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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
2.5 stars
Okay so I know this rating looks bad but honestly this was not a bad book. I enjoyed the story a lot but had some issues with some plot and world building stuff that I couldn't see past. Which I had made a note in my phone of those issues and now can't find it so I will be doing my best to remember said issues so that I can express why I gave it such a low rating (which is very unlike me).
Okay my BIGGEST issue with this whole book which really was a tiny part but bothered me so much was this weird brush off of what was going on between Elizabeth and the King. It is pretty heavily implied but never explicitly stated that the King was forcing Elizabeth to have sex with him????? Like I don't know if it had happened already or if it was going to happen soon but the fact of the matter is is the fact that the king wanted to force her into sex is really what propelled the beginning of this plot? Because that's why she had the witch's herbs on her that got her accused of witch craft. But it's just like never fully addressed? And I think that was absolutely terrible that not one character ever directly said "the king should pay for what they have done"
Like there is a part near the end of the book where Elizabeth says: "I don't like Malcolm (the King); he took a part of me I can never get back... I don't want to see them die." Excuse me why tf not???? Like that is literally the extent of this is addressed and I could not get over that no matter how hard I tried.
Another issue I had; why are the Witch Hunters considered to be so dangerous? Like it has said so many times that they're dangerous but the only thing that makes them seem dangerous is there healing ability? I mean they talk all the time about their great fighting skills but I didn't really get to see much of that. Like all the combat in the book is very brushed over and rushed. Like they fight giant creatures but it's over in like 2 seconds and I wanted so much more of that.
There were so many issues with the climax in my opinion. It felt too hard like they were trying to make it "what's real and what's not?" But it didn't really work for me and nothing felt like it was being pulled off correctly. Like the idea was there but the execution was not.
Where did Schuyler go after the rock exploded? Him not being there afterwards made no sense and his disappearance felt like it was only used to make it seem like it wasn't real but it only made me confused.
And John???? There's no way that was the appropriate time to confess you're love. Like straight up why.
Why the rain off rain on thing. I feel like the author was trying to make a dramatic scene but it just didn't make any sense.
I know that was a lot of ranting and that made it seem like a bad book but I'm really not trying to put people off of it because I did enjoy it but man were there some issues. There were more but I lost the note in my phone so this was the best I could do haha
I own the second book and I'll probably read it but if I didn't already own it I can't say I would work too hard at getting it.
Okay so I know this rating looks bad but honestly this was not a bad book. I enjoyed the story a lot but had some issues with some plot and world building stuff that I couldn't see past. Which I had made a note in my phone of those issues and now can't find it so I will be doing my best to remember said issues so that I can express why I gave it such a low rating (which is very unlike me).
Okay my BIGGEST issue with this whole book which really was a tiny part but bothered me so much was this weird brush off of what was going on between Elizabeth and the King. It is pretty heavily implied but never explicitly stated that the King was forcing Elizabeth to have sex with him????? Like I don't know if it had happened already or if it was going to happen soon but the fact of the matter is is the fact that the king wanted to force her into sex is really what propelled the beginning of this plot? Because that's why she had the witch's herbs on her that got her accused of witch craft. But it's just like never fully addressed? And I think that was absolutely terrible that not one character ever directly said "the king should pay for what they have done"
Like there is a part near the end of the book where Elizabeth says: "I don't like Malcolm (the King); he took a part of me I can never get back... I don't want to see them die." Excuse me why tf not???? Like that is literally the extent of this is addressed and I could not get over that no matter how hard I tried.
Another issue I had; why are the Witch Hunters considered to be so dangerous? Like it has said so many times that they're dangerous but the only thing that makes them seem dangerous is there healing ability? I mean they talk all the time about their great fighting skills but I didn't really get to see much of that. Like all the combat in the book is very brushed over and rushed. Like they fight giant creatures but it's over in like 2 seconds and I wanted so much more of that.
There were so many issues with the climax in my opinion. It felt too hard like they were trying to make it "what's real and what's not?" But it didn't really work for me and nothing felt like it was being pulled off correctly. Like the idea was there but the execution was not.
Where did Schuyler go after the rock exploded? Him not being there afterwards made no sense and his disappearance felt like it was only used to make it seem like it wasn't real but it only made me confused.
And John???? There's no way that was the appropriate time to confess you're love. Like straight up why.
Why the rain off rain on thing. I feel like the author was trying to make a dramatic scene but it just didn't make any sense.
I know that was a lot of ranting and that made it seem like a bad book but I'm really not trying to put people off of it because I did enjoy it but man were there some issues. There were more but I lost the note in my phone so this was the best I could do haha
I own the second book and I'll probably read it but if I didn't already own it I can't say I would work too hard at getting it.
I received this book from Little, Brown and Company via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I admit it. I'm a fantasy junkie, and this falls somewhere between fantasy and supernatural. Magic is illegal in Anglia, and Elizabeth Grey is a witch hunter along with her best friend and would-be love Caleb. But when she is caught with a pocket of herbs (a sign of a witch), she is framed as a witch and sentenced to death. She is rescued by the most wanted wizard in Anglia, Nicholas Perevil. He doesn't know she's a witch hunter; he thinks she's a witch, and a seer has told him she is the only one who can help him - he's been cursed and close to death.
Can Nicholas and his band of Reformists (all users or supporters of magic) trust Elizabeth? Can she figure out the seer's riddle of a prophecy in time to save Nicholas? What about Caleb, who has now been named Inquisitor? John, the healer, who would hate her if he knew she had been a witch hunter? And could it be that the head of the witch hunters, the former Inquisitor, Blackwell, possesses magic that he has kept hidden from those who would stamp it out?
The pacing was good, the characters engaging. Again, I'm a fan of the genre(s). I don't know about the billing that it is Game of Thrones-ish, but I will be happy to recommend this book to my high schoolers and know that it will find readers. This is the first book in a new series; hopefully subsequent books will follow quickly.
I admit it. I'm a fantasy junkie, and this falls somewhere between fantasy and supernatural. Magic is illegal in Anglia, and Elizabeth Grey is a witch hunter along with her best friend and would-be love Caleb. But when she is caught with a pocket of herbs (a sign of a witch), she is framed as a witch and sentenced to death. She is rescued by the most wanted wizard in Anglia, Nicholas Perevil. He doesn't know she's a witch hunter; he thinks she's a witch, and a seer has told him she is the only one who can help him - he's been cursed and close to death.
Can Nicholas and his band of Reformists (all users or supporters of magic) trust Elizabeth? Can she figure out the seer's riddle of a prophecy in time to save Nicholas? What about Caleb, who has now been named Inquisitor? John, the healer, who would hate her if he knew she had been a witch hunter? And could it be that the head of the witch hunters, the former Inquisitor, Blackwell, possesses magic that he has kept hidden from those who would stamp it out?
The pacing was good, the characters engaging. Again, I'm a fan of the genre(s). I don't know about the billing that it is Game of Thrones-ish, but I will be happy to recommend this book to my high schoolers and know that it will find readers. This is the first book in a new series; hopefully subsequent books will follow quickly.
I’ve had my doubts about this book. For me, there is nothing else in the world that reeks of fantasy other than witchcraft and wizardry. And between you and me, fantasy has always been an aggravating genre that doesn’t seem to agree with me.
This book was a surprisingly enjoyable take on the witchcraft in the 15th century. It follows the story of one Elizabeth Grey; a sixteen-year-old witch hunter who suddenly finds herself accused of witchcraft. Before her punishment was doled out (most likely she’s to be burned at the stake), she was saved by an unlikely ally. The most wanted Nicholas Perevil.
I naturally assumed there was to be a romance between Nicholas and Elizabeth. But before long, I knew that I was wrong. The book, thankfully, was more than about romance between two enemies. And certainly, not about that at all. It’s Elizabeth’s journey to discover the truth; to uncover the lies she’s been fed in her years of service to Blackwell. It was to mete out justice for the witches that have died senselessly and without cause. And how she got from being a witch hunter to their saviour is an interesting component of the plot.
In truth, she was hard to take at first. For someone who was supposed to be a prodigy and good at what she does, she kept bumbling and making stupid mistakes. As a result, her childhood friend, Caleb kept covering for her. But she more than made up for it towards the end. She found the courage to do what the prophecy foretold and found herself on the right side of justice for once.
The romance worried me for a time or two. A love triangle was brewing in no less than a few chapters. She’s been in love with Caleb through her adolescent years, but meeting somebody else in Nicholas’ camp opened her eyes to her true feelings towards Caleb. I really hope that the second book will not open this can of worms, but I have a feeling Caleb will be back and Elizabeth will put me through the rigamarole of waffling between the two. If that happens, I’ll be jumping ship faster than you can say boo.
Virginia Boecker effectively captured the right atmosphere of the novel. It’s dark, sinister and more often, hopeless. The world was well evolved, efficiently described, and easily imagined. There are a few characters here whose back stories intrigued me. Hopefully, they’ll get more billing in the second book.
This book was a surprisingly enjoyable take on the witchcraft in the 15th century. It follows the story of one Elizabeth Grey; a sixteen-year-old witch hunter who suddenly finds herself accused of witchcraft. Before her punishment was doled out (most likely she’s to be burned at the stake), she was saved by an unlikely ally. The most wanted Nicholas Perevil.
I naturally assumed there was to be a romance between Nicholas and Elizabeth. But before long, I knew that I was wrong. The book, thankfully, was more than about romance between two enemies. And certainly, not about that at all. It’s Elizabeth’s journey to discover the truth; to uncover the lies she’s been fed in her years of service to Blackwell. It was to mete out justice for the witches that have died senselessly and without cause. And how she got from being a witch hunter to their saviour is an interesting component of the plot.
In truth, she was hard to take at first. For someone who was supposed to be a prodigy and good at what she does, she kept bumbling and making stupid mistakes. As a result, her childhood friend, Caleb kept covering for her. But she more than made up for it towards the end. She found the courage to do what the prophecy foretold and found herself on the right side of justice for once.
The romance worried me for a time or two. A love triangle was brewing in no less than a few chapters. She’s been in love with Caleb through her adolescent years, but meeting somebody else in Nicholas’ camp opened her eyes to her true feelings towards Caleb. I really hope that the second book will not open this can of worms, but I have a feeling Caleb will be back and Elizabeth will put me through the rigamarole of waffling between the two. If that happens, I’ll be jumping ship faster than you can say boo.
Virginia Boecker effectively captured the right atmosphere of the novel. It’s dark, sinister and more often, hopeless. The world was well evolved, efficiently described, and easily imagined. There are a few characters here whose back stories intrigued me. Hopefully, they’ll get more billing in the second book.
Most of the reviews I’ve read people either love this book or hate it. I’m somewhere in the middle. (Leave it to me to be the oddball) There wasn’t anything I thought was bad, but I there wasn’t anything great either.
Witch Hunter starts out pretty much a downer and nothing really grabbed me at first. But it was fast paced so I wasn’t bored. Elizabeth is a fine main character. She’s stubborn and strong, but she’s obviously been brainwashed by the inquisitor, Blackwell.
Things picked up once we met the wizards and witches. They were funny and had great potential. From a pirate to a court jester, they were certainly colorful. Normally I love the whole secret identity thing, but not enough was really done with it.
I was afraid of a love triangle, but there wasn’t one! The romance wasn’t too fast and the guy was sweet, but there wasn’t any swooning or giggles on my part. (And you know how much I like forbidden romance!)
Everything was described in detail in this middle ages like world. I wanted to know more about the magical creatures though. Along with ghosts, and ghouls there’s something called a revenant and they can read your mind after they’ve touched you. The magic had a couple of interesting aspects too, like storing magic in knots.
The story wrapped up, but it’s obviously a series. There’s plenty of fighting left for next time.
After giving it a lot of thought I've come to the conclusion that I just wasn't emotionally invested in Elizabeth. She had feelings, but she seemed emotionally numb. That's probably why even though this book had all of the things I usually love (Even a cool prophecy riddle!) I didn't love it.
Point of View: First present (Elizabeth)
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Warnings: Rape. (Only mentioned, and took place before the start of the story.)
My Summary:
After a magical plagued whipped out much of the kingdom, including the king and queen, all witchcraft was made illegal. The punishment, death at the stake.
Elizabeth is one of the elite Witch Hunters, tracking down and capturing dangerous witches and Wizards. After she’s accused of witch craft and sentenced to die, she’s saved by the most infamous wizard in the country, Nicolas, the leader of the reformists.
A seer saw that Elizabeth was the one to help the reformists, but they don’t realize she’s a witch hunter. She knows it they do, they’ll kill her.
Witch Hunter starts out pretty much a downer and nothing really grabbed me at first. But it was fast paced so I wasn’t bored. Elizabeth is a fine main character. She’s stubborn and strong, but she’s obviously been brainwashed by the inquisitor, Blackwell.
Things picked up once we met the wizards and witches. They were funny and had great potential. From a pirate to a court jester, they were certainly colorful. Normally I love the whole secret identity thing, but not enough was really done with it.
I was afraid of a love triangle, but there wasn’t one! The romance wasn’t too fast and the guy was sweet, but there wasn’t any swooning or giggles on my part. (And you know how much I like forbidden romance!)
Everything was described in detail in this middle ages like world. I wanted to know more about the magical creatures though. Along with ghosts, and ghouls there’s something called a revenant and they can read your mind after they’ve touched you. The magic had a couple of interesting aspects too, like storing magic in knots.
The story wrapped up, but it’s obviously a series. There’s plenty of fighting left for next time.
After giving it a lot of thought I've come to the conclusion that I just wasn't emotionally invested in Elizabeth. She had feelings, but she seemed emotionally numb. That's probably why even though this book had all of the things I usually love (Even a cool prophecy riddle!) I didn't love it.
Point of View: First present (Elizabeth)
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Warnings: Rape. (Only mentioned, and took place before the start of the story.)
My Summary:
After a magical plagued whipped out much of the kingdom, including the king and queen, all witchcraft was made illegal. The punishment, death at the stake.
Elizabeth is one of the elite Witch Hunters, tracking down and capturing dangerous witches and Wizards. After she’s accused of witch craft and sentenced to die, she’s saved by the most infamous wizard in the country, Nicolas, the leader of the reformists.
A seer saw that Elizabeth was the one to help the reformists, but they don’t realize she’s a witch hunter. She knows it they do, they’ll kill her.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
When Elizabeth is falsely accused of witchcraft, thrown into prison, and sentenced to death, she finds herself on the other side of the status quo. As a witch hunter, it is usually Elizabeth who is responsible for the discovery of a witch or wizard and their subsequent capture. Now that her life is in the balance she must rely on the only one available to give her help: who also happens to be the most sought-after wizard in the country for his rebellion against the anti-witchcraft laws.
A prophecy is told, a quest must be undertaken, and the result of this book was something that I found to be fun, fast-paced, and easy to follow. The Witch Hunter is by no means at the Game of Thrones level mentioned by the marketing department, but it is something with its own charm that is sure to appeal to certain readers. I believe what made this book work for me is that I liked the deciphering of the prophecy, and revelations about a prominent character, and how the line between good and evil has been established at the onset of what is sure to be war.
If you are interested in a YA book with a fantasy-lite tone, then I would recommend this one. There is magic, adventure, and even some romance, although I will admit the later was weakly established, making me thankful it serves no headlining role in the story.
When Elizabeth is falsely accused of witchcraft, thrown into prison, and sentenced to death, she finds herself on the other side of the status quo. As a witch hunter, it is usually Elizabeth who is responsible for the discovery of a witch or wizard and their subsequent capture. Now that her life is in the balance she must rely on the only one available to give her help: who also happens to be the most sought-after wizard in the country for his rebellion against the anti-witchcraft laws.
A prophecy is told, a quest must be undertaken, and the result of this book was something that I found to be fun, fast-paced, and easy to follow. The Witch Hunter is by no means at the Game of Thrones level mentioned by the marketing department, but it is something with its own charm that is sure to appeal to certain readers. I believe what made this book work for me is that I liked the deciphering of the prophecy, and revelations about a prominent character, and how the line between good and evil has been established at the onset of what is sure to be war.
If you are interested in a YA book with a fantasy-lite tone, then I would recommend this one. There is magic, adventure, and even some romance, although I will admit the later was weakly established, making me thankful it serves no headlining role in the story.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Book #30 Read in 2015
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker (YA)
This was a good paranormal, young adult book. Elizabeth is a witch hunter...which is exactly as it sounds. She is then found with witch's herbs in her possession and jailed as a witch. Nicholas, a famous wizard, rescues her in the hopes that she will be able to fulfill a prophecy that might save his life. Will she? This book was a good, quick read. It had elements of suspense, humor and romance. I enjoyed it. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker (YA)
This was a good paranormal, young adult book. Elizabeth is a witch hunter...which is exactly as it sounds. She is then found with witch's herbs in her possession and jailed as a witch. Nicholas, a famous wizard, rescues her in the hopes that she will be able to fulfill a prophecy that might save his life. Will she? This book was a good, quick read. It had elements of suspense, humor and romance. I enjoyed it. I received a copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for a honest review.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Mich hat Witch Hunter vor allem durch den Klappentext interessiert. Eine Hexenjägerin, die als Hexe angeklagt und dann von einem Magier befreit wird, der sie darum bittet, sich ihm und seinen Gefährten anzuschließen? Das klang vielversprechend und ich war besonders auf alle magischen Inhalte gespannt.
Die Handlung spielt übrigens im Mittelalter, davon merkt man - bis auf die Hexenverbrennungen und dem Nichtvorhandensein von Elektronikgeräten, etc. - nur wenig.
Elizabeth ist eine taffe Protagonistin, die kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt und auch oft dumme Sprüche klopft. Sie ist, zusammen mit ihrem besten Freund Caleb, eine der besten Hexenjäger. Auf den ersten Seiten wird bereits eröffnet, dass Elizabeth schon seit ihrer Kindheit in Caleb verliebt ist.
Und dass ist auch schon der erste Punkt, der mich im Verlauf der Handlung gestört hat: die ständige Schwärmerei. Selbst als sich Caleb alles andere als wie ein Freund verhält, entschuldigt Elizabeth sein Verhalten und bleibt ihm immer noch treu. Als sich typischerweise auch noch ein Liebesdreieck entwickelt, hat mich Elizabeth einfach nur noch aufgeregt. Obwohl sie einen starken Charakter widerspiegeln soll, stellt sie sich immer wieder in Abhängigkeit der männlichen Charaktere.
Nachdem sie von Nicholas Perevil gerettet - oder, wie Elizabeth es nennt, entführt - wurde, bleibt sie misstrauisch und stur den Zauberern und Hexen gegenüber. Auch wenn dies zunächst nachvollziebar erscheint erstreckt sich dieses Verhalten über einen unglaublich langen Zeitraum, auch nachdem Perevil alles erklärt hat und es für Elizabeth keinen Grund (mehr) gibt, misstrauisch zu sein und gegen ihn zu arbeiten.
Die Nebencharaktere haben mir im Großen und Ganzen gefallen, auch wenn einige von ihnen nervig waren und alle etwas klischeehaft dargestellt wurden. Mir war Nicholas Perevil sehr sympathisch und die ganzen magischen Sachen waren interessant.
Die Spannung, die noch zu Beginn herrschte, ebbte ab. Die Autorin bemühte sich allerdings die Handlung in einen gewissen Tempo voran zu bringen. Am Ende fehlte es an Erklärungen und vieles war doch recht vorhersehbar.
Fazit
Witch Hunter ist eins dieser Bücher, bei denen mich Charaktere und deren Drama untereinander so gestört haben, dass ich das Buch nicht genießen konnte. Allgemein bleiben einige Handlungslücken, wenige Überraschungen und blasse Charaktere.
Wer allerdings Liebesdreiecke mag und sich mit den Charakteren anfreunden kann, der wird auch Gefallen an diesem Buch finden.
Die Handlung spielt übrigens im Mittelalter, davon merkt man - bis auf die Hexenverbrennungen und dem Nichtvorhandensein von Elektronikgeräten, etc. - nur wenig.
Elizabeth ist eine taffe Protagonistin, die kein Blatt vor den Mund nimmt und auch oft dumme Sprüche klopft. Sie ist, zusammen mit ihrem besten Freund Caleb, eine der besten Hexenjäger. Auf den ersten Seiten wird bereits eröffnet, dass Elizabeth schon seit ihrer Kindheit in Caleb verliebt ist.
Und dass ist auch schon der erste Punkt, der mich im Verlauf der Handlung gestört hat: die ständige Schwärmerei. Selbst als sich Caleb alles andere als wie ein Freund verhält, entschuldigt Elizabeth sein Verhalten und bleibt ihm immer noch treu. Als sich typischerweise auch noch ein Liebesdreieck entwickelt, hat mich Elizabeth einfach nur noch aufgeregt. Obwohl sie einen starken Charakter widerspiegeln soll, stellt sie sich immer wieder in Abhängigkeit der männlichen Charaktere.
Nachdem sie von Nicholas Perevil gerettet - oder, wie Elizabeth es nennt, entführt - wurde, bleibt sie misstrauisch und stur den Zauberern und Hexen gegenüber. Auch wenn dies zunächst nachvollziebar erscheint erstreckt sich dieses Verhalten über einen unglaublich langen Zeitraum, auch nachdem Perevil alles erklärt hat und es für Elizabeth keinen Grund (mehr) gibt, misstrauisch zu sein und gegen ihn zu arbeiten.
Die Nebencharaktere haben mir im Großen und Ganzen gefallen, auch wenn einige von ihnen nervig waren und alle etwas klischeehaft dargestellt wurden. Mir war Nicholas Perevil sehr sympathisch und die ganzen magischen Sachen waren interessant.
Die Spannung, die noch zu Beginn herrschte, ebbte ab. Die Autorin bemühte sich allerdings die Handlung in einen gewissen Tempo voran zu bringen. Am Ende fehlte es an Erklärungen und vieles war doch recht vorhersehbar.
Fazit
Witch Hunter ist eins dieser Bücher, bei denen mich Charaktere und deren Drama untereinander so gestört haben, dass ich das Buch nicht genießen konnte. Allgemein bleiben einige Handlungslücken, wenige Überraschungen und blasse Charaktere.
Wer allerdings Liebesdreiecke mag und sich mit den Charakteren anfreunden kann, der wird auch Gefallen an diesem Buch finden.
Quick listen. I liked it enough to check out the next book in the series. Enjoyed the narrator.