Stunning photo by @heathers.booknook
Hello Friends!
Today is the 5th, and final, day of our readalong for Woven In Moonlight and what a ride it’s been! This book has had so much action and I have a feeling this ending is going to be explosive with lots of confrontations, bring it on!
Let’s see just how this is all going to be wrapped up. Everyone have a blanket and a beverage at the ready? Good!
Picking back up at page 293! Let’s finish this book!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for Woven In Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez! Read only if you’ve finished those pages!
-!SPOILERS!-
How cute is it that Ximena is trying to look nice for her meeting with El Lobo? “For some unfathomable reason” sure girl, whatever you say…
The suspense has me speed reading through this conversation. This is it folks, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! He’s going to take off the mask!
Drumroll please….
It’s Rumi!!
Who guessed correctly? I was certain it was going to be BOTH Rumi and Juan Carlos! So many things make sense now, Rumi being a laughingstock at court, it was all an act.
So happy they finally kissed! “We’ll never make it if there are secrets between us” Well this is awkward…
This is surely all going to end in tears, she has to betray him to save her people and as much as I’d like to think she won’t, what choice does she have? After leading her to his secret rebel headquarters we found out that Juan Carlos is his cousin (knew they had to be related!)and of course is in on the whole thing!
Oh my word! Sajra is here? He already knew the identity of El Lobo so it’s all been a test? He seriously tried to torture the name out of her, I’d be lunging for him too. I don’t know about you but he makes my skin crawl, more than even the King. Oh wow, Rumi didn’t take that revelation lightly and had a shard of glass at the priest’s neck! Too bad, I guess they need him after all, a necessary evil.
Okay she’s chosen her side and told him the location of the Estrella, I think it’s the right choice especially after the way Catalina acted. I get she felt betrayed but it’s for the greater good.
Oh no revealing her true identity did not go well! I understand his mistrust but a little hypocritical of him, no? Surely he’ll believe she’s on their side after he has the Estrella.
I didn’t belive he would actually kill her but man was that intense! “Why should I believe you”
At least he let her leave but she’s completely lost his trust and it’s breaking my heart!. This is kind of frustrating considering Rumi also has a secret identity, surely he understands why she was put in this situation? His reaction is definitely a reflection of how high stakes the situation is right now and it shows how just how serious things are, the whole of Inkasisa is on the line.
I love that he called her by her real name, I refuse to believe this is how it ends for them. At least Juan Carlos believes she has good intentions, I knew I liked that guy!
Okay time to find out what happened when Rumi went to find the Estrella, she deserves to know what’s going on! Oh no he’s hurt, something must have gone wrong but also he’s shirtless….
But back to the story, the Estrella wasn’t there which means Rumi still has no reason to trust her! Did Tamaya lie about its location? Did Atoc maybe move it? Woah this is NOT GOOD. Not only did the owl take her tapestry with the location of the weapon to Catalina. Catalina thinks Ximena is on her side again.
Just when things couldn’t be any more crazy, it’s time for the wedding ceremony and she has a dagger! She tells him she’s a decoy and that Catalina is on her way and… my heart is in my throat. To top it all off “the ghosts are coming”
Oh damn, her attempt to kill Atoc fails, she’s being held in place by the slimy priest and Rumi just revealed he is El Lobo causing Atoc to make the ground shake in anger-quite literally.
She almost had Atoc but now he’s on her! This is brutal! Oh Rumi saves her, passes her a sword and kisses her quickly- my heart! The animals are now joining the fight…deadly as well as adorable!
Oh hell no he did not just kill her Jaguar? That hurt me, truly.
I will admit to taking some great pleasure in that man’s death, he definitely had a grizzly end. But oh no, the ghost army is here and they are terrifying!! They can’t be harmed! They are literally an unstoppable enemy.
JUAN CARLOS NOOOOOO, oof that hurt me too. *sobs onto the page
Oh man Catalina does not want to listen to sense huh? Instead she’s seriously going to fight Ximena, after everything she has done for her? She is blinded by hurt and feelings of betrayal, understandably she wants justice for her people and her parents but at what cost Catalina?!
Yes Ximena has the Estrella and she destroys it by throwing it down a hole in the earth caused by the earthquake. The ghosts vanish but there’s a huge explosion of light!
Thankfully she wakes up in her room in the Castillo, does this mean everything is okay? After Rumi used his magic to save her, the Illustrians surrendered but Catalina is being held prisoner. Aw he’s apologising for not believing her sooner! He’s also grieving the loss of Juan Carlos, I’m tearing up guys.
Turns out the priest has left and is heading to the jungle and Catalina could be facing execution?
Surely Tamaya wouldn’t do that! Ximena tries to talk her around once again but Catalina is proud and stubborn. Apparently logic doesn’t get through to this girl? Isn’t their history enough to convince Catalina to trust in her one last time?
The fact that Rumi is flirting and kissing her to distract her from Catalina’s hearing though?! Adorable! I also love that she didn’t tell him he was clever for putting the herbs in his pockets to create the smell, “his ego needs to be kept in check” lol
“The llama spits a wooly ball at their faces” hahaha love that llama
Oh yay she’s free to live in the Castillo with her animals and she’s going to open a shop! Wait Catalina says she’ll never accept the Princesa as queen so they’re going to kill her?!
Ok phew she’s important to Ximena so Tamaya will spare her life but…she’s banished to the Yanu Jungle? Will she survive and as Tamaya suggests “come out the better for it”? Do you guys think this exile is a fitting punishment for her?
Ximena now has a home and a family and she gets to be herself!
“I’m ready to be me.”
“Only me.”
What an ending!
We did it! Thank you so much for joining this readalong, you made it so much fun!
I want to hear all your thoughts! What rating did you end up giving this? Did you enjoy the romance, the mystery and the magic? Did you guess the identity of El Lobo and will you be reading the sequel when it’s released?
Let us know down below & we hope to see you in the next one!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Love,
Codie
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I was NOT expecting Sajra to be part of the resistance! ? Holy plot twist, Batman! It did make me feel better about my instincts when he turned out to be on the side that suited his own goals at the time then ran away when it got tough. I’m betting he will be the antagonist in the next book.
There was no reason for Juan Carlos to die. None at all. ? He could have pushed Ximena and Tamaya out of the way and not sacrificed himself and the rest of the book would have been the same. ?
I’m sad to see Catalina refusing to see reason out of sheer stubbornness. It does make me wonder if the Llacsans know something about the Yanu Jungle that the Illustrians don’t– why does Tamaya think she’ll survive and be better for it?
I enjoyed watching Ximena become herself, rather than Catalina’s stand-in. In the beginning of the book, she was timid and ill-suited to lead having had to rein in her own instincts and not tarnish Catalina’s image. As much as my heart hurt when she lost Sofia and Ana, I think she needed the space to make her own decisions. Being a ‘rat’ and a ‘traitor’ to her oldest friend but still knowing and doing what is right takes strength.
I also loved that her animals (RIP Jaguar) were kind of the physical representation of her growth– non-existent before she came to the castillo and in the end, cheeky and confident and ready to fight.
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thank you for hosting Codie!
Thank you so much for joining the readalong! So glad to hear you enjoyed the book 🙂
Totally agree, I loved seeing Ximena’s arc play out and the internal struggles she had to face. I love that the animals reflected her character too, so cool! We will mourn the loss of Juan Carlos together, he didn’t have to die!! I will definitely be reading the next book to find out about the mysterious jungle, should be interesting 🙂
I think maybe Catalina and the priest will meet and maybe work together. Unfortunately I felt disconnected from some characters like Juan Carlos. I felt like I didn’t know him enough or even as a person to feel sad over his death. I don’t know how to feel about Rumi honestly. But I did enjoy all the animals and the overall culture. I would definitely pick up the next book though. I feel Catalina is going to be very interesting to read about.
oooh I love that idea, of them teaming up in the next book 🙂 The next book sounds like it could be interesting right?!
A huge thank you for joining the readalong!
Thoroughly enjoyed these final chapters, a lot more than the rest of the book. They weren’t without their issues though. Juan Carlos, the lighter-hearted character was killed off for no reason and Rumi wasn’t given space to express his loss, he’s just there to make Ximena feel better. Juan Carlos was one of my favourites to read, who will replace him now? I suppose Rumi’s new teasing nature will?
I agree that Sajra will be the antagonist in the next book. He must know he can survive in the jungle. He’ll be a great adversary.
I thought the culminating action scenes were good but at times a few too many things were happening at once.
I would have preferred a bit more from Catalina’s trial, it was over very quickly!
The ending was a bit twee, especially after the book had previously been quite violent but overall I enjoyed it. I hope there’s more of the Illustran AND Llacsan magic explored in the next book and more of the culture included in this book – food is obviously very important but I’d love to see more of the people living inside and outside the Castillo.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it mostly! I agree, I’m hoping we learn more about the magic in the next book and see some more culture too 🙂
Thank you so much for joining the readalong and for sharing your thoughts!
This last part got me giggling in merriment and destroyed my feelings in a very short page-span.
I couldn’t stop smiling when Ximena and Rumi finally kissed, but immediately after he doesn’t understand why she hasn’t revealed her true identity to him and he gets mad?!
Exactly how and when was she supposed to?? Aaaah Rumi, don’t be an idiot…
About the part from the wedding till the destruction of the Estrella I only have two words: Juan. Carlos.
He was the sweetest cinnamon roll, I’m so sad he’s gone ?
That ending tho! I went to goodreads and discovered that there will be a second book, it won’t be a direct sequel, but will be in the same world. The title makes me think it will be about Catalina and I’ll surely check it out. Some things about this book were a little naive, but it is a great debut!
My rating is 4.5/5 ?
hahaha I felt the exact same way about Rumi and boy will I miss Juan Carlos ?
So glad to hear you enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be picking up the next book myself! Following Catalina should be interesting, I need to know more about that jungle ?
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and joining in on this readalong!
I think my overal rating for this book is 3.5 out of 5. I did not always like Ximena and the choices she made so I really had to get used to that. However, I loved the change she went through. That she realised that her side wasn’t necessarily the right side. That revolution is not always the answer. I really liked the display of all the politics. I dont know if I will be reading the sequel yet. Depends on where this story will go. I really liked this ending so I might also be happy to not read the sequel
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I can agree that Ximena was a little frustrating at the beginning to say the least but I enjoyed seeing her arc play out overall 🙂
The ending felt a bit rushed somehow. To be honest I didn’t care for Juan Carlos but the jaguar dying was sad. Also I didn’t care to much for Rumi. He was angry at her for keeping her identity secret which seemed silly to me. Then giving her the cold shoulder but in the end giving her a kiss and all is better? Nope not buying that. Overall I liked the story but couldn’t really connect with the characters. So ⭐⭐⭐ for me.
I really enjoyed this readalong!
Thank you so much for joining, I’m so happy you enjoyed reading along with us 🙂 yeahh I think I took the Jaguar’s death harder than Juan Carlos too haha
I really enjoyed this book!
I definitely felt a flutter when Ximena and El Lobo first kissed. Though it was predictable he was Rumi, I wasn’t entirely upset by this.
I found how quick he was to turn against her maybe a little harsh? But makes sense when he then goes to find the Estrella and it’s gone.
I think I would have liked more from the side characters and even Rumi?
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂 I totally agree that Rumi’s reaction was just a touch hypocritical haha. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!
I know!!! It was all filled with emotions. I can’t wait to see what Catalina has in store for us. After all this I believe she’s going to show us a real fighter. It’s gonna be soooooo good!
I cannot wait either! So intrigued to learn more about the jungle too 🙂
Thank you for joining us!
What a book! “Woven in the Moonlight” reminded me of the power of fantasy. I ignorantly knew very little about Bolivia, but this book opened my eyes to such a new and fascinating culture. I think Ximena had the most dramatic character development that I have ever read in a novel, for she began the novel murdering Llacsans in cold blood and yet ended with a newfound love towards Rumi and all the people of Inkasia. I loved how she was able to overcome her prejudices towards the Llacsans through a myriad of everyday routines and acts of kindness from the people at the Castillo. Only through the magic of Ximena’s woolen creatures that were honestly so cute (I mean the sloth, come on?) could life emerge from the fusion between Luna’s light and the bright colors of the Llaksans. “Woven in the Moonlight” gives me hope that people can overcome their prejudices and recognize each other’s humanity. I cannot wait for “Written in Starlight” where Catalina? may learn some important lessons in the Amazon. I hope we can learn more about the original indigenous people from Inkasia, the Illari, who need some representation. I’m going to try to track down some salteñas now, as I count down the days until the companion novel comes out.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Thank you for leading the readalong, Codie! The gifs were on point as always.
Thank you so much! 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed this book! I absolutely loved seeing Ximena grow and learn and let go of her prejudices. And the animals were such a lovely touch-the sloth sounds very cute! I’ll be counting down the days with you as I am so eager to learn more about the jungle with the city built from gold and its inhabitants!!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it’s been so much fun 🙂
i did enjoy this last part of the book but i did feel it was a little rushed, perhaps the book wasn’t long enough to allow for a bit more character development?
things i liked: the magic, the weaving, the cultural references, the constant guessing who el lobo was, the plot twist with the priest, the descriptions of food, that fiesty llama! and how ximena developed back into who she actually was than who she was acting and pretending to be for so many people
things i didn’t like: how quickly the relationship developed with rumi, especially after juan carlos’ death, i felt that they were all loved up very quickly disregarding juan carlos and just it felt a bit rushed, maybe it’s the cynic old woman in me that’s forgotten how quickly young romance can bloom? also catalina, she came across as very immature and not the correct person for a leader, i’m glad ximena saw sense in that! i understand she felt betrayed and was greiving for a life she lost but she wasn’t willing to learn or listen or trust in ten years of friendship, i felt she just didn’t even give ximena a chance and it was very petty. perhaps she will come into her own and become a stronger character in the jungle?
overall 4/5 from me (the llama gets a whole star on his own haha!)
I agree, I would have liked it to be a little longer too so we could have had moire development, everything happened so fast! That being said I also loved the magic, the culture, the mystery of El Lobo’s identity and who can forget the fiesty wool spitting llama!
I’m hoping Catalina will have a good character arc in the next book too, she’s pretty infuriating huh?
Also I love that you gave another star for the Llama-totally justified in my eyes 😀
A huge thank you for joining in with us and sharing your thoughts!
Wow. The major plot twist for me wasn’t El Lobo’s identity but the priest, I never saw that coming… I may have cried a little when the jaguar died ? Catalina makes me angry, like girl get off of your high horse. However, the llama is hands down my all time favourite character, spitting wooly balls at peoples faces ? what a wonderful read, brb, just need to go check out some more Bolivian folklore ❤
Right?! I totally didn’t see the twist with the priest coming either! You’re not alone, I still mourn the jaguar ?Completely agree with Catalina too! The llama needs his own spin off book ?Thank you so much for joining in on this reaalong ❤️
I really loved this book it’s definitely a favorite of mine. I liked all the twists at the end. I wasn’t expecting the priest to be on their side and it didn’t surprise me that he left if I’m honest. I thought that he had gotten to the Estrella first and was going to use it against them. Catalina really annoyed me at the end because if she truly cared about Ximena she should’ve at least tried to see where she was coming from. I also really liked that Ximena’s woven animals helped her that was such a unique touch. I will say that I’m sad Juan Carlos didn’t get to see Princesa Tamaya as queen. He was such an amazing character it’s sad to see him go. Anybody else picture Rumi like the witcher when she described him in the infirmary because I definitely did for some reason lol.