Book: Truthwitch (Witchlands #1)
Author: Susan Dennard
Published: 14th January 2016
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 400
Rating: 4/5 stars
Rating: 4/5 stars
So I'd heard a lot about this book, some good, some less so, so I wasn't really sure what I would make of this. However, now having finished the book, I have to say I really enjoyed it.
The world building in this can feel a little overwhelming at times - there is a lot of info ~sort of~ dumped on you about emperors, and domnas and princes, and some areas feel reminiscent of Bardugo's Grisha series, however, for me, it didn't detract from the story, as the main draw of this novel, for me, was the characters.
I really enjoyed the characters. There's something for everyone, really. Safiya is strong-willed and a bit hot-headed, so she's definitely a flawed type-of heroine, she's the ~main gal~ everyone wants to get their hands on (think Alina Starkov from the Grisha series, but less ditzy), however the real star of the show for me was Iseult. She's shunned by many for her heritage, and believes herself to be just a defunct threadwitch, although, as all stories go, there's much more to her than that. She's the dark to Safiya's light, and I really enjoyed her sections of the story. I also like their friendship, and their pairing is definitely more complimentary, and it really works. They are often found fighting in tandem against a bunch of threats, and they know their way around a cutlass, which I loved.
In terms of the guy characters in the book, the two 'big' ones are Merik and Aeduan. Merik is your classic ~good guy~, he's loyal, passionate, true, and a man of the people. He can also dish out a fair bit of sass, so he had a fair few enjoyable lines throughout the book. The relationship between him and Safiya is predictable, but sweet, if you like that sort of thing.
However, one of the most interesting characters in this book is Aeduan. He's such a complex and layered character, on the surface he is vicious and intimidating, but there's clearly more going on under the surface. I'm excited to see how his character will develop, particularly his relationship with Iseult, as I think there is a lot that could happen there, and they are both very intriguing characters.
Other honorable mentions go to Evrane (who reminded me of Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones, although I've no idea why - maybe it was the combination of strong fighting skills, and a moral, unfaltering outlook?) and the puppeteer, the latter who provided a consistently creepy presence and I'm definitely looking forward to how her character and story-line progresses in the next book, especially her connection to Iseult.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I think that the definite jewel of this book is the intriguing menagerie of characters. I shall be definitely looking forward to the sequel.
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