What do you think?
Rate this book
Prophecy #1
Weaving Man
The Queen didn’t count on a man who would defy a Royal Command.
Or did she?
Or did she?
On a midwinter night on the planet Eirdon, the greatest assassin of his generation is summoned to the palace of Queen Morghenna. Known as Menders, the professional killer expects a reward for unraveling a ruthless plot to overthrow his monarch. Instead, the Queen hands him a shock appointment: to serve as guardian and trainer to the newborn Princess Katrin.
Epic, Genre-Bending Victorian Science-FantasySecond in line to a corrupt and uneasy throne, Katrin is dispatched to a distant estate called The Shadows, to be reared according to the severe and pitiless standards of the Royal House. But it is soon clear that Katrin is not like other children. Could she be one of the prophesied “chosen” who will move Eirdon from endless war to the light of peace — at a terrible cost?
An Amazon Top Ten Best-Seller in Steampunk Science Fiction and FantasyBalanced between the wrath of a powerful Queen and the inexorable pull of fate, Menders must eventually choose between saving himself, saving his world or protecting the child that he’s come to love.
Book One of the Prophecy SeriesAmazon Top Ten Best-Seller recorded December 25th, 2016 - http://web.archive.org/web/2016122500...
798 pages, ebook
First published October 29, 2016
187 people are currently reading
977 people want to read
About the author
Tove Foss Ford
5 books21 followersTove Foss Ford was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during the Civil Rights Era. She's lived in many places, as far ranging as New Orleans, rural Pennsylvania and Sydney and Katoomba, Australia.
Tove has worn a lot of hats, including craftsperson, farmer, jewelrymaker, office administrator and musician. Primarily, she considers herself a writer and has three books, Weaving Man, Love and Sacrifice and Eirdon, the first three books of The Prophecy Series, from Eirdon Books. The fourth and final book of The Prophecy Series, The Light At The Top Of The World, is in the works.
Tove lives in upstate New York, a place she never expected to be, after a life she never expected to have. So far, it's been quite a ride!
Tove has worn a lot of hats, including craftsperson, farmer, jewelrymaker, office administrator and musician. Primarily, she considers herself a writer and has three books, Weaving Man, Love and Sacrifice and Eirdon, the first three books of The Prophecy Series, from Eirdon Books. The fourth and final book of The Prophecy Series, The Light At The Top Of The World, is in the works.
Tove lives in upstate New York, a place she never expected to be, after a life she never expected to have. So far, it's been quite a ride!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 13, 2017
5 wonderful stars! Bravo to an amazing author for an equally amazing debut novel!
How to review this book and give it the justice it deserves. Well, here goes...
This is a long book! It took me days and days to finish it. I wanted to savor it. It was elegantly written, with a slow pace. Don't let the genres of "sci-fi" or "steam punk" put you off. The feel for me was that it was another time and place, sure, but with just a few references to other-wordly ideas or creatures. Enough to make it interesting, not enough to be far out there. It just felt like it was in the 1900's in Europe somewhere.
Menders! Oh my goodness. Menders is just hands down one of the THE BEST male characters ever written. He is intelligent, cunning, tender, loyal, and ruthless when he needs to be. He surrounds himself with a "rag tag team" of trusted associates that all come together to protect the princess and possible future Queen at all costs. The secondary characters come alive in this book. There are so many to fall in love with. Having said that, there may a lot of people in this book, but you never get lost because each one is described in such detail. Kaymar and Ifor and Borsen - OMG - I just adored them.
The story is pretty basic, a young assassin is called upon by his Queen to raise the princess and protect her by taking her to "The Shadows". What an assignment! But he does it as he does everything in his life - with unwavering loyalty to his little princess. The story is within the story - all the people who make that happen. A true study in characters.
What a ride! Such an incredible story. I hope there is a quick follow up, because I miss them all already. Their strengths and weaknesses, and the family they become. Absolutely one of the best novels I have ever read!
How to review this book and give it the justice it deserves. Well, here goes...
This is a long book! It took me days and days to finish it. I wanted to savor it. It was elegantly written, with a slow pace. Don't let the genres of "sci-fi" or "steam punk" put you off. The feel for me was that it was another time and place, sure, but with just a few references to other-wordly ideas or creatures. Enough to make it interesting, not enough to be far out there. It just felt like it was in the 1900's in Europe somewhere.
Menders! Oh my goodness. Menders is just hands down one of the THE BEST male characters ever written. He is intelligent, cunning, tender, loyal, and ruthless when he needs to be. He surrounds himself with a "rag tag team" of trusted associates that all come together to protect the princess and possible future Queen at all costs. The secondary characters come alive in this book. There are so many to fall in love with. Having said that, there may a lot of people in this book, but you never get lost because each one is described in such detail. Kaymar and Ifor and Borsen - OMG - I just adored them.
The story is pretty basic, a young assassin is called upon by his Queen to raise the princess and protect her by taking her to "The Shadows". What an assignment! But he does it as he does everything in his life - with unwavering loyalty to his little princess. The story is within the story - all the people who make that happen. A true study in characters.
What a ride! Such an incredible story. I hope there is a quick follow up, because I miss them all already. Their strengths and weaknesses, and the family they become. Absolutely one of the best novels I have ever read!
February 2, 2017
Totally unexpected
I haven't written a review in quite a bit, but I had to for this book. It was a truly beautiful story, and not at all what I was expecting. I love all the characters and the inclusiveness of the book. I truly loved this story. You feel the love coming from this book. Can't wait to read what happens for this cast of characters in the future.
I haven't written a review in quite a bit, but I had to for this book. It was a truly beautiful story, and not at all what I was expecting. I love all the characters and the inclusiveness of the book. I truly loved this story. You feel the love coming from this book. Can't wait to read what happens for this cast of characters in the future.
September 18, 2017
This is a wonderful novel, absolutely great characters and the author did a fantastic job of building the characters and then meshing all of the characters together.
A thank you to the author!!
A thank you to the author!!
September 27, 2017
I am embarrassed to admit that I cried several times during the reading of this book. While it is chalk full of action (that leaves you exhausted because it never slows down), and even though it has some very dark moments and very violent content (I mean what do you expect - Weaving Man IS an assassin after all), it was the tender moments between him and his 'children' that tugged at my heartstrings. I would get a little chagrined and remind myself that this was just a fiction book, but then sink back into the book and once again forget that these weren't real people, just characters it a story.
June 15, 2017
Good read romance action intrigue
The characters are well developed interesting. There is a good balance between action and character development. I have a serios book habit and burn through 5 to ten books a week this is the best one this month
The characters are well developed interesting. There is a good balance between action and character development. I have a serios book habit and burn through 5 to ten books a week this is the best one this month
July 25, 2018
4.5 stars
March 12, 2017
Enjoyed this book very much.
Well written hope the next book is published soon. Interesting story line. Interesting characters, very life like none of them perfect.
Well written hope the next book is published soon. Interesting story line. Interesting characters, very life like none of them perfect.
February 20, 2017
Kindle Unlimited ~ YAY! Longer than usual review....
Reading this book was such a pleasant experience and I "loved" most of it. The writing is excellent. There's a gentle quality and a "slice of life" tone that I really appreciated. I needed a break from extreme angst, darker than dark, miserable character storylines and this was wonderful. Not talking fairytale happy here, dark and light are just balanced in a way that doesn't leave you feeling like you've been to the wars.
IMO, the LGBT central characters are perfectly written. Again, nothing is sugar coated, but the author is never preachy or defensive. They are just "there" and integrated into the storyline. A lot of authors just don't quite seem to manage as successful a blending.
*****SPOILERS*****
There were just a couple of things that put this into the "didn't like" versus "loved" category. In a book this length, it's not a deal breaker if a few things don't track just right. For me, it's Hemmet's parents and Menders' "marriage" issues. These were unsettling to the point that it broke the tone of the book that I liked so much.
Somewhere along the line, Hemmet's parents become persona non grata? They just disappear. That's totally out of synch with the strong family bonds that are so touted throughout the story. They aren't even included in Hemmet's graduation and not being over the moon proud of their son is totally out of character?
As far as the marriage issues go, there's no reason to relegate Eiren to the role of mistress. Menders accepts all three young people as his children and refers to them as such. Although obfuscated, there is a Thrun blessing ceremony. And as far as his "second best" argument, isn't a mistress relegated to "second best" or less than that? No rights to property, position, title, or inheritance? The old "if you loved me, you'd ...." Well, if you loved someone, would you ask them to...?
Other people in service to royalty get married and it's understood that service has priority for both partners. Truly disappointed that Katrin, especially after the guardianship was satisfied, didn't insist that Eiren be accorded her rightful place and position. Eiren is the only one minimized by Menders and Katrin. Only he gets "father" status, although Katrin does kind of reference Eiren as her stepmother at one point? Not the way either should treat someone they truly love. Pretty misogynistic.
This is what took the book from a 5 to a 2. Author's prerogative, but I found this really annoying; especially since it wasn't supported by the text or dialogue. I really need Menders and Katrin to have a DOH! reality check moment. Maybe it's in the next book and I'll feel better.
Reading this book was such a pleasant experience and I "loved" most of it. The writing is excellent. There's a gentle quality and a "slice of life" tone that I really appreciated. I needed a break from extreme angst, darker than dark, miserable character storylines and this was wonderful. Not talking fairytale happy here, dark and light are just balanced in a way that doesn't leave you feeling like you've been to the wars.
IMO, the LGBT central characters are perfectly written. Again, nothing is sugar coated, but the author is never preachy or defensive. They are just "there" and integrated into the storyline. A lot of authors just don't quite seem to manage as successful a blending.
*****SPOILERS*****
There were just a couple of things that put this into the "didn't like" versus "loved" category. In a book this length, it's not a deal breaker if a few things don't track just right. For me, it's Hemmet's parents and Menders' "marriage" issues. These were unsettling to the point that it broke the tone of the book that I liked so much.
Somewhere along the line, Hemmet's parents become persona non grata? They just disappear. That's totally out of synch with the strong family bonds that are so touted throughout the story. They aren't even included in Hemmet's graduation and not being over the moon proud of their son is totally out of character?
As far as the marriage issues go, there's no reason to relegate Eiren to the role of mistress. Menders accepts all three young people as his children and refers to them as such. Although obfuscated, there is a Thrun blessing ceremony. And as far as his "second best" argument, isn't a mistress relegated to "second best" or less than that? No rights to property, position, title, or inheritance? The old "if you loved me, you'd ...." Well, if you loved someone, would you ask them to...?
Other people in service to royalty get married and it's understood that service has priority for both partners. Truly disappointed that Katrin, especially after the guardianship was satisfied, didn't insist that Eiren be accorded her rightful place and position. Eiren is the only one minimized by Menders and Katrin. Only he gets "father" status, although Katrin does kind of reference Eiren as her stepmother at one point? Not the way either should treat someone they truly love. Pretty misogynistic.
This is what took the book from a 5 to a 2. Author's prerogative, but I found this really annoying; especially since it wasn't supported by the text or dialogue. I really need Menders and Katrin to have a DOH! reality check moment. Maybe it's in the next book and I'll feel better.
February 7, 2017
Wonderful writing, intense, heartwarming!
WOW! Completely overwhelming this epic story, had to finish throughout the day and finally this night. SO impressed with this author, my first but by no means my last! Now following and will read the entire trilogy. Have butterflies wanting more.
WOW! Completely overwhelming this epic story, had to finish throughout the day and finally this night. SO impressed with this author, my first but by no means my last! Now following and will read the entire trilogy. Have butterflies wanting more.
February 19, 2017
Loved it!
February 15, 2017
Loved, loved, loved this story! I so wish I had not borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited because now I have to give it back!
January 12, 2019
A good read with interesting characters. Mendes is an unforgettable character who grows and developed throughout the book. Curl up with this one during the cold winter months.
June 15, 2017
This book is better than what you'll think it will be. Let me assure you, any "steampunk" elements are kept to a bare minimum. This book for all intensive purposes is much more like Middlemarch than Lord of the Rings. Weaving Man is basically a Victorian novel that takes place on another planet. Not a lot happens, it's really more a study of the characters and how they grow over time. This whole book was just very surprising. I wonder if the author wanted to write a Victorian novel but had the brilliant idea that she would trick all the people who are into fantasy into reading one? I wonder what the sequel will be like, this whole experience was fascinating to say the least. (I really think she purposely tricked people).
June 26, 2017
Amazing
Beautifully written story. It has suspense and action but mostly it is a story about a family and the trials and tribulations of life. You think maybe you will be bored but you will find yourself completely wrapped up in the saga of this unique group. The joy, heartache, achievements and failures. The broken healing and the lost finally finding a place to call home.
Beautifully written story. It has suspense and action but mostly it is a story about a family and the trials and tribulations of life. You think maybe you will be bored but you will find yourself completely wrapped up in the saga of this unique group. The joy, heartache, achievements and failures. The broken healing and the lost finally finding a place to call home.
January 4, 2018
The writing and the characters were entertaining. The story-line followed the lives of many characters, but the events that unfold seem to be a collection of short stories that don't develop into a larger plot. One event towards the middle of the books ends up becoming relevant at the end of the book. Other than that, I struggled finishing this book.
August 9, 2017
Wonderful !
Love, redemption, and mystery are some of the themes of this action packed story. The characters grow throughout this story. It was a pleasure to read this book, and I am looking forward to reading the next.
Love, redemption, and mystery are some of the themes of this action packed story. The characters grow throughout this story. It was a pleasure to read this book, and I am looking forward to reading the next.
October 13, 2019
Characters are lovely but the story is incredibly basic and nothing really happens. I was expecting a fantasy story about a prophesy but it’s really a coming of age with some hints of them living on a non-existing planet.
March 23, 2017
Hard to classify. It's not steampunk, although that's how it's being advertised. It's not really fantasy, there's no magic, it's more like a historical novel only it's completely made up. Back to fiction then, no, more like fantasy fiction? Fictional fantasy? Hmmm. Very well written well done world building. The action drags a bit under to much details at times, so I skimmed. Very impressive for a first book!
May 18, 2017
Childhood
Menders accepts a remarkable assignment that changes his Destiny. He is to protect the princess until she becomes an adult.
Menders accepts a remarkable assignment that changes his Destiny. He is to protect the princess until she becomes an adult.
August 27, 2017
Fascinating
A true tale of good against evil f how man can come to love a child eve though it is not his by birth
A true tale of good against evil f how man can come to love a child eve though it is not his by birth
September 30, 2017
I really liked the story and characters but was often put off by abrupt jumps in time in the narrative. Nevertheless I enjoyed the story and am starting the second in the series.
September 24, 2019
Great book. Can't wait for #3!
April 2, 2020
Beautiful
Really good story and really good characters. An excellent read, lots of growing and danger. A very good beginning to a very interesting series.
Really good story and really good characters. An excellent read, lots of growing and danger. A very good beginning to a very interesting series.
March 20, 2017
If you like Patrick Rothfuss
October 1, 2017
I am utterly perplexed by the high ratings this book has. I DNF'ed at 40 percent after struggling, page after page, to find the things that had other reviewers so enamored.
This book is sweet - cloyingly sweet. And ridiculous. A 21 year old assassin who has all of these plans to continue with his career is suddenly given the care of a hour old infant and he immediately knows exactly how to care for her, knows that what he wants for her is exactly what she needs and no amount of anyone else's experience is enough to sway him. And it's just down hill from there. None of the characters are realistic in the least. Interactions between the characters is stilted and awkward with no real life flow. The author deals with what would have been a very traumatic childhood for Menders callously, treating it as sort of an afterthought. Menders gets sick, has to be cared for by other men and that magically cures his aversion to male company? Not realistic.
Furthermore, the writing was full of issues. There were words missing, the wrong words in places, and a serious lack of correct punctuation. And why exactly is this book listed under genres for fantasy and steam punk? At 40 percent in a long book, I should have seen evidence of fantasy or steam punk and there is none.
Overall, underwhelmed and underimpressed and completely disappointed that this wasn't what I thought it was going to be.
This book is sweet - cloyingly sweet. And ridiculous. A 21 year old assassin who has all of these plans to continue with his career is suddenly given the care of a hour old infant and he immediately knows exactly how to care for her, knows that what he wants for her is exactly what she needs and no amount of anyone else's experience is enough to sway him. And it's just down hill from there. None of the characters are realistic in the least. Interactions between the characters is stilted and awkward with no real life flow. The author deals with what would have been a very traumatic childhood for Menders callously, treating it as sort of an afterthought. Menders gets sick, has to be cared for by other men and that magically cures his aversion to male company? Not realistic.
Furthermore, the writing was full of issues. There were words missing, the wrong words in places, and a serious lack of correct punctuation. And why exactly is this book listed under genres for fantasy and steam punk? At 40 percent in a long book, I should have seen evidence of fantasy or steam punk and there is none.
Overall, underwhelmed and underimpressed and completely disappointed that this wasn't what I thought it was going to be.
March 20, 2025
Story captured me right from the start, and each day had trouble putting it down.
Only one quibble, and that is mannered style.
Waiting now for the next installment!
Only one quibble, and that is mannered style.
Waiting now for the next installment!
April 27, 2020
5+++++
I'm wondering, is there is any talk of making this into a movie or a TV series? There should be!
I'm rereading now 4/2020 and loving it all over again.
I'm wondering, is there is any talk of making this into a movie or a TV series? There should be!
I'm rereading now 4/2020 and loving it all over again.
July 9, 2020
I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out!!
April 8, 2017
It's a good book for an easy read on the beach. There are many times when I thought I wanted further character development or I wanted more details. Sometimes, the story lines in some of the chapters ended abruptly. I do appreciate the "modesty" regarding love scenes. Overall, I grew attached to the characters and even began to root for them in their various trials. I finished and book and am looking forward to the next, although I don't know if I'd recommend it over other novels I've read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews