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Princeweaver
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Expected 16 Apr 26Win a free print copy of this book!
25 days and 08:00:38
50 copies available
U.S. only
Their marriage is to save a warring kingdom. But in the process, it might destroy them both…
Born with forbidden, nature-infused magic in an occupied land, anxious apothecary Meilyr survives by keeping his head down. Until he ends up engaged to invading prince Osian in order to save his brother’s life. Now, he is in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to hide his true self.
When nobles in Osian's court are gruesomely murdered by the same magic that flows through his veins, Meilyr realises someone is seeking revenge for his homeland. As suspicion towards him grows, he and the prince work together to uncover the killer, or risk losing the crown - or their lives.
Between court politics, unwieldy magic and a murderer on the loose, Meilyr must keep his wits about him. Especially as his feelings for Osian grow deeper with every passing day...
Folkloric and with a slow-burn romance at heart, fans of A Taste of Gold and Iron, C. S. Pacat and Rebecca Ross will love this debut. Princeweaver is the first book in a brand new romantic fantasy trilogy.
Born with forbidden, nature-infused magic in an occupied land, anxious apothecary Meilyr survives by keeping his head down. Until he ends up engaged to invading prince Osian in order to save his brother’s life. Now, he is in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to hide his true self.
When nobles in Osian's court are gruesomely murdered by the same magic that flows through his veins, Meilyr realises someone is seeking revenge for his homeland. As suspicion towards him grows, he and the prince work together to uncover the killer, or risk losing the crown - or their lives.
Between court politics, unwieldy magic and a murderer on the loose, Meilyr must keep his wits about him. Especially as his feelings for Osian grow deeper with every passing day...
Folkloric and with a slow-burn romance at heart, fans of A Taste of Gold and Iron, C. S. Pacat and Rebecca Ross will love this debut. Princeweaver is the first book in a brand new romantic fantasy trilogy.
Hardcover
Expected publication April 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5
Oh my god this was beautiful. I'm a mess right now so forgive me if this isn't very eloquent.
This reminds me so much of C. S. Pacat's writing and if you know me you know there's no higher compliment. This story feels timeless, it was so beautiful and emotional, I'm crying a little just thinking of the ending.
I'm not one for cozy fantasy but this is my exception.
We follow a boy who ends up in a situation where he needs to marry a prince. The problem is he has powers he needs to keep hidden, especially from the prince and his family.
I fell in love with the writing and the characters, I wish I could live in this world a little longer and I can't wait for the sequel. Tell me why I keep reading books that I think will be standalones just to be destroyed when it ends with "continues in ..."😭
Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC!
Oh my god this was beautiful. I'm a mess right now so forgive me if this isn't very eloquent.
This reminds me so much of C. S. Pacat's writing and if you know me you know there's no higher compliment. This story feels timeless, it was so beautiful and emotional, I'm crying a little just thinking of the ending.
I'm not one for cozy fantasy but this is my exception.
We follow a boy who ends up in a situation where he needs to marry a prince. The problem is he has powers he needs to keep hidden, especially from the prince and his family.
I fell in love with the writing and the characters, I wish I could live in this world a little longer and I can't wait for the sequel. Tell me why I keep reading books that I think will be standalones just to be destroyed when it ends with "continues in ..."😭
Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC!
February 22, 2026
Princeweaver is a sweet romantic fantasy story absolutely steeped in Welsh folklore. As a huge fan of the fantasy arranged marriage trope, I was immediately captivated by this story.
The romance was so sweet, both Osian and Meilyr are such loveable characters. The slow-burn romance filled the story with so much tenderness and yearning. I loved the short bursts of chapters from Osian’s perspective, teasing the reader with hints at his secrets and his feelings. Though I adored the characters and the romance, I feel like they both could have used a little more depth. I wanted to see more of them having deep conversations and building their relationship. I suppose there is still potential for that.
The story absolutely consumed me every time I picked it up. The inspiration from Welsh history and folklore made for a rich and interesting world. As expected of a royal arranged marriage trope, there is also a touch of court politics that I loved.
I do feel like the story in general needed a bit more tension and activity. There is very little time on page spent moving the mystery plot forward. I wanted to see Osian and Meilyr take more steps to try and solve the mystery. It got a little repetitive to see them only reacting to things happening around them. The reveal is not particularly surprising, but the ending shocks in different ways.
The ending was unexpected in so many ways and I am on the edge of my seat for the next book in the series.
Thank you Canelo for the eARC
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
The romance was so sweet, both Osian and Meilyr are such loveable characters. The slow-burn romance filled the story with so much tenderness and yearning. I loved the short bursts of chapters from Osian’s perspective, teasing the reader with hints at his secrets and his feelings. Though I adored the characters and the romance, I feel like they both could have used a little more depth. I wanted to see more of them having deep conversations and building their relationship. I suppose there is still potential for that.
The story absolutely consumed me every time I picked it up. The inspiration from Welsh history and folklore made for a rich and interesting world. As expected of a royal arranged marriage trope, there is also a touch of court politics that I loved.
I do feel like the story in general needed a bit more tension and activity. There is very little time on page spent moving the mystery plot forward. I wanted to see Osian and Meilyr take more steps to try and solve the mystery. It got a little repetitive to see them only reacting to things happening around them. The reveal is not particularly surprising, but the ending shocks in different ways.
The ending was unexpected in so many ways and I am on the edge of my seat for the next book in the series.
Thank you Canelo for the eARC
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
May 30, 2025
HOPE YOURE ALL READY TO YEARN
February 25, 2026
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A STANDALONE. fuck my life.
first of all, warning to all my people out there: this is NOT a standalone. i spent the last 10% of this book with utter fear in my heart because i could not believe all the things we were supposed to wrap up in so little time, and it turns out we weren’t wrapping them up at all! whoopsie! learn from my mistakes and emotionally prepare yourselves accordingly, because this was certainly a ride.
the worldbuilding in this was so rich and fascinating — i loved reading about the author’s inspiration from welsh culture, and felt like the setting was very well-developed. i could feel the meilyr’s heartache for his land leaping off the page, just as much as the constant danger and fear he experienced hiding his true self from the khaimlic occupiers. from the very beginning, when he first met the prince, i was thinking to myself that something about it very much reminded me of howl’s moving castle, a bit — i won’t spoil what it was, but just know that i was right! the reveal i was looking for was everything. i loved watching their relationship grow over the course of the story, and i really enjoyed how slow the burn was as the tension built.
speaking of tension, i love a good fantasy murder mystery, and this was no different! i did end up guessing who was responsible, but it took me a while to figure it out, and i was still surprised by that reveal, too. i would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a story with fantasy political intrigue, a slow burn romance, and great worldbuilding!
thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
first of all, warning to all my people out there: this is NOT a standalone. i spent the last 10% of this book with utter fear in my heart because i could not believe all the things we were supposed to wrap up in so little time, and it turns out we weren’t wrapping them up at all! whoopsie! learn from my mistakes and emotionally prepare yourselves accordingly, because this was certainly a ride.
the worldbuilding in this was so rich and fascinating — i loved reading about the author’s inspiration from welsh culture, and felt like the setting was very well-developed. i could feel the meilyr’s heartache for his land leaping off the page, just as much as the constant danger and fear he experienced hiding his true self from the khaimlic occupiers. from the very beginning, when he first met the prince, i was thinking to myself that something about it very much reminded me of howl’s moving castle, a bit — i won’t spoil what it was, but just know that i was right! the reveal i was looking for was everything. i loved watching their relationship grow over the course of the story, and i really enjoyed how slow the burn was as the tension built.
speaking of tension, i love a good fantasy murder mystery, and this was no different! i did end up guessing who was responsible, but it took me a while to figure it out, and i was still surprised by that reveal, too. i would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a story with fantasy political intrigue, a slow burn romance, and great worldbuilding!
thank you to netgalley & the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 5, 2026
i rated this 3.5 stars but rounded up because of my enjoyment and it being an arc.
wow this was a delight.
likes:
osian was such a cutie! i really enjoyed him as a character and how he interacted with meilyr, it was so wholesome. pedr was also another favourite character and found them to be super interesting. the slow burn was muchly appreciated too! this truly did a slow burn right and i very rarely get angsty waiting for something to happen but it was filled with so much yearning! the magic was also really interesting and loved the botanical horror side to it. the murder mystery was a nice plot too and didn’t think i’d be as invested as i was alongside a romance but it worked!
dislikes:
pacing and writing sometimes had me confused, jumping between the two main characters sometimes had me lost with who’s thoughts we were in. i wish we could’ve seen a bit more of meilyr interact with his brother a more since he was very crucial to the plot but quickly became a character i would forget about.
i was surprised to find out this was the first book in a series so i’ll definitely be checking out the next one!
thank you netgalley for sending me an arc.
wow this was a delight.
likes:
osian was such a cutie! i really enjoyed him as a character and how he interacted with meilyr, it was so wholesome. pedr was also another favourite character and found them to be super interesting. the slow burn was muchly appreciated too! this truly did a slow burn right and i very rarely get angsty waiting for something to happen but it was filled with so much yearning! the magic was also really interesting and loved the botanical horror side to it. the murder mystery was a nice plot too and didn’t think i’d be as invested as i was alongside a romance but it worked!
dislikes:
pacing and writing sometimes had me confused, jumping between the two main characters sometimes had me lost with who’s thoughts we were in. i wish we could’ve seen a bit more of meilyr interact with his brother a more since he was very crucial to the plot but quickly became a character i would forget about.
i was surprised to find out this was the first book in a series so i’ll definitely be checking out the next one!
thank you netgalley for sending me an arc.
Want to read
November 22, 2025I'M SO DARN EXCITED TO READ THIS BOOK
September 5, 2025
I was privileged to read an early version. Wow! This is a real page-turner. Forbidden magic, mysterious murders, all set in a fantasy version of Wales with some brilliant Welsh history and folklore included. This is not only about magic and romance, but also about conflict, a people subdued, resistance and defiance. I can always tell a good book when I am thinking about the characters and the world when I am not reading it, and this really had me hooked. I hear some really exciting things about the next two books, really looking forward to the whole thing!
February 1, 2026
4.5 stars
Yays:
- Unique magic system
- Queer normative world
- Good slow burn - the tension!! The yearning!!
- For real tho these two boys are professional yearners
- Commentary on the direct consequences of colonialism done well
- Osian? Good cinnamon roll
- Just the way the author wrote emotions was just beautiful
Nays:
- Still can’t get over Osian’s first gut reaction to saving Osian and his brother is to marry him??? I mean, it was hinted towards the end that there was a reasoning but it was not really revealed so I’m still meh about that
Overall, I need the second book now. Like now.
Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC!
December 3, 2025
Have just finished this book, and wow am I ready for the next part.
The slow burn is real, stick with it! The characters are strong, the yearning is stronger!
I loved the two main boys, but the side characters are entertaining and I loved them so much I want them to have their own books.
All in all a great, romantic fantasy with magic murder mystery style plots that kept me reading!
The slow burn is real, stick with it! The characters are strong, the yearning is stronger!
I loved the two main boys, but the side characters are entertaining and I loved them so much I want them to have their own books.
All in all a great, romantic fantasy with magic murder mystery style plots that kept me reading!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
maybe i went into this with my expectations set too high because this was just disappointing.
the characters were meh–meilyr was the most fleshed out character, but i unfortunately did not find him compelling at all. he was too passive for a story that's supposedly filled with political intrigue, and i just wish he did more snooping around bc that would've at least intrigued me enough to keep reading longer. him being a more passive protagonist could've worked if there other interesting characters. alas, the others i barely cared for, including osian. what was supposed to be a complex character (prince of a colonizer nation who sympathizes with colonized) ended up as a nothingburger of a love interest. his chemistry with meilyr was nonexistent, and i wasn't a fan of how their relationship developed. in fact, was there even development? exactly. their attraction to each other didn't feel earned. it simply seemed like they fell in love with each other because the story demanded it.
the plot could've been interesting were it not for the lackluster execution. the concept was there, the themes were there—so pray tell, why did it end with meilyr saving colonizer royalty? i don't care if he was in love with osian. that confrontation with demelza was just disappointing. it should've been a conflicting scene. here we have a member of the oppressed nation going up against the colonizer, yet meilyr doesn't hesitate in saving them (for osian!) which is just so . girl whatever. i know that there's going to be a second book, but i doubt i'll be reading it.
the worldbuilding was fine (nothing special, imo), the prose was not to my taste, and it irked me to no end how PRINCE osian kept being referred to as majesty rather than highness. same goes for the other characters that were addressed incorrectly.
the characters were meh–meilyr was the most fleshed out character, but i unfortunately did not find him compelling at all. he was too passive for a story that's supposedly filled with political intrigue, and i just wish he did more snooping around bc that would've at least intrigued me enough to keep reading longer. him being a more passive protagonist could've worked if there other interesting characters. alas, the others i barely cared for, including osian. what was supposed to be a complex character (prince of a colonizer nation who sympathizes with colonized) ended up as a nothingburger of a love interest. his chemistry with meilyr was nonexistent, and i wasn't a fan of how their relationship developed. in fact, was there even development? exactly. their attraction to each other didn't feel earned. it simply seemed like they fell in love with each other because the story demanded it.
the plot could've been interesting were it not for the lackluster execution. the concept was there, the themes were there—so pray tell, why did it end with meilyr saving colonizer royalty? i don't care if he was in love with osian. that confrontation with demelza was just disappointing. it should've been a conflicting scene. here we have a member of the oppressed nation going up against the colonizer, yet meilyr doesn't hesitate in saving them (for osian!) which is just so . girl whatever. i know that there's going to be a second book, but i doubt i'll be reading it.
the worldbuilding was fine (nothing special, imo), the prose was not to my taste, and it irked me to no end how PRINCE osian kept being referred to as majesty rather than highness. same goes for the other characters that were addressed incorrectly.
February 15, 2026
4.25 ⭐️
This one is for the lovers of political/court intrigue - just like myself!
The worldbuilding is very complex; and it’s very much the case of we learn as we go. There’s magic; history and court politics and they all slowly start to click together; creating the very puzzle that makes this book so original. I absolutely love how queer this world is; a complete acceptance of gender and sexual diversity.
The characters are fleshed out; and the romance was full of yearning! Besides our main characters, I truly didn’t know who to trust but was intrigued by them all.
The plot was at times hard to follow, I think mostly because of the writing style (which can definitely be more of a me-problem!). That being said, the plot was unique, aided by a very unique world and magic system. There were plot twists I didn’t see coming and scenes that left me at the edge of my seat.
The ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting and left me really intrigued to continue this series !
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the chance to read this ARC.
This one is for the lovers of political/court intrigue - just like myself!
The worldbuilding is very complex; and it’s very much the case of we learn as we go. There’s magic; history and court politics and they all slowly start to click together; creating the very puzzle that makes this book so original. I absolutely love how queer this world is; a complete acceptance of gender and sexual diversity.
The characters are fleshed out; and the romance was full of yearning! Besides our main characters, I truly didn’t know who to trust but was intrigued by them all.
The plot was at times hard to follow, I think mostly because of the writing style (which can definitely be more of a me-problem!). That being said, the plot was unique, aided by a very unique world and magic system. There were plot twists I didn’t see coming and scenes that left me at the edge of my seat.
The ending wasn’t at all what I was expecting and left me really intrigued to continue this series !
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the chance to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a tale! I had a great time with this book.
Firstly, I enjoyed the world built in this novel. It was a really interesting spin on Welsh history and the dynamic between the two nations was well realised. It felt really lived through with powerful and deep mythology and history. I also love how queer normative the world is. People of all genders and sexual orientations are threaten as status quo, and it was really beautiful and refreshing to witness. If only real life was like this.
The initial set up of the marriage of convenience did seem a little bit far fetched but the book made it work. The relationship was rather slow burn, with a great degree of ramp up in their dynamic. Meilyr is an interesting protagonist, much more of a quiet observer, which felt like a nice change. I wish we had Osian’s perspective more often but what we did get was delicious. The relationship was full of yearning and I was really invested into their love story.
The murder mystery part of the book was probably the bit I was least interested in, but it still build tension pretty well.
The fact this was a series was a bit of a jumpscare but I’m pretty excited to pick up the sequel whenever that comes out.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Firstly, I enjoyed the world built in this novel. It was a really interesting spin on Welsh history and the dynamic between the two nations was well realised. It felt really lived through with powerful and deep mythology and history. I also love how queer normative the world is. People of all genders and sexual orientations are threaten as status quo, and it was really beautiful and refreshing to witness. If only real life was like this.
The initial set up of the marriage of convenience did seem a little bit far fetched but the book made it work. The relationship was rather slow burn, with a great degree of ramp up in their dynamic. Meilyr is an interesting protagonist, much more of a quiet observer, which felt like a nice change. I wish we had Osian’s perspective more often but what we did get was delicious. The relationship was full of yearning and I was really invested into their love story.
The murder mystery part of the book was probably the bit I was least interested in, but it still build tension pretty well.
The fact this was a series was a bit of a jumpscare but I’m pretty excited to pick up the sequel whenever that comes out.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
We love Welsh mythology in this house (I say for once reading in a hotel? Yeah, okay). When the sale came up on Instagram as BBC Merlin vibes, you know I was THERE
I had a fab time with this one. I'm now pitching it to my friends as Hazelthorn meets The Wicked Lies Of Habren Faire because yes please. To be honest I didn't get Merlin vibes other than the fanficy commoner/prince set up - I appreciated us jumping straight into fake marriage but also something was off the entire time and I can't put my finger on it.
I was not expecting a botanical horror element to this but love, love, love that for Priveweaver. I loved an early doors bwbach mention and then the weaving (yes I think I'm funny) in of myths. The language elements were interesting, I would have loved to lean more into that to be honest as a lot of page time ended up being the main characters apologising for fancying each other.
I have one gripe with this and it's the pov switches. We are in Meilyr's head (3rd person) and suddenly we are everywhere at 60%? Also I would have liked more clarity on the magic because convinent stuff kept happening which didn't quite gel for me. I did like his plant powers X empath skills.
If you are looking for a queer, fantasy reimagining of the English conquest of Wales this might be for you - especially if you have an interest in the myths already because this has many easter eggs for you
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
I had a fab time with this one. I'm now pitching it to my friends as Hazelthorn meets The Wicked Lies Of Habren Faire because yes please. To be honest I didn't get Merlin vibes other than the fanficy commoner/prince set up - I appreciated us jumping straight into fake marriage but also something was off the entire time and I can't put my finger on it.
I was not expecting a botanical horror element to this but love, love, love that for Priveweaver. I loved an early doors bwbach mention and then the weaving (yes I think I'm funny) in of myths. The language elements were interesting, I would have loved to lean more into that to be honest as a lot of page time ended up being the main characters apologising for fancying each other.
I have one gripe with this and it's the pov switches. We are in Meilyr's head (3rd person) and suddenly we are everywhere at 60%? Also I would have liked more clarity on the magic because convinent stuff kept happening which didn't quite gel for me. I did like his plant powers X empath skills.
If you are looking for a queer, fantasy reimagining of the English conquest of Wales this might be for you - especially if you have an interest in the myths already because this has many easter eggs for you
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC
February 11, 2026
um OWWWWWW WHAT
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Canelo for the eARC
3,5/5
This book was on my radar for a while, which meant I was delighted to get a chance to review it before its release. Fantasy world inspired by Wales conquest by England? Magic? Achilean romance? Sign me in!
Now, I did enjoy this book? There are lots of nice ideas, good draw on welsh stories and folklore. The mystery around the murders is quite nice. The romance is sweet. So, good right? And yeah, but it lacked something, at least for me. The stakes are there, but I wasn't invested in them. The reason for the marriage is... weird, rushed, quite unbelievable. Fortunately I kind of liked the second half of the book, but that inciting incident is something.
There is a mystery surrounding Meilyr that is quite easy to unpack if you've read a lot of fantasy books. The magic is nice but lacked a little something to have that wild feeling.
As for the romance, like Meilyr, it was too sweet, lacked more edges. Maybe I didn't have the right expectations, because I understand why the author wanted an straightforward romance, with a bit of tension because of the context and the occupying force x occupied dilemma. But Meilyr is very passive for a long time (which, again, there is value to that), Osian is a cutie pie, and there so very little friction. I wanted some friction!
Finally, reading the first half felt quite long, for some reason. There is interesting stuff happening, but it was hard to push through. This issue is resolve later on, thankfully, with a quicker paced and easier to read ending.
I will definitely be reading the second book, because that ending has me hooked!
3,5/5
This book was on my radar for a while, which meant I was delighted to get a chance to review it before its release. Fantasy world inspired by Wales conquest by England? Magic? Achilean romance? Sign me in!
Now, I did enjoy this book? There are lots of nice ideas, good draw on welsh stories and folklore. The mystery around the murders is quite nice. The romance is sweet. So, good right? And yeah, but it lacked something, at least for me. The stakes are there, but I wasn't invested in them. The reason for the marriage is... weird, rushed, quite unbelievable. Fortunately I kind of liked the second half of the book, but that inciting incident is something.
There is a mystery surrounding Meilyr that is quite easy to unpack if you've read a lot of fantasy books. The magic is nice but lacked a little something to have that wild feeling.
As for the romance, like Meilyr, it was too sweet, lacked more edges. Maybe I didn't have the right expectations, because I understand why the author wanted an straightforward romance, with a bit of tension because of the context and the occupying force x occupied dilemma. But Meilyr is very passive for a long time (which, again, there is value to that), Osian is a cutie pie, and there so very little friction. I wanted some friction!
Finally, reading the first half felt quite long, for some reason. There is interesting stuff happening, but it was hard to push through. This issue is resolve later on, thankfully, with a quicker paced and easier to read ending.
I will definitely be reading the second book, because that ending has me hooked!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had really high expectations for this book based on the premise alone. As in, I just really really wanted to love this and I truly did expect to. The "lush reimagining of the English conquest of Wales" blurb was what caught my eye, to be honest, though yes, obviously I knew the romance was the focal point of the story.
And don't get me wrong, the romance is beautiful. It's sweet, it's full of yearning, it's slow-burn. It's once again a forced marriage / colonizer-romance-type of love story and I don't actually think that aspect of the story was explored enough beyond our protagonist telling us how wrong it is over and over, but also I didn't mind that much. Meilyr, said protagonist, is a sweetheart and Osian, the prince he has to marry in order to save his brother's life, honestly is just as much of a sweetheart but painted a slightly different colour.
I also enjoyed the world building, which was atmospheric and dark and I thought just really well done. It's darker fantasy and I actually wish the author would have leaned even more into that. I loved the way magic is portrayed, the way it's so connected to nature, the way it can be used so brutally against its oppressors.
It's also, in general, a well-written novel that you can easily breeze through. There are some really good plot developments and reveals, and while the biggest reveal is honestly a little predictable, it's very well done and perfectly works for the narrative and the atmosphere of the story.
Now, there are sadly quite a few things that made me end up not enjoying the book as much as I wanted to. The biggest one, unfortunately, being the characters themselves.
Meilyr is sweet and nice and basically perfect, he has absolutely no character flaw whatsoever, and he's also just incredibly passive. Things happen to him and he barely reacts, he has no agency (not just within the story, which makes sense, but as a character on the whole), absolutely everyone who matters immediately likes him or if they don't like him they think he's pretty. So pretty. Just the prettiest. Even a child at one point calls him pretty, just to make sure we as readers know he's the prettiest pretty boy to ever pretty. Drinking game amounts of his looks being mentioned, honestly. His perspective is rather boring to read, which is a problem considering he's the main pov character, because utterly perfect characters are just not interesting to follow. Osian is generally the more interesting character because of who he is within the narrative, but make no mistake, he's also perfect. There's no nuance here, no doubt whatsoever that he's also a really good, really sweet, really amazing person who obviously fights for all the right causes and has all the right morals. He might be prince of the colonizing force, but he really hates colonizing. It's never entirely explored in depth why he feels this way, how he came to have these convictions that so starkly contradict his own upbringing, so it feels more like a convenient way to make the romance work despite the darker undertones.
The romance is very tropey in a very on-the-nose kind of way, which I just personally don't enjoy, but I do like the yearning. There's also a lot of focus on consent and I thought that was really well done and worked for the characters especially considering the kind of power dynamic they are in.
The pacing is rather slow, though it might also feel that way because we spend most of the time inside Meilyr's head and he's just more of a passive observer as stated below. There's a completely unnecessary second love interest thrown into the mix who would have served his purpose much better as just a platonic friend (but then we would be down one trope so). In general, the sweet romance and the day-to-day Meilyr lives through in the castle doesn't really gel well with the darker fantasy aspects and the at times visceral brutality of the world-building. It's still an enjoyable enough novel and the world is intriguing, the magic fascinating. It's just, I guess, too much of what we expect from romantasy these days to appeal to me.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the arc!
And don't get me wrong, the romance is beautiful. It's sweet, it's full of yearning, it's slow-burn. It's once again a forced marriage / colonizer-romance-type of love story and I don't actually think that aspect of the story was explored enough beyond our protagonist telling us how wrong it is over and over, but also I didn't mind that much. Meilyr, said protagonist, is a sweetheart and Osian, the prince he has to marry in order to save his brother's life, honestly is just as much of a sweetheart but painted a slightly different colour.
I also enjoyed the world building, which was atmospheric and dark and I thought just really well done. It's darker fantasy and I actually wish the author would have leaned even more into that. I loved the way magic is portrayed, the way it's so connected to nature, the way it can be used so brutally against its oppressors.
It's also, in general, a well-written novel that you can easily breeze through. There are some really good plot developments and reveals, and while the biggest reveal is honestly a little predictable, it's very well done and perfectly works for the narrative and the atmosphere of the story.
Now, there are sadly quite a few things that made me end up not enjoying the book as much as I wanted to. The biggest one, unfortunately, being the characters themselves.
Meilyr is sweet and nice and basically perfect, he has absolutely no character flaw whatsoever, and he's also just incredibly passive. Things happen to him and he barely reacts, he has no agency (not just within the story, which makes sense, but as a character on the whole), absolutely everyone who matters immediately likes him or if they don't like him they think he's pretty. So pretty. Just the prettiest. Even a child at one point calls him pretty, just to make sure we as readers know he's the prettiest pretty boy to ever pretty. Drinking game amounts of his looks being mentioned, honestly. His perspective is rather boring to read, which is a problem considering he's the main pov character, because utterly perfect characters are just not interesting to follow. Osian is generally the more interesting character because of who he is within the narrative, but make no mistake, he's also perfect. There's no nuance here, no doubt whatsoever that he's also a really good, really sweet, really amazing person who obviously fights for all the right causes and has all the right morals. He might be prince of the colonizing force, but he really hates colonizing. It's never entirely explored in depth why he feels this way, how he came to have these convictions that so starkly contradict his own upbringing, so it feels more like a convenient way to make the romance work despite the darker undertones.
The romance is very tropey in a very on-the-nose kind of way, which I just personally don't enjoy, but I do like the yearning. There's also a lot of focus on consent and I thought that was really well done and worked for the characters especially considering the kind of power dynamic they are in.
The pacing is rather slow, though it might also feel that way because we spend most of the time inside Meilyr's head and he's just more of a passive observer as stated below. There's a completely unnecessary second love interest thrown into the mix who would have served his purpose much better as just a platonic friend (but then we would be down one trope so). In general, the sweet romance and the day-to-day Meilyr lives through in the castle doesn't really gel well with the darker fantasy aspects and the at times visceral brutality of the world-building. It's still an enjoyable enough novel and the world is intriguing, the magic fascinating. It's just, I guess, too much of what we expect from romantasy these days to appeal to me.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
DNFed under the straight-up-stupid rule.
I think it's reasonable to assume, going into this book, that there will be a good reason for a prince to marry an apothecary. My guess was that it would be a ritual thing, maybe a Fisher King scenario where a royal must marry the representative of the land. Maybe there would be complex religious reason, or a prophecy. Something!
Prince Osian offers to marry Meilyr to rescue Meilyr from a conviction that would mean execution. On Osian's part, he thinks marrying a commoner will endear him to the population. He says they'll marry quickly, and by the time his father hears about it, making it go away or claiming it never happened would cause too much scandal.
The set-up of Princeweaver is that Meilyr is Welsh, and Osian is a stand-in for the English. I don't know how to convey the tensions of this to USians, how to translate it, so just believe me (I'm half-Welsh) when I say that the English colonised Wales, it was really bad, and even today quite a lot of Welsh don't like the English. That sentiment was even stronger a few hundred years ago.
...So I can't imagine why someone with the political education I assume a prince has, would think him marrying a commoner would go well. The Welsh peasants he's trying to endear himself to? Would never believe that Meilyr is a happy, consenting participant in this. I can't imagine why they wouldn't believe Meilyr was being forced into this marriage, and I can't imagine why Osian wouldn't realise that.
But wait: it gets worse! Because the wedding? Is a quick, hurried affair with one legal witness. Not public. Not loud. Not even an attempt at a State Wedding. There's no announcement, no propaganda campaign, nothing. Osian just throws a feast and announces that this guy no one's ever seen before is his new husband.
Sir. You're already going to have A Time convincing the people that Meilyr wanted to marry you. But like this, why would anyone believe you married him at all? No one saw it! This is not how royal weddings work! Wtf! And why would it be hard for the king to make this go away??? He could assassinate your witness and your priest and he'd be done, there'd be no one left to say the wedding happened! You think a king can't off TWO PEOPLE???
This is all aside from the fact that Osian casually mentioned that the royal family can make legal judgements at a whim, without needing a trial. So...Osian could absolutely have declared Meilyr innocent and just gone on with his day, no need to marry him. And that either didn't occur to him, or he's an awful person who preferred to make use of Meilyr instead (and an idiot for thinking his plan would work!)
This is ridiculous. This is straight up stupid! Why would I keep reading a book where the author can't be bothered to come up with an even vaguely believable scenario/justification for this? I have no reason to believe the rest of the plot isn't going to be as stupid and hand-wavey.
There's also weird moments with the prose: mostly it's perfectly lovely, but there's repeated use of the word 'cloy' as a noun (I have searched multiple dictionaries and cannot find a noun form of cloying) including 'pleasant cloy', which seems like an oxymoron because cloying means something unpleasant??? This being one example of odd, jarring things appearing in the prose here and there.
But mostly my issue is that I find it offensive that I'm supposed to buy into the set-up of this story - because only an idiot would think this makes any kind of sense. THANKS BUT NO.
I think it's reasonable to assume, going into this book, that there will be a good reason for a prince to marry an apothecary. My guess was that it would be a ritual thing, maybe a Fisher King scenario where a royal must marry the representative of the land. Maybe there would be complex religious reason, or a prophecy. Something!
Prince Osian offers to marry Meilyr to rescue Meilyr from a conviction that would mean execution. On Osian's part, he thinks marrying a commoner will endear him to the population. He says they'll marry quickly, and by the time his father hears about it, making it go away or claiming it never happened would cause too much scandal.
The set-up of Princeweaver is that Meilyr is Welsh, and Osian is a stand-in for the English. I don't know how to convey the tensions of this to USians, how to translate it, so just believe me (I'm half-Welsh) when I say that the English colonised Wales, it was really bad, and even today quite a lot of Welsh don't like the English. That sentiment was even stronger a few hundred years ago.
...So I can't imagine why someone with the political education I assume a prince has, would think him marrying a commoner would go well. The Welsh peasants he's trying to endear himself to? Would never believe that Meilyr is a happy, consenting participant in this. I can't imagine why they wouldn't believe Meilyr was being forced into this marriage, and I can't imagine why Osian wouldn't realise that.
But wait: it gets worse! Because the wedding? Is a quick, hurried affair with one legal witness. Not public. Not loud. Not even an attempt at a State Wedding. There's no announcement, no propaganda campaign, nothing. Osian just throws a feast and announces that this guy no one's ever seen before is his new husband.
Sir. You're already going to have A Time convincing the people that Meilyr wanted to marry you. But like this, why would anyone believe you married him at all? No one saw it! This is not how royal weddings work! Wtf! And why would it be hard for the king to make this go away??? He could assassinate your witness and your priest and he'd be done, there'd be no one left to say the wedding happened! You think a king can't off TWO PEOPLE???
This is all aside from the fact that Osian casually mentioned that the royal family can make legal judgements at a whim, without needing a trial. So...Osian could absolutely have declared Meilyr innocent and just gone on with his day, no need to marry him. And that either didn't occur to him, or he's an awful person who preferred to make use of Meilyr instead (and an idiot for thinking his plan would work!)
This is ridiculous. This is straight up stupid! Why would I keep reading a book where the author can't be bothered to come up with an even vaguely believable scenario/justification for this? I have no reason to believe the rest of the plot isn't going to be as stupid and hand-wavey.
There's also weird moments with the prose: mostly it's perfectly lovely, but there's repeated use of the word 'cloy' as a noun (I have searched multiple dictionaries and cannot find a noun form of cloying) including 'pleasant cloy', which seems like an oxymoron because cloying means something unpleasant??? This being one example of odd, jarring things appearing in the prose here and there.
But mostly my issue is that I find it offensive that I'm supposed to buy into the set-up of this story - because only an idiot would think this makes any kind of sense. THANKS BUT NO.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Buckle up, we're going for a ramble.
This was my absolute most anticipated 2026 read. Like to the point I texted Elian when it went up on Netgalley that if I did not get approved I would run into traffic. It absolutely did not disappoint but I am also LIVID about the whole experience. And yes, I will be directing my complaints to Hozier.
Despite the fact that this is truly, and I mean TRULY, the slowest of slow burns, we actually get into the story pretty quickly. We don't get a proper kiss until 75% in but the story is kicked off early on. And between all of that is an unhealthy amount of yearning. So much yearning. I cannot stress this enough. If you have jaw problems, call your dentist from pg.1 cause your teeth will be clenched for several hundred pages.
The yearning is actually heightened a lot by the magic. Meilyr, as a weaver, is attuned to the world in a way that brings even more life to almost everything. Plants turn to him and respond to his direction, he can heal and cure many ailments, and as part of the marriage ceremony, the mixing of his blood with Osian's means they are connected in ways Meilyr isn't with others before. All of this is super ideal when he's in a land that has been conquered by Osian's great-grandfather who led the hunt and slaughter of weavers to wipe them out. Meilyr's existence alone is an enormous crime against the crown…that he's just married into. NBD, right?
Also because none of that is stressful enough, a series of plant-based murders is striking down nobles to frame Meilyr. Which might be the best use of plant-based anything in this decade.
Like everything else in the fantastic pages of Princeweaver, the descriptions of these murders is fantastically vivid. I was equal parts wide-eyed and horrified as I was in absolute awe of the imagery. I mean, the cover alone is already steeped in perfect imagery. Just look at it!
Literally everything in this story is done with such detail, care, intentionality, and description. It is unbelievably rich. This would be true even if this was Elian's second, third, or tenth book, but that fact it is a debut is all the more impressive.
Normally I'd say a lot of elements were 'weaved' into a story like this but there's a drummer's rim-shot ba-dum-tss waiting for me if I do. So I'll just go with: the Welsh folklore, and Welsh history reflected in the the political landscape, culture and language erasure is just flawlessly done. From the pronunciation note at the start, to the Y Ddraig Goch, to the….everything else. I also loved the new folklore creatures this book sent me into a deep dive about. Can I properly pronounce their names? No. Am I still excited? Absolutely.
All of this gushing is without touching on the little snippets at the top of each chapter that adds to the myths and legends, and history of the Princeweaver world. But if I started on that we'd probably be here until the sequel comes out.
This entire book is a love letter to the slow-burn romance, Welsh folklore, and beautifully written fantasy. I don't even care that I guessed who the murderer was like a dozen times and was continually wrong. I do care about that ending though, and as I said, I am capital-everything LIVID.
My entire existence needs the next book immediately and this one isn't even out until April.
This was my absolute most anticipated 2026 read. Like to the point I texted Elian when it went up on Netgalley that if I did not get approved I would run into traffic. It absolutely did not disappoint but I am also LIVID about the whole experience. And yes, I will be directing my complaints to Hozier.
Despite the fact that this is truly, and I mean TRULY, the slowest of slow burns, we actually get into the story pretty quickly. We don't get a proper kiss until 75% in but the story is kicked off early on. And between all of that is an unhealthy amount of yearning. So much yearning. I cannot stress this enough. If you have jaw problems, call your dentist from pg.1 cause your teeth will be clenched for several hundred pages.
The yearning is actually heightened a lot by the magic. Meilyr, as a weaver, is attuned to the world in a way that brings even more life to almost everything. Plants turn to him and respond to his direction, he can heal and cure many ailments, and as part of the marriage ceremony, the mixing of his blood with Osian's means they are connected in ways Meilyr isn't with others before. All of this is super ideal when he's in a land that has been conquered by Osian's great-grandfather who led the hunt and slaughter of weavers to wipe them out. Meilyr's existence alone is an enormous crime against the crown…that he's just married into. NBD, right?
Also because none of that is stressful enough, a series of plant-based murders is striking down nobles to frame Meilyr. Which might be the best use of plant-based anything in this decade.
Like everything else in the fantastic pages of Princeweaver, the descriptions of these murders is fantastically vivid. I was equal parts wide-eyed and horrified as I was in absolute awe of the imagery. I mean, the cover alone is already steeped in perfect imagery. Just look at it!
Literally everything in this story is done with such detail, care, intentionality, and description. It is unbelievably rich. This would be true even if this was Elian's second, third, or tenth book, but that fact it is a debut is all the more impressive.
Normally I'd say a lot of elements were 'weaved' into a story like this but there's a drummer's rim-shot ba-dum-tss waiting for me if I do. So I'll just go with: the Welsh folklore, and Welsh history reflected in the the political landscape, culture and language erasure is just flawlessly done. From the pronunciation note at the start, to the Y Ddraig Goch, to the….everything else. I also loved the new folklore creatures this book sent me into a deep dive about. Can I properly pronounce their names? No. Am I still excited? Absolutely.
All of this gushing is without touching on the little snippets at the top of each chapter that adds to the myths and legends, and history of the Princeweaver world. But if I started on that we'd probably be here until the sequel comes out.
This entire book is a love letter to the slow-burn romance, Welsh folklore, and beautifully written fantasy. I don't even care that I guessed who the murderer was like a dozen times and was continually wrong. I do care about that ending though, and as I said, I am capital-everything LIVID.
My entire existence needs the next book immediately and this one isn't even out until April.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐ (maybe a little more. Almost 4⭐ )
I received this book in advance through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although it's a book with its share of mystery and suspicious deaths, at the core it's a heartwarming story with a gentle romance. BUT (yes, in capital letters)... I can't help but warn you that there will be some heart-stopping moments, get ready.
Princeweaver is a story set in a grand castle with a colorful and lively village at its feet. And here we find ourselves immersed in that opulent castle accompanying Meilyr.
Meilyr was living peacefully until he caught the attention of the prince due to an unfortunate event (like… my dude, go check your evil eye or something). He quickly becomes entangled in an arranged marriage.
It was entertaining to read how the protagonist learns to cope with this sudden wedding (you could say it's a Las Vegas marriage) and how he learns to navigate the whims of the royal family and the nobles, a world full of power struggles and gossip.
Meilyr is one of those characters whose strength lies in his gentleness and his open-minded personality, which might seem innocent or naive but actually demonstrates that he knows how to choose his battles. Fortunately for him, the prince is not a cruel or evil person; rather he seeks in him an ally and companion.
It's one of those slow romances with secret glances, touches like a Victorian courtship, whispers that tickle and a subtle flirtation that makes your heart skip a beat.
The story felt like "a day in my life as the prince's husband while I try to save the kingdom".
The moment the big reveal about Meilyr and Osian finally happens was spectacular. I was really looking forward to it and it didn't disappoint (of all the mysteries, this was my favorite. And I'm not trying to brag but you need to know what it's about. The book constantly hints at it and it was very entertaining).
And I must say that the ending should come with psychological help and financial compensation. How dare you.
Note: It's important to know that the book ends on a cliffhanger and there will be a sequel. For those who hate waiting, I recommend coming back when book 2 is released because the ending is mind-blowing.
If I had to offer some criticism: I would have liked to see deeper, more complex conversations between Meilyr and Osian, to solidify their relationship and make it more charming. This would not only have strengthened the romance but also given each character more depth. But because of the main mystery, I felt the characters were holding back too much.
I also felt the book was very slow, almost like a slice-of-life story set in a castle or a Coffee Shop AU. While I enjoy books that take their time, I believe that if you're going to have a story with such a leisurely pace, you should also include chapters that provide a solid foundation for the narrative or well-developed characters. I found that some scenes didn't make much sense or were very superficial in terms of the plot.
And if I took a shot every time Meilyr said "thank you," I'd be in a coma.
I received this book in advance through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Although it's a book with its share of mystery and suspicious deaths, at the core it's a heartwarming story with a gentle romance. BUT (yes, in capital letters)... I can't help but warn you that there will be some heart-stopping moments, get ready.
Princeweaver is a story set in a grand castle with a colorful and lively village at its feet. And here we find ourselves immersed in that opulent castle accompanying Meilyr.
Meilyr was living peacefully until he caught the attention of the prince due to an unfortunate event (like… my dude, go check your evil eye or something). He quickly becomes entangled in an arranged marriage.
It was entertaining to read how the protagonist learns to cope with this sudden wedding (you could say it's a Las Vegas marriage) and how he learns to navigate the whims of the royal family and the nobles, a world full of power struggles and gossip.
Meilyr is one of those characters whose strength lies in his gentleness and his open-minded personality, which might seem innocent or naive but actually demonstrates that he knows how to choose his battles. Fortunately for him, the prince is not a cruel or evil person; rather he seeks in him an ally and companion.
It's one of those slow romances with secret glances, touches like a Victorian courtship, whispers that tickle and a subtle flirtation that makes your heart skip a beat.
The story felt like "a day in my life as the prince's husband while I try to save the kingdom".
The moment the big reveal about Meilyr and Osian finally happens was spectacular. I was really looking forward to it and it didn't disappoint (of all the mysteries, this was my favorite. And I'm not trying to brag but you need to know what it's about. The book constantly hints at it and it was very entertaining).
And I must say that the ending should come with psychological help and financial compensation. How dare you.
Note: It's important to know that the book ends on a cliffhanger and there will be a sequel. For those who hate waiting, I recommend coming back when book 2 is released because the ending is mind-blowing.
If I had to offer some criticism: I would have liked to see deeper, more complex conversations between Meilyr and Osian, to solidify their relationship and make it more charming. This would not only have strengthened the romance but also given each character more depth. But because of the main mystery, I felt the characters were holding back too much.
I also felt the book was very slow, almost like a slice-of-life story set in a castle or a Coffee Shop AU. While I enjoy books that take their time, I believe that if you're going to have a story with such a leisurely pace, you should also include chapters that provide a solid foundation for the narrative or well-developed characters. I found that some scenes didn't make much sense or were very superficial in terms of the plot.
And if I took a shot every time Meilyr said "thank you," I'd be in a coma.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book so freaking much!
Meilyr lives a peaceful life running an apothecary until one incident changes it all. His brother accidentally kills one of the royal guards while trying to defend a member of their village. Meilyr gets caught in the middle, trying to defuse the situation. When the prince notices Meilyr, he offers him a proposition: marry him, and he’ll protect him and his brother. He has no choice but to accept.
I believe this is my second book where the magic has to do with weaving. I wasn’t familiar with it, but technically, it’s magic that increases the connection between living things. All it takes is a physical touch to give a glimpse of that connection, or ingestion for a more powerful weaving. The last, rare method is a blood oath. It requires both participants to be willing to share their life threads, which is why magic like Meilyr’s is seen as dangerous. People with Cyngaleg blood possess dangerous magic, according to the Khaimlic, and are therefore hunted down and killed. This leads to Meilyr having to hide who he is in plain sight after he’s left an orphan following his parents’ death. This also complicates things when, after Meilyr’s arrival, deaths within the royal circle start happening, making him an easy suspect because of his background and the lingering animosity between Osian’s people and Meilyr’s people. Not only did I enjoy the romance, but the mystery of who is killing these people sucked me in. I was truly invested in figuring out who the culprit was and looking for clues. It also helped to learn more about the world when every chapter would start with a writing entry that had to do with a historic event, a personal letter from someone important, or a story and lore correlating with the characters.
Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, especially if done right, and this definitely was. Add in a super slow burn, and you already have me. These two people know nothing about each other and have found themselves in an unusual predicament. Understandably, there’s some wariness and precaution, especially for Meilyr, who was roped into something he never imagined while trying to save his brother. The mutual yearning was *chefs kiss*. Because of how well they have to sell their romance, they have to act like they are truly in love. The kiss, touches, and glimpses, I ate that up, especially with how slow the slow burn was. I was eating any crumbs thrown my way. When they gave each other hickeys for the sake of selling the romance, I was like 👀. Osian is so sweet and considerate of Meilyr’s needs and comfort. He feels guilty for plucking him out of his comfortable, safe life into a deceptive and complicated royal one.
I did get right who the mystery sorcerer was because of context clues, but the way the character was portrayed was so well done that I would doubt myself.
My only complaint was that I wanted more of Osian’s POV. Usually I prefer single POV, but with how much yearning these two had for each other, I wanted to see it from him.
Oof, and that ending? I need my hands on the next one because I’m confused about what’s going to happen to the characters and the situation they ended up in.
Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.
Meilyr lives a peaceful life running an apothecary until one incident changes it all. His brother accidentally kills one of the royal guards while trying to defend a member of their village. Meilyr gets caught in the middle, trying to defuse the situation. When the prince notices Meilyr, he offers him a proposition: marry him, and he’ll protect him and his brother. He has no choice but to accept.
I believe this is my second book where the magic has to do with weaving. I wasn’t familiar with it, but technically, it’s magic that increases the connection between living things. All it takes is a physical touch to give a glimpse of that connection, or ingestion for a more powerful weaving. The last, rare method is a blood oath. It requires both participants to be willing to share their life threads, which is why magic like Meilyr’s is seen as dangerous. People with Cyngaleg blood possess dangerous magic, according to the Khaimlic, and are therefore hunted down and killed. This leads to Meilyr having to hide who he is in plain sight after he’s left an orphan following his parents’ death. This also complicates things when, after Meilyr’s arrival, deaths within the royal circle start happening, making him an easy suspect because of his background and the lingering animosity between Osian’s people and Meilyr’s people. Not only did I enjoy the romance, but the mystery of who is killing these people sucked me in. I was truly invested in figuring out who the culprit was and looking for clues. It also helped to learn more about the world when every chapter would start with a writing entry that had to do with a historic event, a personal letter from someone important, or a story and lore correlating with the characters.
Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, especially if done right, and this definitely was. Add in a super slow burn, and you already have me. These two people know nothing about each other and have found themselves in an unusual predicament. Understandably, there’s some wariness and precaution, especially for Meilyr, who was roped into something he never imagined while trying to save his brother. The mutual yearning was *chefs kiss*. Because of how well they have to sell their romance, they have to act like they are truly in love. The kiss, touches, and glimpses, I ate that up, especially with how slow the slow burn was. I was eating any crumbs thrown my way. When they gave each other hickeys for the sake of selling the romance, I was like 👀. Osian is so sweet and considerate of Meilyr’s needs and comfort. He feels guilty for plucking him out of his comfortable, safe life into a deceptive and complicated royal one.
I did get right who the mystery sorcerer was because of context clues, but the way the character was portrayed was so well done that I would doubt myself.
My only complaint was that I wanted more of Osian’s POV. Usually I prefer single POV, but with how much yearning these two had for each other, I wanted to see it from him.
Oof, and that ending? I need my hands on the next one because I’m confused about what’s going to happen to the characters and the situation they ended up in.
Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this book as ARC from Netgalley!
I am... torn. 2.5*, rounded down. (EDIT: rounded down, my friend said i complained way too much about this book for it to get 3*. 😅)
This book really didn't work for me. Its obvious that author worked hard on it and its technically fine - the writing is readable and flows well. However, it seems like almost two books or genres smashed in one and the result is just not working for me. On one hand, you have dark fantasy, based on Welsh mythology and opression, with lot of wordbuilding. On the other hand, you have a sweet, nonproblematic romance. It is possible to combine those two in theory, but author didn't manage it in my view.
My biggest gripe was the main character. He is incredibly passive and anxious. I would say its a well done potrayal of anxiety and thoughts processes of anxious person, but that also means its not something I enjoyed reading.
When we switched to the other main character - the prince - for short periods, it felt better. However, the prince is plagued by another issue, which is what I would call "white guilt". Or English guilt? He feels really bad about the whole opression and genocide of the pseudo-Welsh island. Which is a valid character writing! The issue is more of an execution. Every time this topic was raised again and again, I felt like Hades from the Disney movie. "I KNOW! I get it, I got it. I get the concept."
The romance features lot of tropes I normally enjoy, but again fell flat for me. It was very consensual, to the point I rolled my eyes. Consent is fun and good! But do we need to spend so many paragraphs on making sure every kiss is telegraphed and double-triple consented? There was verbal consent, they had a special nonverbal method of agreement and they could even read each other's emotions. It felt like "consensual overkill".
And for the last, mostly minor gripe - author keeps using "Majesty" instead of "your majesty". And keeps using it for princes and not kings. I suppose it was meant as a wordbuilding lore? But it mostly annoyed me.
The mystery was... fine. I think I would have rated the book higher if it was either only dark fantasy mystery or if it was only sweet romance.
All in all, this book feels like lost potential to me. I kept thinking during reading "this could have been such an awesome book if only author did X" or "This would have worked much better if author added Y".
You can add 1 or even 2 stars to your personal ratings if you enjoy extra anxious MCs and lots and lots and lots of consent. I couldn't connect to the characters and I won't be picking up the sequel - even if there is a clifhanger ending.
I am... torn. 2.5*, rounded down. (EDIT: rounded down, my friend said i complained way too much about this book for it to get 3*. 😅)
This book really didn't work for me. Its obvious that author worked hard on it and its technically fine - the writing is readable and flows well. However, it seems like almost two books or genres smashed in one and the result is just not working for me. On one hand, you have dark fantasy, based on Welsh mythology and opression, with lot of wordbuilding. On the other hand, you have a sweet, nonproblematic romance. It is possible to combine those two in theory, but author didn't manage it in my view.
My biggest gripe was the main character. He is incredibly passive and anxious. I would say its a well done potrayal of anxiety and thoughts processes of anxious person, but that also means its not something I enjoyed reading.
When we switched to the other main character - the prince - for short periods, it felt better. However, the prince is plagued by another issue, which is what I would call "white guilt". Or English guilt? He feels really bad about the whole opression and genocide of the pseudo-Welsh island. Which is a valid character writing! The issue is more of an execution. Every time this topic was raised again and again, I felt like Hades from the Disney movie. "I KNOW! I get it, I got it. I get the concept."
The romance features lot of tropes I normally enjoy, but again fell flat for me. It was very consensual, to the point I rolled my eyes. Consent is fun and good! But do we need to spend so many paragraphs on making sure every kiss is telegraphed and double-triple consented? There was verbal consent, they had a special nonverbal method of agreement and they could even read each other's emotions. It felt like "consensual overkill".
And for the last, mostly minor gripe - author keeps using "Majesty" instead of "your majesty". And keeps using it for princes and not kings. I suppose it was meant as a wordbuilding lore? But it mostly annoyed me.
The mystery was... fine. I think I would have rated the book higher if it was either only dark fantasy mystery or if it was only sweet romance.
All in all, this book feels like lost potential to me. I kept thinking during reading "this could have been such an awesome book if only author did X" or "This would have worked much better if author added Y".
You can add 1 or even 2 stars to your personal ratings if you enjoy extra anxious MCs and lots and lots and lots of consent. I couldn't connect to the characters and I won't be picking up the sequel - even if there is a clifhanger ending.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year!
4.25 stars for me.
I did sneakily bump this one to the top of my TBR (sshhh!) because I've been desperate to read it ever since I read that it was a fantasy retelling of the English conquest of Wales. I am not Welsh, but I recognised a lot of the similar sounding words, a lot of the folklore and legends, and I can tell the author did their research for this book.
The book follows Meilyr, who runs an apothecary and hides his forbidden magical nature, as he enters into an arranged marriage with the prince of the invading force, Osian, in order to save his brother. Meilyr has to attend court and hide his true nature, and then people start dying very magic-related deaths.
This is the slowest of slow burns. Don't go into this thinking that things are moving fast, because they aren't! There is a lot of yearning and pining, but it absolutely makes sense for the story for this to be slow burn, and it's delicious!
The nature-based magic was fascinating and unique, the court scenes and politics were excellent, and I loved loved loved the character dynamics at play here. Meilyr is at court, surrounded by people whose ancestors have opppressed his people, and trying to avoid their suspicion. I've seen some people say that Meilyr is too passive or too anxious or unwilling to do anything. I think his actions make perfect sense for his character. He is deeply afraid, trapped at court, every eye watching his move, and if he puts even a toe out of line, it might mean the death of his brother and his people.
The relationship between Meilyr and Osian is slow burn, filled with yearning and quiet resistance. Osian is rebelling against his family, and he is fiercely protective of Meilyr without coming across as smothering. It's very sweet and I genuinely loved their scenes together.
The author also played around with linguistics here - the oppressing force have one name for something, but Meilyr's people call it by it's true name. This can be a location, a castle, plant etc. It's so clever and so true to real life and I really liked how the author handled it here.
The ending made me gasp and now I am desperate for the next book!
I highly recommend picking this up if you are a fan of queer fantasy, romance filled with slow burn and yearning, court politics, murder mystery, and Welsh-inspired folklore.
4.25 stars for me.
I did sneakily bump this one to the top of my TBR (sshhh!) because I've been desperate to read it ever since I read that it was a fantasy retelling of the English conquest of Wales. I am not Welsh, but I recognised a lot of the similar sounding words, a lot of the folklore and legends, and I can tell the author did their research for this book.
The book follows Meilyr, who runs an apothecary and hides his forbidden magical nature, as he enters into an arranged marriage with the prince of the invading force, Osian, in order to save his brother. Meilyr has to attend court and hide his true nature, and then people start dying very magic-related deaths.
This is the slowest of slow burns. Don't go into this thinking that things are moving fast, because they aren't! There is a lot of yearning and pining, but it absolutely makes sense for the story for this to be slow burn, and it's delicious!
The nature-based magic was fascinating and unique, the court scenes and politics were excellent, and I loved loved loved the character dynamics at play here. Meilyr is at court, surrounded by people whose ancestors have opppressed his people, and trying to avoid their suspicion. I've seen some people say that Meilyr is too passive or too anxious or unwilling to do anything. I think his actions make perfect sense for his character. He is deeply afraid, trapped at court, every eye watching his move, and if he puts even a toe out of line, it might mean the death of his brother and his people.
The relationship between Meilyr and Osian is slow burn, filled with yearning and quiet resistance. Osian is rebelling against his family, and he is fiercely protective of Meilyr without coming across as smothering. It's very sweet and I genuinely loved their scenes together.
The author also played around with linguistics here - the oppressing force have one name for something, but Meilyr's people call it by it's true name. This can be a location, a castle, plant etc. It's so clever and so true to real life and I really liked how the author handled it here.
The ending made me gasp and now I am desperate for the next book!
I highly recommend picking this up if you are a fan of queer fantasy, romance filled with slow burn and yearning, court politics, murder mystery, and Welsh-inspired folklore.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
i was sent an arc by the publisher via netgalley. all thoughts and opinions are my own.
this needs to be everyone’s newest romantasy OBSESSION !!!! morgan weaves a tale rich with nature magic, Welsh folkore, and a romance that is utterly unputdownable. a story that truly binds to your heart and never lets go.
i have never felt more overjoyed to have had the pleasure of reading this highly anticipated new release early and to have it as my first 5 star read of the year! you're introduced to meilyr, an apothecary able to wield nature magic in a kingdom where it has been outlawed. the plot starts off real fast with a dangerous situation that leads him to agree to a marriage of convenience with the prince to save his brother's life. when murders involving nature magic start occurring within the court, meilyr and osian must work together to figure out what's going on and to keep meilyr from being blamed.
i can't even begin to express how taken i was by this story. from some beautiful quotes, imagery, the integration of Welsh folklore, pacing, to the general plot development—this book really had it all. i am truly blown away that this seems to be this author’s first published work??? what an incredibly impressive achievement this book was!
not only was the fantasy extremely well done, but this romance...truly a slow burn for the ages. the buildup was actually PERFECT. the author really makes you work for it and it made the romance feel so very earned and realistic in its development. the amount of scenes that had me giggling and kicking my feet was crazyyyy. these two are the definition of yearning and they were both devastated by it. having to keep up the ruse of their marriage and perform for others made for such fun moments of tension that i ate UP. there are multiple scenes that will be living rent free in my brain. the romance itself is also so incredibly tender and lovely. a love that was so patient, caring, and reassuring. getting both of their pov's made it even more all-encompassing, these boys both had it BAD lol
and thank goodness this is the first book in a trilogy because not only do i feel like there is so much more to explore in this world—both geographically and magically—but with that ending???? i feel CRAZY and i have never needed a sequel more in my life.
just SO SO GOOD. definitely a favourite book of the year for me. do not hesitate to add this to your tbr!!!
this needs to be everyone’s newest romantasy OBSESSION !!!! morgan weaves a tale rich with nature magic, Welsh folkore, and a romance that is utterly unputdownable. a story that truly binds to your heart and never lets go.
i have never felt more overjoyed to have had the pleasure of reading this highly anticipated new release early and to have it as my first 5 star read of the year! you're introduced to meilyr, an apothecary able to wield nature magic in a kingdom where it has been outlawed. the plot starts off real fast with a dangerous situation that leads him to agree to a marriage of convenience with the prince to save his brother's life. when murders involving nature magic start occurring within the court, meilyr and osian must work together to figure out what's going on and to keep meilyr from being blamed.
i can't even begin to express how taken i was by this story. from some beautiful quotes, imagery, the integration of Welsh folklore, pacing, to the general plot development—this book really had it all. i am truly blown away that this seems to be this author’s first published work??? what an incredibly impressive achievement this book was!
not only was the fantasy extremely well done, but this romance...truly a slow burn for the ages. the buildup was actually PERFECT. the author really makes you work for it and it made the romance feel so very earned and realistic in its development. the amount of scenes that had me giggling and kicking my feet was crazyyyy. these two are the definition of yearning and they were both devastated by it. having to keep up the ruse of their marriage and perform for others made for such fun moments of tension that i ate UP. there are multiple scenes that will be living rent free in my brain. the romance itself is also so incredibly tender and lovely. a love that was so patient, caring, and reassuring. getting both of their pov's made it even more all-encompassing, these boys both had it BAD lol
and thank goodness this is the first book in a trilogy because not only do i feel like there is so much more to explore in this world—both geographically and magically—but with that ending???? i feel CRAZY and i have never needed a sequel more in my life.
just SO SO GOOD. definitely a favourite book of the year for me. do not hesitate to add this to your tbr!!!
February 10, 2026
A magnificent story of two bound souls and the greatest betrayal
This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with great mystery inspired by Welsh folklore. It is told from two POVs. Meilyr, an apothecary with tragic past hiding a secret that could end his life if ever revealed and Osian, a prince from Khaim who came to rule over Denelands.
Meilyr would do anything for his blood sworn brother Celyn, even offer his own life instead of his. When an attempt to protect one of the citizens ends in the death of one of the Khaimic crownsworn and Celyn's life is in danger, Meilyr has to accept the prince's proposal or watch his brother be executed. What starts as a pretend marriage soon becomes so much more.
Both characters were well fleshed out. I loved them both.
Meilyr always tries to help everybody and protects those he loves with everything he has. After the tragic events of his childhood, he has to hide his magic or he will be killed. Agreeing to Osian's proposal puts him in the middle of all the court intrigue and people who want to use him as a scapegoat just because of his origins. He is very brave and loyal. Even though he was taught to hate Khaim and especially its royalty, he is not blinded by it and soon realizes that the prince is a good man trying to end the feud among their people. While their relationship develops he has to fight with his guilt and fear over the forbidden sorcery as well as try to find the powerful sorcerer who wants to start the bloodshed all over again.
Osian is such a sweet, loyal and honest character. He wants to end the endless hatred between Denelands and Khaim. He knew from childhood that he will rule there and tried to learn anything that could help him achieve his dreams. He saw with his own eyes the horror of the fights and hopes to make people see that bloodshed is not the answer. He was always so careful and understanding with Meilyr, even if sometimes it broke his heart.
Overall, I had a really great time reading this story, even if it nearly made me cry in the end. I loved the yearning and the slow development of the relationship between Osian and Meilyr. The mystery was very well done and made you guessing till the very end. I am looking forward to the next book. I need to know what happens next.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance with great mystery inspired by Welsh folklore. It is told from two POVs. Meilyr, an apothecary with tragic past hiding a secret that could end his life if ever revealed and Osian, a prince from Khaim who came to rule over Denelands.
Meilyr would do anything for his blood sworn brother Celyn, even offer his own life instead of his. When an attempt to protect one of the citizens ends in the death of one of the Khaimic crownsworn and Celyn's life is in danger, Meilyr has to accept the prince's proposal or watch his brother be executed. What starts as a pretend marriage soon becomes so much more.
Both characters were well fleshed out. I loved them both.
Meilyr always tries to help everybody and protects those he loves with everything he has. After the tragic events of his childhood, he has to hide his magic or he will be killed. Agreeing to Osian's proposal puts him in the middle of all the court intrigue and people who want to use him as a scapegoat just because of his origins. He is very brave and loyal. Even though he was taught to hate Khaim and especially its royalty, he is not blinded by it and soon realizes that the prince is a good man trying to end the feud among their people. While their relationship develops he has to fight with his guilt and fear over the forbidden sorcery as well as try to find the powerful sorcerer who wants to start the bloodshed all over again.
Osian is such a sweet, loyal and honest character. He wants to end the endless hatred between Denelands and Khaim. He knew from childhood that he will rule there and tried to learn anything that could help him achieve his dreams. He saw with his own eyes the horror of the fights and hopes to make people see that bloodshed is not the answer. He was always so careful and understanding with Meilyr, even if sometimes it broke his heart.
Overall, I had a really great time reading this story, even if it nearly made me cry in the end. I loved the yearning and the slow development of the relationship between Osian and Meilyr. The mystery was very well done and made you guessing till the very end. I am looking forward to the next book. I need to know what happens next.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGally for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Capital-Y Yearning in this one. You know that rare experience when you’re reading a book and you find yourself physically reacting to words on a page? Mouth agape, eyebrows raised, feeling all the emotions? This was one of those times.
I’ll just start with what made me realize how gorgeously written this book was, the wedding vows. I always love it when they make up vows in fantasy books and this time was probably one of the better executed. And that was only the beginning of it, the entire book is like a poem. I can’t praise the writing enough.
The lore runs deep as well, nothing feels disjointed. It’s Welsh mythology/folkore inspired, with Welsh gods and such. I could have done with some more world-building. Someone who knows little about Welsh myths would’ve probably liked the book a bit less, it’s kind of niche. I’m kind of in the middle here, I’m no expert on it but that didn’t affect my enjoyment.
Meilyr and Osian were so well suited for each other. They married out of convenience, to save Meilyr’s brother. They’re both head over heels in love and neither of them will say it aloud, and it made me go insane. They did indeed aggravate me a little, like just speak your mind already. In a good way though, I think. As the reader, that’s kind of your job, if the book is good. Maybe I should read more marriage of convenience books, this one worked a treat. Their relationship was just so sweet and they were both so gentle with each other, so aware of the other’s feelings. If you take them separately, it feels like something’s missing, that’s how good of a fit they are for each other. It’s almost annoying. We’re mainly in Meilyr’s POV, but we do have some instances where we’re in Osian’s head.
And I can’t help but come back to the writing. It’s really one of a kind, the author gave it their everything and you can tell. I also appreciated the glossary because while I know some Gaeilge (Irish), I know no Cymraeg (Welsh), so I just know I would’ve butchered their names.
And we’re getting a second book? Oh, I am counting down the days people! What was that ending by the way? Who allowed that ending to happen? Can’t wrap my head around it. Book 1 is not even out and I already need the next one. Insane.
It’s so SO close to being a five star. But I think I’m going to be annoying and give it a 4.75/5⭐️ or even a 4.5 for those little complaints I had. I’ll up it to a five if I find myself still thinking about the story, but I don’t know, those are my thoughts for now.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll just start with what made me realize how gorgeously written this book was, the wedding vows. I always love it when they make up vows in fantasy books and this time was probably one of the better executed. And that was only the beginning of it, the entire book is like a poem. I can’t praise the writing enough.
The lore runs deep as well, nothing feels disjointed. It’s Welsh mythology/folkore inspired, with Welsh gods and such. I could have done with some more world-building. Someone who knows little about Welsh myths would’ve probably liked the book a bit less, it’s kind of niche. I’m kind of in the middle here, I’m no expert on it but that didn’t affect my enjoyment.
Meilyr and Osian were so well suited for each other. They married out of convenience, to save Meilyr’s brother. They’re both head over heels in love and neither of them will say it aloud, and it made me go insane. They did indeed aggravate me a little, like just speak your mind already. In a good way though, I think. As the reader, that’s kind of your job, if the book is good. Maybe I should read more marriage of convenience books, this one worked a treat. Their relationship was just so sweet and they were both so gentle with each other, so aware of the other’s feelings. If you take them separately, it feels like something’s missing, that’s how good of a fit they are for each other. It’s almost annoying. We’re mainly in Meilyr’s POV, but we do have some instances where we’re in Osian’s head.
And I can’t help but come back to the writing. It’s really one of a kind, the author gave it their everything and you can tell. I also appreciated the glossary because while I know some Gaeilge (Irish), I know no Cymraeg (Welsh), so I just know I would’ve butchered their names.
And we’re getting a second book? Oh, I am counting down the days people! What was that ending by the way? Who allowed that ending to happen? Can’t wrap my head around it. Book 1 is not even out and I already need the next one. Insane.
It’s so SO close to being a five star. But I think I’m going to be annoying and give it a 4.75/5⭐️ or even a 4.5 for those little complaints I had. I’ll up it to a five if I find myself still thinking about the story, but I don’t know, those are my thoughts for now.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a colonizer romance with a marked power disparity between the main couple, so if that’s a trope you’re not interested in, you’ll want to skip this book. This is also a book with two perfect main characters who have no flaws, no tempers, and watch the plot wander by while staring wistfully at one another. This is a very slow burn romance, so if that’s not for you, you’ll also want to skip this book. And, finally, the book ends on a cliffhanger. So there’s that.
The best part of this book is the world building — which draws very heavily from Welsh mythology and folktales. The magic system and the writing are also well done, but I am, overall, really not a fan of this book. For one the pace was very languid, with scenes going on too long and too much filler in between events — and there were fewer events than there were filler scenes. While it can be pleasant to have a slow, thoughtful book … this one was only one of those.
Meilyr and Osian are very passive characters. Events happen and they notice them, occasionally react to them, but for the most part the two of them just sit there yearning for one another. They’re both also so … nice. And just nice. There’s not much personality to either of them beyond being nice characters with no flaws. They both mean well, both want good things to happen to people, both do their best not to hurt the other. It’s a little bland, but I’d prefer this to some so-called romances.
Here, at least, Osian and Meilyr know each other as people, know that they have shared goals, shared interests, a shared morality before they have their first kiss. While I didn’t see fireworks, I do very much get the sense that this is a couple who will be in it for the long haul, supporting one another. There will be people who love them, and I’m glad for that.
However, this world has some … issues. For one, in this world Majesty is a title given to princes rather than kings, and Highness to consorts. I have no idea what title is given to kings. There are also some overwritten and very force phrases, like “a look of askance”, which made me do a doubletake. For the most part the writing is fine, but there are several of those moments.
On the whole, it’s not bad. But I don’t think it’s good, either. I’m not the audience for this book, I think, and that’s okay. Thank you very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Come with me. Come with me. Come with me.
I don't think I know how to breathe after this. How could it just end like that, and I don't even have a publication date for the next book.
Meilyr has a secret, one that'll kill him if it's found out. Perhaps set on a course by fate or just pure happenstance, Meilyr is wed to the prince of his homeland, but this prince is, technically, an enemy of sorts. Well, his family and their history are Meilyr's enemy. When people start dying at court and Meilyr is the only new thing to have appeared, all eyes are on him - not to mention Meilyr is also descended from those who were all murdered for sorcery. In a whirlwind of events, Meilyr is found at the center of a bigger plot to upend the current reigning family and potentially even their people. All the while falling deeper in love with his sweet prince.
Princeweaver, for me at least, does a wonderful job of blending the fantasy of Meilyr's powers and court intrigued, keeping me interested just enough on both ends while stringing me along with the plot. The magic here isn't overly done or convoluted, so it's easy to follow and doesn't need a grand explanation. The same can be said with the court/history politics. It's almost cozy, really. I think the summary is a little wrong when it says their marriage is to save the warring kingdom, because really, do we think that marriage between two people of differing backgrounds was really going to do it? I think it is more apt to say, a marriage to save Meilyr's (and Celyn's) life with the added hopefulness of bridging the two peoples together.
Meilyr and Osian are so, so delicious. The slow-burn yearning is everything. I do wish there were more moments, but I can't tell if I'm just being selfish or it genuinely needs more moments where they develop their relationship so I believe it more.
Morgan's prose and writing is just so gorgeous, too. The way they describe even the smallest actions, their consequence, has so much meaning.
I need this book in my hand, and the next, and whatever else Morgan and publishing company have in store for this series. I can't believe it's a series. Please give me it now. All of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the eARC!
I don't think I know how to breathe after this. How could it just end like that, and I don't even have a publication date for the next book.
Meilyr has a secret, one that'll kill him if it's found out. Perhaps set on a course by fate or just pure happenstance, Meilyr is wed to the prince of his homeland, but this prince is, technically, an enemy of sorts. Well, his family and their history are Meilyr's enemy. When people start dying at court and Meilyr is the only new thing to have appeared, all eyes are on him - not to mention Meilyr is also descended from those who were all murdered for sorcery. In a whirlwind of events, Meilyr is found at the center of a bigger plot to upend the current reigning family and potentially even their people. All the while falling deeper in love with his sweet prince.
Princeweaver, for me at least, does a wonderful job of blending the fantasy of Meilyr's powers and court intrigued, keeping me interested just enough on both ends while stringing me along with the plot. The magic here isn't overly done or convoluted, so it's easy to follow and doesn't need a grand explanation. The same can be said with the court/history politics. It's almost cozy, really. I think the summary is a little wrong when it says their marriage is to save the warring kingdom, because really, do we think that marriage between two people of differing backgrounds was really going to do it? I think it is more apt to say, a marriage to save Meilyr's (and Celyn's) life with the added hopefulness of bridging the two peoples together.
Meilyr and Osian are so, so delicious. The slow-burn yearning is everything. I do wish there were more moments, but I can't tell if I'm just being selfish or it genuinely needs more moments where they develop their relationship so I believe it more.
Morgan's prose and writing is just so gorgeous, too. The way they describe even the smallest actions, their consequence, has so much meaning.
I need this book in my hand, and the next, and whatever else Morgan and publishing company have in store for this series. I can't believe it's a series. Please give me it now. All of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If like me you spent way too much time thinking about the BBC show Merlin and how gay it was then you seriously need to pick up this book. Like the vibes are very similar but somehow gayer. I know I didn't think that was possible either!
I'll be honest I am usually pretty cautious when I recommend books to people I know in real life because I don't want them to blame me if they hate it but I have to tell you I recommended this book to 3 different people by the time I reached the 50% mark. This was so much better than I could have anticipated.
Princeweaver is set in a fantasy version of Wales which is really nice to see and it's impressive how well blended in Welsh history and folklore were with the invading nation in this story mirroring the ways England oppressed the Welsh in many ways such as banning the speaking of their native language and enforcing their own instead. I think this is probably the first Welsh inspired fantasy I've read which is a shame and I feel like Wales really gets overlooked with a lot more focus put on places like Scotland and Ireland so I'm glad Wales finally got its time to shine!
The story follows Meilyr who is a commoner with a secret. He's one of the last people from his land able to use magic after they were hunted to extinction by their new rulers. After an incident with some guards Meilyr agrees to marry the Prince in a sham marriage to protect his family and he definitely won't end up developing feelings for his fake husband ... right? Things seem to be going pretty well at first and the Prince Osian is surprisingly kind and thoughtful even if Meilyr can't quite figure out why. That is until people in the royal court start being killed.
The romance in this is fairly slow burn and that's partially because our two main characters are overthinking just about everything and there are points where you very much just want them to talk about their emotions to each other. However because they refuse to do that instead we get yearning so much yearning! It's so beautiful to read and makes it so much more satisfying when we finally get there!
Thank you so much to the publisher for an ARC copy of this. I need the next one like right now! 2027 cannot come fast enough!
I'll be honest I am usually pretty cautious when I recommend books to people I know in real life because I don't want them to blame me if they hate it but I have to tell you I recommended this book to 3 different people by the time I reached the 50% mark. This was so much better than I could have anticipated.
Princeweaver is set in a fantasy version of Wales which is really nice to see and it's impressive how well blended in Welsh history and folklore were with the invading nation in this story mirroring the ways England oppressed the Welsh in many ways such as banning the speaking of their native language and enforcing their own instead. I think this is probably the first Welsh inspired fantasy I've read which is a shame and I feel like Wales really gets overlooked with a lot more focus put on places like Scotland and Ireland so I'm glad Wales finally got its time to shine!
The story follows Meilyr who is a commoner with a secret. He's one of the last people from his land able to use magic after they were hunted to extinction by their new rulers. After an incident with some guards Meilyr agrees to marry the Prince in a sham marriage to protect his family and he definitely won't end up developing feelings for his fake husband ... right? Things seem to be going pretty well at first and the Prince Osian is surprisingly kind and thoughtful even if Meilyr can't quite figure out why. That is until people in the royal court start being killed.
The romance in this is fairly slow burn and that's partially because our two main characters are overthinking just about everything and there are points where you very much just want them to talk about their emotions to each other. However because they refuse to do that instead we get yearning so much yearning! It's so beautiful to read and makes it so much more satisfying when we finally get there!
Thank you so much to the publisher for an ARC copy of this. I need the next one like right now! 2027 cannot come fast enough!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.75 stars
A story woven from myth, magic, and yearning, but not always momentum.
Prince Weaver was an interesting read for me, though also a somewhat slow one.
One thing I really appreciated was the setting and the magic system. The story draws heavily from Welsh mythology, which gives the world a very distinctive atmosphere. The names, the old legends woven into the story, and especially the concept of “weaving” as a form of magic felt unique and refreshing compared to many other fantasy books.
At the same time, this also made the beginning a bit difficult to get into. The unfamiliar terminology and names slowed down my reading quite a bit, and the story itself unfolds very gradually. For a long time, the narrative mostly hints at things especially the traumatic past of the protagonist, without fully revealing what happened.
The ending, however, worked much better for me. Several elements come together in a kind of full-circle moment, and the final chapters were unexpectedly emotional and quite sad. The story also weaves in old tales and symbolic elements throughout, and by the end I found myself wondering whether some of those parallels might carry a deeper meaning than they first appear to. I’m not entirely sure how much of that symbolism I fully understood, but the possibility that there might be more beneath the surface made the conclusion feel more impactful.
That said, there were also a few things that frustrated me while reading. Celyn’s behavior, for example, became increasingly irritating to me because he constantly dismisses Meilyr’s concerns and refuses to really listen. Another thing that stood out was how often Meilyr refuses food or loses his appetite in scene after scene. I understand that it may be meant to express his discomfort or emotional state, but it felt somewhat excessive.
The strong yearning between the two main characters was nicely written overall, but at times it became a bit repetitive, especially the constant apologies and the back-and-forth whenever they got close.
Overall, Prince Weaver has a lot of interesting ideas: a unique magical concept, a mythological atmosphere, and an emotional ending. However, the pacing is very slow, and some character dynamics became frustrating over time.
A story woven from myth, magic, and yearning, but not always momentum.
Prince Weaver was an interesting read for me, though also a somewhat slow one.
One thing I really appreciated was the setting and the magic system. The story draws heavily from Welsh mythology, which gives the world a very distinctive atmosphere. The names, the old legends woven into the story, and especially the concept of “weaving” as a form of magic felt unique and refreshing compared to many other fantasy books.
At the same time, this also made the beginning a bit difficult to get into. The unfamiliar terminology and names slowed down my reading quite a bit, and the story itself unfolds very gradually. For a long time, the narrative mostly hints at things especially the traumatic past of the protagonist, without fully revealing what happened.
The ending, however, worked much better for me. Several elements come together in a kind of full-circle moment, and the final chapters were unexpectedly emotional and quite sad. The story also weaves in old tales and symbolic elements throughout, and by the end I found myself wondering whether some of those parallels might carry a deeper meaning than they first appear to. I’m not entirely sure how much of that symbolism I fully understood, but the possibility that there might be more beneath the surface made the conclusion feel more impactful.
That said, there were also a few things that frustrated me while reading. Celyn’s behavior, for example, became increasingly irritating to me because he constantly dismisses Meilyr’s concerns and refuses to really listen. Another thing that stood out was how often Meilyr refuses food or loses his appetite in scene after scene. I understand that it may be meant to express his discomfort or emotional state, but it felt somewhat excessive.
The strong yearning between the two main characters was nicely written overall, but at times it became a bit repetitive, especially the constant apologies and the back-and-forth whenever they got close.
Overall, Prince Weaver has a lot of interesting ideas: a unique magical concept, a mythological atmosphere, and an emotional ending. However, the pacing is very slow, and some character dynamics became frustrating over time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was given this advanced copy for free in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Review:
A slowburn to end all slowburns and a world very heavily based on Wales and Welsh mythology, Princeweaver features many allusions to mythical heroes and gods like Gwydion, Lleu Llaw Gwyffes, Bloedewedd, Gronw Pebwr, and Arawn while also doing a little bit of it's own thing. I would've liked to see more of the world (can we see Lleu? Please??), but we spend so much time in our hero Meilyr's head worrying about things, he's an anxious little dude. The gay romance is very angsty and slow in the tradition of something like Heaven Official's Blessing; you fight through a hundred pages or so before they hold hands levels of slow burn. If you want a fast all consuming romance, this is not it.
I was pleasantly surprised that there's a murder mystery at the heart of this. I feel like someone paying attention beyond the romance will figure it out really fast. And YES, this is the first book in a series. I thought this was a standalone and was getting very anxious at that 97% mark when very little was resolved. It ends on a cliffhanger to be continued someday. I'll be there for it whenever that happens.
☀️ Fun Factor 4/5 (I read it in one sitting if that says anything?)
☀️ Writing Style 3/5
☀️ Characters 3/5
☀️ Plot 2/5 (You will guess the plot twist almost immediately)
☀️ Setting 4/5 (Not Exactly Wales)
☀️ Feels 3/5
☀️ Romance 4/5 (I was yellin' at them to please just kiss already god)
☀️ Spiciness 3/5 (It's not too explicit but too much to be YA)
☀️ Gore 4/5
☀️If this were a movie it'd be rated: PG-13 for some plant based body horror, mild sexual situations, language, violence
☀️FOR FANS OF: Someone who loves a good gay slowburn that's not too spicy and has a lot of political intrigue. Think Heaven Official's Blessing or Captive Prince, but with a PG-13 rating
☀️Ultimate verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
☀️Best Character Award goes to: I liked Osian a little more than Meilyr for whatever reason.
Review:
A slowburn to end all slowburns and a world very heavily based on Wales and Welsh mythology, Princeweaver features many allusions to mythical heroes and gods like Gwydion, Lleu Llaw Gwyffes, Bloedewedd, Gronw Pebwr, and Arawn while also doing a little bit of it's own thing. I would've liked to see more of the world (can we see Lleu? Please??), but we spend so much time in our hero Meilyr's head worrying about things, he's an anxious little dude. The gay romance is very angsty and slow in the tradition of something like Heaven Official's Blessing; you fight through a hundred pages or so before they hold hands levels of slow burn. If you want a fast all consuming romance, this is not it.
I was pleasantly surprised that there's a murder mystery at the heart of this. I feel like someone paying attention beyond the romance will figure it out really fast. And YES, this is the first book in a series. I thought this was a standalone and was getting very anxious at that 97% mark when very little was resolved. It ends on a cliffhanger to be continued someday. I'll be there for it whenever that happens.
☀️ Fun Factor 4/5 (I read it in one sitting if that says anything?)
☀️ Writing Style 3/5
☀️ Characters 3/5
☀️ Plot 2/5 (You will guess the plot twist almost immediately)
☀️ Setting 4/5 (Not Exactly Wales)
☀️ Feels 3/5
☀️ Romance 4/5 (I was yellin' at them to please just kiss already god)
☀️ Spiciness 3/5 (It's not too explicit but too much to be YA)
☀️ Gore 4/5
☀️If this were a movie it'd be rated: PG-13 for some plant based body horror, mild sexual situations, language, violence
☀️FOR FANS OF: Someone who loves a good gay slowburn that's not too spicy and has a lot of political intrigue. Think Heaven Official's Blessing or Captive Prince, but with a PG-13 rating
☀️Ultimate verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
☀️Best Character Award goes to: I liked Osian a little more than Meilyr for whatever reason.
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