Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Witch Collector

I got this for free on my Apple Books app, not really expecting much. I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed this book.

The FMC is a badass witch who is only just discovering the reaches of her power. The MMC is the morally grey witch collector

who we start out thinking might be the enemy but surprise, he’s not. And between them there is an unavoidable attraction, with some really great spicy scenes 🥵

I am so excited to read the rest of this series to see how it all plays out!

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wrath_of_persephone's review

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This was a promising start! This is actually my second time reading this first book of this series. I adore the fmc and the mc in this one, and the plot is very interesting with all the different immortals & politics coming into play. I found it fascinating how the author managed to create a character such as Raina, who is mute but can “sing” her spells using sign language. I loved that. I’m hoping I see more of this ancient culture and magic language as the series continues! There’s lots of development happening for the FMC’s character as she begins her quest and learns more about her powers. I also adored the banter between her and the mc it was very entertaining and there was lots of tension! The only thing I disliked was the pacing in the middle part of the book; it could have been better; it felt like they were in that icy forest forever.

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mslori's review against another edition

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dark emotional

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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dkgreads's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? No

4.0

Solid 4 stars! I really liked the world building and magic system, and all of the action and adventure. I absolutely LOVED Raina and Alexus’s relationship. Will definitely be continuing this series.

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lemontea's review

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adventurous dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Raina was pretty stupid for being 24 years old and acted more like a teenager. And she was gonna leave her mom completely alone? A shitty daughter too then. And the witch collector kept getting injured and at death’s door??? Dude aren’t you like hundreds of years old? The author is also incredibly descriptive with Alexus’s looks? People died but yeah I want to hear for the 10th time that he has muscles and shockingly handsome.

Dnf at 124 pages.🚶🏻‍♀️

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blewballoon's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

4.5

This was a lot of fun! If you are in the mood for a winter fantasy romance, here you go. A large chunk of this book takes place in a colder climate, and there is much mention of a "frost king," so this is a well timed book to read during winter, or late fall in my case. There is a lot of action and drama, the world building is pretty easy to grasp, and the exposition heavy spots don't feel too drawn out. The choice to make the female MC only able to communicate in sign language was intriguing, and I think handled well. The romance I would say is more forced proximity focused than enemies-to-lovers, but it does have that element to it. I will say that the writing is not particularly breathtaking and there are some cliche/predictable fantasy tropes, but there is enough creativity for the story and world to feel fresh, and the characters were really engaging and easy to get invested in. It reminded me of how much fun I had reading The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones, although I'd say this book is a bit less lighthearted.

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bangiebangs's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5* from me. Was this a read I couldn't put down? No. Was it super spicy? Also no (but some süice and worth it!).
But it was WONDERFUL.

The FMC doesn't speak and uses sign language - and it's done wonderfully! I so enjoyed seeing this represented in a book, and for a main character as well! Sad that it is so uncommon, but I think it works really, really well here.

The MMC is adorable. Kind of a "is he the bad guy" to "nope he is not", mysterious man, kind (but also setting boundaries), he falls first (he admits it first, at least) but gives her the space to make informed decisions (Informed, I say!). There is discussion of birth control. There is a second love interest and the FMC is torn about them - and there is open discussion of past loves. And understanding that our (romantic) histories affect us in later relationships.
As somebody who really hates the miscommunication trope, the level of communication in this one is like a balm.

Pacing was good as well, and the tension at the end of book 1 is so high, honestly, I'm a little anxious to read on right away - I know it will end well (I hope), but when I say there are tense moments, there really are. I don't often feel so much emotion reading a book, but especially in a year where I've read 130+ fantasy romance novels this one STANDS OUT. That alone is saying a lot.

So, I've already started reading the next book (though taking it slow), and if you like intricate world-building, a grown up FMC with some experience, a kind and pretty damn hot MMC who respects her... then this one is for you!

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