Woven in Moonlight was my first five-star read of the year. I enjoyed Ximena and Rumi, the story and the atmosphere. When I found the eARC of its sequel available on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist. I hit request faster than you can say sabotage, and the publisher graciously accepted.

Isabel Ibañez had a challenge for Written in Starlight: make me like Catalina. I wasn’t entirely impressed with her in the first book, and I was greatly annoyed with her at the beginning of this one because of it. The author, however, was incredible at showing Catalina’s vulnerability, her anger, her fears and also her very witty, fun character. It was impossible not to grow fond of her.

It took me a while for me to warm up to Manuel as well, especially since he spends a lot of the first 50% of the book trying to keep himself emotionally distanced from Catalina for the sake of propriety. Still, theirs was a friend-to-lovers romance I really enjoyed, and once the two were honest with their feelings, their relationship gained so much.

While the pacing of the book was good, I enjoyed the first half less than I did the second, because I had to warm up to the characters and because there’s not much happening besides Catalina and Manuel surviving the jungle. There’s a lot of action, but personal preferences led me to enjoy the second half of the book more. We get to see other characters, a new society, and new royals. There’s more drama, and the mystery surrounding the plague that befell the jungle thickens. I was intrigued.

Wow! This book is just as good as the first! Although technically a #2, this book is a companion to Woven in Moonlight, not a true sequel, and can be read as a stand-alone novel. Written in Starlight follows Catalina, the Illustrian condesa, in her exile into the jungle, where she finds Manuel, one of her old guards and old friends, and together they search for the lost city of Paititi. When they find the city, Catalina and Manuel have to decide whether they want to follow their hearts or their roles in society. It’s an amazing book, and I can’t wait to buy a copy.

A spoiled princess’s journey for revenge becomes her road to redemption.

Catalina was born to be the condesa, but she was betrayed by her best friend and exiled. She travels through the Bolivian jungle looking for the golden city and an army to take back the throne that is rightfully hers. The jungle is full of dangerous plants, vicious animals, and dark magic. Her guard, Manuel, helps her on her quest. But is war really what Luna the moon goddess wants? Is being queen worth sacrificing the man that Catalina loves? Even for a seer like Catalina, the future is hard to see.

Isabel Ibanez is a master weaver of words! Her tapestry is an unforgettable jungle setting with plenty of adventure, mythology, and forbidden romance. The book challenges Catalina to examine her prejudices and everything that she has been taught. Only then, can she see the truth about herself, her goddess, her people, and the world around her.

You don’t have to read Woven in Moonlight first to enjoy this story, but there are spoilers for it in this book.

Isabel Ibanez has officially become my go-to when I need a fantasy fix.
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I adored WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT. The world-building is amazing. The magic is fun (I still want my own wooly animals!). Ximena and the others characters are endearing. And I like how Inkasisa is inspired by Bolivian history and events. It was a treat to read.
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And the treat continued when I got my hands on an early digital copy of WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT through NetGalley. WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT is a spinoff from WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT, where the protagonists switches from Ximena's point of view to Catalina's, who is a Condesa without a country to rule. I really enjoyed Catalina's evolution throughout the novel. And, I REALLY enjoyed the setting in this novel: A jungle, and how it was inspired by Isabel's own father's experiences. That's just such a cool detail.
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You don't *need* to read WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT to read WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT, but I'd highly recommend reading Ximena's story in the coming months to prepare for Catalina's, which is releasing in January. Ximena makes a cameo in Catalina's adventures and it was fun knowing her full story.

***ARC Review***

Written in Starlight is a true work of art. Honestly, I could go on and on about how beautiful Isabel Ibañez’s writing is. The writing style is incredible and the world that has been created in this book is so vivid and beautiful, I could get lost in it forever. Not to mention the descriptions of food are absolutely drool-worthy. The world building is gorgeously lush and the magic system is unique and interesting. Plus, the aesthetics are on point. I love that the author infuses her culture into the story through the occasional Spanish phrase and descriptions of the characters’ lifestyles, it’s wonderful. The characters themselves show amazing growth over the course of the book and are interesting and relatable, exactly what I always look for in book characters. And the plot? Just wow. The mystery, the intrigue, the unexpected twists, this book is just so incredible, I’m obsessed. It’s also one of those books that gets better and better as you read on. The romance is also very sweet and really complex and well done. Another thing I love about this book is the cameos of characters from Woven in Moonlight, an equally incredible book, and it’s amazing that Ibañez managed to take small seeds from that story and spin yet another stunning tale.
So magical in so many ways, Written in Starlight is an absolute must read.

Written in Starlight
368 pages
Genre: fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
** Thank you to @pagestreetpublishing & @netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

SYNOPSIS: This companion novel to Woven in Moonlight follows the outcast Condesa, as she braces the jungle to forge an alliance with the lost city of gold. Catalina is a Condesa without a country. She’s lost her throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu jungle, she knows her chances of survival are slim but that won’t stop her from trying to escape. It’s her duty to reclaim the throne. When Manuel, the son of her former general, rescues Catalina from a jaguar, a plan forms. While searching for the Illari, she must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which could be key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely.

REVIEW: I was thrilled when I heard this book would be about a side character from Woven in Moonlight! I wasn’t a huge fan of her in the last book, but I was looking forward to reading her banishment. This book has a gorgeous cover just like the first one, but what’s even more beautiful is the incredible language the author uses, from the first page to the very last sentence. The writing is so descriptive and poetic, and I felt like I was in the jungle right along with Catalina. Catalina goes through so much growth and development as a character, and I’m so glad we got to see her on this journey and I’ve come to appreciate her more and where she comes from. This book was filled with adventure and a hint of romance, which was perfectly laid out and didn’t seem forced. I also loved how many conflicts were going on and that they were all tied together in some way. The battle the Illari face on their own is interesting, and adding in Catalina’s internal conflicts, and struggle to survive in the jungle, made for a really good story that I devoured. I highly recommend Woven in Moonlight, and this sequel, Written in Starlight!

I can’t wait to see where this story goes next. Written in Starlight comes out January 26, 2021!

This was not what I was expecting at all. I thought we were getting more of Ximena’s story, but since I didn’t read the summary, I learned that’s not the case. But I still loved it. The magic, politics, adventure and romance.

Catalina is exiled and has to survive the jungle. The next Condesa, she has been hidden away and only taught how to rule not survive. Her goal is to rule her people again and survive the dangers of the jungle. She did annoy me for most of the story. I felt she was immature and entitled. But you grow to love her sense of humor.

Manuel, oh swoon. Catalina’s old guard who left for a mission and never came back. If I was him, I’d probably strangle Catalina but he continued his duties of her protector. Both has a past romance but Manuel’s only goal now is to continue his duties and keep her alive.

The story is woven with Spanish, gods and so much adventure. They are constantly trying to survive one thing after another. Keeps you on your toes.

Written in Starlight by Isabel Ibañez is the second novel following the story of Catalina, who is a condesa and believes she is the rightful ruler of Inkasisa. Banished to the jungle, she must learn to survive and with the help of an old friend, Manuel, they search for the lost city of Paititi in the hope for a chance to reclaim the throne.

Written in Starlight makes for an enjoyable read set in a rich, vibrant jungle in a world of stolen thrones and moon goddesses. The main character, Catalina is a strong female hero. She might not be physically strong or good at survival, but she is bold and courageous. She develops substantially throughout the novel as she processes her responsibility as a condesa and potential to take the throne. Her story is one of finding your true calling and I think that this has created a really wonderful underlying moral. It’s not YA unless there is a love story and although I’m glad it happened, I feel like Manuel and Catalina’s relationship could have been a little less predictable. In all honesty, I read this novel on NetGalley without having read the first one (oops) but I enjoyed it so much now I want to go back and read Woven in Moonlight!

Beautiful, mystical and lyrically written take on a quest type narrative. It’s changed povs since book one to Catalina which really works for this story. And it’s such a convincing portrayal of change for the MC through the book. An exquisite gem with a core of storytelling steel.

Written In Starlight was such a wonderful read. This story is not about Ximena, Catalina's decoy, but Catalina herself, and is different from the first book. The story keeps this lyrical and mystical feel that I love with an ever present Bolivian-inspired culture. Truly beautiful!

From the very first pages, the story grabbed my attention. The world building is well crafted and very inspired. This fast-paced story kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Between the turns and twists, how dangerous Catalina's environment is, and her mission, I couldn't put this book down.

Catalina embarks on a journey that will challenge her physically, mentally, and spiritually. Her character grows and her path towards finding herself and healing is both beautiful and brutal. As for Manuel, he is a wonderful character with a strong sense of loyalty and duty. I loved this romance, which is somehow a slow burn but not quite. I don't want to say too much, but it is beautiful.

The ending is simply spectacular and I hope there will be another book. I highly recommend this book.

I absolutely loved the first book of this series so I was very excited to read this one! It did not disappoint and I loved the main characters. The plot development was very easy to read but also exciting. I will be purchasing this book for my library's YA collection.