A review of Lucy Holden's "Woven in Darkness" (audiobook)

Lucy Holden’s “Woven in Darkness” is an epic fantasy with some really interesting world-building. Zaria is a slave with no memory of her childhood. One day, she and some other children simply appear mysteriously along with bags of gold that fill annually to pay for their care. Her childhood is rough, working in a brothel, but she does have caring adults and she gets to attend school to learn to read and write. When the bags of gold fail to magically fill one year, Zaria must try to keep her family together while gaining her freedom before she can be sold. Harken, the Savage King, comes to her aid but not without strings attached. As they work together to achieve both their goals, their relationship grows. 

This book had a lot going for it. Some of the world-building elements were hard to get a handle on at first, but they became clearer as the narrative progressed. Because the story was told in first-person perspective, it would feel unnatural to give too much exposition as a third-person narrator could do. The challenges Zaria faces and her discoveries are intriguing and kept me reading. I was a bit put off by the age difference between her and Harken (same reason I never liked the Twilight series. What does an immortal want with a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old?), but other than that I enjoyed the story and the happily ever after. The narrator, Heather Takano, did an excellent job giving voice to Zaria and had me all the more engrossed. 

“Woven in Darkness” By Lucy Holden is a definite read for those who love fantasy romance, and I look forward to other titles set in this world. I received this audiobook from NetGalley.