Firstly, thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this review copy <3
Date Released: February 12th 2019
Publisher: Tor/Pan Macmillan (Australia)
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating:
***Contains spoilers for previous books***
Synopsis:
"Loyalties will be tested as never before.The Raider King’s plans to claim the Witchlands are under way. Now, his forces sow terror in the mountains, slaughtering innocents. After finding the slain, Aeduan and Iseult race for safety. And despite differing goals, they’ve grown to trust one another in the fight to survive. Yet the Bloodwitch keeps a secret that could change everything . . .
When Merik sacrifices himself to save his friends, he is captured by the Fury. However, Merik isn’t one to give up easily, and he’ll do whatever it takes to save those he loves. And in Marstok, Safi the Truthwitch agrees to help the empress uncover a rebellion. But those implicated are killed and Safi becomes desperate for freedom.
War has come once more to the Witchlands. Perhaps if Safi and Iseult were united, their powers could bring peace. But chaos is not easily tamed."
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Why hello yes it’s been a while. My last review was May last year and I’m definitely guilty of not posting some reviews for books I was meant to during the second half of 2018. Long story short, I basically threw my life away last year for work but I’m REALLY trying to get back into blogging now. I find it quite fitting that the book that’s got me coming back to reviewing is one I’ve been looking forward to for like 2 years – Bloodwitch is definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2019.
Bloodwitch took me a whole month to read, partly because I only felt like reading on the way to work (too tired aftewards) and partly because I wasn’t as hooked on this as the previous books. FYI I finished Truthwitch and Windwitch in like 2 days? I remember DEVOURING them I was so addicted. But something changed for me in Bloodwitch, maybe it was Dennard’s writing style or more likely my attention span has shortened.
Aeduan’s book literally picks up right where Windwitch ended. Aeduan, Iseult and Owl are trekking through a forest and Aeduan is following blood scents. Now it’s been a while since Windwitch but I’ve always commended myself on having a good enough memory to remember main plotlines. I’ve definitely lost the plot in Bloodwitch though. I don’t actually know where they were going – but we’ll get to plot later.
Back to Baeduan. He’s one of my favourite characters (you’ll hear me saying that throughout this whole review about basically everybody haha sorry not sorry). I’m one for broody guys in books and Bae here is as broody as they get. Misunderstood his whole life, he blames himself for a lot of things that happened in his childhood. As a result he’s cold, reserved and not cared for anybody – living that mercenary life is very lonely ya know? He’s definitely thawed throughout the series but he finally gets his own voice in this book. Watching him grow as a person, learn to care, watching him with Owl? Omg FEELS. And the guy has a LOT of emotions, he just doesn’t show them. What I really appreciated in this book was the way Aeduan had to deal without his power (for reasons). In previous books he had it easy, casually stalking through everything and coming out able to heal all his injuries, his blood enhancing him physically. Throughout Bloodwitch though, he had to suffer through injuries that wouldn’t heal, go through pain like a normal person. And the way he finds strength mentally for his cause as a result of not having that physical power he so relies on? Guy grows exponentially.
Of course we have our leading ladies Safi and Iseult, there is no book without these Threadsisters. They initiate, they complete. MY GIRLS. FAVS. While they are stronger together, they were also leaning heavily on the other’s strength in previous books – Safi would initiate and rely on Iseult’s logic to finish while Iseult would hang back until Safi acted. That all changed in Bloodwitch as they were separated and put into dire situations where they had to rely only on themselves. Safi started to think of what the next steps were when she rushed into things while Iseult starting acting quicker. I cannot wait for them to come together again in the last book and see the Cahr Awen power!
Witchlands is one of those series that, as it progresses and more characters are introduced, they get their own perspectives in subsequent books. One of my favourites was Vivia’s chapters. We used to only see her through Merik’s eyes and their sibling relationship was tense and there were a lot of misunderstandings between them. Our Queen in Waiting is still fighting the good fight in Bloodwitch and I loved the way Dennard has emphasised that females should rule – it is Vivia’s right to rule. All of Vivia’s chapters are about females in power – flashbacks to her mother who suffered from mental illness, her dealings with Empress Vaness, her best mate Stix – and it’s fantastic. We see how men keep trying to step on women, from keeping them from their rightful places, and yet these ladies still persevere. While Vivia’s dad rages and sulks like a child when he doesn’t get his way, Vivia pivots and thinks of a better way to do things. She gets things done! So much respect.
I seriously love all the characters in this series and the way Dennard has easily made it diverse. No matter the races, cultures, languages and differences, these characters come together in politics, in friendship and in love. It’s also a breath of fresh air when love is a choice and not fated to be – characters fall in love because of feelings, not forced into mating bonds.
I love how character driven this series is, I really do and as a result I’ve found I couldn’t follow the plot at all in Bloodwitch. There is a plot, I know there is. It’s related to Cahr Awen restoring healing wells and prophecy; ancient paladins in history where six turned on twelve; there’s something to do with goddesses and sleeping goddesses (yes I have read Sightwitch); there’s a 20 year treaty that’s ended in war between a lot of countries and somehow a monastery; a rebel king; probably the end of the world and we’ll also throw an immortal crow in there. I have no bloody clue how any of it links together though. I don’t know what side anybody is playing on, what countries are doing what. I think Vaness and Vivia are trying to protect their kingdoms from the Raider King. The monastery is playing some part in this but Cahr Awen something something? Oh and then there’s the Puppeteer, I have no idea what her agenda is. There is heaps going on, and it made everything so hard to follow. Like what is the point of everything?
Another thing that made everything slower for me was Dennard’s writing style. Not sure if it’s changed from the previous books but everything felt wordier – I get that in a fantasy book we need descriptions and imagery but I felt there was too much at times. I’d read a passage and lose what the point was BECAUSE SO MANY WORDS? Then I’d go back and re-read and repeat that throughout the whole book and we have lost precious time people. Sad days, it’s probably just me and being tired and short attention span.
I’ve also come to the conclusion that the world-building itself will not be expanded upon. We will never know the boundaries of the magic system and have it explained which kind of frustrates me. Like what’s the difference between an Airwitch and Windwitch? Is a Windwitch a type of Airwitch but not as powerful? Is that the same kind of thinking with Earthwitches and Stonewitches? One is a subset of the other? Then what about Weaverwitches and Threadwitches? Like where is the limit? Can I be a Treewitch? Branchwitch? DIRTWITCH? And what about how Iseult sees threads. Like in my mind, if everybody has threads around them doesn’t that make it hard to view surroundings? Does she see everything differently to everybody else? How does she ‘see’ threads in her mind and sense them. Is it like one coming out of their head, or threads wrapped around a person? I’ll be forever confused.
This has been a long and ranty review weow what a comeback. I’ve come to accept the world-building and while the writing didn’t flow as well for me as it did the previous books, I still really enjoyed Bloodwitch. As I said, I adored the characters; Dennard has skill in making her characters memorable, diverse and relatable. I felt the pacing was also great with continuous action and movement. My biggest issue was with the way the plot was handled as nothing seemed to tie back together. Aat times it felt like each perspective was a different story, not parts of a whole. Regardless, I do think Witchlands is a great YA fantasy and I cannot wait for the last(?) book! GIMME THE CARH AWEN.
Why hello yes it’s been a while. My last review was May last year and I’m definitely guilty of not posting some reviews for books I was meant to during the second half of 2018. Long story short, I basically threw my life away last year for work but I’m REALLY trying to get back into blogging now. I find it quite fitting that the book that’s got me coming back to reviewing is one I’ve been looking forward to for like 2 years – Bloodwitch is definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2019.
Bloodwitch took me a whole month to read, partly because I only felt like reading on the way to work (too tired aftewards) and partly because I wasn’t as hooked on this as the previous books. FYI I finished Truthwitch and Windwitch in like 2 days? I remember DEVOURING them I was so addicted. But something changed for me in Bloodwitch, maybe it was Dennard’s writing style or more likely my attention span has shortened.
Aeduan’s book literally picks up right where Windwitch ended. Aeduan, Iseult and Owl are trekking through a forest and Aeduan is following blood scents. Now it’s been a while since Windwitch but I’ve always commended myself on having a good enough memory to remember main plotlines. I’ve definitely lost the plot in Bloodwitch though. I don’t actually know where they were going – but we’ll get to plot later.
Back to Baeduan. He’s one of my favourite characters (you’ll hear me saying that throughout this whole review about basically everybody haha sorry not sorry). I’m one for broody guys in books and Bae here is as broody as they get. Misunderstood his whole life, he blames himself for a lot of things that happened in his childhood. As a result he’s cold, reserved and not cared for anybody – living that mercenary life is very lonely ya know? He’s definitely thawed throughout the series but he finally gets his own voice in this book. Watching him grow as a person, learn to care, watching him with Owl? Omg FEELS. And the guy has a LOT of emotions, he just doesn’t show them. What I really appreciated in this book was the way Aeduan had to deal without his power (for reasons). In previous books he had it easy, casually stalking through everything and coming out able to heal all his injuries, his blood enhancing him physically. Throughout Bloodwitch though, he had to suffer through injuries that wouldn’t heal, go through pain like a normal person. And the way he finds strength mentally for his cause as a result of not having that physical power he so relies on? Guy grows exponentially.
Of course we have our leading ladies Safi and Iseult, there is no book without these Threadsisters. They initiate, they complete. MY GIRLS. FAVS. While they are stronger together, they were also leaning heavily on the other’s strength in previous books – Safi would initiate and rely on Iseult’s logic to finish while Iseult would hang back until Safi acted. That all changed in Bloodwitch as they were separated and put into dire situations where they had to rely only on themselves. Safi started to think of what the next steps were when she rushed into things while Iseult starting acting quicker. I cannot wait for them to come together again in the last book and see the Cahr Awen power!
Witchlands is one of those series that, as it progresses and more characters are introduced, they get their own perspectives in subsequent books. One of my favourites was Vivia’s chapters. We used to only see her through Merik’s eyes and their sibling relationship was tense and there were a lot of misunderstandings between them. Our Queen in Waiting is still fighting the good fight in Bloodwitch and I loved the way Dennard has emphasised that females should rule – it is Vivia’s right to rule. All of Vivia’s chapters are about females in power – flashbacks to her mother who suffered from mental illness, her dealings with Empress Vaness, her best mate Stix – and it’s fantastic. We see how men keep trying to step on women, from keeping them from their rightful places, and yet these ladies still persevere. While Vivia’s dad rages and sulks like a child when he doesn’t get his way, Vivia pivots and thinks of a better way to do things. She gets things done! So much respect.
I seriously love all the characters in this series and the way Dennard has easily made it diverse. No matter the races, cultures, languages and differences, these characters come together in politics, in friendship and in love. It’s also a breath of fresh air when love is a choice and not fated to be – characters fall in love because of feelings, not forced into mating bonds.
I love how character driven this series is, I really do and as a result I’ve found I couldn’t follow the plot at all in Bloodwitch. There is a plot, I know there is. It’s related to Cahr Awen restoring healing wells and prophecy; ancient paladins in history where six turned on twelve; there’s something to do with goddesses and sleeping goddesses (yes I have read Sightwitch); there’s a 20 year treaty that’s ended in war between a lot of countries and somehow a monastery; a rebel king; probably the end of the world and we’ll also throw an immortal crow in there. I have no bloody clue how any of it links together though. I don’t know what side anybody is playing on, what countries are doing what. I think Vaness and Vivia are trying to protect their kingdoms from the Raider King. The monastery is playing some part in this but Cahr Awen something something? Oh and then there’s the Puppeteer, I have no idea what her agenda is. There is heaps going on, and it made everything so hard to follow. Like what is the point of everything?
Another thing that made everything slower for me was Dennard’s writing style. Not sure if it’s changed from the previous books but everything felt wordier – I get that in a fantasy book we need descriptions and imagery but I felt there was too much at times. I’d read a passage and lose what the point was BECAUSE SO MANY WORDS? Then I’d go back and re-read and repeat that throughout the whole book and we have lost precious time people. Sad days, it’s probably just me and being tired and short attention span.
I’ve also come to the conclusion that the world-building itself will not be expanded upon. We will never know the boundaries of the magic system and have it explained which kind of frustrates me. Like what’s the difference between an Airwitch and Windwitch? Is a Windwitch a type of Airwitch but not as powerful? Is that the same kind of thinking with Earthwitches and Stonewitches? One is a subset of the other? Then what about Weaverwitches and Threadwitches? Like where is the limit? Can I be a Treewitch? Branchwitch? DIRTWITCH? And what about how Iseult sees threads. Like in my mind, if everybody has threads around them doesn’t that make it hard to view surroundings? Does she see everything differently to everybody else? How does she ‘see’ threads in her mind and sense them. Is it like one coming out of their head, or threads wrapped around a person? I’ll be forever confused.
This has been a long and ranty review weow what a comeback. I’ve come to accept the world-building and while the writing didn’t flow as well for me as it did the previous books, I still really enjoyed Bloodwitch. As I said, I adored the characters; Dennard has skill in making her characters memorable, diverse and relatable. I felt the pacing was also great with continuous action and movement. My biggest issue was with the way the plot was handled as nothing seemed to tie back together. Aat times it felt like each perspective was a different story, not parts of a whole. Regardless, I do think Witchlands is a great YA fantasy and I cannot wait for the last(?) book! GIMME THE CARH AWEN.
