Tag: Witches

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

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Bloodwitch

Author: Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #3
Reviewer: Community

Summary

High in a snowy mountain range, a monastery that holds more than just faith clings to the side of a cliff. Below, thwarted by a lake, a bloodthirsty horde of raiders await the coming of winter and the frozen path to destroy the sanctuary and its secrets.

The Bloodwitch Aeduan has teamed up with the Threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop the destruction. But to do so, he must confront his own father, and his past.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Renee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. We travel to various places in the Witchlands, get confirmation on some questions raised by the earlier books, and leave with even more questions. I loved Safi and Iseult (again), but I can’t get over Vivia’s story. I admire her more every book. Aeduan is obviously amazing in this book, too, since it centers around his arc. He has some tough choices to make as he struggles against his beliefs and feelings.

Marlou

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Bloodwitch was grandma’s apple pie, a new pair of shoes, breakfast for dinner, it was the small things in life that bring you joy.

Leslie

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I was already in love with Vivia’s character from Windwitch, but this book really pushed me off the deep end. She and Vaness, WOW is all I can say. Then, of course you pick up with Iseult and Aeduan (and feisty Owl), and it is everything an awkward thrown together, type of family can be in the best ways. Plus, every character is pushed to their limit, forced to find themselves, sometimes even without or in spite of the magic that has been in their veins since as long as they can remember. I love a little bit of character suffering (okay, maybe more than a little bit) in order to show growth, and this book captured that perfectly.

Inopnion

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

We as readers occasionally experience a giddiness of spirit, you know that feeling. When something tickles you so much you blabber to anyone that will listen, and they look at you like you’re a bit touched. You know that feeling. This book gave me this feeling over and over. Not only does the narrative follow the most mysterious and enigmatic would-be villain I have ever witnessed on a page, but it dares you not to love him. Aeduan’s level of self-loathing, his complete conviction in his own monstrousness is counteracted by vulnerable moments of pure kindness and sacrifice. Just like Merik’s journey in Windwitch made me ache and hope for him, this book revealed the complex depths of a deluded Hufflepuff. Not to mention, this book has even more action, chases, fights, etc. than any of the other books in the series. It’s non-stop and always with a purpose.

Just be sure you read Sightwich first!

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Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

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Sightwitch

Author: Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #2.5
Reviewer: Community

Summary

Before Safi and Iseult battled a Bloodwitch…

Before Merik returned from the dead…

Ryber Fortiza was a Sightwitch Sister at a secluded convent, waiting to be called by her goddess into the depths of the mountain. There she would receive the gift of foretelling. But when that call never comes, Ryber finds herself the only Sister without the Sight.

Years pass and Ryber’s misfit pain becomes a dull ache, until one day, Sisters who already possess the Sight are summoned into the mountain, never to return. Soon enough, Ryber is the only Sister left. Now, it is up to her to save her Sisters, though she does not have the Sight—and though she does not know what might await her inside the mountain.

On her journey underground, she encounters a young captain named Kullen Ikray, who has no memory of who he is or how he got there. Together, the two journey ever deeper in search of answers, their road filled with horrors, and what they find at the end of that road will alter the fate of the Witchlands forever.

Set a year before Truthwitch, Sightwitch is a companion novella that also serves as a set up to Bloodwitch, as well as an expansion of the Witchlands world.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Renee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This book is structured differently than the others. It’s more of a journal but it’s fun to read, especially with the visuals that accompany the text. I loved learning more about Ryber and how the Sightwitches fit into the larger picture of the Witchlands series. I’m also very rule-oriented like Ryber so I felt her struggles. We also learn a lot about Kullen and get a glimpse into the past. All of this helps set up events for future books while also confirming some questions from the earlier books.

Marlou

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sightwitch was a starry night sky, a surprise dinner with a loved one, a destination you always wanted to go, it proved the extraordinary was possible.

Leslie

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

OMG! I love epistolary novels and this one was a winner. Being given scraps of books, handwritten notes, sketches, and more, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. This book builds the background for things in the series as a whole, takes us into one of the characters’ POVs even deeper, and manages to continue deepening our understanding of where the series is going.

Fox

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

It broke my heart to lower the rating for this book, because it is so, so close to 5 stars, but I found some parts a tad bit confusing because of the switching POVs. I loved the historical aspects, but it took me too long to start to care for that plotline, as I was more interested in its connection to the present timeline of Witchlands. The book has terrific illustrations and sketches, which add a lot to the story. It would have been an amazing graphic novel or even a full novel, for example, but as a novella, it was just too short for me to get fully immersed in.

Some moments in Sightwitch are really intense and dark, which once again proves how good of a storyteller Susan is. Her writing style just gets better with each Witchlands book, and I don’t want the series to ever end. Ever!

Sightwitch is incredibly important for the series as it explains certain things that happen in Windwitch, and it just blew my mind when I got to that part! I couldn’t get over it once I finished the book and my urge was to immediately pick up Truthwitch and start my re-read with a different perspective.

In spite of its timeline preceding Truthwitch, Sightwitch is not a prequel and should be read after Windwitch and before Bloodwitch – and not in any other order. 

Inopinion

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

If I could give this a six, I would. This book, though it be short, and though it be mis-labelled as a novella and a “companion” is in itself a remarkable piece of storytelling and an integral part of the series. It cannot be stated enough times how important it is to read this book before Bloodwitch!

Ryber seems such a minor character after Windwitch – the heart-thread of Kullen and member of the crew. And then Susan flips your assumptions on your head and reveals the Sightwitch Sisters and their cloistered community, Ryber, and her thread-sister, Tanzi.

This book includes one of the most epic chases in fiction or video games with all the imagery required to feel like you’re there every step of the way. Filled with riddles, game play, rules to follow, it’s like entering a bonus round only to exit understanding it was the key to completing the entire challenge. The more I linger on this book, the more it places itself in my top five of all time.

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Windwitch by Susan Dennard

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Windwitch

Author: Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #2
Reviewer: Community

Summary

Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…

After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.

When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?

After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Renee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Things start off quickly in this one! We follow Merik more than the other characters, and I’ll be honest, I really needed resolution after reading Truthwitch the first time so I rushed Windwitch. I enjoyed this book more the second time since I took my time and picked up on some larger clues I missed before. We also see Vivia’s perspective (she’s Merik’s sister and definitely one of my favorite characters in the series). Merik isn’t one of my favorite characters, but he definitely has an interesting arc.

Marlou

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Windwitch was rain pouring harshly on the roof, butterflies in my stomach, seeing your friend after a while apart, it was coming home home to a loving family.

Leslie

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

While this one wasn’t my favorite of the series, it definitely begins to show the repercussions from Truthwitch and the implications that those events will have on the rest of the series. It was also wonderful to get more POV chapters here and I am totally already in love with Merik’s sister, Vivia. In Truthwitch, we are presented with certain pieces of information, but with Windwitch, it becomes clear that maybe what we thought was an absolute, really isn’t and we need to shift our understanding. Again, this is some deep stuff for a YA series to tackle, and it is done beautifully well.

Fox

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Windwitch is my most favourite book in the series. Perhaps, because when I am writing this,  I am yet to read Bloodwitch, but even then I can’t ever imagine anything make my heart squeeze so much.

The second book in the series is expanding the world once again and giving us more POVs. I did not expect to change my opinions on some of the characters, but I did as we were giving other sides of the story (e.g., Vivia and Merik relationship). I loved this book, even though it ripped my heart apart and I just kept screaming internally till I got to the last page. And then I had to scream some more because the wait for the following installment in the series seemed endless.

Let me add that the cover is stunning and I can’t decide if I like US or UK version better. It has my most favourite season as the backdrop for Merik, and I always feel happy when I look at it.

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Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

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Truthwitch

Author: Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #1
Reviewer: Community

Summary

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

View this book on Goodreads.

Review

Renee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I discovered Truthwitch when I was just venturing into YA because I need more diversity than adult fantasy was providing. Truthwitch did not disappoint and I ended up ordering the sequel, Windwitch, before even finishing the first five chapters. I fell in love with the characters and world. Safi and Iseult were the characters I needed. There is action, great dialog, and lots of worldbuilding. The ending hurt, but luckily Windwitch was already out so I could dive right in.

Marlou

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Truthwitch was the light at the end of the tunnel, the breeze on a hot summer day, a warm jacket on a chilling winter night, it was everything I never knew I needed and more.

Leslie

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This was the first time I read a YA book and was truly blown away by the depth and world building that was done. You can definitely tell that Susan Dennard had put so much thought and time into creating this epic series that each page left you with either an awesome, action-packed scene, a detail that builds the world, or a great character building scene. Many of the scenes and chapters accomplished all three of those! While some YA readers may not be interested in building a world this rich and deep in their minds, for those of us that are, this is the book (and series) that you have been waiting for.

Inopinion

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Probably an unpopular rating among a group of Dennard-loving Witchlanders, but I was not as blown away by Truthwitch as I was the other books. What I loved the most about this book and the way this series started was the connection with Iz and Safi – it’s instantaneously apparent that not only are they great friends but they strengthen each other in unique ways. Safi is impulsive, Iseult balances her with her careful planning and caution. Iseult wants to slip by unnoticed and could get stuck in one place doing one thing and never truly live, but not with a best friend swindling people at cards! They are magnetic.

And the world is so HUGE. It’s bigger than big. It goes to the edge of the book and beyond always leaving more to uncover. I really appreciate the vastness of the history, the politics, the landscapes, the cultures, but it’s also what made the first book difficult and confusing. On a re-read, I had no problem seeing all the pieces click into place, but on the first go-through, I recall an inner dialog that basically said, “Forgive the unknowns, these girls are great.” So I mention this personal hiccup to ready the uninitiated, the world is there and it’s big and confusing and cluttered with variations but that’s also what makes it feel authentic and magical. It’s definitely something that I appreciated more with each new book, but it was overwhelming in the first.

Fox

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I fell in love with this world from the very first page. Having grown up reading big adult fantasy books, I was thrilled to find a Young Adult novel with such a vast world and complex politics (some of which did go over my head during the first reading, I must admit). My note on GoodReads for Page 46 says “I’m squeaking! Because I like everything so far!”.

That was back in early 2016 when I was still very new to YA books and Susan’s writing in particular. Unlike some readers, I didn’t have issues with the world complexity, but I struggled to connect with either Safi or Iseult. I loved them both together, but separately they were just not working for me. Hence, the 4.5 star rating. (There were also some repetitive sentence structure that was rubbing me off wrong at times, but I later came to appreciate it.) Once I read Windwitch, my opinion on several characters has changed dramatically, so I am not going to hold it against Truthwitch. It is a fantastic book one in the series. I just sometimes wish it was longer and more adult.

P.S. Chapter 38 still makes me cry. I was devastated after reading the ending. And it still has the same effect on me, even though I have read other books in the series.

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