Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes

*This post contains spoilers for the first 5 books in the Falling Kingdom series by Morgan Rhodes.*

Series: Falling Kingdoms, #6

Publication: February 6th 2018 by Razorbill

Goodreads Description:

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart? 

My thoughts: 

I cannot believe I have been reading this series for 4 years. This final novel was everything I wanted it to be. I have had such a fun time following Cleo and Magnus and Jonas and everyone else's stories!

Immortal Reign had so many oh-my-god moments. I saw a few twists coming but somehow Morgan Rhodes still managed to surprise me even after reading 5 other books from her.

The plot was fast paced like the pervious books. And the multiple POVs had me flicking the pages nonstop. There are some great action scenes along with some sweet character moments and I loved every minute of it!

I just have to say that Magnus and Cleo are life. Their interactions in Immortal Reign were definitely a highlight for me. I loved seeing how their relationship had changed over the course of the last few books.

Amara is a character that surprised me. I was captivated by her chapters. Her character development was well paced and written in a way that had me empathising and sympathising with her. I was surprised how much I enjoyed her POV.

Lucia's character development is astounding when you look back and thing about what she was like in book 1 compared to book 6. I've really enjoyed reading her character arc.

The ending was very satisfying. The series ends with some questions unanswered but most things are tied up. There could be more but I doubt Morgan Rhodes will write more since she already has the Spirit and Thieves series in the works.

I have had such a good time reading this series and highly recommend it to people looking for a long YA fantasy series to get into!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan

Publication: May 8th 2018 by Oftomes Publishing

Goodreads Description:
Witch. Betrayal. Hunted.

Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape -- and is determined to escape again.

Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.

But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos -- a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner -- they must first survive each other. 

My thoughts:
While I enjoyed parts of Catching Stars for the most part I just thought it was okay. It has been a few weeks since I read the book and I can hardly remember anything about it; it just didn't leave a lasting impression on me at all. All I have to go off for this review is notes I took while I was reading it.

I found Catching Stars very hard to get into, I often felt my mind wandering because of the very slow start. I will say the plot did pick up a bit later in the book but I really struggled through the first few chapters.

I also wasn't a fan of Jayin and Maddix individually. They both felt very meh to me. I did like them together though- they had an interesting dynamic that kept me engaged for the most part. I liked how they had prejudices about each other that were being challenged throughout their relationship.

At times the writing was great, it was flowery but not too flowery but then at other times, particularly action scenes I found it hard to comprehend what was happening. 

There's not much else I can say. My reading experience was a bit of a weird one too because I was reading the book in few pages chunks over 2 weeks whereas I usually read a book in a few days so that might have affected my enjoyment. 

Thanks for reading,
A :)

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, #1

Publication:

Goodreads Description:

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness."

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it? 

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. It is such a fun quick story that is light-hearted with a hint of creepy. It is the perfect read for autumn/Halloween for all ages. I went in with high expectations because I love Alexandra Bracken's YA books and I was not disappointed with Prosper.

The main character Prosper was very likeable. He was developed enough that he didn't feel like every other MG 12 year old boy. He has his flaws for sure but he was fun to read about and I loved how he liked art. It was actually the antagonist that stole the show for me though. I loved any time Alastor had page time. His inner monologue with Prosper was hilarious and I found myself flicking the pages looking out for his name/dialogue.

The narration of the story was very interesting; it is told in dual POV but Prosper tells the story in first person whereas we hear from Alastor in the third person. I definitely preferred Alator's narration; he was very funny and I could see why younger readers would be laughing out loud at some of the antics he gets up to.

The plot was probably the weakest aspect of the story but I still really enjoyed it. The plot is not action packed like Bracken's other work; in the story we mostly just follow Prosper around as he adjusts to life with a demon inside him; it was still very enjoyable though. Some aspects were very predicable which is to be expected when the intended audience is 12 year olds and I am almost 21. The ending was amazing and intense and I am so excited to see where this story goes in book 2!  

Another aspect I want to note that i liked was that there is an LGBT+ family in the story and it is completely normalised which was great to see in a MG book!

I had so much fun reading The Dreadful Tale of Proper Redding; it was so easy and fun to read, it was nice to have a break from the YA angst and drama I usually read.I am definitely going to pick up the next book when it's out later this year!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The School For Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Series: The School for Good and Evil, #1

Publication: May 14th 2013 by HarperCollins

Goodreads Description:

The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one. 

My thoughts:

I found it hard to get into The School for Good and Evil as the plot is very slow. I can see it being a Disney movie or tv series but the novel format was way too long and I found I had to push myself to keep reading. 

Firstly I wasn't a fan of Sophie, I found her super annoying. She was so immature and over the top about everything. It also made me so mad how she was using Agatha who was supposedly her 'friend'. She's so vain and I couldn't stand her for most of the novel.

On the other than I liked Agatha. She had some great one liners and I liked how she isn't like the typical cookie cutter characters we usually get in books. I love how she pokes fun at princesses and fairytales and such.

The plot was all over the place. In the beginning I felt like the author knew what they were doing, it was slow but clear but then it went off and I felt like there was no point we were aiming towards. The story would get fast paced for a few pages and then get so slow; I would read 20 pages and feel like I had read 100. The last 20% was what saved it for me. The ending was really good and I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. 

The setting was very fun. I loved how the 2 schools were complete opposites and how we got the typical fairy tale setting of a big castle with pretty bedrooms and pink and sparkles but then on the flip side we got dungeons and dark forests and monsters. The settings were used very well.

One of the main problems I had with The School For Good and Evil is that there was lots of gender stereotypes going on- I get that it's a play on fairytales and princes and princesses but in 2017 I'd have liked to see those stereotypes being challenged and this book was published in 2013 so it's not that old. 

I also wasn't a huge fan of some of its messages. Judging people based on looks, drawing very clear line that there is evil and good and nothing in between etc. I hated how the objective for the girls was to find a prince and get them to ask them o the ball and kiss them. It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. That message of all you need is a guy is awful to include in a middle grade book where young girls are reading looking towards these characters as role models. I also had a problem with the premise of how evil is ugly and good is pretty- it's a bad message to be sending that appearance equates to morality. 

I like it but it's way too long especially for a children's book, the books is 500 pages and with its pacing being all over the place it felt like even more. I'd say it's more for younger YA readers than those who are used to reading middle grade.

My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Blackheath by Gabriella Lepore

*I received an ecopy of Blackheath from the publisher, OfTomes Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Publication:December 20th 2015 by Oftomes Publishing

Series: The Blackheath Witches, #1

Goodreads Description:

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Ellmes is dogged by a case of chronic bad luck. She figures that’s just her lot in life—that is, until the psychic at Blackheath’s annual carnival reveals that Maggie’s problems are caused by more than just ordinary misfortune; she’s actually been cursed. 

Desperate to shake the hex, Maggie has no choice but to seek out the help of Joel Tomlins, a rebellious classmate who’s descended from Blackheath’s most powerful line of witches. After breaking all of his coven’s conventions to help her, Joel discovers that the curse isn’t as bad as Maggie fears. In fact, it’s much, much worse.

My thoughts:

Blackheath is a very short fun easy read and I think had I had the time I would have finished it in 1 sitting. It took me a few chapters to be really pulled in but once I was I flew through it.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the main character Maggie. I didn't really connect with her; it wasn't that she was flat or annoying, I just wasn't emotionally invested in her. I couldn't have cared less about her to be honest. There was nothing making me root for her.

Joel on the other hand I actually liked. It took me a while but I grew to really like him. He is a YA love interest stereotype in many ways but I found myself not really caring about that. He was dark and mysterious but also very complex emotionally. He was such an interesting character and I found myself flicking ahead looking for his name in the coming pages.

I also like how family was a fairly important theme explored. We really get to see the brother relationship between Joel and Evan. Their relationship is an interesting one due to a power imbalance in terms of their witch magic.

Gabriella Lepore is really good at creating atmosphere- I noticed this is one of her other books I've read, Secrets in Phoenix and her skill is super evident in Blackheath too. I loved the eery atmosphere created surrounding the Tomlins house.

I wanted more information in regards to the witches and covens and magic- this is the first in a series though so this could come later. I just felt like it was very surface level. There's mention of chosen Ones and such but it's never explicitly explained what they are chosen for and how they're chosen. And there is little to no exploration about where their magic comes from and it's very vague how their magic works. I may not have been satisfied with the magic because I've been reading a lot of adult high fantasy recently that goes into a lot more detail than YA.

Onto the plot; while the books is very short I felt like the plot was perfect, everything was paced nicely and I didn't feel like I was missing anything or the story was cut short. It was interesting enough to keep me reading and concise and clear what was going on. 

I do think there was a missed opportunity with maggies friends to develop some strong female friendships but that's a personal preference in my reading and it might not bother other readers that their relationships weren't fleshed out a lot.

I also felt like the story was aimed at the younger end of the YA genre, like 13/14 year olds. It wasn't anything complex or heavy it was a quick, easy and entertaining read and I will probably pick up the next book. 

My rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

I want to say a big thank you to OfTomes Publishing for sending me a free ecopy of Blackheath in exchange for an honest review!

The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore

*I was sent an ecopy of this book from the publisher, OfTomes Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Series:The Witches of the Glass Castle, #1

Goodreads Description:

Mia’s life is thrown through a loop when she discovers her family secret — that she and her brother Dino are witches. After they are sent away to study their craft, they begin down a path that will change their lives forever.

Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and people’s thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right when everything around them seems beyond their control. 

My thoughts:

The Witches of the Glass Castle is a fun quick easy read that is perfect to read at Halloween/autumn.

I liked the main character but they weren't anything special. They are both supposed to be main characters but to me it felt like it was all about Mia. I thought Dino was the more interesting of the two as I felt like he was a lot more complex and had a lot more going on and wished he had more page time as I think I'd have liked the book much more. Mia is a bit naive and she is like tones of other female YA protagonist out there, making stupid decision left right and centre and falling for a boy she just met.

Colt, the love interest, who is a hunter was a fun character. I like him even though he's such a YA cliche with his cocky confident attitude but I hadn't read a YA book in a while so I thought he was fun. I liked Mia and Colts relationship but didn't ship it a huge amount. Their interactions were always fun to read but nothing to obsess over. Their banter was good an I love how Colt called Mia out on her stupidity.

The plot was slow in the beginning but after a few chapters it picked up and I got into it and couldn't stop reading. Toward the end it got very predictable but I didn't mind. There was also a few tropes scattered throughout the story but I had came to terms that this wasn't going to be a hidden gem in YA lit so it didn't bother me. 

I felt like the world was very underdeveloped. These teens go to the Glass Castle to learn how to use their powers so I was expecting a school setting; well I was disappointed, there was no classes or teachers and the only adult there Wendolyn didn't play much of a role, she just let the kids live in her house, I expecting more or a mentor figure. Because of this 'school' setting is expected to learn a lot about the magic and history of the world but nope that didn't happened. There was no rules and no explanations as to why/how their powers work. There is no rhyme or reasons to their powers; there is a mix of elemental control and mind reading and conjuring things from nothing and raising the dead.

The side characters were also very underdeveloped which was sad, I really liked Mia and Dino's friends Kizzy and Blue and wish they could have had more page time.

The story is told from lots of POVs, too many I think. It wasn't really necessary to be swapping as much as it did especially with the book being so short.

Overall I enjoyed my time reading and would recommend it for this time of year, Hallowe'en and autumn if your looking for a quick light fun paranormal read.

My rating: 4 stars 

I just want to say a big thank you to OfTomes Publishing for sending me an ecopy of The Witches of the Glass Castle for free in exchange for this review!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, Truthwitch*

Series:The Witchlands, #2

Publication: January 10th 2017 by Tor Teen

Goodreads Description:
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. 

My thoughts: 
I liked Windwitch but didn't love it. I felt like it wasn't as good as book 1 which I loved. Windwitch just fell short for me and didn't meet my expectations. Everything I loved about Truthwitch was missing.

The biggest disappointed was Safi and Iseult being separated the whole time. This made reading not as much fun, I really missed their banter. Their friendship is what made me love Truthwitch so much. 
Merik and Safi's chemistry in the first book was also something I loves but they were in different places in Windwitch so they had no interaction either.

Windwitch is multiple POVs like Truthwitch. And usually I don't have a problem with multiple POVs Buy I felt like too many plot lines going on and I just didn't feel connected to the characters . I wasn't a fan of Merik's POV and I loved his in Truthwitch. I didn't like Vivia either- I didn't care for her at all and was bored reading her parts. I was just there for Is and Safi's POVs and I kind of liked Aeduan at times but mostly just because his interactions with Iseult were fun to read.

There was a few new developments in terms of the magic system that I liked and am expected to see where they go. World expansion was good, we learn about a few places and cultures.

The plot was very slow at times but there was a few twists here and there I wasn't expecting. 

Overall I wanted more. I was a bit disappointed because I loved Truthwitch so much but I will probably pick up the next book just because I'm hoping it's more like truthwitch and Windwitch just had second book syndrome.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

Spoiler Free Review of The Dark Elements Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Book 1: White Hot Kiss
Book 2: Stone Cold Touch
Book 3: Every Last Breath

Goodread Description of book 1, White Hot Kiss:
One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

My thoughts:
The Dark Elements Trilogy is such a fantastic fun fast read. Don't let the titles or covers of these books turn you away. I'm telling you now you do not want to miss reading this trilogy. I had so much fun reading it! It is such a good read to get out of a reading slump- I'd recommend marathoning the series. I read them back to back in a few days.

This series is about gargoyles! How cool is that? I'd never read anything like it before. I loved learning about the wardens and demons. It's explored a lot more in the last book compared to book 1. It was so interesting learning the mythology behind the two races.

The plot is pretty predictable, but there are a few surprises which keep the reader on their toes.

Layla is such a fun character. Her character arc in the series is well written. In the first book she acts pretty childish at times and is annoying but she gradually grows into a more likeable character over the course of the books.  She struggles a lot with her identity because she is half warden half demon so she feels like she can't really be one or the other. Her dealing with that, especially her demon side and soul addiction, is super interesting to read about. 

Of course it's not a Jennifer L. Armentrout book without a good romance, and The Dark Elements has a pretty interesting love triangle. Firstly there is Roth, who has that typical bad boy misunderstood feeling. He is so snarky and sassy. His banter with Layla was hilarious. He reminded me of Daemon Black from The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I was team Roth from book 1! On the other side of the triangle is Zayne- I liked him but didn't ship it. He felt to big brotherly for me to really get behind any romantic relationship between him and Layla.

The side characters are all so much fun. Layla's best friends Stacy and Sam were a bigpart of the story which I liked because usually mortal friends in these kinds of books are abandoned pretty early on. Another side character that I love is Bambi- I really liked her in the first book but grew to love her so much over the course of the series.

Overall, The Dark Elements Trilogy is such a fun fast paced read and I'd highly recommend it!

My Ratings: 
White Hot Kiss: 4
Stone Cold Touch: 4
Every Last Breath: 4

Thanks for reading,
A:)


Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Inherited by Freedom Matthews

Series: Curses of VIII,#1

Publications:July 12th 2016 by Oftomes Publishing

Goodreads description:
If saying 'I love you' meant death, would you still say it?

The Wilted Rose, of faery-tale and folklore, is a pirate ship filled with unfortunate souls-each forbidden to love. One such soul is Valencia 'Lennie' Roux. Raised in a brothel and an heir to a curse; Lennie never expected to pique the interest of any man. Yet with the arrival of vivid-eyed Nathaniel, she is torn between wanting to know him better and fearing what that knowledge would mean.

With Nathaniel bringing the crew's total to six, the Wilted Rose sets off in search of the remaining two heirs. They hope that in reuniting, they will convince the faery Sorceress responsible for the curse, to end it. However lurking beneath the water is a long standing enemy of the Wilted Rose; who is determined to thwart their quest and bring down its leaders.

Together the eight heirs fight for survival, friendship and love.

My thoughts:
Unfortunately I didn't love Inherited like I thought I would. I had a lot of problems with it and it just wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be this epic quest of pirates fighting fantastical creatures while looking for the two lost heirs but it wasn't so I was kind of disappointed.

The author created a lovely whimsical tone and atmosphere in the first few chapter while introducing the characters and the boat but I felt like this whimsical tone got lost as the story went on.

I think one of the strong points in Inherited is Lennie's character development. She definitely goes through a lot of growth in the story and I think it was portrayed very well. Unfortunately I didn't feel connected in anyway to Lennie. Her character is built up to be this tough girl who has suffered terrible hardships, which is true, but I felt like these hardships were used to define her. Even after spending 500+ pages in her head I still feel like I know very little about her.

I really liked reading about Lennie's different friendships with the other crew members, in particular her relationships with Claudette and Butch. I felt like these where the two characters/relationships that were developed the most.

The plot was engaging at times and boring at others. At some parts it felt like too much was happening and at other times it felt like nothing was happening that was relevant to the what I thought was the whole point of the story which was getting rid of the curse. The pacing was a bit all over the place to be honest.

I thought the antagonist of Hadnaloy could have been developed a lot more. I felt like she wasn't built up to be that threatening in my eyes.

Lennie and Nathaniel's relationship is definitely a big part of the story. Unfortunately I wasn't the biggest fan of it. It was too insta- lovey for my liking but if you don't mind insta-love than this aspect of the novel wouldn't bother you.

Sometime I thought the dialogue wasn't great. The only I can think to describe it is choppy. It didn't flowing right and sounded a bit unnatural to me. Every time I picked up the book it would take a few pages for this to stop bothering me.

I think the world was very underdeveloped. I have a lot of questions about it that were never answered. It's built up to be a fantasy world with curses and witches and faeries. We are on a magical boat and we visit magical forests and then smack bang in the middle there's a section of the book that takes place in England. It's was kind of jarring to me to have a real place in the midst of what I previously thought was a fantasy setting.

It sounds like I didn't like this book but I did. I guess my expectations where just too high. I wouldn't not recommend this book to people because I can see why some people who love it but I just wasn't for me.

My rating: 2.5

Thank you to Oftomes Publishing for sending me an eARC of Inherited in exchange for a review. As always all opinion are my own!

Thanks for reading,
A :)
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Series:The Witchlands, #1

Publication: January 5th 2016 by Tor Teen

GoodReads description:
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.

My spoiler free thoughts:
I really really enjoyed Truthwitch. It was a fantastic start to what I can already tell is going to be an epic series!

Lets start with talking about the character because they were all so complex and interesting and badass and just overall amazing!

Safi, is a truthwitch so she can tell when someone is telling the truth or when they're lying. She's kind of like a human lie detector. I thought her magic was so interesting; I've never read anything like it. She definitely more reckless/impulsive than her threadsister (AKA best friend), Iseult. But I loved her all the same, she is such a fierce vibrant character.

Iseult has an even more interesting power. As a threadwitch her magic allows her to see thread that bind people together. So she can see threads of love, friendship, grief etc. kind of like a mood detector. She's a lot more complex than Safi, and that's what makes her so interesting. She tries to hide her emotions and she thinks before she acts.

Safi is probably my favourite character but Merik might end up stealing that title from her. He's such a complex character and I loved watching his personality unfold as the story went on. His character development was well paced. And lets face it I'm a sucker for a handsome prince in any story.

I loved how there was a major focus on friendship. Romances can be fun and all but it's friendship that I always enjoy reading most. Iseult and Safi's friendship obviously takes centre stage but I really liked seeing Merik and his threadbrother, Kullen's relationship too. Safi and Iseult are a kickass pair who are seriously #FriendshipGoals. Their love for each other was so touching to read. These two girls would do anything for each other, they protect and look out for each other in every way possible. It's the kind of friendship everyone wants/hopes to have in their life. I think theirs will grow to be one of my favourite fictional relationships with more books. We need more friendships as strong as Safi and Iseult's in YA.

There was a hint of romance and I like that it didn't overwhelm the readers, the main focus is always friendship. That being said I liked the little bit of romance we did get. No insta-love here which is great! And no love triangle! I felt like Dennard developed the relationship at the perfect pace, it felt genuine and real (well as real as it can be in a fantasy world).  I'm not telling you who the romance is between- you'll have to read the book to find out!

The plot was strong. It held my attention and had a mix of slow and fast paced moments. I didn't mind the slower parts because I felt like that was the time we really got to know the characters. And obviously I loved the fast paced action sequences scattered throughout the story. These two girls definitely know how to fight and win.

My only problem with the book was world and magic system were confusing for the first 50-100 pages so be patient if your struggling because it does click into place eventually. There is just so many different types of witches it can be confusing. I think it would be handy if there was a list at the back of the book of all the types of witches and their power.

The book ended with a nice setup for book 2. I'm excited to see where this series goes. And I know for a fact I'll be picking up the next book as soon a it's released. I might even reread this one before,I liked it so much!

I can't wait to pick up more by Susan Dennard- I think I'll give her Something Strange and Deadly series a go later this year!

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars