spring and sets out for the Winter King’s palace to give him the tapestry.

This is when things go horribly wrong. The Winter King refuses to accept spring because two humans have wronged him by encroaching on his property and killing his wolves. The remainder of the book follows the consequences of the King’s actions and Erith’s attempts to fight him to put the seasons back in their rightful places. There are many, many plot twists along the way to keep readers turning the pages, including an unexpected romance.

Upon reflection, I can see several parallels in the novel’s world with the world we live in. The charmed have the ability to cast spells, called “glamour,” to make reality appear more to their liking than it actually is–which for me is what social media has become. The advent of generative AI takes the parallel one step further. Is what I’m seeing online real or AI, i.e., “glamour”?

Along the same lines, shapeshifters are not always what they appear to be, and Erith encounters situations when she doesn’t know whom to trust. Who is lying for their own ends, and whom can she trust to tell her the truth? Who has her best interests at heart?

Although the novel is in no way didactic, I take two important messages from reading Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver. First, the seasons (i.e., our climate) must exist in harmony, or every living being is at risk. Second, a vengeful act has wide-reaching consequences, beyond affording the wronged avenger fleeting satisfaction.

I highly recommend Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver to readers looking for an enjoyable read with an imaginative and compelling story, which also has the benefit of great depth.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erith inherits the mantle of Season’s Weaver when her charmed mother elects to give up her immortality and follow her human husband into the afterlife. Convinced her mixed heritage makes her less able than her mother, Erith weaves the best Spring tapestry she can, and heads off with trepidation to the Isle to present her work to the Spring Princess, in order to usher in the new season.
The Winter King has other ideas. In retribution for humans hunting and killing in the charmed forest, he declares winter will remain indefinitely. He shreds Erith’s tapestry and imprisons her in his castle. If winter is ever to end, and allow life to return to the world before it is too late, Erith must not only escape, she must find a way to weave a new tapestry and somehow release it before the king either captures her again, or kills her.
Fundamentally, this is a coming-of-age story, with a hefty dose of the supernatural. In addition to the seasons’ royalty, Peach’s story creeps, crawls, and flies with creatures drawn from a wide range of folk tales and legends drawn from a variety of countries, seamlessly woven as if they belong together. Erith is a strong character, and yet she suffers from a deep lack of self-confidence, and struggles to see what others see in her. Her world turns quickly from security to anarchy, and as she tries to fix what she considers to be the failure of her shortcomings, thing only ever seem to get worse. Only her deep-rooted sense of justice for the world, and the creatures that inhabit it, keeps her trying when at every turn, it seems there can be no salvation.
Reading Peach’s writing is a beautiful experience: every sentence is polished to perfection. Without becoming over-written, her range of vocabulary enhances the reader’s experience, lifting this multi-layered story, which challenges its characters (and readers) to distinguish reality from illusion, from good, to superb.
For me, I only wish Erith had been a little more shocked and sad at the end about her part in the demise of so many, even though she does, eventually, find the solution.
Highly recommended for those who love fairy and folk tales with their original grittiness fully intact, and fantasy with a human edge.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

D. Wallace Peach's "Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver" (2025) is a young adult/teen dark fantasy novel with unique thematic elements you won't find in other stories. A little background: Erith, the young heroine of the story, is entrusted with building the four seasons--winter, spring, summer, and fall--that mark the human world by weaving a tapestry of each on a magical loom passed on to her by her mother and unfurling it at the proper time. Erith herself is part enchanted, part human, which gives her the ability to make seasons some would consider better than even those previously woven by her charmed mother. Without these, the seasons cannot change. The problem arises when she travels to the isle of Innishold to deliver the tapestry for Spring and is captured by the king of Winter who does not wish for the season to move on. He is angry humans have killed his Winter beings and for that, they must suffer by not releasing their lands to a time when they can plant crops and raise food. What he doesn't take into account--or doesn't care--is that by forcing the seasons to remain in Winter, not only do the guilty humans die, but all of his enchanted immortal beings also die. It falls on Erith's young shoulders to change his mind and save the human and the charmed world, both of which she is part of.

If you've read any of Peach's other fantasy tales, you will expect and be delighted with her rich use of language, lyrical and spellbinding prose, engaging descriptive settings, and the creation of a to-die-for fantasy world that quickly becomes believable and addictive. The story is not only entertaining but thought-provoking as readers weigh the decisions to be made and their consequences. It is highly recommended to those who enjoy strongly developed fantasy worlds with flawed but moral characters who suffer through seemingly impossible situations and solve all the problems thrown in their paths. With over nine books to her credit, all ranked over 4/5 or above, you won't be disappointed in this selection.

[Colleen Chesebro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erith Morningstar is the seasons’ weaver, inheriting this responsibility from her mother. She is a halfling—part charmed and part human. Interestingly, humans are the only creatures in this world who are gifted with imagination and creativity.

Erith’s first task is to weave the next season into existence. She travels to the Winter King’s domain to weave a spring tapestry. Once there, the Winter King decides to ban the other seasons. The realm is thrust into a permanent winter. The humans suffer and famine falls across the land. It’s up to Erith to find the strength to battle the forces of evil and establish a balance.

As is typical with this author’s books, there are always lessons to be learned by the protagonist (and us, the reader). Erith’s journey is filled with danger. Look for the sensory details and imagery where you experience the same things that Erith experiences. I felt the cold bite of the wind, the sting of the snow, including my own terror at the different creatures that pursued the weaver. Just like her, I was forced to distinguish between what was illusion and what was reality.

There are several themes in this tale. The humans plunder the world’s resources when they turn away from nature. That’s like something out of current events.

There’s also the power of love and believing in yourself. In the back of my mind, I kept seeing Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz, clicking her ruby slippers together to get home. Erith too, must find her way home.

The language is vibrant and poetic. In my mind, I saw the story almost like a movie. The characters are amazing! While Erith is young and untested, she must find herself to survive in this complex world.

In my humble opinion, the author slipped into the enchanted world of faery. She channeled this magical tale to remind us of who we are as humans. Remember, it’s us, the humans, who are gifted with imagination and creativity.

[Balroop Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver’ is a wondrous fantasy that connects with realism at many levels. Trust, love, respect, courage and struggle are intrinsic parts of the plot. The struggle to weave spring - the season of hope and light, is a profound symbol of survival in this world, replete with strife.

Erith has inherited the magic of weaving the seasons, and an eye for color from her mother, Dania. She has a tremendous responsibility as the seasons couldn't change without her presence. Despite the doubts about her talents, Erith completes her first tapestry and is ready to deliver the change of season but Winter King is indignant and she is caught between the rancor of the charmed and the mistakes of human beings who forget their place and think that they are more powerful than the forces of nature.

Peach has a knack for creating a stunning situation to grab you into it, making you one of the characters standing there, watching how they will handle the crisis. The prologue prepares you for an incredible action, as terror unleashes from page one, but there are many soft moments in this multidimensional story. The growth of Erith is phenomenal, as she learns to acknowledge her talent and gathers confidence.

You have to read this book slowly to savor the poetic style of writing, as the words rise to request a halt and chew the expressions like “blood bloomed, bright as a summer rose,” “her veils an opalescent mist,” ice-spanked finery,” and many more. The imagery like “embers whirled like fireflies past the moon’s face” delighted my heart. Whether it is the description of Winter Palace or the legend of Nelithi, the Spring Princess or Autumn Prince, Peach excels in conjuring a perfect world, worth visiting. I would highly recommend this book - a symphony of seasons.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I finished this novel several days ago, I'm still thinking about the beautiful imagery and prose. This world and the magnificent creatures inhabiting it enchanted me. I continue to be awed by the author's imagination.

As the Seasons' Weaver, Erith carries a load of responsibility. If her tapestries aren't completed, the seasons don't change. She inherited the job from her mother and lacks confidence in herself, believing her creations to be subpar in comparison. Her journey to the island to present the spring tapestry isn't an easy or safe one as she encounters dangerous creatures in the forest and lake. Upon arriving at court, she learns the Winter King refuses to relinquish the crown to Spring after humans killed some of his wolves. As punishment, he proclaims winter will continue until every mortal dies. Erith is in a perilous situation after she's imprisoned by the Winter King. If she doesn't escape, create another tapestry, and change the king's mind, people will die. She needs allies - but who can she trust?

Besides her physical journeys between the lands, Erith is also on a personal journey. Her magic has always been chaotic and uncontrolled, but she's continuously told she's more powerful than she knows. She's a halfling, but comments and hints from others make her wonder if she has a deeper connection to Innishold. Her character arc is one of my favorite parts of this novel. Erith begins as someone riddled with self-doubt and transforms into a young woman who discovers herself and her place in the world. I'm not a romance reader so I liked the lighter emphasis on the relationship between Erith and the Autumn Prince, but it's enough to please fans of that genre.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy vivid, magical worlds, life and death stakes, and David vs. Goliath-type stories.

[Lauren Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I immerse myself in a book by Diana Peach, I always fall deeply into the exciting worlds and believable characters. She is the author who converted me years ago into reading fantasy. Her beautiful prose parallels with diving into a C. S. Lewis classic. Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver is an enchanting and spellbinding story full of remarkable imagination. I was easily drawn into the extraordinary imagery from the first chapter. One sample of Peach’s magical writing is, “The sky joined into a conspiracy with the wind and thickened with charcoal clouds that piled on each other’s back.”

Erith, the protagonist, resides between two worlds. She is half mortal human and half possessing charmed blood. Because of these qualities, she feels as if she doesn’t belong in either world. But the complication lies with her mother bestowing her the title of seasons’ weaver. Erith must weave her first tapestry ode to spring. However, self-doubt clings to her like static electricity, and she remains hesitant to use her magical powers. Not to mention, she faces a multitude of obstacles. A massive hindrance being the Winter King who takes revenge on the human race. He suppresses the season of spring because of human hunters who harmed the enchanted forest.

The reader joins Erith on her quest, meeting a variety of magical creatures, some better to avoid such as water demons in the night, while others that fascinate like galiwhigs. Many entertaining characters, both good and evil, play a significant role in her growth, and Peach even adds a touch of romance to entice.

Will Erith be able to push aside her self-doubt in order to prevent the demise of all humans? Will the four seasons remain everlasting? I encourage you to discover the answers by reading this tale that I highly recommend!

[Roberta Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to summarise this book in one sentence, I would say it was like reading a picture. The author has a wonderfully imaginative mind and an ability to capture beauty as well as death and destruction in detailed and graphic word pictures. In the manner of C.S. Lewis, the author has created a beautiful frozen world that traverses both the fantasy realm of the Charmed in the everyday world of humans. Due to the inflated ego and anger issue of the King of Winter, both worlds are in danger of destruction as he decides to maintain an eternal winter. This story line differs from the frozen world of Narnia in that winter cannot be maintained indefinately without all life being destroyed due to the non-event of spring.

Erith is the new Season's Weaver having assumed the mantle from her Charmed mother who decided to follow her human father into death. Erith lacks confidence in her powers and abilities as she is a halfling and identifies more with humans than with the Charmed. Despite her reservations, she takes on the responsibilities of the Weaver and is sadly deceived and disappointed by the actions of the Winter King who kidnaps her and attempts to force her to weave an eternal winter. I would classify this book equally as a fantasy and a coming of age story as Erith is forced to take the unwanted responsibility of saving the world from the Winter King despite her inexperience and fears. Fortunately for Erith, she has a number of wonderful allies to help her along the road, in particular, the Prince of Autumn.

Tale of the Season's Weaver is an enthralling tale spun in delightful words of beauty with a lot of subtle symbolism and themes of morality, the nature of life, both mortal and immortal, friendship, and internal strength.

Lovers of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien will revel in this delightful and intriguing story.

[Alex Craigie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I knew that D Wallace Peach had a new book ready for publication, I pre-ordered it. Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver landed in my Kindle on January 2 and, despite all the festivities, I read it over two nights, staying up to greet the dawn on the second one. As you may be able to tell, this stunning tale doesn’t disappoint!
The protagonist, Erith Morningstar, has inherited the role of seasons’ weaver from her mother and finds herself caught up in the Winter King’s decision to ban the other seasons, putting the realm into a never-ending cold that creates hardship and famine across the land. It’s a tale fraught with danger and tragedy from the start, but we are shown the strength within each of us to challenge that which we know to be wrong.
The tale has many layers. On one hand it is a struggle between the forces of good and evil, but it is so much more than this. We see the effect of humankind’s distancing itself from nature as it plunders the world and its resources. We need to be able to distinguish illusion from reality, and recognise the power of faith and love. Humans are perhaps the only creatures on this planet to be gifted with imagination and creativity. We need to cherish this feature, too.
The language is vivid, lyrical and almost cinematic in its execution. Each character is unique and (like the story itself) multi-layered. Erith is complex, brave, flawed and magnificent. I was willing her on every step of the way and hoping that there would be a future for her and Bryn - enigmatic Prince of Autumn. You will have to read the book yourself to find out.
Oh, and one more thing. There’s a twist at the end that I really didn’t see coming!

[Jan Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of beta-reading this book and I am so glad I did. It gets an easy five stars from me! Erith is a young girl who has been tasked with weaving tapestries for the changing of the seasons. Her mother had been the weaver before her and the work is vital to the survival of both the magic and human kingdoms.
But when the Winter King refuses to allow her to bring in the spring season, her entire world is turned topsy turvy as well as for the other Charmed beings and humans who depend on spring for planting, for renewal and for respite from the icy grips of winter.
All the characters and creatures in this novel are three dimensional and fully developed. The author did a great job of world-building and put me into the story with the characters.
There are so many wonderful characters who play vital roles in the story's unfolding. Brynlyn, the Prince of Autumn, was one of my favorites. A deep relationship develops between Erith and Bryn as she struggles to save the world from destruction. I love the growth Erith experiences through the horrific struggles she faces. Even though this is fantasy, I found so many pearls of wisdom embedded in the narrative, and it's believable. The story is superbly written and my hat is off to this author! If you are a lover of fantasy that transports you into another place and time, this book is for you. It held me captive until I finished it.

[Yvette Calleiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story! Erith is the Seasons' Weaver, but she was thrust into that role when her mother suddenly left for the underworld. When the Winter King steals her tapestry for Spring and announces that Winter will continue until he is ready to give way to the other seasons, Erith finds herself in a race to save both the human and charmed. Unfortunately, her insecurities in her abilities hinder her ability to fight the Winter King. If she doesn't find a way to weave the next season, everyone will perish.

From the first pages of this book, I was enthralled. The author has such a brilliant imagination, and she is gifted with the power of imagery. I fell in love with the world she created and found myself finding moments to read just to visit it again. I felt as if I were right there with Erith for her whole journey.

The characters are well-created and believable, both human and charmed. The personalities she bestowed upon each one was perfect. The author has said in interviews that she borrowed ideas from various myths across the world to create her characters, and I believe she did a phenomenal job. The plot was well-paced. There was never a dull moment, and the twist midway through and then at the end tied everything together. If you love fantasy stories, this one is an absolute must!

[Adrianna Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.


This story is beautifully written the Author is so descriptive and makes the world come to life from the landscape to the character design making it so easy to fully picture the entire world and those who inhabit it. I could so vividly imagine the tapestries being woven by our FMC. Our main character inherits a huge responsibility in which she is to weave the changing seasons into tapestries that usher them in. The literal weight of the world is on her shoulders but she is left extremely inadequately trained for everything her position entails as well as interacting with the tempermental Seasons Royalty. She is challenged and must find the strength and confidence within herself to save the world and all of the creatires in it from a perpetual winter. The world that we are set in gave me game of thrones vibes especially when referring to the winter king and his kingdom which I loved! If you love immersive and vivid world description and whimsical character designs you will love this book!

[Feya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this book because it sounded intriguing and held my attention from the blurb alone. This book did not disappoint me in the slightest.

The world building for each charmed “area” was uniquely designed and held a certain level of magic in their creation. I definitely loved how D. Wallace Peach created that aspect. I am a lover of folklore and mythology so the ability to spin this creativity into a world was phenomenal. I was able to sense some familiarity of each place and yet it was different.
This was not a typical romance story, it held some within in but that wasn’t the sole focus of the book. I enjoyed the glimpses without it overtaking the entire storyline.
I was able to visualize the entire story, the characters with their characteristics along with the lush and vivid landscape was throughly captured on the page and in my mind.
Erith developed throughout this book, learning to trust herself and her instincts. I am always a fan of character development.
It was an extremely well written fantasy novel.

[Carol Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been waiting expectantly for this next book from Wallace Peach, and finally, it has arrived. As a big fan, I couldn't wait to start reading. Poor Erith had little faith in her mother's aspirations for her and doubted that she could ever take up the mantle of the Season Weaver...After her mother's unexpected and sudden decision to forgo her immortality and follow her beloved husband into the afterlife, Erith found herself with a tapestry to complete...Erith was only half charmed and doubted that she could live up to her mother's expectations...

When the demands of the Winter King plus other magical creatures were thrown into the mix, you can imagine the turmoil Erith was plunged into..Who could she trust? Was she good enough? Then the Winter King seizes Erith and locks her away in his winter palace...Can Erith find a way to complete a Spring tapestry and avoid the world being plunged into permanent winter...I am giving no spoilers; you will have to read this fabulous tale for yourself..If you love fantasy and intrigue at its best, then you will love this tale..

[Priscilla Bettis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erith is half human and half immortal. She is the new Seasons’ Weaver and must weave spring into existence or else everyone will perish. (The short-sighted Winter King is angry at the humans.)

Erith is an amazing character. She starts out being unsure of herself and unsure of whom she can trust. I loved seeing her grow. I also enjoyed her blossoming relationship with the prince, Bryn. I appreciated that their romance adds to the story rather than taking it over.

The world-building is fantastic. I got so immersed in both the novel's human setting and the fantasy world that my IRL surroundings ceased to exist. There were many details like specific sounds of footfalls, smells both comforting and frightening, and textures. And it’s all so beautifully described. Peach’s prose is a delight to read.

Apparently, Peach researched legends from around the world and incorporated them into this novel. The result is a layered, rich story.

This one is easy to rate: five stars!