Starling’s Weave coming October 21st, 2024 from Entangled Publishing; 370 pages
Content Warning: On-page descriptions of death and murder
About the Author: “Originally hailing from Parry Sound, Ontario, L.E. Sterling spent most of her summers roaming across Canada in a van, inspiring her writing career. True Born, first in the True Born trilogy, was recognized with the 2017 Athena Award® in Young Adult Literature (paranormal) from the Young Adult chapter of the RWA. She lives in Quebec, Canada” (Bio from Goodreads).
Find L.E. Sterling on the following platforms:
Starling’s Weave follows the story of Nieve Septîle, a young woman from an isolated village of hidden mages. In this world, land and ocean suffer as the Elder Wrights, gods that have disappeared over time, are no longer able to breathe their magic into the world. Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. When things in the village go wrong, Nieve finds herself thrust headfirst into an adventure to help her people as Captain Keir Manseray and his pirates visit her tribe. Manseray has his own objectives that rely on Nieve’s assistance, but with the added challenges of an amnesiac Elder Wright and a tyrannical King’s vendetta, both Nieve and Manseray find that their quests might not be so simple.
L.E. Sterling’s novel is thrilling and wonderfully complex, with a well-crafted magic system and world building. I am always a fan of pirate stories, especially when they’re set in a world with magic and mystery, and this one did not disappoint—even if the Captain claims that they are mutineers, not pirates. The story is told through the dual perspectives of Nieve and Manseray, allowing readers to understand their respective motives and desires, even when one creates misconceptions about the other. I liked that Nieve formed her beliefs through the stories of her people and how Manseray formed his through the stories from his mentor. Both characters aligned in the right way but were different enough to make them intriguing on their own. There were moments where they made mistakes and lied, but knowing the truth as a reader only added to the tension of the novel and made the development throughout the story intriguing to follow. In addition, the book was very well-paced, which made it possible for Sterling’s writing and style to shine. The magical elements stuck out to me, as the main perspective is a girl without magic. How Nieve sees and understands the use and significance of magic affects not just her and her village, but the entire world. Starling’s Weave was an excellent story that reminded me why I love fantasy and I could barely put it down!
Starling’s Weave releases on October 21st, 2024.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Hannah Goerndt, Pine Reads Review Writer