THE WEAVERS OF ALAMAXA

Magic, political upheaval, and outside invaders collide in the second installment of the duology begun in The Daughters of Izdihar (2023).

For Giorgina Shukry, Nehal Darweesh, and Malak Mamdouh, things have gone from bad to worse. While at first it seemed the Daughters of Izdihar were making headway in their fight for women’s equality, including being in training to use the magical practice of elemental weaving, Giorgina and Malak are now fugitives and Nehal is trapped in a neighboring kingdom—a kingdom whose troops, along with frightening new technology, are fast approaching the women’s home of Alamaxa. With war on the horizon, the three fight both to save those they love and to build a new world, while contending with new, occasionally dubious, allies and revelations about weaving that could mean salvation or devastation. As the world of Ramsawa, based on Egypt, expands in this second installment, Elsbai has more room to explore prescient topics of social and political change and their fallout. The new characters add more complications to an already gripping setting without overwhelming the narrative. But, at its core, this is an exploration of the platonic and romantic relationships among women and their own personal journeys as they realize their ambitions and come to terms with all aspects of themselves. The fully formed grounded setting, exhilarating magic, and all-too-real political machinations make a satisfying backdrop for further exploration of Nehal and Giorgina’s journeys.

A strong conclusion that never fumbles with the themes or ideas it seeks to tackle.