Scan barcode
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
4.0
snoopydoo77's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy from the publisher via Bookish First and chose to leave a voluntary review. Thank you!*
I really, really enjoyed this book.
To be honest it took me a good 50-75 pages to get into the world and understand it. But once I was past that I loved it.
I loved the world she created even though it took me a bit to get into it but I loved the characters even more. We do get multiple POVs in this book and that really made it so much better.
I really enjoyed the strong female lead and their friendship above all. I also loved that even we get a few guys in, that they don’t have to take over the story and war.
I love Safi and Iseult. I love that they both have strengths and weaknesses, which they are very aware of and play of each other. It comes up in their banter a lot. Both of them have snark, which is really enjoyable and made for few laugh out loud moments.
I really enjoyed seeing some things from Iseult’s POV with her as a threadwitch, it was really fun to see what she sees.
Aeduan, was my bae in this book and I wished we would have gotten more of him and his sneaky thinking, I’m also curious to learn more about his background and his family but even more so his history with Evrane, I think there is more than we are led to believed.
Speaking of Evrane to be honest I dint fully trust her in the beginning but I really did enjoy her and what she brought to this book.
Merik, my admiral / prince was also my bae I enjoyed him way too much. He was one of the few who didn’t have a fair deal in this book and had to deal with a lot of crap. I loved his humor but also his honor. I think what I enjoyed the most about him was his relationship with his crew.
Kullen we don’t get much of him but what we get I loved and made a big impact on the book and story.
Overall I really loved this book and the characters and was happy that I already had book two handy since it does leave you with a semi cliffhanger.
This book had everything I love in a book, strong female lead with a strong friendship, lots of action, humor and even more twist and turns.
I only give it 4 ★ because it took me a while to get into the world but after that I absolutely loved it and pretty much devoured this book.
beammey's review against another edition
5.0
malreynolds111's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
reader_01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
This is the perfect example of a novel that gets better with every chapter.
It's set in a world in which a fraction of the population has powers. There are Waterwitches, Threadwitches, Windwitches, etc. A Truthwitch is one of the rarest kind (maybe one in a generation) and they have the ability to tell truth from lie. The protagonist, Safi, is a Truthwitch but she's hidden that from everyone. But after an unfortunate encounter with a Bloodwitch who senses her ability, she and her best friend, Iseult, have to go on the run because there isn't much people wouldn't do to get their hands on a Truthwitch, especially when they're close to war.
Now initially, I wasn't a huge fan. I mean, I liked the premise but it seemed a bit flimsy. And the prose, the imagery, just wasn't good. Susan Dennard's writing came off as amateurish. But I was able to get past it because the writing really improved as the book went on. The scenes got clearer and more cohesive.
And not just that. The plot got stronger and I started to care about the characters as well. Because in the beginning, Safi was annoying. She was a 'act first, get yourself and your best friend in mortal danger, and then regret your actions' kind of girl. Lacking in the brain cells department, it felt like. But she changed throughout the novel and, by the end, I actually liked her. Iseult was interesting. She was more closed off but she had a good reason to be. I'd like to get to know her better.
Merik, Safi's romantic interest and another important character, came off as a prickly hot-head in the beginning. But then I understood why he was a prickly hot-head and it made sense. He just wanted to do the best for his people and his kingdom. Really liked him too. And his relationship with Safi. They had great chemistry and I totally ship them.
The pace of the book was good too, if a bit messy in the beginning. basically, what I'm saying is that the novel didn't have the best beginning. But by the end, I was very happy with everything. I laughed, I teared up a bit and I really enjoyed reading it.
Though I still can't any word with the suffix 'witchery' seriously. Truthwitchery? Threadwitchery? Bloodwitchery? It just sounds so made-up.
That aside, I'm looking forward to reading the second book, Windwitch. I have no idea where the story is going to go next and I wanna know real bad. And I can't wait to see how much better Susan Dennard can get because I love seeing authors grow, through their work. In the mean time though, I think you should pick this one up.
livima's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
majabwds's review against another edition
4.0