A Tangled Weave

by Michael Skeet

It is forbidden. Possession is a crime. Smugglers are executed. It is not a drug, nor a jewel, nor a precious metal. It is cloth. Cotton, to be specific, with colourful patterns painted by artisans in far-off India. Employing protectionist trade, European monarchs have prohibited the stuff. Prohibition, of course, increases demand. Victoire de Berenguer, impoverished aristocrat, counts on that demand to support her if not make her rich. Enter aristocratic younger son Robert de Vimoutiers, disrespected by his mother―by pretty much everybody―and bored with the frivolous life he leads. He's looking for adventure. What he finds is Victoire. Will the empire survive the encounter? A Tangled Weave continues the magical saga begun in Michael Skeet's A Poisoned Prayer. Let the delicious adventure continue.

Genres: Fantasy

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2019

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can think of a great many things that would be ridiculous to outlaw and fabric sits fairly close to the top of that list. Yet that is precisely what the European government in Michael Skeet's historical fiction A Tangled Weave has done, ostensibly to protect their own weavers from competition and prop up the domestic market by forcing citizens to purchase an inferior product. Naturally the prohibition against dyed cotton fabric has given birth to a thriving black market, as wealthy aristocrats strive to be the first to wear an outfit made from forbidden fabric with a never-before-seen pattern on it. Victoire de Berenguer is one such enterprising smuggler, and with a few loyal employees she maintains a healthy business selecting, importing, and distributing the forbidden goods. Not without risks, of course, and when she is interrupted by the police in the act of readying a shipment for distribution to her customers in the city she has her escape route memorized and plans to return later for the cloth. It's well hidden so there shouldn't be any issues. But there are. The cloth is gone when Victoire comes back to collect it and she overhears the officers saying they didn't find it so she knows that it hasn't been seized and destroyed. Her livelihood hangs in the balance now. The gang commences scouring the city for clues and Victoire crosses paths with the indolent Robert de Vimoutiers, who has been looking for something new to fill his time with and who attaches himself to Victoire and her ragtag band. To Victoire's chagrin. Their careful queries turn over a seething mass of plotting and duplicity that threatens their livelihoods and lives. Combining magic, romance, mystery, and historical fiction, A Tangled Weave is an excellent piece of work.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a magical, alternative France, smuggling and murder...
Meet Victoire de Berenguer, an impoverished aristocrat, with a small magical talent. She secretly makes money by selling smuggled Indian cloth to her fellow aristocrats. She enchanted a recent shipment of painted cloth, so the blue elephants on the cloth dance when people look at the gowns made from the fabric. When thieves steal the enchanted fabric, she goes looking for them with blood in her eye and a sword in her hand.
While hunting her stolen shipment, Victoire encounters Robert de Vimoutiers, a young aristocrat about town, a man with time and money to spare. He is bored, curious, and interested in the odd circumstances surrounding Victoire.
The plot is a mystery and a romance, with only mild elements of fantasy. I enjoyed the way Victoire and Robert's relationship evolved gently, under the pressure of events. I loved the blue elephants dancing on the enchanted cloth. Five Rivers distinguishes itself among small presses by the use of professional cover art, and Jeff Minkevics' cover of this book was amazingly clever.
The book was a sequel to Poisoned Prayer, which I also enjoyed, but it is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one. It was a fun read.

[Cat Girczyc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming book with a clever type of magic. Great characters especially the female lead. I found this very good long weekend reading. It’s the type of book that appeals to both romance and fantasy readers. Set in an alternate magical France it has a lush interesting setting. It’s the 2nd book set in this France but you don’t need to read the first one first as it’s not the same story.