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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Easily one of my favourite books of this year, as well as one of my top favourites in general. Actually incredible.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Thank you to Olivia Atwater and NetGalley for an ARC copy of "The Witchwood Knot". All opinions are entirely my own.
This is a gothic, fantasy novel about magicians and fairies struggling to gain purchase on the world they live in. The main character, Winifred (Winnie) Hall is a young magician who is tasked with teaching a young lord everything she knows about fairies. The young boy is kidnapped and Winnie must free him from the fairy queen, Lady Mourningwood. Our main male character, Mr. Quincy is a dubious fairy servant who attempts to thwart Winnie before ultimately helping her in her quest.
There were a few things I liked about this novel I loved the setting, it sometimes reminded me of regency England, which is a favorite time period of mine. I also liked that it linked to her other stories Half a Soul, however, I found myself confused because it had been months since I read it and could not remember the particulars. A small synopsis of Half a Soul would have been great to fill in the reader on the connection between the two worlds. I liked Winnie's character and her relationship to the dowager.
There were a few things I did not like about the novel. First and foremost, I EXTREMELY disliked the way the main male character is described. He is described as having red eyes and a rat tail, which only allowed me to imagine him as the rat king from The Nutcracker. I could not find him even remotely attractive in my mind, with a rat tail. I also found the story to be a bit confusing at times. Although I liked the mystery, myth, and lore, I found myself to be extremely confused by the switching between Witchwood Knot and Witchwood Manor. I could not fully grasp why there was a switch between the settings. I struggled with the overall connection to the plot and found the book to be a bit dragging at times.
It didn't quite hit the mark for me. I was a bigger fan of Half A Soul, than I was this book. I would recommend it to other's who enjoy Olivia Atwater's novels but I most likely won't continue the series.
This is a gothic, fantasy novel about magicians and fairies struggling to gain purchase on the world they live in. The main character, Winifred (Winnie) Hall is a young magician who is tasked with teaching a young lord everything she knows about fairies. The young boy is kidnapped and Winnie must free him from the fairy queen, Lady Mourningwood. Our main male character, Mr. Quincy is a dubious fairy servant who attempts to thwart Winnie before ultimately helping her in her quest.
There were a few things I liked about this novel I loved the setting, it sometimes reminded me of regency England, which is a favorite time period of mine. I also liked that it linked to her other stories Half a Soul, however, I found myself confused because it had been months since I read it and could not remember the particulars. A small synopsis of Half a Soul would have been great to fill in the reader on the connection between the two worlds. I liked Winnie's character and her relationship to the dowager.
There were a few things I did not like about the novel. First and foremost, I EXTREMELY disliked the way the main male character is described. He is described as having red eyes and a rat tail, which only allowed me to imagine him as the rat king from The Nutcracker. I could not find him even remotely attractive in my mind, with a rat tail. I also found the story to be a bit confusing at times. Although I liked the mystery, myth, and lore, I found myself to be extremely confused by the switching between Witchwood Knot and Witchwood Manor. I could not fully grasp why there was a switch between the settings. I struggled with the overall connection to the plot and found the book to be a bit dragging at times.
It didn't quite hit the mark for me. I was a bigger fan of Half A Soul, than I was this book. I would recommend it to other's who enjoy Olivia Atwater's novels but I most likely won't continue the series.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
don't you just love it when books find their target audience
A gothic faerie tale featuring a magician pretending to be a victorian governess in order to solve the mystery at the heart of Witchwood Manor while dealing with monsters... both fae and human alike. Throw in a dash of romance, a stolen young lord, a tricky fae pretending to be a butler and a protective familiar cat and you get a absolutely fantastic read. Winifred Hall is hired to be a governess to a spoiled young lord as a favor to an old friend, a friend who just happens to be living in a manor that is said to be haunted and cursed by the fae. Winifred is actually a magician herself and is beginning to realize that the magic and curse surrounding this manor is much darker than she realized. When the young lord is kidnapped, she'll have to delve into the dark fae realm to get him back and the games are only just beginning. The more she pries into the truth of the manor the more she is realizing that this is a very complicated knot and that she'll have to rely on her wits to try and make it out. It doesn't help that there is the very dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr. Quincy, who is hiding so many secrets behind his charming smile, is the one person she'll have to help her navigate the fae realm of Witchwood Knot... There's a price for everything when it comes to the fae and what price will Quincy ask of Winifred? I have to say I fell absolutely in love with this book. I cannot wait for the next books and to see where Winifred and co go. Winifred was a wonderful protagonist, she used her tricks and wits to get by and after everything she went through she was still strong and resilient. The romance was very soft and sweet and I just adored the relationship between Quincy and Winifred. I also have to say Ollie, my sweet sweet boy, a true star in this book, a familiar cat after my own heart. This book was the perfect mixture of gothic romance and fairytale! I can't wait to read the next book!!!
*Thanks Netgalley and Starwatch Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Spoiler
Winifred was sexually abused (forced to kiss her older male employer) until she summoned the Lady of the Hollow who took her under her own wing and vanished said abuser. Winifred knows she is blueblood but has no recollection of her family or her true name. She grew up as the ward of the Lady of the Hollow and of Lord Socrcier (hint at the previous 3 novels). She knows Lady Longell (owner of the Witchwood manor) and the lady knows that Winnie is a black magician and can help with saving her grandson. Mr. Quincy is a formieg, a separate entity from faeries and lives off of blood and iron (things faeries fear). He was bond to serve the Lady of Mourningwood but wanted to save some of the people of Witchwood Manor as best he could. Winnie and Quincy fall into a romance, a sweet and gentle one. When Quincy is forced to take Robert by his lady lord, the Lady of Mourningwood he does (he inadverdently saves him from being killed by lord Longfell) Lord Longfell is the reason the faeries are cursed in Witchwood and he killed his own mother and was going to kill Robert, he made a deal with the other formeieg, Quincy's brother Secundus who was freed when a drop of Lady Hollow's blood fell onto the earth (Quinct had saved and freed the Lady of the Hollow when she was a young child trapped with the Lady of Mourningwood). Secundus wanted revenge against the faeries and thus is the reason why there are no faeries in London (he is also the reason the Lady of the Hollow has disappeared and why Winnifred is trying to find a way to free her). Winnie gets back Robert and Quincy kills the Lady of Mourningwood, making him the new Lord of Mourningwood. Quincy and Winnie take Robert as their new student and Winnie now is set to free the Lady of the Hollow who was trapped by Secundus all the while the Hollow lady's husband (lord sorcier) lays asleep beneath the hollow land which is now taken over by Tritia (Quincy and Secundus's sister who has also been freed). Now they'll have to find a way to trick Quincy's siblings and free the faeries).*Thanks Netgalley and Starwatch Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this was DELIGHTFUL, and so great to see Atwater weave in characters from the previous series (although this story also stands well alone with no prior series knowledge). As always I always feel as though I am reading a fairytale with her.