Review: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Title: Bloodwitch Series: The Witchlands #3 Written by: Susan Dennard Published: February 12, 2019 by TorTeen Macmillan (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Fans of Susan Dennard's New York Times bestselling Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story.  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.

I am still kind of reeling after finishing this book a day after writing this review. Bloodwitch was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 after waiting two years to read it. And just like the previous books in this series, it did not disappoint. This was an amazing fantasy read.

My favorite thing about this book, and this series in general, is the world. This is one of the most amazing and involved fantasy world that I have experienced in a long time. It is one of those worlds where history and mythology affects things in a big way. As the series goes on, we are learning more and more about the world. I listened to an interview with Susan recently where she mentioned she set out to write a book that is like adult fantasy where you don’t reveal things about the magic and world until much later, and that’s exactly what she has done. It’s the kind of world where you are shown instead of told. It has me completely enthralled and wanting to know more. Here we learn a good amount but I still has so many questions.

As for the plot, this is a book that had that classic sword and sorcery kind of vibes. It’s full of action and adventure with the main characters trying to save the world and their kingdoms from other countries and even scarier threats. I do feel a little bit like this was that bridge book that you see a lot in a series. It didn’t necessarily have it’s own plot but merely connected the stories from the first two books while setting up the final books. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t interesting. Susan is a master plotter who does a great job of setting up little things so she can knock them down later to a huge impact. Things are starting to get knocked down in this one, which meant surprises and twists that had me screaming internally. The book also built to a thrilling conclusion and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I desperately need a reread of the books before that, especially Sightwitch. The way Susan plots I know this is going to be one of those series worth going back to books for reminders and for theory crafting.

One of the things that I think made this plot a little bit more challenging in terms of a cohesive story is the fact that it told in multiple perspectives. It is one more example of what gives this book that classic fantasy vibe but it also adds a lot of moving parts. This book had five or six different perspectives and many of them were going in very different places and doing very different things. And which often happens with this kind of thing, some of the perspectives were more interesting than others. I think my favorite perspectives were the ones that were more about the big picture and mythology of the series, like Isuelt and Aeduan, over those who had more of the political intrigue like Vivia and Safi. The one who surprised me the most was Merik. Merik had a storyline that had me completely enthralled and I surprisingly wanted to go back to him even though he is not one of my favorite characters. But that is just the nature of books with multiple perspectives like Bloodwitch.

But I can forgive the multiple perspectives because the characters here are so amazing. Susan is definitely a master of complex characterization and this book was a perfect example. There is a good sized squad in this series and I am invested in every single one of them. There is a lot of great character development here as many of the characters are deciding who they are and the heroes they want to be. I was fully-invested in them and their success. This book is Aeduan’s book so of course we learn a lot more about him and his history. He’s always been one of the characters I found the most interesting so I loved being able to find out about him and be in his head. Isuelt might be my favorite though. She is really coming into her own and becoming this amazing badass. These two together also make an amazing team and they were seriously killing me with feels every time they were together. The character who surprised me the most though was Merik. He’s never been one of my favorites but he is the one who has the best development and is very much continuing his redemptive arc. But I love every character I this series. Whether they are complex and likable or the kind of characters you love to hate, they are all incredibly interesting.

All in all, this is a truly amazing book and a series that keeps getting better. It has an absolutely fascinating world full of mythology and magic, a thrilling sword and sorcery plot development, and characters that are complex with great development.

I give Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! If you like the first two books in this series If you are a fan of fantasy, YA or adult, I would absolutely recommend this series. It will be an amazing series to binge.

Have you read Bloodwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks you for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Bloodwitch Series: The Witchlands #3 Written by: Susan Dennard Published: February 12, 2019 by Tor Books (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Fans of Susan Dennard's New York Times bestselling Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story. 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.

 
Why I'm Waiting:

I loved the first three books in The Witchlands series and I am super excited for the next book to come out. I loved Susan's debut series and honestly this one is so much better. It is one of those series that has me thinking so much about every little thing that I have all these crazy theories about what will happen next. I know there will be some surprises in this book and I can't wait to find out what they are.

I also really love these characters. Susan is great with developing complex characters that you connect with and I have totally connected with all these characters. I am anxious to find out what happens to Isuelt, Safi, Merik, and of course Aeduan who I am hoping we will find more about in this book. SO PUMPED! Also, ships. The ships.

I am very excited to read this book. I can't wait to pick up a copy when it comes out next month. I should probably do a reread of the series because it's been awhile but I probably won't have time. But either way, I cannot wait to read this book!

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Bloodwitch along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

Title:Sightwithch Series: The Witchlands #0.5 Written by: Susan Dennard Published: February 13, 2018 by Tor Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) 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

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I would recommend picking up a copy of this book if you are a fan of the series. The cover is gorgeous and it is a great addition to the series.

Have you read Sightwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Windwitch by Susan Dennard

*** This is the second book in a series. If you have not read Truthwitch be careful of spoilers. Also read it's great and was one of my favorite books of 2016. ***

Title: Windwitch Series: The Witchlamds #2 Written by: Alexandra Bracken Published: January 10, 2017 by Tor Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.

For a very long time, Truthwitch was one of my favorite books of 2016. I absolutely loved the world Susan created, the characters who inhabited it, and the slow but thrilling plot. Therefore I have been super excited for it's sequel to find out what happens next in this series. And Windwitch did not disappoint.

I think the thing that I love most about this series, and this book in general, is the characters. I have always loved the way the author is able to create a whole cast of interesting and diverse characters and make you like every last one of them (well, almost everyone). And she proved yet again that she is a master of characterization in Windwitch. This is a book with changing perspectives as all of our main characters are separated and off on their own adventures. But I am so invested in each character that I didn't mind at all when it switched. Arguable the lead character here is Merik, I mean the book is named after him. I really liked his character development in this one. As we learned more about him and he learned more about the world he grew a lot and I appreciated that. But if you ask me, the real stars of this book are Aeduan and Isuelt. Those two are fantastically complex and mysterious. We got some fantastic information and revelations about them and I still want to know more. In general though I just want more from these characters because I love them and find them so interesting.

I also want more from this world. It's definitely a fascinating world. Like a lot of high fantasy it is based on real like and Medival Europe but is also has this really creative feel to it. It's a world at war and we get to see that first hand with each book. But honestly we know very little about the larger world and the politics of it. I want to know more and I'm really hopeful that the next book will show us at least some of that. But the main thing that seems lacking is information about the history and magic of the world. I'm generally a big fan of the magical system here. It's elemental magic reminiscent of Avatar the Last Airbender but more evolved. It's super interesting with rules and guidelines which I like. But we know so little about it. There are references to origins but we never hear about it. And don't even get me started on how little we know about the mythical chosen ones the Cahr Awen even though they keep talking about them. The world of this book is keeping things very close to the vest and I wish they wouldn't. It's such an interesting world but it's bordering on frustrating at times.

But for me, what it lacks in world building it makes up for in plot development. This is a slower paced plot, it is not the kind of book where you can dive in and power through but it is super thrilling. It slowly builds to a thrilling conclusion with a ton of action along the way. One thing that I do think made the plot challenging and slightly confusing was the fact that there were kind of three different plots for each of the main characters perspectives. There was some overlap but for the most part they are independent of each other with their own endings and climaxes. It made each of them really interesting but it made the overall story of the book a little muddled. But on the whole I love the direction of this series. The stakes are high and there are tons of action scenes and thrilling escapes. It's also full of surprises and mystery. I was incredibly shocked by more than one big reveal and a few of them are making me real excited for the next book.

Despite the fact that I didn't love some aspects about it this was a fantastic book that I really loved. It's got fantastic characters with great development, an exciting plot full of action and surprises, and a world with a cool magical system.

I give Windwitch by Susan Dennard 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you liked the first book in this series you will not be disappointed by the sequel. This series is developing into a fascinating and engaging high fantasy series with characters I am totally in love with. I definitely recommend it.

Have you read Windwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Windwitch by Susan Dennard

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Windwitch Series: The Witchlands #2 Author: Susan Dennard Published: January 10, 2016 by Tor Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The follow-up to New York Times bestselling Truthwitch, next in a breathtaking YA fantasy series hailed by Alexandra Bracken as "a world you will want to inhabit forever." On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a "witchery," a magical skill that sets them apart from others. In this follow-up to New York Times bestselling Truthwitch, a shadow man haunts the Nubrevnan streets, leaving corpses in his wake—and then raising those corpses from the dead. Windwitch continues the tale of Merik—cunning privateer, prince, and windwitch.

Why I'm Waiting 

I've been a fan of Susan's books since I read the Something Strange and Deadly trilogy a few years back. So obviously I was super excited when I heard that she was writing a high fantasy with a world similar to Avatar: the Last Airbender. And I read Truthwitch at the beginning of this year when it came out and I loved it. In fact, it's one of my favorite reads of the year and I've read 120 other books since then so you know it's good

And therefore, I must be anxiously awaiting the books sequel, and I definitely am. I can't wait to find out what happens next to these characters. I'm excited that Merrik is taking a little bit more of the focus because I feel like there is a lot more to learn about him, as well as a many of the other characters. Plus that "shadow man: sounds really interesting and very Susan if you've read Something Strange and Deadly you know what I mean

I'm really excited to explore more of this world too. I think in Truthwitch we learned so little about the magical system and the history of this world. It was one of those show instead of tell kind of world-buildings and it left a lot of things unanswered and assumed that we knew stuff we didn't know. I want to know stuff and find out stuff!

I have a copy of this book preordered. I cannot wait to read it this January when it comes out. Winter for me is the perfect time to escape into a high fantasy epic and Windwitch will be the perfect book for that.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Windwitch along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Title: Truthwitch Series: The Witchlands #1 Written by: Susan Dennard Published: January 5, 2016 by Tor Teen (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.  In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.  Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.  Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.  Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at BEA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I've been a fan of Susan Dennard for awhile now. I marathoned her Something Strange and Deadly series in the summer of 2014 and really enjoyed it. So when I heard she was coming out with a new high fantasy series I knew I needed to read it. At BEA this year, I did things I'm not proud of to get my hands on an ARC (well mostly running but I'm not a runner) but I don't at all regret getting a copy because oh wow, this book was such a fantastic read.

First things first, Truthwitch is so full of action. I'm a plot driven reader. I like when a book takes me on an adventure and either doesn't stop from the word go or really builds to an exciting and thrilling conclusion. Truthwitch did both of those things. Right from the opening scene you know that this is going to be a book full of action and things don't really slow down at all. It's scene after scene of daring escapes, thrilling fights, and really close calls for the heroes. The stakes are incredibly high and more than once I was terrified about what would happen to one character or another. But it's not just action scene for the sake of drama, it's also incredibly well plotted. There is a subtle mystery to the book, more than a few twists and big reveals actually, and clues are slowly revealed as everything develops. Plus everything culminates in a huge climax where things intertwine and it all comes to head in a thrilling scene that had me on the edge of my seat. If you are looking for a book that is full of action and adventure then look no further than Truthwitch.

Truthwitch is also a book with a fascinating world and magical system. As a fan of fantasy, I am always looking for a magical system that isn't just the same thing over and over again. And I was a little nervous going into this book because I don't always love elemental magic, it's tough to make it creative for me. Susan Dennard however has managed to do it though. What helps is that while she has your standard control of things like fire, air, and water she also has some really unique ones as well. Like our two protagonists, Safi and Isuelt. Safi who is a Truthwitch and can tell if people are lying and Isuelt who is a Threadwitch and can see people's feeling and the threads that connect them to each other and the world around them. It sounds really confusing but it makes total sense throughout the book which is the mark of a great author. But I think my favorite power was Aeudan, who is a Bloodwitch meaning he can heal himself but also smell other people's blood and track them across long distances. Each of these three powers were so unique and fascinating.

The setting too was really interesting and engaging. You can see the influences of Medieval Europe in the world and geography of the Witchlands, something that is very common in high fantasy, but it still all comes off as creative an original. It's a world with it's own history, mythology, and religion all of which come into play in the book a little. I love these types of fantasy worlds, the ones that are rich in detail and information, the ones with a backstory. But Susan doesn't get bogged down with that backstory. There aren't info dumps where they tell you all about something that happened ages ago that will later influence the story. You as the reader have to figure things out on your own and use what is shown to develop that history. It made for a much more interesting and immersive experience for me.

And finally, Truthwitch has some absolutely brilliant and complex characters who intertwine and interact in fantastic ways. Of course the most engaging characters are our main characters, Safi and Isuelt. They are both incredibly tough and smart women who I love. Safi is a little more reckless with an act before you think personality while Isuelt is more cautious and calculating. I liked them both but I think I had more of a connection with Isuelt, which is interesting because I'm more like Safi. But I'm blaming it on the whole Treadsisters thing. Because while these two were interesting apart they are so compelling together. They feel such affection for one another and perfectly balance the other person out. I love books with strong female friendships and this one definitely had that. But it also had great males too. I already mentioned Aeduan who was also super interesting. He's such a dubious character. He could very well be a villainous character but he never comes off that way. He's also just so mysterious I want to learn more about him. Then there is Merik who also is a pretty dubious character. He's the prince of a small autonomous nation and a Waterwitch. He's got a quick temper but would also do anything to help the people he loves. He's surly but also so kind. I really enjoyed him and his development throughout the book. And that's just the main characters. Every person you interacted with in this book was interesting and complex.

On the whole, the only word for Truthwitch is brilliant! It was a book I was super excited to read from the moment I first learned about it. It has been really hyped up for months now and I'm really happy to say that it lives up to the hype. It introduced us to a unique new world with a fascinating magical system and the complex characters who inhabit it, while taking the reader on a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end.

I give Truthwitch by Susan Dennard 10 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! You need this book. Trust me. Especially if you are a fan of high fantasy epics. It's reminiscent of so many of those great fantasy stories that I love and yet still comes off as creative and original. And even if you aren't a big fantasy fan but you like really action-packed stories with great characters then give Truthwitch a try. It lives up to the hype, you will love it too!

Have you read Truthwitch? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!