THE WEAVERS OF ALAMAXA by Hadeer Elsbai

Book Review

Elloise Hopkins

Giorgina Shukry is now a fugitive wanted for the use of magic and, as of two days ago, a prison escapee. Hiding out, she learns that Nehal is missing, and Nico has no good news to give her either. On top of that, and the political aftermath of her actions,  Giorgina has another problem, for it seems she may have something in common with the notorious weaver, Edua Badawi.

Nehal, a highborn weaver and a woman of influence, finds herself captive and unable to use her powers. It seems Queen Rasida of Zirana has a use for Nehal… a use Nehal herself will certainly not like. Will her status in society be enough to save her? And who is she if she is no longer a weaver?

It was the policeman, Attia Marwan, who killed Labiba and left the Daughters of Izdihar reeling. He now appears to be working for Zirana, Alamaxa’s neighbour, where magic is strictly and severely outlawed. Zirana threatens to attack. Will it spell the end of weaving once and for all?

The Weavers of Alamaxa is the concluding part of The Alamaxa duology, taking Giorgina and Nehal as its protagonists, following both in their desire for weaving to remain legal and their fight to obtain the right for women to be trained in the art of weaving alongside their male counterparts. In this second book, Elsbai does not hold back when it comes to the violent and unjust actions of Marwan and Rasida and continues to depict the inequalities in this society in a relatable and convincing way.

Malak, who shone so brightly on the page in The Daughters of Izdihar, is still very much present and key to the story, but whereas the first book very much revolved around character relationships and the emotional connections between them, here, the drive toward events between Zirana and Alamaxa give the story a much more urgent and action-centred narrative line. Tension and threat take the forefront as our female leads stay front and centre, resilient and unwavering, facing everything that is thrown at them.