The Weaver Bride
Book 1
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.
Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.
But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.
The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.
After all . . . what is love without betrayal?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gregovic (The Monstrous Kind) smartly braids gothic mystery and romantic suspense in this twisty fantasy anchored by intriguing worldbuilding and a brave, resourceful protagonist. In a patriarchal society that politicizes gender and class, 18-year-old silkwitch Lovett Tamerlane has three years to wed a rich, rare male Weaver, who enchants objects with silkwitch hair—or be banished from Balmoore to the fortress-like Cloisters. Because Lovett lacks the resources to enter Balmoore's classist social circles, the self-proclaimed "liar and thief" instead uses her unique, magical ability to open any locked door to steal evidence of affairs and embezzlement for profit—until bachelor Weaver Eliot Lear offers her an irresistible deal. In exchange for investigating his sister Ophelia's probable murder, Eliot nominates Lovett to replace Ophelia in this year's Vainglory, an ominous competition designed to marry one silkwitch contestant to Noé Alaire, son of Balmoore's powerful Weaver King. But unravelling Ophelia's murder soon entangles Lovett in the same web of dark secrets that ensnared Ophelia. The conclusion of Lovett's perilous journey—rife with burgeoning conspiracy and an unresolved romantic triangle—sets the stage for a sequel. Characters are described with varied skin tones. Ages 12–up.
