Why hello there! I just finished reading two of MarcyKate Connolly’s books. Today I’m going to be reviewing Shadow Weaver and its sequel, Comet Rising.
Shadow Weaver, by MarcyKate Connolly
UUUHHHGGG why do books have to be so good? They make real life look like a dirty cheeseburger on the floor of a subway station. Rotten, ugly, undesirable, and overall nauseating. This is why I have to be careful reading MarcyKate Connolly books! I DoN’t WaNt To CoMe BaCk! This was no exception. The characters, plot, details and descriptions were all on pointe. It was truly amazing. Dar always creeped me out a bit, but I knew that she would play a very interesting role in the story. My favorite character is Lucas (surprise surprise), because even in dark times, he knows where to find the light. I also really like Alfred, Lucas’ dad. He is very chill and surprisingly inventive.
So, the basic summary:
Emmeline is a shadow weaver. It’s a magic talent that was given to her by the Cerelia comet, which passes over the skies every twenty-five years and blesses a few children with a gift if they are born under it. These talents are rare, and used to be revered. But now they are feared and hunted. Hunted by whom? The Lady Aisling. A magic eater. Emmeline is forced to runaway when the Lady Aisling’s minions appear at her family’s door, promising her parent a cure for this magical nuisance. Never having liked Emmeline being odd, they agree wholeheartedly. Dar, her shadow and best friend, warns Emmeline that these are bad people and she needs to run for her life. That’s when they meet Lucas, a light singer. He and his family live in a cottage in the woods where they are hiding from Lady Aisling. But something is going on in their late night whispering in the kitchen, and what are those papers on the table? On top of that mystery, Dar knows a ritual that Emmeline could perform that would bring her back to life. Since Dar is her best friend, she decides to do it. What catastrophe could possibly happen?
Will they discover what Lucas’ family is up to? What will Dar do when she becomes human again? Will they stop Lady Aisling? Who will they meet along the way? Who will they lose along the way? Read to find out. 😉
I love love LOVE the plot twists and turns and loops and bends. MarcyKate Connolly should have won an award for one of her books! She finds these amazing ways to uniquely break you. Like, you’re hurting, but you like it. She gives good motivators and inspires storge deep down in your soul, where it stays a constant hopeful reminder. I love the time period and appropriate speech and manners. It’s beautifully written, and there’s not much more I can say about it. My rating of the book is a 9/10, only because some of the characters seemed a bit lacking in backstory and necessity. The likeliness of this making my favorites list is 7/10. But I would still recommend it to other readers.
Comet Rising, by MarcyKate Connolly (The sequel)
(I can’t really give a summary for this because it would reveal the ending of Shadow Weaver and ruin the point of reading it yourself.)
This is the one I just finished. In this book, I have to admit that my favorite character is Pearl. She’s really cool and calm, despite everything that has happened. Plus, her talent is AMAZING. I also really like Noah and Lucas.
Unfortunately, I feel like the book was put together a little roughly. Most of the characters who were the most helpful, like Pearl and Noah, only showed up near the very end of the book. We didn’t really get to know them at all, but yet they were the heroes. It just felt a bit disconnected. I also feel like Dar’s character got confused. When she first became human again, she unveiled how she’d been lying and tricking and messing with Emmeline’s life. She is 0% sympathy and 100% cruelty. But in Comet Rising, she suddenly is compassionate and looking out for them and trying to take part. It just felt very… off. I didn’t like the way that the characters’ backstories were vague and confusing, and never got explained. I also didn’t like how Lucas and Emmeline grew closer and closer throughout both books, but then the end came and it just fizzled out. They never even hugged in relief that the evil which plagued their whole lives was finally defeated! This being a book which is recommended to 5th graders, I can understand why there is no undying love or direct affection displayed. But like, THEY WERE BEST FRIENDS. THEY WERE CLEARLY HEAD-OVER-HEELS FOR EACH OTHER. And they don’t even get to HUG at the end? Lucas got captured! He turned evil under the witch’s control! He was almost turned into a flower! It absolutely destroyed Emmeline to watch it happen, and she was so so upset when she watched him get taken! But then at the end, she’s just like, “Well hi there welcome back ok I’mma go talk to these other people I barely know byeee” and THAT’S IT?!? Uhhhggg the ending killed me. I just hated that.
But overall, the book is really good! I honestly read MarcyKate Connolly’s books mostly for her eloquent writing. The way she writes is poetic and beautiful and entraps you into her world, whether you like it or not. But for some reason I felt like this one was just… a little weird. The plot made sense and worked well, but the interaction between characters… something just wasn’t right. I don’t know. If Emmeline is just going to trust these kids with her life, it would make sense to have more background and dialogue between them. Instead, they show up and she just trusts them with everything and they act like it’s no big deal that there’s so much rarity and magic in one room. Emmeline and Lucas are just like, “Oh ok so you’re new. We’re gonna go visit this garden thing and maybe kill this lady woman, but we aren’t sure. Wanna come?” And then the newbie is like, “Ok sure sounds fun, by the way I have magic.” And then they move on. It just felt off.
Like I said, I really love MarcyKate’s writing. Her characters are usually deeply and beautifully written, like she’s known them her whole life. It’s amazing. And even though this book was not as good as I think it could have been with more time and editing, I wouldn’t say that I wasted my time. I still enjoyed reading it. My rating of this book is is a 6/10, just because of how the book was put together. Wasn’t quite everything I had hoped for, but was still good. The likeliness of this making my favorites list is a 5/10. As great as it really was, I’d rather re-read Monstrous andRavenous. 🙂 Said with love, of course.
I’ve also noticed a kind of common thread between her antagonists, and it’s a little disturbing. In every MarcyKate Connolly book I’ve ever read, most of her monsters and villains eat children. In Monstrous, it was the sea monster (the Kraken). In Ravenous, it was the Kraken and the witch (Baba Yaga). In Shadow Weaver and Comet Rising, it’s Lady Aisling. I find that a little odd, but kind of amusing. It’s like she had to have a connection between the worlds. Eating kids though? That’s a little weird. I dunno how I feel about that.
Thanks for reading! I hope this wasn’t entirely a waste of your time. I know I went on a bit of a rant there, but it’s only because I care about these books so much. I really hope this comes across as constructive criticism, not shaming. I’m not at all trying to bring anyone down. Writing isn’t easy, and story holes are easy to find anywhere if you look hard enough. I would definitely still recommend these to anyone seeking an adventure, but I think it’s best suited for those with intense imaginations who can fill in the gaps and read between the lines. (That’s what I did. Making up character backstories isn’t the readers job, but it is so, so much fun.) If you liked this post, you may be interested in reading my other book one. It covers many more of my favorites. And look out! A Shadow Weaver / Comet Rising character guide is coming next!
Have a great day y’all, and I’ll see you next time!
♡, Shortie
