In this captivating fantasy romance, the author weaves a beautifully intricate world filled with magic, adventure, and an undeniable chemistry between the protagonists. From the very first page, readers are drawn into a richly imagined landscape where the stakes are high, and love transcends boundaries.

The characters are delightfully complex, each facing their own trials and transformations. Their journey is not just about romance; it’s about self-discovery and the courage to embrace one’s true self. The chemistry between them crackles with tension, making every shared moment feel electric and deeply meaningful.

The plot is expertly crafted, balancing moments of heart-pounding action with tender, intimate scenes that linger long after the book is closed. The author’s lyrical prose brings the settings to life, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the beauty and danger of this enchanting world.

Overall, this book is a delightful escape that deftly combines elements of fantasy and romance. It’s a testament to the power of love and the strength found in vulnerability. Perfect for fans of the genre, it’s a story that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a magical journey of the heart!

I've tried to get into this book multiple times, but I can't. I keep getting lost. Right now, I'm even in one of my loving fantasy moods and still not meshing with it. I'm a big fantasy/romantasy reader, but there is just something about this book that I never seem to get past 25-30%, and it's been almost a year. I'm intrigued by the premise, but I can't do it anymore. And my library hasn't received the audiobook for me to try a different way, so I give up.

I enjoyed this book. There was a lot of world building and I liked the magical system. There were a lot of characters, though sometimes I forgot who was who. Overall I would recommend this book.

There is so much I wanted to like about this story, but I felt like a significant portion of Zaria’s story was left out, and that we would have benefited from more world-building. The pacing was fast, which made it a quick read, but I felt like some really high-stakes or high-tension scenes were cut too short.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc,

This book was an interesting read, with its premise exciting.

The chemistry between Zaria and Harken was intriguing and as their bond grew deeper so did their personalities.

I would recommend this book for fans of Sarah J Mass and fantasy readers.

I was hooked from page one, and found this hard to set down, even though I had things to do. Holden did extensive world-building, and I was impressed by the complex magic system. All the characters have quite a bit of depth to them, and Zaria is an amazing FMC. She's smart, strong, and determined, even though her circumstances are rough, and her family is split up. Harken is a swoon-worthy morally gray MMC, and you might not like him much at first, but by the end, you'll like him just as much as Zaria. The slow-burn between them will drive you absolutely crazy! That cliffhanger is the only thing I really hate... I can't wait for the next installment!

This book is a fantasy about a girl named Zaria who wants her brothers and herself to be free. By competing in the hair Race, she hopes to be able to free her slave hair. When she meets Harken, though, things don't go as planned.

Harken is a figure with mixed morals who could be called a savage. Because he wants to protect the innocent, he does bad things. He really is an anti-hero, in my opinion. I liked the way he talked and avoided talking to me. He has always looked out for Zaria. He sends her "who did this to you" thoughts when she's upset.

Zaria is the major character, and she always shows that she is strong and determined. Not only does she get through hard times for herself, but also for her brothers. She doesn't whine about her problems, which I like; instead, she tries to fix them.

Aside from that, we meet some interesting people. Zaria was younger when Garrick and Feivel found her for them. Garrick has been training her for the race ever since. She wouldn't have learned anything else as a slave without Feivel's lessons. He also fed her and other people many times. I love how important found family is in this book.

A big part of the game is building the world. Lots of new characters are presented, which I found sometimes hard to follow. Without a doubt, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has everything you could want: dragons, training for competitions, slow burn, banter, forced closeness, magic, and more magic!!

I enjoyed this book. The world was crafted beautifully and left me wanting to immerse myself in more of the authors creations.

In "Woven in Darkness" by Lucy Holden, Zaria, a slave, yearns for freedom not only for herself but also for her siblings. Her journey centers around winning the Arkady and the Maverick's race, a pivotal event that could secure her future and ultimately rescue her beloved family members from their dire fates.In this slow-burn fantasy romance, Lucy Holden weaves a rich tapestry of a world brimming with dragons, magic, social hierarchies, and hidden riches.

Thank you Netgally for this eARC!

"I'm not little, and I'm certainly not yours"

Woven in Darkness is a fantasy about Zaria, who strives for freedom for herself and her siblings. She's been training for the Braid Race in hopes of getting her slave braid unwoven. However, things don't go exactly as planned when she meets Harken.

Harken is a morally gray character who can be described as a savage. He does bad things in the name of good, protecting the innocents. I'd definitely say he's an anti-hero. I enjoyed his banter and closed off attitude. From the beginning, he protects Zaria. When she is hurt, he gives off "who did this to you" vibes.

Zaria is a strong-willed main character who constantly shows determination and strength. She pushes through every hardship for not only herself but also her siblings. I appreciate that she doesn't whine about her situation she instead strives to do something about it.

We also meet some interesting side characters. Garrick and Feivel found Zaria when she was younger. Since then, Garrick has trained her for the race. Feivel taught her everything that she wouldn't have known otherwise being a slave. He also fed her and others more times than not. Found family is huge in this book, and I love it.

The world building is a main focus. There are a lot of characters introduced, which in my opinion, was confusing at times. Overall, I found myself throughly enjoying this book. It has everything you could possibly want, training for competitions, slow burn, banter, forced proximity, magic, and did I mention dragons!!

The premise of this book was really promising, but overall it fell short for me in pacing and perspective. I definitely wanted more backstory on the main love interest, and we're just left wondering what happened to him to make him the way that he is. If this book had been faster paced in some sections, it would've been a 4-star. But generally, this was a decent high fantasy, slow-burn romance that kept me entertained for a few hours.

I DNF'd around 30%.
I was honestly just sort of bashed over the head with info-dumping and names, and the plot was super slow, while the romance was sort of sped run.

Great bones, needs a bit more polishing. Less mass info dumping. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Excited to see how your writing grows in the future.

This book was so phenomenally written that I didn't even care that it was a whopping 71 chapters!

I really enjoyed the strength and determination of Zaria as she tackles all the obstacles in her way to improve not just her life, but her siblings' lives as well. Even as a slave in a not so great place to live, she still held hope, even in the face of death-- especially in the Braid Race.

Harken is a morally gray anti-hero known as the Savage King and there's a lot of "who did this to you" and "don't touch my girl" involved-- and he calls Zaria "little criminal" and just ahhhhhh, I love it.

Also, the world building is just *chef's kiss* perfection, so intricately woven and well thought out that it was like I was there. The history and the magic system and the characters were amazing and I really enjoyed all the details. It did take me a few chapters to full immerse myself since it is so info heavy.

I would definitely suggest this to anyone searching for a new high fantasy read with magic, high-stakes, romance, forced proximity. Thank you sincerely to NetGalley and Lucy Holden for sending me a eARC copy of this wonderful book. It was great!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I absolutely loved how this book began. From the first lines I knew this was going to be an excellently written book, and I was not disappointed.

I fancy myself a big reader, but even I was stumbling across words I'd never heard before. I had to google the meaning of words about half a dozen times, which I truly haven't had to do in at least 10 years. Even the words used to describe colours were so well chosen. Instead of 'brown skin', the author used phrases like "skin the colour of burnt Sienna", and "his skin is raw umber to my dark ocher". The joy I found reading this book was mostly because of its rich language and clever writing.

The storyline was well formulated, and the world building exquisite. The main characters showed a real amount of emotional intelligence while still having room to grow. I was struck very early on in the book by the following line, "Even the thought of saying something so blatantly coercive turns my stomach. I've never imposed my fears on my siblings, and today is not the time to alter that". My respect for the main character Zaria was immediately cemented with that line, and I was drawn into the story so quickly. Though she didn't always make the best decisions, that balance of trying to do the right thing and being a young girl who is still learning made her such a believable and well rounded character.

This book was truly a treasure to read, even in the slower moving parts. I cannot wait to read more from Lucy Holden.

Thank you to @netgalley and Fehu Press for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for an honest review

The characters within the book have depth and authenticity, skillfully crafted by the author. The author excels in constructing a multi-faceted setting, complete with intricate world-building that immerses the reader. The editing and writing flow seamlessly, enhancing the overall experience. The plot intricately unfolds, featuring a gradual and enchanting romance. While the book is well written, the extensive world-building may feel a little overwhelming at times. Nonetheless, I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel.

The storyline was a powerful one. It made me tune out the characters I did not like (demons and vampires). It had a sad line, but hope shining bright was never too far away. Zaria’s dream was freedom for herself and her siblings, but she had no idea the cost she would have to pay. Her journey was fraught with hatred and riddled with duplicity. Through all the mishaps and dismays, Zaria refused to give up on her friends and the unexpected love relationship forged with savage. I didn’t think I would like this so much. It was an exciting and delicious read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Fehu Press, & Lucy Holden for providing a copy of Woven in Darkness.

Woven in Darkness focuses on a young slave named Zaria, who was found with a slave braid and a bag of coin that replenishes itself. Zaria hopes to compete for freedom for not only herself, but her four other siblings.

The first ~20% of this was very tedious to me. It's very typical YA fantasy, and the worldbuilding is a bit of a mess. It's got similar vibes to SJM books, but the world is not thought out enough to back it up.

I genuinely could not tell you what an Indigo is... Are they shifters? Witches???? No clue. Also, it just felt weird that Zaria had no idea about the war, even though it only happened 20 years prior? You would think it would be way more widely understood what happened.

There is too much telling instead of showing, with certain characters' sole purpose being to just talk at Zaria about what she conveniently has been wondering about with no prompting on the subject at all.

I did eventually get sucked in, and the eventual reveal of who was behind the plotting was well done.

With a bit better understanding of the magic at work and exploration of the world, I think this series could go in a really cool direction.

Please please PLEASE just do not pull an FBAA and give her a level up each book.

It was ok???? But definitely it wasn’t the right story for me. The MMC gave me nothing of what I’ve been promised it would give and don’t even get me started on the fmc I could not connect with her for the life of me