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 (Via Goodreads.com).
Pages: 462
Release Date: February 12th, 2019
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review:
Bloodwitch was my most anticipated release of this year. I fell in love with the Witchlands series after reading the first novel, Truthwitch, in 2016. I was a part of the original Street Team and it made the experience of the series even better. The series follows two best friends, Safi and Iseult, in a world that features a population of witches who control various elements. In Truthwitch, they attempt a daring heist that goes extremely wrong and complications ensue.
One of the best parts of the series is the large cast of characters. In Truthwitch, we meet Safi, Iseult, Merik, and Aeduan, the four main characters. Other various side characters are introduced and slowly become more ingrained in the series. All of the books have chapters that alternate in various character's perspectives. Bloodwitch had about six different narrators, with some characters taking more stage time than others. Although each character has a strong presence and distinct voice, in previous novels of the series I found the changing of narrations annoying at times because I cared about certain characters more than others. I would frequently skip ahead and read the next chapter of the character I wanted to read about because of the suspense from the previous chapter. I, however, did not do that at all in Bloodwitch. The plots and characterizations Susan has been working on in the two main novels and the novella, Sightwitch, combined beautifully and engaged me in all the characters. While I still had my favorites *cough* Iseult and Aeduan *cough*, I enjoyed the story lines of all the characters.
I cannot emphasize how amazing the characters of the Witchlands are. They are all so precious and I want to be their best friend. I loved them all prior to Bloodwitch, however, they truly shined in Bloodwitch. Their continuation of their character arcs were fantastic and it is amazing to see how much they have grown since the first novel. I can only imagine the remainder of the story arcs.
I was absolutely amazed by some of the plot twists that were revealed in Bloodwitch. While I began to expect a few of them, they were fantastically crafted and I loved every turn the novel took. I am interested to see where the series will continue to go, there are a lot of different paths to be taken and I am interested to see where Susan takes the series. I am relatively okay with where the characters were left, but I am extremely excited to see where their journey continues in the next novel, which will be following Iseult.
While I love the entire series, Bloodwitch is my favorite of the series so far. I loved the development of the characters and the journey they all took within Bloodwitch. The series is absolutely amazing, I highly recommend checking it out whether you are a fantasy lover or not. The series is truly one of my favorites. If you do start the series, however, please read the novella, Sightwitch, between Windwitch and Bloodwitch. It is important for some of the reveals of Bloodwitch and fits best in the series there. The characters, plot, writing, and world-building of the entire series is fantastic, Susan Dennard is a world-class writer. I am extremely excited for the series to continue and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
When I was younger, I used to be very invested in novels that took place in medieval/ fantasy settings. I always loved being able to experience the world of magic through literature as it has allowed me to feel as if I existed in these fantasy worlds. I have never read this series before, however, it has peaked my interest so I think I will look into it.
ReplyDeleteHi, Casey!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this review! I hadn't heard of Bloodwitch or the Witchlands series prior to reading this, but now I wish I had! They seem like super interesting stories, and their author, Susan Dennard, seems like she really knows how to captivate an audience. I look forward to checking these out!
Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing!
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