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The Essence Weaving Saga #1

The Weaver’s Awakening

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What if your deepest desires could save the world?

In a world fractured by ancient betrayals, where magic lies broken and corruption spreads like a shadow, hope is fading. The once-proud races—elves, dwarves, and orcs—have turned inward, their alliances shattered, as the leylines of magic that once connected them begin to wither.

But a Weaver has awakened.

Selene is no ordinary woman. Gifted with the rare ability to channel magic through deep, intimate connections, she alone has the power to restore balance to a dying world. Every bond she forges strengthens her body, fuels her magic, and reshapes her very essence—but it also awakens desires she never anticipated.

This is a story of slow-burning tension, growing power, and the unraveling of a destiny bound to forces far older than herself.

510 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2025

31 people are currently reading
4214 people want to read

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Selene Wilderwind

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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!*.
1,513 reviews317 followers
February 24, 2025
AI-generated, but what was the first clue? Could it have been the AI-generated cover? If you can't recognize the general look of it by now, please educate yourself, and in the meantime just look at the janky random scrollwork all over the thing. The weak-ass font treatment is the one (poorly executed) human touch. But hey, at least they used the AI image generator that allows sexy images, yeah? Even if it did make a navel to rival the Grand Canyon. (NB: a new cover was added on Amazon since I made this review; I wonder why? But that's okay, I have screen captures from the original cover added to the end of this review.)

Could it have been the AI-generated "author" persona, the not-at-all-a-pseudonym "Selene Wilderwind" with the also-AI-generated "photo" and the also-AI-generated bio, full of overwrought wispy claptrap like all such? What is this, Amelia Frostwood redux? Also, why does the book's main character have the same name as the so-called author? Could you only afford to have AI generate one name?

Could it have been the immediate mind-boggling density of sterotypical generative AI language starting on page 1, coupled with the wispy, saccharine, ethereal, hollow, meaningless, repetitive prose that is all generative AI output attempts at fantasy fiction? How many times in just the prologue is the "not just this, but this!" sentence construction used? Let's count:
They were not merely a source of power but the foundation of all life, ...
... colors born not just of light but of energy flowing free and untainted. ...
... acting not as destroyers but as fierce guardians ...
... not as conqueror but as seekers of knowledge, ...
... Not the peace of silence, nor stagnation, but the harmony of many voices ...
... the first whispers of desire took root—not for preservation, but for control ...
... drained the leylines not for wisdom but to shape kingdoms ...
... And so, the fractures began—not in sudden violence but in quiet violation, ...
... a wound that bled not only power but the very essence of life into the void. ...
... The severed leyline did not simply bleed power—it bled purpose, ...
... The corruption was not born of darness alone but of imbalance itself— ...
... their pulse no longer a song but a fading echo ...
... the ancient words echo once more—no longer a forgotten whisper but a call woven into the heart of creation, ...
You would not believe how much this construction is used throughout the book. Literally many hundreds of times. See my kindle highlights for the complete set, it's honestly mind-boggling.

All of that, plus the interminable repetition and vagueness of everything is pure genAI glory. The very first scene (that would be Chapter 2, because there is no Chapter 1, just a prologue and then Chapter 2 because people who make AI books clearly don't know how books work because they've never actually read one) in which Selene does some stuff with an injured hunter, exactly what stuff is unclear, there is some oral contact with unspecified skin and body movements that are very unclear, and whatever that stuff is it's repeated over and over in virtually identical iterations, a pattern which repeats itself throughout the book. This thing really didn't need to be 612 pages because every moment is simply relived multiple times. The only reason it seems like it's multiple things happening in sequence is because that's how reading works: the words that come later tell what happens after the earlier thing. But if you actually pay attention to what the words are saying, it quickly becomes obvious that it's just AI churning out the same point over and over again, and only the slight variations in phrasing make it seem like matters are progressing.

At least after the initial set of chapters, the book finally starts using language that actually expresses that a penis is going into a hole. Or rather, a "shaft" entering a "channel", be it oral or rear. But still, damn, does the exact same thing just keep happening over and over, with the same phrasing repeated many, many times, because that's what happens when you use AI to make a book.

Speaking of AI-book peddlers not reading books, this includes this one; if the prompt typer actually read this whole thing, you'd think they would have noticed how in chapters 26-33 but nowhere else there are all of a sudden a whole lot of randomly bolded words:
The nineteenth was larger, but not muscular—broad in the belly, his chest thick, a deep scar across his stomach.
His shaft, however, was massive.
Broad and heavy, the skin ruddy and flushed, the head flared wide and throbbing as he stroked himself above her.
Selene's body ached, her womb so swollen, her thighs trembling as he pressed forward.
The head stretched her entrance painfully at first—too wide, her walls resisting—
Until her body adjusted, the wetness flooding her core as she yielded, stretching to take him fully.
His climax was harsh, his entire body tensing as he spilled deep inside her, the sheer volume making her convulse, her womb swelling even further with the heat.
The pulse was unbearable—so much energy—so full.


Wow, her womb sure gets a workout, eh? Take a guess how many times "womb" appears in this book. Do you have a number in mind? Ready for the answer? It's: That is more than once per page! For illustration of the impact, here is the book distillated to its most essential part:
womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb womb


Anyway, that's this book. Good luck with the results of the Goodreads Giveaway, may your US$119 contribution keep the lights on here for another 23 minutes. I still don't get it; practically EVERY DAY there are more paid giveaways for obvious AI-generated books. Is it actual pride in the creation? Or just the usual attempt to generate buzz?

When you get a bunch of reviews from brand new accounts with only that one review and no profile pic and a bunch of books thrown into the profile in the span of a single minute, and they're still mostly just 3-4 stars...

(See also https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... for more on how to spot an AI book. Not that they make it difficult.)

******************
Update: for illustration of some of the failures of AI generated covers as indicated in my opening paragraph:

Here is Selene's original navel, or, as I now call it, "The Crack of Womb":



And here is an example of the shitty, random poorly-drawn lines and blobs that generative AI passes off as detail work:



Thanks, everyone!
Profile Image for khubble.
207 reviews
February 4, 2025
I am DNFing this. It desperately needs an editor; I swear I have read the same thing over and over for 70 pages now. Most of what has been said could have been one or two chapters at most. I am giving it two stars though because there is so much potential. The plot is going to be so interesting once an editor gets in there and cuts half the prose. Maybe if this is picked up and republished later on I’ll come back to it!
Profile Image for Jenna.
1,696 reviews92 followers
February 24, 2025
I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was drawn in by the magnetic cover and I was duped entirely. After reflection that the majority of this book was most likely AI generated, I fear the cover suffered the same fate. I couldn't even finish The Weaver's Awakening, it was that torturous. The plot was hazy, paragraphs repeated the same nonsensical phrases, and it felt like it was written by a robot who had never known the touch of a human woman. I wouldn't classify this as a romance because the "author" focused on the exchanging of energies with the heroine's status as a healer. If her kitty cat is laced with some sort of antibiotic, good for her. This book was an absolute mess. I suspected this was reliant on AI and it was confirmed when I saw other reviews. I hope this isn't indicative of the future of publishing or I will be severely disappointed. If this is genuinely written by a human, I apologize. This was a rough book and I don't recommend it.
Profile Image for Orion.
36 reviews
April 2, 2025
Ugh....I am marking this as read even though I got though about half the book in an evening because the chapters all seem to be the same, no coherent plot other than some fake attempt at being smut. The first 5 chapters were essentially the same thing. And more, it's essentially a RAPE scene. Having sex with an unconscious person? To save him? Yeah, in the conventional world...that's RAPE. It's almost like the author felt they needed to fill some pages to make the book longer. It's not really until Chapter 7 or 8 before things begin and by that time, I was boooooorrrrreeeedddd.

Warning for those who are thinking of picking this book up or even applying to be a winner to get this book....DONT!!! Run for the hills.

Honestly, this author needs to scrap this book and start again. I have seen 9th graders write better than this. Seriously, you need to do some major overhaul on this book. I would highly recommend you take some basic creative writing classes, then look up Brandon Sanderson on YouTube and watch his videos. You make every single mistake that he warns new writers.

Reading the reviews seems to have picked up on what I picked up. This must be the authors first attempt at writing and just threw words into a chatgpt program and let the AI write it.

Not even sure the author is real. The photo on Goodreads seems AI generated as well.

Selene, my recommendations is to you, yank the book from Kindle, yank it from Goodreads, sit down and start again. This time, don't us AI to write it. Develop a plan for the world. Do some world building. Do some character building. Do some chapter building. Read some other fantasy novels and get a better approach. Take some classes, then take some more. Sit down write short stories. Each chapter should NOT be the SAME. They should be different.

Honestly, I am just happy to not have spent any money on this book. Total waste of my time.
Profile Image for Anna Makowska.
181 reviews23 followers
April 10, 2025
I've seen claims this book is AI-written, and I'm a complete dummy when it comes to AI detection, but that's far from the only issue with this book.

First, it opens with an infodump prologue about the world.

Second, it introduces the protagonist, Selene, who's described as a complete Mary Sue droning on and on about her otherworldly beauty, starting from her silver eyes and ending on copious descriptions of her breasts. But she's also very shy and modest. But also she's experienced at sex, however all that sex was unsatisfying so far. Cliche on top of cliche.

Third, there's constant repetition and overwriting. One scene is dragged across 3 (!) chapters. Yes, the same scene is split between chapter 2, 3 and 4. There's no chapter 1 because I guess the Prologue is chapter 1, because the author can't number. Some descriptions seem to repeat to an uncanny degree that I felt I've read the same paragraph a page or two ago.

Fourth, no AI can fix the problem the author has either stupid ideas or very weird fetishes. The 3-chapter-stretched scene entails fmc finding a wounded, unconscious guy in the forest; she prays to a god for healing magic; the god appears in front of her and instructs her to have sex with this guy to create some magical life energy to heal him. Do you like sex with unconscious strangers while a god personified is watching you and giving you pointers / egging you on? It feels inherently creepy on multiple levels.

And then the god sends her on a quest to gather enough magical energy to save the world from evil and corruption... by having sex with every fantasy race. Pokemon but instead of gotta catch 'em all it's gotta bang 'em all. Oof.

The role of early chapters is to hook the reader and entice them to keep reading, and also set the tone for the rest of the book. If this is the type of content this book promises, you can find less problematic and better written smut for free on Ao3. Don't waste money on this book.

I rarely give 1-star ratings unless the book is either offensive, or a cash grab scam, or both. I'll leave it up to your judgement which category this one belongs to.

Thank you Netgalley and Selene Wilderwind for the ARC. Shame I had to break my streak of mostly positive reviews with this one.
Profile Image for Melanie.
91 reviews7 followers
March 8, 2025
#goodreadsgiveaway

OMG! What in the H*** did I just read? I'm on chapter 4 and I seriously can't. I agree with everyone else that this is likely AI generated, it's awful. Other than that, the heroine basically rapes an unconscious man in order to heal him and save his life? What???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chasing Silhouettes.
249 reviews25 followers
April 4, 2025
Lots of repetitiveness and heavily descriptive, yet very vague at the same time. Like the author was shy about what was happening, so only alluded to it in the most roundabout way possible over and over and over again. It was quite an awkward read that I struggled to get into. Though it is a fantasy romance, it was still not very "believable". I always try to power through, but this one I just flat out couldn't. The amount of repetition and vagueness was too much to overcome. DNF
23 reviews
March 5, 2025
Good concept but

Too many descriptions, thoughts of shame and much more were repeated time and time again. I think the story would benifit from being tightened up.
1 review
February 8, 2025
The concept behind The Weaver’s Awakening is one of the most innovative I’ve seen in erotic fantasy—a heroine whose magic thrives through intimacy? That’s brilliantly thematic and executed well in many ways. The sensuality isn’t just there for shock value; it serves a narrative purpose, which elevates the book above typical erotic stories.

That said, the book feels overwritten at times. Some descriptions, particularly in the first half, are repetitive and could be streamlined without losing their impact. The dialogue occasionally leans into exposition, making some conversations feel more like worldbuilding dumps rather than organic exchanges.

Still, once Selene’s journey gains momentum, it’s hard to put down. The latter half delivers on the promise of power, tension, and erotic intensity. If it had been tighter and more refined, this could have been a 5-star book.
1 review
February 16, 2025
The Weaver’s Awakening is a bold entry into the realm of erotic fantasy, delivering on its genre’s core expectations with rich, immersive sensuality.

The novel excels at crafting intimate moments that are deeply connected to the protagonist’s magical abilities, making the eroticism feel purposeful rather than gratuitous.

However, the story leans so heavily into sensuality that other aspects—such as character development beyond the protagonist and external world-building—sometimes take a backseat.

Readers seeking an erotic journey that integrates magic with intimacy will find much to enjoy, but those looking for a balance between action and narrative depth may find the pacing uneven.
1 review1 follower
February 21, 2025
This is not your typical fantasy romance—it’s far more erotic, more experimental, and much more interested in the connection between sex, energy, and power. The writing is rich, sometimes overly detailed, but always committed to making intimacy feel meaningful.

Selene’s journey is deeply tied to the unique magic system, where sex isn’t just an act but a channel for something greater. This makes the encounters feel essential rather than decorative, something too many books in this genre fail to achieve.
1 review
February 16, 2025
Look, I wasn’t here for the plot, and neither was this book. If you want deep world-building or action, go somewhere else.
If you want lots of magic-fueled, very creative steamy scenes, this will keep you entertained.
The writing is decent, though it gets a bit repetitive, and I found myself skimming the non-spicy parts.
Would I read the sequel? Maybe, if it keeps the steam high and the exposition low.
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