Sightwitch Review

prizepack2Did not expect this!

We delve a little bit deeper into the story of Ryber Fortiza. Ryber has spent her whole entire life in the Sightwitch Convent as a sister without sight, someone who hasn’t been called by the goddess to become a fully-fledged Sightwitch. She works herself hard and makes sure she abides by all the rules of the sisters in order to be called but one by one the sisters around her are called and she still isn’t. That is until one day more and more sisters are being called into the mountains of the goddess and they aren’t returning.  

I didn’t really know what to expect getting into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised with its direction. It goes so deep into the history of the Sightwitches and the flashbacks that occur really helped to strengthen the storyline further.

I love the fact that a minor character in the other books that I overlooked as unimportant could have such a rich and exciting backstory. I kind of wrote Ryber off in the previous books as just the girlfriend of Merik’s threadbrother. She was so insignificant to me that I even had to look her up because he name was familiar to me. Her arc throughout the course of the book was so well done! Being a devout sister who never broke the rules to become the last sister who delved deep into the mountain to save the rest of the Sightwitches, breaking all the rules in the process!

The addition of Kullen into the story was a nice touch for me. Again, he really didn’t leave a lasting impression on me in the last books and found myself having to reorient who he was in the series. Once I remembered who he was I was intrigued with how he managed to get himself into this situation. Why doesn’t he remember who he is whilst under the mountain and how important is he in the grand scheme of things?

I thought the pacing was perfect, it started off a little slow but you are fed enough information that you want to continue to read on. The history of the Sightwitches and how they have come to be was sooooo interesting to me especially learning about the Paladin’s and how they are the first of manifest the powers that are so common in the Witchlands now.

After the conclusion I just have so many questions that need answering! Did Kullen really cleave and die at the end of Truthwitch? Where did Ryber go after absconding from the ship? Is she going to save the Sightwitches from the cold embrace of the mountain? I need to know!!!

Because it was a novella though it was lacking a little oomph and left me with more questions than answers, but I was still entertained and enjoyed my experience whilst reading it!

⭐️4/5 I need to get to Bloodwitch ASAP!

Windwitch Review

windwitchI had to get straight back into this world after finishing Truthwitch in February and I wasn’t disappointed.

After an assassin blew up Prince Merik’s ship the world now believes him to be dead, yet somehow he survived but is now scarred and barely recognisable. The Bloodwitch is sent on a mission to find and capture Iseult, however she offers him a deal that he can’t seem to pass up. After their ship is attacked and shipwrecked Safi and the Empress find themselves alone in a land filled with pirates. They have to work together to keep hidden and try to stay alive.

I loved the multiple perspectives we get in this second book of the Witchlands series. It really helps to broaden the scope of the book and keeps me far more entertained. Also having all of these characters in different settings and circumstances add depth and complexity to the storyline. I was very much invested in all of the characters and they each play such a key role in the overall plot.
I loved that we get more of an insight to Vivia. We definitely only had a one-sided view of her from her brother’s perspective and I found myself intrigued by her. Merik paints her as quite an unlikeable person and to see the difference for ourselves was stark. She actually really does love her country and is passionate about feeding them, she just goes about it a different way than what her brother would like.

Merik’s arc was quite satisfying to read also. To see him hit rock bottom, having just lost his threadbrother and having his ship and crew blown apart and slowly picking himself back up and making a plan of action shows what an impressive character he is.

I’m still very much enjoying Iseult and Safi’s relationship, especially now that they are apart. I feel I can distinguish between them even more now and they are becoming more independent characters as opposed to being a pair all the time. I like seeing them function without the other which reaffirms how much they mean to each other.

The gradual additions of new characters into the storyline keeps the narrative new and fresh and has me engaged throughout. I am loving the Witchlands series so far, but I find I don’t love Windwitch as much as I loved Truthwitch but its still right up there and I’m hoping the next book in the series transcends them both!

⭐️4/5 stars Anticipation is building, I am invested!

Truthwitch Review

truthwitchI loved this!

Safiya is a Truthwitch and is able to discern truth from lies and Iseult is a Threadwitch, she is able to see the threads that are bound to everyone showing their emotions and bonds to those around them. Ever since Safiya saved Iseult’s life when they were children then have become bonded and will do anything to protect each other. Safiya’s powers are highly sought after, especially amongst the nobility in which she was born, so she has to keep it a secret or else she could be used as a political pawn. All they want is to live their own lives free of the war that is about to break out in the Witchlands.

It was a little hard to get into the book at the start as there are lot of facts and information and names thrown at you from the get go and it took me a minute to get established in the story. But after I found myself situated I was swept away into this world. I love the distinguishing characteristics between all of the witches and their different abilities and the varying levels of power and respect given. There are multiple storylines and POVs throughout the course of the book and it really kept me invested.

Iseult and Safiya are now among some of my favourite female protagonists. I love their companionship and loyalty that they share. You can really see the depth of their friendship and how much they mean to each other. They both value and complement each other perfectly in my opinion.

Safiya’s tenacity was soo entertaining to read. She really shone for me in this book and I love her single-mindedness in terms of Iseult’s safety and health. I also loved seeing her subtly evolve throughout the story as well. She realises some of her flaws and actively tries to adjust herself for the better.

Iseult’s backstory really captivated me as well. I found myself really engaging and empathising with her as she is quite ostracised from everyone because of where she comes from. She still holds her head high and really embraces herself, which made me like her even more!

I love that the story starts off pretty basic and continues to grow and become more convoluted and complex and the plot unfolds. We are introduced to a lot of different characters with different magical abilities with everyone really having their own political agenda’s and reasoning. It makes for a very fast paced and action packed story that I highly enjoyed!

⭐️4.5/5 slow start but a wild ending!

5 Fantasy Series I Want to Start in 2019

These are 5 series that I have had on my TBR for the longest time now and I definitely want to try to get to them this year. I love epic/high fantasy series that span multiple books and I think these books are everything that I love to read so I’m hoping I’m potentially finding some new all-time favourites!

The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima

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The Falling Kingdom Series by Morgan Rhodes

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The Witchlands Series by Susan Dennard

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The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks

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The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

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