Book Review :: The Shadow Weaver by Ivy Cliffwater

The Shadow Weaver by Ivy Cliffwater
ISBN: 1869718550
Series: The Broken Sword #1
Published by Hachette NZ
on 28 October 2025
Genres: Adult, Romantasy
Goodreads

Forged from iron and shadow, Caris Ironside is one of the an outcast hiding a deadly secret.

Caris is a skilled blacksmith and the only woman known to craft legendary swords. The novelty of her profession provides much-needed cover as she seeks vengeance for her mother's murder. Caris's search for the killer leads her to enter a brutal tournament disguised as a man, where she is quickly swept into the world of knights and courtiers.

When Caris's perilous mission takes her to Capita, a city ruled by The Order of Men, she must tread carefully. The Order is ruthlessly determined to eradicate the Cursed and will stop at nothing to see her fall.

As danger closes in, Caris finds herself relying on two unlikely a fellow blacksmith haunted by his past, and a brooding captain who saved her life as a child. But their loyalty may not be enough when the darkness inside her begins to surface.

Last updated on 5 January 2026

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase with one of these links, I recieve a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Policy.

What is The Shadow Weaver by Ivy Cliffwater about?

The Shadow Weaver is the story of Caris Ironside, a blacksmith who is on a mission to find her mother’s killer.

She ends up moving in with Cillian, a fellow blacksmith, who offers her a room in exchange for working in his forge a few days a week. But she’s not just there to make swords; she needs to find her mother’s killer.

Her search draws her into a tournament, which she enters disguised as a man, and she’s thrown into a dangerous world of knights, nobles, and political games. She quickly realises the tournament is tied to something far larger than she expected.

The games lead her to Capita, a powerful city ruled by the Order of Men. The Order will kill anyone who threatens their control, and Caris is knee-deep in it.

As the danger escalates, Caris is forced to rely on two uneasy allies, Cillian and then a brooding captain who once saved her life, Torgrin. But with the Order closing in, her mother’s killer still breathing, Caris must decide how much she is willing to sacrifice to claim justice fir her mother, and whether vengeance will cost her everything.

My thoughts on The Shadow Weaver

After seeing this book and author on Instagram a few times, I was definitely intrigued by the story and really wanted to pick it up. There began to be a bit of a hype around it here in NZ in the bookish community, so I had high hopes for The Shadow Weaver by New Zealand author, Ivy Cliffwater.

It did not disappoint.

I think what drew me in was two-fold: Caris, our main character, is a blacksmith and incredibly good at her job (one that is dominated by men). The other thing was that in the description, it says she enters a tournament, disguised as a man, so she can get closer to the Capita and kill the man who killed her mother.

Badass women ✅

Tournaments ✅

Sign me the flip up.

Things I loved about this book:

• Medieval-esque setting. It’s very A Knight’s Tale coded and I love that.
• Female blacksmith, obvs.
• Magic (and forbidden at that)
• Secrets!

And more. I think this was very much a vibes book. I know that I loved it while reading it, but I couldn’t tell you the precise details. You know?

What I do know is the tournament I mentioned earlier? It wasn’t really a huge part of the book. Yes, it happened, but it wasn’t like the main part of the story, as it might be with something like The Hunger Games. It was more of a gateway into the main plot … which was fine, but I was definitely expecting more tournament.

So if you’re thinking tournament that takes up a lot of the book, scrap that from your mind.

But, regardless, it was just a lot of fun to read. I do think I read it too fast (devoured it!), and so there are definitely aspects of it that I’ve forgotten already (oops), but overall, loved reading it, and when I got to the end, I was bummed I had to wait for the second book in the duology.

If you’re after pretty kick-ass leading women, medieval and knights, cool swords, and magic … definitely pick up The Shadow Weaver. I will be heading straight to the store to pick up the second in the duology, The Broken Sword.

Have you read The Shadow Weaver? What did you think?