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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
3.5/5 I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I really enjoyed it. Something about the protagonist bugged me though
I was intrigued by this, witch hunters? sign me up.
As the story began, I felt that writing could have been improved. There is alot that isn't said at the beginning so the reader has to guess which isn't very good. I am not sure if the time period and setting is real like the middle ages or made up. Elizabeth is an okay character, crazy brave but a rather confusing. I think the romance between John and her is sweet. It is nice to see a male in a role other than fighter. Storyline was interesting but could have been better. Overall, quite a pleasing read.
As the story began, I felt that writing could have been improved. There is alot that isn't said at the beginning so the reader has to guess which isn't very good. I am not sure if the time period and setting is real like the middle ages or made up. Elizabeth is an okay character, crazy brave but a rather confusing. I think the romance between John and her is sweet. It is nice to see a male in a role other than fighter. Storyline was interesting but could have been better. Overall, quite a pleasing read.
Just got this as a Read Now on Netgalley... I hope it's good!
~*~*~*
Ohhh, I liked this.
Now, just as an aside, I do wish that publishers would stop with the book comparisons! This book is nothing like GoT, and the comparison is honestly kind of weird. I understand why the comparisons are made, but I still wish that it wasn't so common.
I quite liked how this book went against my expectations. There are moments in this book where you expect the usual tropes to appear and annoy you, but the author seems to have mostly resisted them, which I quite liked.
Elizabeth is strong, stubborn, quick-thinking, with a strong sense of right and wrong. This book is very much about all of that getting up-ended and the fallout of that, with some adventure, magic, pirates, witches and spells along the way.
In case I haven't made it clear, this was a lot of fun to read.
I really enjoyed the world-building in this. The book is set in our past, but an alternate one - a universe where there actually is magic in the 1500's, and we meet a society dealing with trying to stamp that very magic out. It's recognizable as 'our world with a twist', but it's also very unique - I really enjoyed the little touches that the author has brought in as she's built this world, and carved out places for each character and how they fit into that world.
The plot flags for a bit in the middle, but overall it was an enjoyable ride. It's as much about self-discovery and choices for Elizabeth as it is about anything else, but that doesn't mean that we're stuck in her head as she daydreams about it - there's a lot of action, and we meet an interesting cast of characters along the way without getting bogged down, either.
The book does stumble a bit when it comes to coherency, however. We're told that Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters alive, yet we see very little of this. We learn her background in bits and pieces throughout the book, and while I'm guessing that that was in an effort to avoid an 'infodump', unfortunately the execution is lacking a bit. There are also a few things that I'm still not entirely clear on - whether that's due to poor reading on my part or whether it legitimately wasn't explained, I'm not sure.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. The romance is sweet, not overly in-your-face the way so many YA books are lately, and I like that the characters seem real, and there are consequences for Elizabeth's past actions and decisions. I'm pretty sure I'll be checking out the sequel when it comes out!
~*~*~*
Ohhh, I liked this.
Now, just as an aside, I do wish that publishers would stop with the book comparisons! This book is nothing like GoT, and the comparison is honestly kind of weird. I understand why the comparisons are made, but I still wish that it wasn't so common.
I quite liked how this book went against my expectations. There are moments in this book where you expect the usual tropes to appear and annoy you, but the author seems to have mostly resisted them, which I quite liked.
Elizabeth is strong, stubborn, quick-thinking, with a strong sense of right and wrong. This book is very much about all of that getting up-ended and the fallout of that, with some adventure, magic, pirates, witches and spells along the way.
In case I haven't made it clear, this was a lot of fun to read.
I really enjoyed the world-building in this. The book is set in our past, but an alternate one - a universe where there actually is magic in the 1500's, and we meet a society dealing with trying to stamp that very magic out. It's recognizable as 'our world with a twist', but it's also very unique - I really enjoyed the little touches that the author has brought in as she's built this world, and carved out places for each character and how they fit into that world.
The plot flags for a bit in the middle, but overall it was an enjoyable ride. It's as much about self-discovery and choices for Elizabeth as it is about anything else, but that doesn't mean that we're stuck in her head as she daydreams about it - there's a lot of action, and we meet an interesting cast of characters along the way without getting bogged down, either.
The book does stumble a bit when it comes to coherency, however. We're told that Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters alive, yet we see very little of this. We learn her background in bits and pieces throughout the book, and while I'm guessing that that was in an effort to avoid an 'infodump', unfortunately the execution is lacking a bit. There are also a few things that I'm still not entirely clear on - whether that's due to poor reading on my part or whether it legitimately wasn't explained, I'm not sure.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this. The romance is sweet, not overly in-your-face the way so many YA books are lately, and I like that the characters seem real, and there are consequences for Elizabeth's past actions and decisions. I'm pretty sure I'll be checking out the sequel when it comes out!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I DNFed this. I just... It's been sitting on my shelf since August when I started it. I never picked it back up.
The concept was so awesome but.. I just can't get behind the main character. Maybe in another time I'll try again...
The concept was so awesome but.. I just can't get behind the main character. Maybe in another time I'll try again...
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.
In the kingdom of Anglia magic is illegal. And in this time of swords and sorcery they don't hand out citations, they burn you at the stake. The king's uncle, Lord Blackwell has a team of witch hunters that are specially trained to find and capture anyone who uses magic. Elizabeth Grey is the only female in the group of hunters. When she is accused of witchcraft herself and sentenced to be burned, she is rescued by public enemy number 1, Nicholas, the magical counselor of the former king. When a plague killed the king and half the population, it was said that Nicholas had used his magic to start the plague because he hoped to take over the throne. So why would he bother to rescue a witch hunter from prison and death? As Elizabeth recovers from her imprisonment, she learns that the magic users aren't what she has been told. When the time comes, will she choose her old companions or the new ones who have saved her life?
If you look for stories with an historical feel - the swords and kings and peasants living in thatched huts - then the setting of this book is perfect for you. If you like stories where the protagonist goes through a shift in their world view and realizes they have been lied to about major events and their causes, then this is a book for you. If you want a strong female character who can survive tragedy and betrayal and rebuild her life, then...well, you know, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Anyone who enjoys books that mix a period feel with the fantasy element of magic will find plenty that appeals to them in The Witch Hunter. From the tavern scenes, to the sumptuous gowns worn by the noblewomen, to the descriptions of the foods and the cottages, you will be pulled into a place and time very different from our own. The character of Elizabeth reminds me of Alexa in Sara Larsen's Defy. They both have been trained to serve the rulers of their lands, and they both discover that there are hidden plots and outright lies about the past that the leaders will do anything to protect.
Highly recommended for YA readers of historical fantasy. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
If you look for stories with an historical feel - the swords and kings and peasants living in thatched huts - then the setting of this book is perfect for you. If you like stories where the protagonist goes through a shift in their world view and realizes they have been lied to about major events and their causes, then this is a book for you. If you want a strong female character who can survive tragedy and betrayal and rebuild her life, then...well, you know, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Anyone who enjoys books that mix a period feel with the fantasy element of magic will find plenty that appeals to them in The Witch Hunter. From the tavern scenes, to the sumptuous gowns worn by the noblewomen, to the descriptions of the foods and the cottages, you will be pulled into a place and time very different from our own. The character of Elizabeth reminds me of Alexa in Sara Larsen's Defy. They both have been trained to serve the rulers of their lands, and they both discover that there are hidden plots and outright lies about the past that the leaders will do anything to protect.
Highly recommended for YA readers of historical fantasy. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very predictable story. Not much of it was original, lots of deja vu, I've read this before! But a decent read, liked it enough to read the next one.