Woven

By: Bree Moore

Narrated by: Rebecca McKernan

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

For 30 years, Elaina has sat in her tower, fingers caught in an eternal dance, cursed to weave the tapestry of life on her loom. Bound by an enchanted mirror whose magic shows her the distant lives of the people of Camelot, she must forever watch a land which remains ever beyond her reach. Elaina despairs that she will ever experience more than just the shadows of life, until one day, a face appears in the mirror that will change her life, and possibly her fate, forever.

Guinevere is losing her mind. When a severe injury to her head nearly kills her and awakens alternate personalities suppressed from her past, Guinevere learns that one of them is plotting with a knight of the round table to murder King Arthur and take control of Camelot. In the midst of war, Guinevere fights to save both her own life and the man she loves, each day coming closer to succumbing to the violent personalities within her.

Inspired by Arthurian legend and Lord Alfred Tennyson’s ballad, "The Lady of Shalott", Woven spins a tale of two women who must risk everything to save those they love most into an epic of enchantment, love, and madness.

©2017 BreeAnn Moore (P)2018 BreeAnn Moore

Woven

Elaina is stuck in a tower, forever weaving the tapestry of life on a loom. She has been enchanted, she doesn’t know why or who holds her there. She wants to escape, but can’t figure out how to.
Guinevere is plagued with these awful headaches and doesn’t seem to know what she wants. She hears voices from past lives and doesn’t know what to do about them.
It took me a long time to figure out what was going on. There were some really good parts to the story and I did enjoy the descriptions of the landscapes. A few of the characters were really great too, King Arthur and Sir Gareth were my favorites. I wish Elaina and Guinevere would’ve been stronger and more decisive. They both did come around near the end, but I would’ve loved to see them have the same spirit throughout.
The narrator had a great voice and distinct character voices, my only complaint is, I noticed a lot of repeating of sentences throughout the book.

I really enjoyed this story

This was a story of despair, sorrow, love , magic & triumph. Poor Elaina was stuck in that tower. Bound by an innocent bargain that turned evil. But only one of the pair knew it was evil Poor Guinevere having to such issues & not understanding why. Then there was King Arthur & Sir Lancelot's turmoil. Lancelot was no friend. His behavior to Garrick was unbelievable. There was also the Emerald Knight. He was interesting. A well written story that draws you into the characters. I can't wait for book 2 to be available on audible.

An unlikely telling of an over-told genre

Bree Moore's Woven is unlike anything else in the genre. This story is real(not just sunshine and rainbows) and easily could have been the true telling of this fable. It's hard to think that happily ever afters didn't really exist in this time period and that women's rights hadn't been invented yet, but you can still see the stirring thought that they are there and coming to fruition. The author brings such depth to the characters that you are enthralled in the multiple aspects and facets of the story. This is a story for a woman who wants both fantasy and reality in one solid book. It was a good listen, the narrator was good, and the story is one I am sure I will come back to again. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

fascinating retelling of the all-too-familiar tale

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was a fascinating retelling of the all-too-familiar Aurthurian Legend. The author does a masterful job of telling the story from different perspectives and interesting twists. The narration is well done, too. This is definitely worth a listen!

A Different Perspective on an Old Classic

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

This intriguing telling of a story that has fascinated many readers throughout the ages, is full of surprises and twists. The author was able to let you truly feel the loneliness of the protagonist and her heart wrenching despair on the realization of what fate and sorcery had in store for her. One minute she was the happiest creature on an enchanted earth and the next she was prisoner of dark forces and events. Today, when magic is not credible, we would probably call her a split personality and just as tormented. Lancelot came out as being a very disreputable character and not at all likable, Guinevere misunderstood and unhappy...
The narration was great and the only criticism I have is that it took quite a while for the narration to make sense and for the characters to connect in a plausible story. King Arthur's fans will want to listen to it just the same and will surely enjoy this variation.

Surprising!

I love retellings in general: they’re the perfect blend of something familiar and something unique. I know how the story should go (at least for the most part), but I’m constantly guessing what new twists this particular author is going to add. Woven was definitely full of twists, in many ways turning the tales upside down. No spoilers, but let’s just say that certain characters aren’t (only) who you think they are, nor are relationships between characters exactly what you’ve always heard them to be… and because we’re already in a world of magic, nearly anything is possible.

The story is told in third person limited, jumping around to different points of view—but primarily it bounces between Elaina (the Lady of Shalott), Sir Gareth, and Guinevere. Elaina and Mordred are lovers, well before Camelot’s time, and she becomes pregnant before her sister Morgan has her confined to her tower for her own protection. The Lady of Shalott pines away for unrequited love of Lancelot, or so we’ve been told… and this is both true, and not true in this story. Guinevere is unfaithful to King Arthur with Lancelot… which is also both true, and not true. Mordred and Arthur are said to be mortal enemies, and also father and son… which is true, but not in the same way you’ve always heard. The Lady of the Lake, the Sorceress Nimue, does imprison Merlin… but not for the reason you think. Moore even works in the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (only in this case it’s Sir Gareth). The way she weaves these familiar tales together (no pun intended) was delightful.

The story still ends the way the stories all end—it is a tragedy, after all, and generally I don’t like sad stories. But it’s kind of like going to see the film “Titanic”: you kind of know what you’re in for by the title, and to me, it’s somehow easier to take when I know it’s coming. The fun was figuring out how we’re going to get there this time around.

(One caution though: this story contains quite a few fairly descriptive rape scenes toward the end. I didn’t care for this part, but it didn’t bother me as much as it otherwise might, because it was really the only possible way I can think of to explain the story’s main twist. If this isn’t for you, though, I’d steer clear.)

retelling of arthur legend from different viewpoin

The story is a retelling of the Arthur legends but from the lady of Shalot's viewpoint. The writing is good but the story drug for me. I started to lose interest and it seemed to go on without anything happening at times.

If you like the Arthus legends this is not a bad story, just wasn't my cup of tea..

I requested this copy of the audiobook and have voluntarily left this review

An interesting twist on the legend of King Arthur.

Although the legend of King Arthur has been retold many times, Bree Moore has created a new a unique version of the story. Rebecca McKernan did a wonderful job with narration. My only complaint with the audio version is with the editing. Some lines were repeated.

Magical Weaving of Two Tales

When you weave a mashup of Camelot and the Lady of Shallot into a twisted tale you get Woven. This retelling of two classic stories is neither derivative nor imitative. It’s an excellent original tale.

I have read at least one Arthurian/Guinevere series a year for over 30 years (that tells you how many there are and how deeply embedded these stories are in our collective psyche)

The magic of this book is the fascinating way the stories are woven together.

The Narration is excellent. The characters voices are distinct and add to the experience.
This book is definitely on my “re-read” list. I highly recommend this book.

I asked for an advance copy and I am writing an honest review.

Very Captivating

I love retellings and this one immediately captivated me by the worldbuilding and the beautifully done narration which immediately transports the listener into days of old steeped in myths and folklore. The characters are intriguing and the scenes feel so real. I am so happy I took a chance on this audioboook and recommend it to lovers of medieval fantasy.