I’ve been eyeing The Weaver Trilogy since pretty much the time I joined Bookstagram. I saw so many people raving about it, especially after the release of the last book, that it really got me curious. I haven’t read a lot of fantasy in the last few years, but I’ve had a resurgence in my love for it this year–I think I’ve been in need of escapism this year more than ever–and that made me want to read the series even more.
***2019 Carol Award winner, Debut***
***2019 Realm Award Book of the Year***
Selling stories is a deadly business
Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories–she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.
During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down…and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers…and they’re after her too.
The Story Peddler is a promising start to this series. I was very intrigued from the start by both the witty narrative voice of Tanwen and the complex world-building done by the author. The storytelling ability of Tanwen and the other weavers–not to mention the gifts of colormastery and songspinning–is a brilliant and fascinating concept. The way Lindsay crafted this story about storytelling shows off the beauty and power of human creativity. What an amazing gift our Creator has given us, to create things with our words that have the power to not only entertain, but impact the human heart. Lindsay explores that power of words and art here, showing how these things can be used for enormous good, but also for evil. And how surpressing the giftings God has given us can also negatively affect our lives.
After the first couple chapters, the plot felt a little slow, but once things got amped up, I was increasingly more intrigued. There were so many questions that I wanted answers to, and the resolution of the book provided just enough to satisfy me while also leaving me eager to know more. Lindsay really set up the next book to be one exciting adventure, and if I didn’t have an ARC to read next, I would probably dive into book two now.
While I didn’t get sucked as deeply into the book as I thought I would and there were times when the heavy use of incomplete sentences bothered me, I still really enjoyed this read. I’m hoping my experience with this series will be much like when I read The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse–I really enjoyed book one but didn’t LOVE it, but once I got to book two and three I was OBSESSED with the series. With how Lindsay set up the events of book two, I have a feeling this next book will be even better.
If you enjoy Christian fantasy, then definitely give this series a try! 4/5 Stars!
