“The problem with weaving stories is that you can never quite know when yours will begin.”

The main reason I requested a copy of this novel was because of its beautiful cover. It got me intrigued by all the possibilities this book could have to offer. The galaxy colour made me wonder how space could be relevant with the description of the novel, well I was wrong it as nothing to do with the galaxy.

“The Bookweaver once told me that when we die, we all leave something behind.”…”Really, it can be anything, as long as it was once warm from your touch and alight with your fire, and carries a piece of you within it forever.”

I was also very intrigued by Malavika Kannan’s writing. She is a young 18-year-old writer who won the Scholastic Awards National Medal and man I was not disappointed in her storytelling. This book sat at an easy read of 227 pages, but with more pages (around 350) the author could have created a better story development for each character.

“There’s always a way out if you’re persistent enough to find it.”

Our main character, Reya, was irrelevant* in many scenarios; she was useless in battles, only spoke out loud twice in her belief and she was always crying about how her life sucked but man how I couldn’t put this book down.

“You can divide your entire existence neatly into pre-Moment and post-Moment. Because that Moment will never really leave you.”

This book was fast-paced from the first chapter but at around 65%, the book action development was frustrating. This is the part where Reya’s character was frustrating me, girl you need to fight for what you believe in, but no she just gave up. She did exactly what she was asked, even if everyone would die for it.

“She wove lies into tapestries of secrets, but the problem with fiction is that if left unchecked, it comes true.”

I picked up this novel without knowing what I was getting myself into. Since I was personally going through grief and could 100% relate to the main character Reya, it made me connect to this book on a completely different level.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe never knowing and never hurting is better than loving and losing.” … “ Because God knows that losing him, it hurts.”

“Still, it hurt. I was terrified of a world that moved on without me. Did it make me pathetic, selfish, to wish that the world would stop when I did?”

Overall this book made me fall in love with reading all over again. I was sad when the book ended; I just wanted to keep reading. I was able to complete this novel in only two days (day 1: 55%, day 2: 45%) I would recommend this book to individuals that are looking for an easy read.

“Books are like friends,” He once told me. “They don’t backstab. They listen. They heal by whispering words that outlive even time.” He’d smiled at me. “And if the book your need doesn’t exist, write it.”

Rich and vibrant, this book works fantasy so vividly it makes for a great read. For a debut novel, this one is excellent!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a magical, own voices story that I really enjoyed. The main problem that I had with this book is the pacing. I felt that the story went way too fast for me to care about the characters and it was difficult to discern what was actually going on. I feel like there is a lot missing from this book and that it could have been a lot longer and slowed down. Way too much was happening in a short amount of time. Overall, still a great book that I would recommend if you are looking for a new, own voices YA fantasy story but it just was so fast paced, I struggled to connect with the characters

I enjoyed the book. Maybe it was just me but I felt some things were rushed and other parts were drawn out.


I was given this book to read in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely the cover art for this book! As a person who loves reading and books, I seek out books about books. So I was very excited to get an early copy of The Bookweaver's Daughter. I enjoyed this story, although some of it was predictable. I was very impressed given the author's age - I don't think I could write such an enjoyable story at that age. I enjoyed the friendship between Nina and Reya and think this will be a wonderful book for young readers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tanglewood publishing for the ARC of The Bookweaver's daughter in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so magical, I almost read it in one sitting.
I absolutely adored the originality of the characters and the friendship portrayed in the book. The writer did an amazing job with her hidden nods to Indian culture. I have always adored reading books that give me a glimpse into a different culture without taking away from the fantasy/fiction aspects. The editing for this book was beyond great, I do not think I noticed any mistakes at all which is always a pleasant surprise for a reader.
There were also many lines throughout the book that were so beautifully weaved (see what I did there?) that they stuck in my head.
However, as much as I liked the book I have to admit that there several major issues that bothered me as well. I believe most of these are due to the age of the writer.
The world building was quite shallow. We get a glimpse into things, but we don’t know the history or the “why”s of the story. The characters suffer the same fate. There is no real depth to them, no emotional resonance and the character development happens in one big leap.
The other main problem is that the book is way too fast paced. I never thought this sentence would ever be written by me. As a reader I just couldn’t get invested in scenes because everything happened so fast. Adding a little more detail would have done wonders in my opinion.
All in all I enjoyed this book. It had some amazing moments and I am just baffled that it was written at such a young age. I hope the Malavika keeps writing, cause I believe with the experience of the years to come, she will grow up to be a magnificent writer.

Cannot download this book to my kindle app, or open with other programmes, so there won't be any review.

This coming of age story set with magic was one that I will not soon forget. This book is not just a pretty cover. The story was fast paced and wonderful!! The character arc was perfect and man I need more!!

This was a quick read about a girl in Fantasy India discovering her magical destiny.

It has female friendship, vivid imagery, and way too many obviously doomed coup attempts. It does that "books about stories" thing where there are fairy tales and diary entries written in melodramatic third person embedded within the text, but it's not as overwhelming as some I've read.

There's nothing really wrong with this book. It was an enjoyable adventure, but just seemed like it had a quarter of the depth that it would have needed to really make it mind-blowing. I just wish that everything had been a little slower, with more time taken on every step of the journey.

This was an enjoyable read. I was drawn to the premise and the fact that it was an #ownvoices fantasy, and it lived up to that. It was something different, the worldbuilding was very well done although I feel that it could have been developed further in places, and the writing, particularly for the imagery was fantastic. At times the pacing felt a little off, and the plot felt a little like a series of events strung together rather flowing completely, but that said, that might be because I am older than the target audience, and I feel that this would be a wonderful book for younger readers.

This book is a wild ride through a unique setting employing one of my favorite tropes. Forbidden magic provides instant tension and stakes to the story while forcing the reader to question the validity and reasoning for the laws in this world.

The title does come off as a little rough around the edges with pacing near the end speeding up to nearly a break neck pace but this does not distract from the charm or originality of the story for me.

I will be purchasing a physical copy when the book goes live and recommend those who enjoyed show’s such as BBC’s Merlin do the same.

The Bookweaver's Daughter
by Malavika Kannan

@tanglewoodbooks
@malavika.kannan
#TheBookweaversDaughter

Set in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kashmira, we meet Reya, the Bookweaver's daughter, forced to keep her true identity a secret from everyone in her life.

A gorgeous #ownvoices novel featuring Indian characters and traditions,
The story was captivating and beautiful one I was able to fully immerse myself in it.
Kannan's writing is a powerhouse that you can be completely immersed in
You will be immediately transported to the lush world of Kashmira, cheering on the main protagonist, Reya and follow along side her every step of the way.
A wonderful book of Indian folk lore and captivating friendship that I loved from start to finish. This book that is chuck full of magic and creative twists, making for enjoyable read.

I can't think of much wrong with The Bookweaver's Daughter, it just wasn't the book for me. The story progresses quickly, with the MC being moved around by the plot and has all the hallmarks of a great adventure story with the added bonus of being deeply entrenched in Indian culture and mythos. I want to describe it as 'campy' but that feels off somehow. The Bookweaver's Daughter is clearly meant to be more than just a fun adventure and I think for another reader it could be. I'm very character-oriented story wise and the Bookweaver's Daughter definitely has interesting characters and ARCs but ultimately, whether due to the book's short length or the amount of plot Malavika Kannan had to fit into it, I had a lot of trouble getting interested and invested. If you're a more plot based reader this is a great book to read though (especially if you're into shorter stories because generally plot based stories struggle to stay both concise and strong and this book does both!)

One nitpicky thing that's not this book's fault as much as just something I want to mention because I've been reading it happening a lot this week. That thing where we humanize an MC by having them tell someone stationed below them "call me my [insert first name here]" and treat it like a big deal? Not a fan. In real life power situations that makes most people uncomfortable and unless a character has a significant reason for desperately wanting to be called their first name instead of their title, save it for once that relationship's a tad more developed. That's not really this book's fault at all but I've read it happen 6ish times this week alone and it's really been getting on my nerves.

Anyways, I wouldn't reread the book myself but I'd definitely recommend it if you're into plot-driven, shorter novels! Also, Malavika was 17 when she wrote this and teenagers writing teenagers? Literally a dream come true. Incredible.

*2.5
I went into this book intrigued by the synopsis which sounded magical and exciting. I think the idea itself was so interesting because it weaves Indian folklore with magic. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the same excitement while reading the book. There were times that I wished the story was longer and more intricately written. There were other times I felt that certain parts of the book were dragged out too long. I found the characters fairly flat which made them difficult to relate to and empathize with. The main character Reya actually got on my nerves quite a bit because I really wanted to understand the reasoning behind her actions and thoughts, but they didn't feel authentic. As someone who struggles from self doubt, I could see where the author was trying to come from. Reya was adjusting to a new normal and also trying to create her own path to follow. What I did enjoy about the book was the representation of South Asian characters. I enjoyed the little hints of Hindi and culture that were hidden in the words. Speaking of the writing style, I really loved it! The writing was full of imagery and really beautiful. I really wished I could have enjoyed this book more. 

https://lostinabookstore.wordpress.com/2020/05/09/the-bookweavers-daughter-book-review/

I'll start this review by commending Kannan, as she wrote this story in high school, not many people manage that! I hope Kannan continues writing. But, at the same time, that is the most noticeable flaw with the book.

This book follows a young female Mage, Reya Kandhari, on her journey of self-discovery. Ruled by a tyrannical king, he's banned the practice of magic in their kingdom of Kasmira.

It's rushed, not very fleshed out and I found it hard to connect with the characters as things and conversations happen in a blur. First, our main character Reya is picking mangoes; next, she and a friend are on the run from the crown prince, next they are brought to the palace... It's just an endless chain of: "first this happened, and then this, and also this...!", which does not make for an interesting story or strong character building. I also feel like the world-building is lacking, in the sense there not being much to it. I don't care why there was a rebellion as nothing previously in the story or the character arcs have told me why this is relevant to the story. Why are book weavers important? I don't know. It's not very clearly laid out - maybe the story could have been better had this been established early on in a prologue or something to make the readers care more?

Not a book for me.

Also, I struggled a lot to download this book as it was not available for kindle.

18-year-old Malavika Kannan’s debut is a fantasy adventure good for fans of RED QUEEN and other stories of revolution. The protagonist’s central relationships are with her family and a close female friend, and the focus of the plot is on her discovering her magic and her independence.

This book follows a young female Mage, Reya Kandhari, on her journey of self-discovery. Ruled by a tyrannical king, he's banned the practise of magic in their kingdom of Kasmira. This book was a pleasant read, and I enjoyed all the bits with Indian mythology. I identified with Reya, especially in regard to her relationship with her father.

Though I do think that the story is a little rushed, but since this a standalone, I understand that maybe the author wanted to make sure she managed to say everything that she wanted to say. I do wish it was at least a duology, because a story like this, with its interesting worldbuilding, definitely deserves to be more fleshed out. I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Reading this book came so easy. The words seem to flow :)
It was a bit confusing in some parts but a nice story in the end, considering this was written by Kannan at 17. Keep the good work and maybe we will see a second book as some things might need a bit more explaining.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of the book weavers daughter. I didn’t really care for the story or the characters much I mostly just liked the setting. I would definitely read more from this author.

I was hesitant about this book at first because the first ten pages or so had me confused and unsure of what was going on. I am not sure if this is because it is the first book I read on my laptop, and I wasn't comprehending the information as well as I normally would while getting used to a new set up. I don't want to discredit the book however, because it was amazing. After the first ten pages the story clicked for me and picked up rapidly. I read this book in one sitting which is no easy feat considering I have two little girls running around.

This book was really special because it gave us a story infused with Indian culture and influence. I love reading about other countries and cultures, so getting to do that in a fantasy based novel was really unique for me. I love the food, and scenery the author described. Kannan also did an amazing job tackling the dark theme of oppression in a vibrant and hopeful way.

Nina and Reya are two amazing female leads. If not for anything else getting to see their friendship and sacrifice is reason alone to read this book. The girls are together when Reya thinks this quote, "I could teach a thousand girls like Nina to read- a magic more potent than anything a Mage could summon." This quote stuck with me the entire novel, and will stick with for awhile.

One last thing that really stuck out to me is that THERE WERE NO EDITING ERRORS. I have read a lot of books where I find grammar issues, or problems that make me think the book wasn't edited that well. This may not bother everybody, but these mistakes usually jump out of the page at me. So, it was really nice reading a book and not seeing any errors. So bravo to the author, and the team of editors for this book. Great Job! I will be recommending this book!