4.5 Stars!
Synopsis: The bells have rung, a war is coming. This time Weavers are fighting for more than just to be.
CW/TW: Violence/Drugging/Assault/Kidnapping/Homophobia/Sexism/Death/Others May Be Present.
Rep: Sapphic MC/Queer Side Characters/Egyptian Inspired Setting and Cast.
My Review of Book 1: Book Review: The Daughters of Izdihar (The Alamaxa Duology #1), by Hadeer Elsbai
We are back in the world of Weaving and it is glorious! This book picks up straight up from where book 1 left off and we are thrown straight into a conflict larger than before. This will be a short review to avoid spoilers for either book in the duology – but I highly recommend this is you love fantasy set against a political and feminist backdrop.
Elsbai‘s writing is, again, both gorgeous and engaging, she builds a rich and intricate world of politics and weaving with complex characters at the core of it all. The prose flows beautifully and is incredibly easy to read and fall in to – the continued multiple pov works wonderfully to balance the pace and plot while letting you gain insight into the characters, their perspectives and the war around them.
The plot of course is continued from book 1, but this time we are thrown into a much larger fight. The battle for Weavers and women alike has become much more crucial and deadly than before. With the danger of Zirani and multiple rebel groups fighting for freedom, we get to to see the true importance behind the fight the Daughters of Izdihar begun, and the consequences of oppression. What most intrigued me about the story was the theme of rebellion. Particularly the complexity of the need for violence balanced with the need of political sensitivity. Against the context of the war, the need for violence to ultimately find peace grows – and the characters all have particular views about this that creates an intriguing and complex picture of rebellion and how far you need to go to be free.
Again, of course, the characters are another wonderful spotlight throughout the book! I love love love our three main weavers, the dynamics between them and other characters, their motivations, thoughts and desires – I loved watching the characters grow and finding out more about Weaving.
Overall, this was a stunning conclusion to a wonderful duology that I highly recommend!
*Thank you to #Netgalley and Orbir Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!!*
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