Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - The Black Witch

NHIE understood why fantasy authors have this burning desire to replicate the Nazi regime and manage to do it terribly every. single time. Please leave writing about The Third Reich to the historians and the victims.

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koistyfishy's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is hauntingly beautiful…

I recently watched an interview with two authors and they touched on the topic about the main differences between writing for YA and writing for Adults and one aspect stuck with me that I absolutely loved. It stuck because to me it’s the quintessential line between the two and ultimately is the essence of this book and what makes this book so strong and striking to read.

The main aspect in YA is it’s about firsts: first kisses, first relationships and first experience. It’s also about taking those first major steps at finding who you are as a person as you live through these experiences.

There is a simple quote from this book that stands out to me in its simplicity as it reinforces this aspect of firsts and really emphasised how characters can change as they learn the about world for themselves…

“I’m sorry” I murder. “I’m sorry I was so ignorant…and wrong when I first came here”

I am not going to lie and say this was an easy book as there are moments in this book that are difficult to read. There were times I gasped out loud at outrage and had to put the book down for a moment to let the moments sink in. There were also times when I was incredibly angry at what I was reading… but I appreciate that the author did not shy away from describing atrocities or behaviour… so many authors ignore or don’t touch on it enough and knowing what we have in our own tainted history of the Holocaust and Apartheid and what horrendous acts occurred when racial and religious purity is concerned…real people are terrifying and not shying away from that in a book should be commended not punished.

What I didn’t like about this book is that it took very long to get to the end and the major action was the last few pages… it was very slice of lifey in aspects and I wasn’t sure where the plot was going until about 3/4 quarters into the book.

Overall very good book and happy to have picked it up… stepping right into book 2.

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amandaquotidianbooks's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Excellent world building, though I’m wary of using fantasy races as a race allegory. Too much romance for my taste, especially when consent is questionable at times and it’s 100% heteronormative. One character who seemed to be asexual turned out to just be waiting for the right person, which was really frustrating.

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ka_ke's review

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was nervous to start The Black Witch, and I’ll admit, the first part is very slow/basic. But once you start part two, the plot really picks up. Elloren is a wonderful character who develops her own beliefs and values and sticks to them. Her aunt is probably Umbridge level cruel.

People like to say the Deadly Education or Zodiac Academy series are adult Harry Potter, but I think the Black Witch Chronicles are a better comparison.

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