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Weavers
Family in danger, unbreakable bonds of friendship, unlimited elemental potential.
In 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped and changed mankind forever. People of the world began to develop the ability to control Fire, Earth, Air and Water at will. From the act of blending their internal human energy into the elements, these individuals were appropriately named Weavers.
75 years later we follow Vin, Matt and Amber as they go into their final year of high school. Each must face a culmination of social and familial expectations while also coping with past losses. A devastating event throws them down a path that tests their bonds to family and each other. As their dreams of the future start crumbling they must deal with their individual traumas to help save a lost loved one. With a friend in need they will risk it all to protect the ones they cherish.
No one is a lost cause in this story of friends and family trying to weather an unthinkable storm. Wrapped in a world with a love for nature and bonds to the elements, discover the true connections humans have with Earth and to each other.
In 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped and changed mankind forever. People of the world began to develop the ability to control Fire, Earth, Air and Water at will. From the act of blending their internal human energy into the elements, these individuals were appropriately named Weavers.
75 years later we follow Vin, Matt and Amber as they go into their final year of high school. Each must face a culmination of social and familial expectations while also coping with past losses. A devastating event throws them down a path that tests their bonds to family and each other. As their dreams of the future start crumbling they must deal with their individual traumas to help save a lost loved one. With a friend in need they will risk it all to protect the ones they cherish.
No one is a lost cause in this story of friends and family trying to weather an unthinkable storm. Wrapped in a world with a love for nature and bonds to the elements, discover the true connections humans have with Earth and to each other.
279 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
John Walker
1 book3 followersJohn Walker is a Texas-based author of Fantasy and YA books. He attempted Art College at the University of North Texas. Though he decided it was not for him he did take his first study abroad trip to Italy which remains an inspiration and highlight for him to this day.
After graduating with his Associate’s of Art from Collin College he spent his years drifting from different jobs and enjoying his passion for art, video games, and even cooking.
After settling down to his first 8-5 desk job he rekindled his passion for reading. Finally, in 2019, he was inspired by the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a novel in 30 days, and so was born his first written story.
He continues to love drawing, reading, writing, his Partner and their two Huskie pups, Nova and Mira.
After graduating with his Associate’s of Art from Collin College he spent his years drifting from different jobs and enjoying his passion for art, video games, and even cooking.
After settling down to his first 8-5 desk job he rekindled his passion for reading. Finally, in 2019, he was inspired by the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a novel in 30 days, and so was born his first written story.
He continues to love drawing, reading, writing, his Partner and their two Huskie pups, Nova and Mira.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 30, 2021
Weavers is a delightful YA fantasy that I would consider safe for younger teens and tweens. I think it would appeal to that age group the most since our main characters are high schoolers who are also Weavers. Weavers are individuals who develop the ability to control the elements such as Fire, Earth, Water and Air by blending their human energy with those of the elements.
Our main characters are a diverse group of kids, Vin who is Italian, Matt (I love his given name, Mateo best) who is Mexican, and finally Ambrosia, or Amber, is part Cherokee Indian. I love the rapport between these kids, I love that we get to learn a little about each of their cultures and how each feels and respects about Nature. Our youngsters are dealing with coming to the end of their high school years, learning to use the element they Attuned to AND the increasing attacks by a terrorist group of Weavers that seems to be made up of Anomalys - Weavers who Attune to more than one element or an altogether different one from the major four. I loved watching our characters learn about their ability while learning about and from each other - as well as discovering how to truly tap into Nature itself.
Very much looking forward to further installments in this series!
Our main characters are a diverse group of kids, Vin who is Italian, Matt (I love his given name, Mateo best) who is Mexican, and finally Ambrosia, or Amber, is part Cherokee Indian. I love the rapport between these kids, I love that we get to learn a little about each of their cultures and how each feels and respects about Nature. Our youngsters are dealing with coming to the end of their high school years, learning to use the element they Attuned to AND the increasing attacks by a terrorist group of Weavers that seems to be made up of Anomalys - Weavers who Attune to more than one element or an altogether different one from the major four. I loved watching our characters learn about their ability while learning about and from each other - as well as discovering how to truly tap into Nature itself.
Very much looking forward to further installments in this series!
December 19, 2020
3.25 stars.
I didn’t mean to put off this review for so long, but here it finally is.
For full disclosure, John Walker is a friend of mine, and I am writing this review because I promised him I would. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are 100% honest.
Weavers is set in a world where the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan unlocked magical ability in some people. These people are known as weavers for their ability to control the elements by infusing them with their essence. It follows three teenagers, Vin, Matt and Amber, in their final year of high school. They have to deal with the pressure their society places on weavers, whilst also searching for Matt’s sister, who has been missing for years.
I wish I had beta read this. I was offered the opportunity, but because of a misunderstanding about when he needed it beta read, I didn’t take it. But the reason I wish I’d beta read it is because this book has quite a few grammatical errors, and some instances of tense switching. The formatting also cuts off half the right leg of any Ms at the start of chapters. If I had beta read, I think I would have caught most of these errors, but really this book needed another round of editing. These sorts of errors don’t bother me as much as they would some people, but they are a negative aspect of the book I have to mention.
Another issue I had with the writing was that I sometimes found the action scenes quite confusing.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. They were all very lovable, especially Matt, who was sweet and adorable. By far the strongest aspect of this book was how well John handled the characters’ personal problems. Without spoiling too much, Vin’s reaction to the expectations society places on weavers like him is stunningly well-realised. Amber’s struggles with her heritage and the expectations of her family are incredibly moving, and Matt’s self-esteem issues and grief over his sister’s loss are heartbreaking. I cannot speak to the accuracy of Cherokee representation in this book, but from an outsider’s perspective, it seems to be very respectful and well-done.
If there was one aspect of the characterisation I didn’t like as much, it was that I didn’t connect with the romance. While Vin and Amber had some rather sweet moments, I don’t feel that the book gave them much of a reason to be together, other than that they shared a philosophy about weaving.
Another strong aspect of this book is the worldbuilding. John takes great care with examining the effect that the existence of these powers would have on the world. He thoroughly explores the sorts of jobs that different types of weavers would be expected to take, as well as the effect weaving would have on the infrastructure of the world. My favourite aspect this book explored was weavers’ rights, and how their society exploits weavers. However, I don’t think this aspect is explored to its fullest extent. As well as this there are developments to the magic system that leave me a bit confused, as well as some statements characters make that don’t quite make sense. However, I expect these ideas will be explored in future books.
The story itself is compelling, with quite a few unpredictable twists. It is also very emotional, and has some real heart to it. However there are some aspects I had problems with. First and foremost is that the power progression for the characters feels incredibly quick. I also did not understand the motivations of the main antagonist. Their beliefs are clearly outlined, but why they believe what they do is not fully explored. As well as this, there were certain aspects of the story that were so dark that they felt out of place, and I am unsure if those topics were handled with the appropriate gravitas.
Overall, this is quite a strong debut, and I look forward to reading the sequels, and seeing the development to the magic system and worldbuilding in future.
WARNINGS: Implied/referenced paedophilia, bipolar disorder
I didn’t mean to put off this review for so long, but here it finally is.
For full disclosure, John Walker is a friend of mine, and I am writing this review because I promised him I would. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are 100% honest.
Weavers is set in a world where the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan unlocked magical ability in some people. These people are known as weavers for their ability to control the elements by infusing them with their essence. It follows three teenagers, Vin, Matt and Amber, in their final year of high school. They have to deal with the pressure their society places on weavers, whilst also searching for Matt’s sister, who has been missing for years.
I wish I had beta read this. I was offered the opportunity, but because of a misunderstanding about when he needed it beta read, I didn’t take it. But the reason I wish I’d beta read it is because this book has quite a few grammatical errors, and some instances of tense switching. The formatting also cuts off half the right leg of any Ms at the start of chapters. If I had beta read, I think I would have caught most of these errors, but really this book needed another round of editing. These sorts of errors don’t bother me as much as they would some people, but they are a negative aspect of the book I have to mention.
Another issue I had with the writing was that I sometimes found the action scenes quite confusing.
I enjoyed the characters in this book. They were all very lovable, especially Matt, who was sweet and adorable. By far the strongest aspect of this book was how well John handled the characters’ personal problems. Without spoiling too much, Vin’s reaction to the expectations society places on weavers like him is stunningly well-realised. Amber’s struggles with her heritage and the expectations of her family are incredibly moving, and Matt’s self-esteem issues and grief over his sister’s loss are heartbreaking. I cannot speak to the accuracy of Cherokee representation in this book, but from an outsider’s perspective, it seems to be very respectful and well-done.
If there was one aspect of the characterisation I didn’t like as much, it was that I didn’t connect with the romance. While Vin and Amber had some rather sweet moments, I don’t feel that the book gave them much of a reason to be together, other than that they shared a philosophy about weaving.
Another strong aspect of this book is the worldbuilding. John takes great care with examining the effect that the existence of these powers would have on the world. He thoroughly explores the sorts of jobs that different types of weavers would be expected to take, as well as the effect weaving would have on the infrastructure of the world. My favourite aspect this book explored was weavers’ rights, and how their society exploits weavers. However, I don’t think this aspect is explored to its fullest extent. As well as this there are developments to the magic system that leave me a bit confused, as well as some statements characters make that don’t quite make sense. However, I expect these ideas will be explored in future books.
The story itself is compelling, with quite a few unpredictable twists. It is also very emotional, and has some real heart to it. However there are some aspects I had problems with. First and foremost is that the power progression for the characters feels incredibly quick. I also did not understand the motivations of the main antagonist. Their beliefs are clearly outlined, but why they believe what they do is not fully explored. As well as this, there were certain aspects of the story that were so dark that they felt out of place, and I am unsure if those topics were handled with the appropriate gravitas.
Overall, this is quite a strong debut, and I look forward to reading the sequels, and seeing the development to the magic system and worldbuilding in future.
WARNINGS: Implied/referenced paedophilia, bipolar disorder
April 20, 2021
This is a 3.5 star book for me. I really enjoyed the character and overall story of this book. Small grammatical issues in the edit kept me from giving this the 4 stars that I know this book can be. I eagerly await the release of the second book!
May 2, 2021
Weavers opens into a world that changed after the dropping of the first A-bomb during WW2; people began developing the ability to Weave the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The actual story takes place in present day times, however, and tells a much more personal story about characters going through at first more basic challenges: family trouble, high school, relationships, and simply growing up.
While taking place with high school age characters, and school playing a part, Weavers avoids the tropes and scenes we've seen many times with a school setting, instead relying on the reader understanding what a high school is like and leaving it at that. We do get a few scenes that feel a little familiar, (i.e. a testing to see what element potential Weavers are attuned to) but the vast majority of the story focuses on the characters, which is where this book really shines.
Our main characters Vincent, Matt, and Amber are the highlight of the story. Walker develops very strong characters that feel incredibly organic and deeply explores the bonds of both family and friendship, including male friendship which is an area very few books tend to explore. Even the romance between characters isn't at the fore, but allowed to naturally develop out of friendship and this further adds to the real feel of the characters.
This is an incredibly character driven story that avoids the pitfalls so many YA books tend to fall into. I'm not a big YA reader (often because of the overused tropes and cliches many YA books tend to utilize) and so was very pleasantly surprised with the fact that I very much enjoyed this book. It's a first book by a self-published author, so there are some growing pains at point as he finds his voice, but once he hits his stride he tells a very compelling story. There are some other issues that an extra round of editing could help with as well, but this is still very much worth the read, and I would highly recommend it to fans of YA, especially character driven YA.
While taking place with high school age characters, and school playing a part, Weavers avoids the tropes and scenes we've seen many times with a school setting, instead relying on the reader understanding what a high school is like and leaving it at that. We do get a few scenes that feel a little familiar, (i.e. a testing to see what element potential Weavers are attuned to) but the vast majority of the story focuses on the characters, which is where this book really shines.
Our main characters Vincent, Matt, and Amber are the highlight of the story. Walker develops very strong characters that feel incredibly organic and deeply explores the bonds of both family and friendship, including male friendship which is an area very few books tend to explore. Even the romance between characters isn't at the fore, but allowed to naturally develop out of friendship and this further adds to the real feel of the characters.
This is an incredibly character driven story that avoids the pitfalls so many YA books tend to fall into. I'm not a big YA reader (often because of the overused tropes and cliches many YA books tend to utilize) and so was very pleasantly surprised with the fact that I very much enjoyed this book. It's a first book by a self-published author, so there are some growing pains at point as he finds his voice, but once he hits his stride he tells a very compelling story. There are some other issues that an extra round of editing could help with as well, but this is still very much worth the read, and I would highly recommend it to fans of YA, especially character driven YA.
July 5, 2023
3.5 Stars
Weavers at its' heart, is a story that centers around family and friendships and the story is really seen through the characters' lenses which gives it a unique feel but also leaves the reader with some unknowns. If you're less of a character reader like me and are more interested in the plot, it might not be a new favourite for you.
I really enjoyed the first half of this one more-so than the second half because exploring the friendship dynamics, getting to know the characters and their personalities (the sass though! :D) was really interesting and fun.
I struggled a bit more with the second half because the characters didn't really seem to sit with the new developments weighing on them as much and were more concerned about the same thing(s) for the majority of the book. I also really wanted the villains to be more fleshed out and to understand their motivations and why they chose the methods they did a little better.
Overall, my favourite aspect of this book was seeing all the creative ways that Walker incorporated and used elemental magic!
Weavers at its' heart, is a story that centers around family and friendships and the story is really seen through the characters' lenses which gives it a unique feel but also leaves the reader with some unknowns. If you're less of a character reader like me and are more interested in the plot, it might not be a new favourite for you.
I really enjoyed the first half of this one more-so than the second half because exploring the friendship dynamics, getting to know the characters and their personalities (the sass though! :D) was really interesting and fun.
I struggled a bit more with the second half because the characters didn't really seem to sit with the new developments weighing on them as much and were more concerned about the same thing(s) for the majority of the book. I also really wanted the villains to be more fleshed out and to understand their motivations and why they chose the methods they did a little better.
Overall, my favourite aspect of this book was seeing all the creative ways that Walker incorporated and used elemental magic!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews