The Weavers of Alamaxa picks up right where the previous book, The Daughters of Izdihar, left off—on a giant cliffhanger, so if you’re wary of spoilers for book one, read no further!
Daughters ended with Nehal abducted and Giorgina an escaped prisoner. The Daughters of Izdihar have been disbanded by the corrupt government, and weavers, especially female weavers, are even more persecuted than before. Not to mention that the city of Alamaxa itself is under siege by a neighbouring army!
There’s a lot going on, and the plot moves at an appropriate speed, driving us on with a desperation that matches what both women feel. Nehal has her weaving stripped from her, while Giorgina and Malak have to cope with being fugitives, and all three must find ways around the patriarchal power structure that shapes every aspect of their lives. It’s frustratingly relatable, or perhaps relatably frustrating.
If you’ve ever watched Avatar: The Last Airbender (the cartoon, preferably), some of the plotlines in the duology will feel familiar to you. Without wanting to spoil too much, one character pushes her elemental weaving too far, rediscovering an outlawed method of controlling people, while another discovers she can weave more than one element and wonders what that means about her. These abilities beyond the norm make them even more hated and feared—and this time, other weavers are wary of them too. Each woman will also encounter new and unexpected allies, all of whom have agendas of their own… and who don’t always turn out to be as reliable as Nehal or Giorgina hope.
The characters from the first book grow meaningfully in the second. I was particularly moved by an early scene in which Giorgina—who was forced by her father to leave her family home when she rebelled against an arranged marriage—returns home when she and Malak are in need of sanctuary. Her father doesn’t exactly welcome her with open arms, but Giorgina reconnects with the rest of her family and realises that she has the strength to face his disapproval. Nehal also has to face the fact that her own impulsiveness gets her into some dangerous situations, and tempering it doesn’t mean denying herself but will actually make her more effective. If you’re reading for Nehal and Malak’s relationship, the two of them spend a significant amount of the book apart, but it is lovely to see more of Malak as she and Giorgina get closer.
This is very much a book about war, and there are losses. I was surprised how deeply I felt the death of one character, which I will not spoil; I will say that bringing them from where we met them in the first book to someone I genuinely mourned was skilfully done. There are many new characters in this instalment, too, all of whom are well-realised and have drives of their own.
Ultimately, The Weavers of Alamaxa is about the cost of violence and revenge. Nehal and Giorgina reckon with their gifts in order to reshape their understandings of themselves as well as the foundations of their nation. There are no easy answers, but I loved watching these characters grow into themselves. I will be waiting for more from Hadeer Elsbai!
Content warnings: violence, kidnapping, minor character death
Kathryne Slant (she/her) is a queer Canadian writer and general pop culture enthusiast. She wants to spend less time online and more time at puppy yoga. Find her @SapphosHands.bsky.social.
