Sightwitch (The Witchlands #0.5)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all are ready for the weekend I know I am.  One I’m off.  Two, Ready Player One is out and I am excited to see it later today and I have a gathering tomorrow I’m excited for.  So lots of fun.  Today I have a review for a novella that is said to set the stage to book three in the series and is a lot of fun all on its own too, Sightwitch (The Witchlands #0.5) by Susan Dennard.  I received a chapter sampler from NetGalley, for which I was thankful for, but I hadn’t realized at the time it was a sampler and I wanted more. 

Rating:  4 Stars

                A year prior to Truthwitch & Windwitch which I already reviewed we go back to Ryber Fortiza and her journal.  She is a Sightwitch Sister in the secluded and forgotten convent working and waiting to be called into the mountain by the goddess to receive the gift of Sight.  There is no rhyme or reason as to who is called to receive the gift but soon Ryber finds herself not only the only Sister without the Sight unchosen but those called have not returned.  And when those with the Sight are called back she is left alone.  Now it is up to Ryber to find a way inside without being called and find a way to save her Sisters even without the gift of Sight.  The road is filled with many obstacles and is not easy but the fate of the Witchlands could be on the line. 

                This story is told in both Ryber’s journal and that of another Sightwitch of days past.  While I read the first few chapters in the sampler and saw it was full of illustrations and photos that really brought it to life I did miss that in the audiobook when I finished up there.  I look forward to getting my physical copy and going back through to enjoy the illustrations soon though.  Still the story itself was a novella but it told a full and rich story.  I was intrigued by how different the world was in at the convent.  Through the journal we also got to see a time way before to the original start of the Witchlands and the way the power we know came to be.  I liked the way it went back and forth and how it all flowed so nicely. 

                Ryber is an interesting character.  She goes through a lot emotionally and I am excited to see where this unfolds in book three.  I also got quite a kick out of “The Rook” even though one scene when he didn’t agree I was flinching because birds (of any type) are not my friend and them clawing/pecking freaks me out.  I enjoyed the introduction to the Captain and the interactions they shared.  I liked all the characters really including the years past story that had me captivated and hopeful.  Overall I find this to be a very entertaining story and I can’t wait to see how it will play into the next release which I should say I want now…

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Windwitch

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Windwitch (The Witchlands #2) by Susan Dennard

Out: 1/10

From Goodreads: 

                On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

               

                In this follow-up to New York Times bestsettling Truthwitch, a shadow man haunts the Nubrevan streets, leaving corpses in his wake—and then raising those corpses from the dead.  Windwitch continues the tale of Merik—cunning privateer, prince, and windwitch.

               

Why I’m Waiting:

                 I really enjoyed book one (review) and that ending left me with lots of feels and things I needed to know more about.  Plus it looks like we get more focus on Merik in this one and I really enjoyed his parts in the last book so I’m looking forward to more of him. 

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

Truthwitch

                Hello happy readers.  I hope you had a fantabulous weekend.  I worked through mine but I did get some reading done and one of the books I finished, like literally just a few minutes before typing this up, is Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.  Now I read and reviewed her other trilogy Something Strange and Deadly, A Darkness Strange and Lovely, and Strange and Ever After, earlier in the year.  I had been waiting for this book since I found out about it back when I attended a Sarah J. Maas signing that her BFF Dennard surprised her at which was boss for us attending we got an extra author plus together they are a hoot.  Anywho I learned about the story and had been craving it since.  Finally I read it with the Goodreads Group Perpetual YA Bookworms and finished it yesterday or this morning as I'm a few hours behind on night shift. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                Truthwitch centers around two female witches, Threadsisters, Safiya and Iseult.  They fall on opposite ends of the spectrum in the world of class and such but they are bound and best friends.  After a mishap they end up wanted and searching for them is the Bloodwitch, Aeduan, who can track anyone anywhere after he has their sent.  Worst of all he can sent the power in the blood and that means he knows the secret Safiya has fought to keep hidden, that she is a Truthwitch.  Merik the prince and admiral of the Nubrevna and only want to help his people but finds himself a reluctant ally in the mess Safiya and Iseult are part of running from the Bloodwitch and many others.  The girls only want freedom and to escape the danger lurking for them at every corner but with the twenty year truce coming to an end war is coming and no one is safe.  

                If I'm honest after being so excited for this book I was a bit worried in the beginning because I wasn't instantly in love.  It had a lot to take in and it starts with a bang for sure but with all the unfamiliar names, places, terms and world it was a bit much to take in at fist and the shifts in POV were a bit harder.  But then as I continued and I got a handle on the names everything just started to fall into place and I started to enjoy it more and more with each page. 

                The world is still growing as we spend most of the story on the run the scenery is constantly changing which was fun and I liked the world I was seeing so far.  Still more to learn and see.  The concept for magic in the world with each person having a witchery and how different elements could focus in on different specialties was pretty bad ass and some connections were made I never would have thought of but as I read it they made perfect sense.  Plus the action there was always something happening and I felt like I was right there in the action from fights, chases, pirates, creatures, and so much more you won't be bored. 

Who doesn't love a good map in a book?

                 But I think my favorite part was the characters.  There is still much to be flushed out on some of the characters for sure but I got a good sense of who Safiya, Iseult, and Merik were.  Safiya of Safi has hidden what she is for fear of being killed or used as a pawn her whole life with her rare gift of being able to tell lie and truth, oh and she's a Domna.  Iseult is a Nomatsi, an outcast of sorts that people are fine treating none to kindly.  Safi and Iseult are Threadsisters and their connection and love for one another is great.  No matter what they have one another's backs and that's that.  They know one another perfectly and balance one another out and bring out the best in each other while accepting the flaws and the mistakes they both make.  Then with Merik we know who he is and what he wants and while his pride sometimes gets the best of him he has a good heart and that shows through in his driving force.  There are some amazing side characters as well that I hope to learn more about in depth in following stories and I feel Aeduan has much more to him and we only scratched the surface of a very deep well there. 

                Overall this was a fantastic read for me and I am super excited to continue on in the series.  Truthwitch set things up nicely for more in the series with many things open and ready for more but still managing to be a complete story in itself.  I can't wait to learn more about the Puppeteer, Cahr Awen, Cleaving, the war, and so many other little tidbits that have been dangled in front of me.  I'd love to hear your thoughts below, tell me what witchery you'd like to have.  I'm undecided  there are so many awesome ones but to control air or metal seem like top picks to me.  I mean using air you basically fly and who hasn't always wanted to fly?

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

                So a brief note before the usual Wednesday post.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I will not be posting but working then shopping (AKA people watching because wow it's fun to watch crazy people).  Still while I won't be posting anything I would like to wish all of my wonderful readers a happy and safe holiday.  May you spend it with those who make you happiest and a good book when they start to drive you mad ;)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Out:  1/5

From Goodreads:

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie.  It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born.  So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires

Iseult, a Treadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart.  Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands.  With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Why I’m Waiting:

               So I had the chance to meet Susan when she surprised her friend Sarah J. Maas at her signing and together they were just hilarious.  I was reminded of my friends and I just wanted to go get some coffee or drinks with them and just jabber on about anything and everything because they seemed that awesome.  Now I already loved Sarah J. Maas but had only seen the covers of Susan’s books before didn’t know about them but I left wanting to read them.  The most prominent in my mind was Truthwitch because she was talking about it, and Sarah was raving about it as well, apparently being best friends with the authors means you get the book way before there is an ARC.  So that was enough for me right there plus it sounds pretty amazing with lots of fantasy elements and magic and even better girl power!  Gal pal friendships are the best and I realize there are not a ton that focus on that as a main element.