Book: Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity
Reviewed by Books and Bad Ideas (Jamie)
Rating: 5/5
No one prayed to any of the Saints anymore. People wanted bread, not sacraments.
Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity is truly, without a doubt, a work of art. I can barely figure out where to start. Between the lush, beautiful language, the heartfelt struggles of the main character Lena, and the unending yearning throughout the novel... What isn't to love? A gothic fantasy that takes on the qualities of the Middle East, this novel takes you to a world that should, by all rights, be too foreign for the reader to feel at home in, but the author manages to overcome that sense of alienation and make the reader a cozy nest from which to experience all of the trials and tribulations of the narrative.
The relationship between Lena and St. Silas feels not only genuine, but it feels intense. It feels like the relationship that other morally grey MMCs could look up to for inspiration. Because while St. Silas will do terrible things-- kill people, maim them, leave them bloodied and broken-- he never lays a finger on Lena. His sense of honor is as strong as his sense of justice. And you hurt for him by the end of the novel.
My only "complaint" after reading this book is that the CLIFFHANGER just about ENDED ME! I'm kidding, but it's such a painful point to leave the narrative and I was so heartbroken to see there was no more book to read. And the book hasn't been published yet... so I have to wait at least another year or more for the second addition to the trilogy? Heba Al-Wasity, you are a cruel mistress! Seriously, though, this book is worth every minute spent reading it.