I acquired a assessment copy from the writer. This doesn’t have an effect on the contents of my assessment and all opinions are my very own.

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

Mogsy’s Ranking: 2.5 of 5 stars

Style: Fantasy, Romance

Collection: Ebook 1 of Weavingshaw

Writer: Del Rey (February 24, 2026)

Size: 464 pages

Creator Info: Web site

Lots of different reviewers loved this ebook, so I’m simply going to say this proper now: Hello, it’s me, I’m in all probability the issue! Weavingshaw has a number of issues going for it, at the very least on a craft stage, together with a full-on gothic fantasy aesthetic and a tension-laden romance. Sadly although, it didn’t totally click on for me.

The story follows Leena, a younger lady who can see the lifeless. Ever since her mom died and her father was imprisoned, she and her youthful brother Rami have been residing as refugees, adrift in a rustic that treats them as outsiders. For years, they’ve been attempting to outlive whereas she is compelled to cover her skills for worry of being institutionalized or exploited. However when Rami falls gravely ailing, Leena has no alternative however to hunt out assist, and the one therapy that may save him is way past something she will realistically afford. Out of choices, she turns to the one individual everybody warns her to keep away from.

Enter Silas, the Saint of Silence, an enigmatic dealer in favors and knowledge. The title of his sport is leverage, or any information he can use as foreign money to maintain individuals in his debt. In change for the drugs to save lots of her brother’s life, she gives up her secret, the one factor of worth that she has. As she’d hoped, it catches the eye of St. Silas, however the cut price comes with strings hooked up. She’s certain to his service and tasked with discovering the ghost of Percival Avon, a determine linked to each the decaying property of Weavingshaw and St. Silas’s previous. From there, Leena and the Saint fall right into a tense, uneasy partnership, working collectively to untangle a thriller buried deep previously, drawing nearer as hidden agendas and outdoors threats begin closing in.

All of the basic gothic fantasy and romance elements are right here, and the setup itself may be very a lot my factor. That stated, I discovered myself appreciating the person items greater than the entire. From a world-building standpoint, the lore and supernatural components are intriguing, however the particulars are fairly floor stage, such because the ghostly mechanics and the stratified society. Concepts are seemingly conjured up each time the plot wants them, then sidelined once more when one thing else is required. Though I might sense a bigger mythology in play, a lot of it feels backloaded as an alternative of immersive.

Character-wise, Leena and St. Silas are acquainted archetypes, however in a great way. I appreciated how their motivations had been easy, however made sense within the context of their circumstances, i.e. Leena is pushed by loyalty to her household vs. Silas being propelled by the secrets and techniques in his previous and his have to see his long-running plans by means of. Sarcastically, the romance was the place their relationship felt the weakest. It’s meant to be sluggish burning, which is ok, however the dynamic additionally felt overly guarded and stiff because of this. Extra spark and fewer posturing would have been higher.

Structurally, the pacing can drift with subplots weaving out and in. I confess I put this ebook down many instances due to the meandering, with a storyline that typically felt as if it was enjoying for time in a holding sample reasonably than shifting in the direction of its vacation spot. Nevertheless, I all the time picked it up once more, so there may be that. The setting actually is excellent, and I loved the fantastically broody vibes. Nonetheless, there’s a high-quality line between environment and narrative drag, and I gained’t lie, this one incessantly got here near crossing it. The open ending was a bit annoying too. As cliffhangers go, it’s removed from the worst, however I didn’t love how abruptly it lower off.

Ultimately, Weavingshaw is a debut with some clear expertise behind it, and I fully perceive why it’s discovering an viewers. This simply occurs to be one the place my preferences didn’t fairly align with the execution. If broody gothic fantasy with haunted settings and a slow-building romance is your factor, there’s likelihood this may work significantly better for you.