The Weavers of Alamaxa: A Novel (The Alamaxa Duology, 2)
Following up on one of the most exciting fantasy debuts, The Daughters of Izdihar, Hadeer Elsbai concludes her Alamaxa Duology—inspired by Egyptian history and myth—with a tale of magic, war, betrayal, sisterhood, and love.
The world is on fire...but some women can control it.
The Daughters of Izdihar—a group of women fighting for the vote and against the patriarchal rule of Parliament—have finally made strides in having their voices heard...only to find them drowned out by the cannons of the fundamentalist Ziranis. As long as Alamaxa continues to allow for the elemental magic of the weavers—and insist on allowing an academy to teach such things—the Zirani will stop at nothing to end what they perceive is a threat to not only their way of life, but the entire world.
Two such weavers, Nehal and Giorgina, had come together despite their differences to grow both their political and weaving power. But after the attack, Nehal wakes up in a Zirani prison, and Giorgina is on the run in her besieged city. If they can reunite again, they can rally Alamaxa to fight off the encroaching Zirani threat. Yet with so much in their way—including a contingent of Zirani insurgents with their own ideas about rebellion—this will be no easy task.
And the last time a weaver fought back, the whole world was shattered.
Two incredible women are all that stands before an entire army. But they’ve fought against power before and won. This time, though, it’s no longer about rhetoric.
This time it’s about magic and blood.
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Community Reviews
A startling and explosive finale, The Weavers of Alamaxa delivers freedom, equality, and a little heartbreak.
I absolutely loved this book. Once again, for anyone who loves Avatar the Last Airbender, this is the book for you. Not only that, the story tackles issues such as equality and sexuality.
Storytelling
Much like in the first novel, the women of Izdihar are still fighting for equal rights among men. They have a suffrage movement undermined by those who oppose weaving. If you remember, Giorgina was never trained to use her earth-weaving abilities. When the situation was out of hand, so did her ability to control her power, fluctuating with her emotions.
Nehal was kidnapped at the end of The Daughters of Izdihar, but not before discovering that she is a blood weaver and that her water-weaving abilities go behind what she thought was capable.
Nehal is now in a foreign country that has developed a vaccine to subdue weaving abilities, believing those born with the abilities are abominations and that the power belongs to the gods and the gods alone. And this kingdom is ruled by a woman, not a man.
She advocates for what Nehal and Giorgina are fighting for, but it comes at a steep price.
There’s a lot of talk about bodily autonomy and equality, and how they are done is thoughtful and emotional.
Nehal’s abilities were taken from her without her permission, this piece of her that she loved and treasured. And now the Queen of a foreign nation is trying to impose her personal beliefs not only on her people without their permission but also on a foreign nation that has their own belief system.
Sound familiar to anyone?
It’s a deeply involved story that has excellent characterization as well.
Both Giorgina and Nehal have grown so much since the last novel.
Giorgina’s family basically told her to “conceal, don’t feel” regarding her woman position and weaving abilities.
After being abandoned by her family, she has only the Daughters of Izdihar. She struggles with her past, with control over her abilities, and with her insecurities. And when she realizes she can control the other elements, she builds up her confidence.
Georgina’s path is one of self-love, of discovery. And it’s empowering to read.
As for Nehal, once a spoiled brat, she has been humbled and fully sees how she can help with her privilege. In the previous novel, she begins this journey but is still selfish.
Now, after experiencing prison and starvation on her journey home, she sees how unfairly not only women genuinely are treated but how the lower classes are also mistreated. Her eyes and heart have been opened. And as a queer character, she also has to learn to handle how people treat her and her relationship with another woman.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely loved The Weavers of Alamaxa. It was such an excellent and thoughtful novel that left me feeling empowered. Voices matter, and sometimes, the smallest actions can make a difference.
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