 Written by: Susan Dennard Published: February 13, 2018 by Tor Teen Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard, Sightwitch is an illustrated novella set in the Witchlands and told through Ryber’s journal entries and sketches. 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. |
I really liked the first two books in The Witchlands series but it took me awhile to get to this book. But this month I was reading whatever I felt like and after a Twitter poll voted I should bring this on my trip to DC, I finally started reading it. It was a short and sweet read that gave a lot of information about the Witchlands.
This is such a deep world and setting. Susan has managed to create a fantasy world that has a complex and engaging history. It had me truly fascinated from the very beginning and the more we learn about it, the more interested I become. And we definitely learned a lot in this book. Not only did Ryber learn something that I think is going to come back in a big way in later books, but we also got even more of the history with flashbacks to a time 1,000 years ago. I loved being able to learn about it all and I have so many questions I need answers to.
That being said, I am just not enjoying books with multiple perspectives lately. Both the current time period and everything happening in the past were fascinating, I liked both plot lines, but I just found it a little confusing. The voices were similar and I found it hard keeping track of whose storyline we were inhabiting. I wish there was a little bit more separation between the two. But plot wise they were really interesting. I was engaged in what was happening and it added some interest and color to the larger series.
But I think my favorite thing about this book was the format. It is a novella so it's a short and sweet read, which I appreciated, but it also was written in an epistolary format. You had journal entries, drawings, maps, puzzles, and plenty more unique things that made this book not your average novella. It only took me a few days to read and I loved that things were broken up even more with the images. I have been a very slow reader today and it was nice to have a book I could just breeze through.
All in all, Sightwitch was a good YA fantasty and a great addition to the Witchlands series. It added a lot to an already fascinating world, and had a plot full of mystery that I think will come back in a big way in future books. It wasn't perfect but it was thoroughly entertaining.
I give Sightwitch by Susan Dennard 9 out of 10 stars
Have you read Sightwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!
I have the first book of this series that I bought over 2 years ago but kind of forgot about it and never got around to reading it. Do you have to read this one first or do you think it doesn't matter? :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matters. You can read this one first but I think it's probably better if you read them in publishing order. You'll understand this book fine but not get some of the character references.
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