Truthwitch - Susan Dennard
Synopsis
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to tell truth from lie. That also means she must keep it a secret, as various nations would use her power for themselves. Iseult is a Threadwitch, but her powers go deeper than even she understands. These two are best friends, bonded as Threadsisters. Then a robbery attempt goes horribly wrong and the girls have a dangerous Bloodwitch on their tail. Safi and Iseult must team up with Merik, a prince who is fighting to save his people, to escape capture and stop the war that looms on the horizon.
Review
What can I say? This book made it into my Top 16 and it was the penultimate book I read last year. That's gotta tell you something about how much I loved it.
This book just kept checking everything on my list.
A complex world in political turmoil, check.
A very interesting and fun magic system, check
And we're shown the society and technology has been built around it, check.
Plus, there is a rocking plot with TONS OF ACTION. The breakneck speed just catches you and hauls you along for the ride. Non-stop action from the first page, where Safi and Iseult totally botch a highway robbery. Then there's a chase and then crazy magic stuff happens and then they get separated and things really go to pot and then there's more crazy chases and battles and magic. PLUS, some good, slow-burning romance.
The biggest thing I loved though was AWESOME FEMALE FRIENDSHIP!!! I feel like too often in movies, books, etc., girls are shown as enemies, or there's a sexual undercurrent between them, or their stories revolve around their relationships with men. Not so in this book! Safi and Iseult are the definition of BFFs and they are fiercely loyal to each other and set out to define their own lives. Safi did annoy me a little in that she consistently makes bad decisions that endanger others, but by the end of the book she owns up to it and makes an effort to change. Iseult was awesome and helps balance Safi's impulsiveness.
Plus, there's some good witty banter and genuine laugh-out-loud lines.
The only thing that I could even name as a "con" was that the history of the world could have been fleshed out a bit more, as well as explanations for how one actually becomes a Witch. But I feel like more of that will be revealed as the series progresses and I had enough information to enjoy the story. The only other thing is that there is no downtime in this book. I know I said above that I loved the non-stop action, but a couple times I was like, "When do the characters even sleep the first half of the book?" I would have liked some slower pacing in between the action, just to catch my breath, though we get some of that towards the end of the book. And then there would have been more of the story for me to enjoy!
I can't wait for the sequel, Windwitch, that's coming out this month!
Rating
I give this book 4.5 stars
Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Language: Some language, no F-word
Sex: None, though one character thinks about it a lot (but nothing graphic)
Violence: Lots of violence, though it isn't super graphic.
Synopsis
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to tell truth from lie. That also means she must keep it a secret, as various nations would use her power for themselves. Iseult is a Threadwitch, but her powers go deeper than even she understands. These two are best friends, bonded as Threadsisters. Then a robbery attempt goes horribly wrong and the girls have a dangerous Bloodwitch on their tail. Safi and Iseult must team up with Merik, a prince who is fighting to save his people, to escape capture and stop the war that looms on the horizon.
Review
What can I say? This book made it into my Top 16 and it was the penultimate book I read last year. That's gotta tell you something about how much I loved it.
This book just kept checking everything on my list.
A complex world in political turmoil, check.
A very interesting and fun magic system, check
And we're shown the society and technology has been built around it, check.
Plus, there is a rocking plot with TONS OF ACTION. The breakneck speed just catches you and hauls you along for the ride. Non-stop action from the first page, where Safi and Iseult totally botch a highway robbery. Then there's a chase and then crazy magic stuff happens and then they get separated and things really go to pot and then there's more crazy chases and battles and magic. PLUS, some good, slow-burning romance.
The biggest thing I loved though was AWESOME FEMALE FRIENDSHIP!!! I feel like too often in movies, books, etc., girls are shown as enemies, or there's a sexual undercurrent between them, or their stories revolve around their relationships with men. Not so in this book! Safi and Iseult are the definition of BFFs and they are fiercely loyal to each other and set out to define their own lives. Safi did annoy me a little in that she consistently makes bad decisions that endanger others, but by the end of the book she owns up to it and makes an effort to change. Iseult was awesome and helps balance Safi's impulsiveness.
Plus, there's some good witty banter and genuine laugh-out-loud lines.
The only thing that I could even name as a "con" was that the history of the world could have been fleshed out a bit more, as well as explanations for how one actually becomes a Witch. But I feel like more of that will be revealed as the series progresses and I had enough information to enjoy the story. The only other thing is that there is no downtime in this book. I know I said above that I loved the non-stop action, but a couple times I was like, "When do the characters even sleep the first half of the book?" I would have liked some slower pacing in between the action, just to catch my breath, though we get some of that towards the end of the book. And then there would have been more of the story for me to enjoy!
I can't wait for the sequel, Windwitch, that's coming out this month!
Rating
I give this book 4.5 stars
Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Language: Some language, no F-word
Sex: None, though one character thinks about it a lot (but nothing graphic)
Violence: Lots of violence, though it isn't super graphic.
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