Brightly Woven the graphic novel by Alexandra Bracken, adapted by Leigh Dragoon and art by Kit Seaton

Summary from Goodreads:

A graphic novel about discovering your own power.

Extraordinary things just don't happen to fourteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabil, a talented weaver who dreams about life outside of her tiny village. But that all changes when a mysterious young wizard named Wayland North appears and asks for Sydelle's help. He's got a shocking secret that could stop a war between kingdoms-if he can reach the capital with the news in time. North needs a navigator who can mend his magical cloaks, and Sydelle is perfect for the job.

As Sydelle and North race against the clock to deliver their message, they must contend with unusually wild weather and a dark wizard who will do anything to stop them. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers more about North's past and her own strange abilities, she realizes that the fate of the kingdom may rest in her fingertips.

Review:

I knew nothing about this book going in. I may have made some totally wrong guesses about the book based off the rainbow hood on the cover…However, I was pleasantly surprised by the magical fantasy world I got lost in. I like Alexandra Bracken, but I have not read all of her books. And I did not know she had this whole fantasy world written! But, now I think I want to see the book that inspired the graphic novel.

What really appealed to me above all else, even above the amazing world-building, was the artwork. It’s beautiful. The panels have this almost nostalgic 90’s manga feel to them. They felt both totally new, but also like I was reconnecting with old friends like Sailor Moon, in a good way. Everything was bold and expressed so much emotion. I was actually sad when the book was over because I wanted more. I literally was hoping for more pages to look at.

The story does have a bit of the whole guy-coming-into-the-girl’s-world-and-showing-her-how-everything-really-is vibe to it, but then the plot twists it up a bit, and I was happy that the twist happened. I don’t want to spoil it too much. I just want to say that if that plot device annoys you, don’t give up on this book, cause all is not what it initially seems. Also, Sydelle is strong and stubborn and never lets North just get away with man-splaining the world to her.

I can see how maybe fans of the original text might think the graphic novel cuts a lot out. It’s short. But, in a way, I loved this. Yes, I could easily have looked at so much more art and have been happy. But, it was also nice not having a ton of description filler in a fantasy novel. I like how a graphic novel limits the filler, and focuses more on the important moments. All in all, I really loved this. I’ll definitely keep my eyes open for a book 2. I give this a 9/10.