I received this ARC from author, Audiobook from publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Windwitch by Susan Dennard Published by Tor Teen on January 10th 2017
Pages: 416
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
Sometimes our enemies are also our only allies…
After an explosion destroys his ship, the world believes Prince Merik, Windwitch, is dead. Scarred yet alive, Merik is determined to prove his sister’s treachery. Upon reaching the royal capital, crowded with refugees, he haunts the streets, fighting for the weak—which leads to whispers of a disfigured demigod, the Fury, who brings justice to the oppressed.
When the Bloodwitch Aeduan discovers a bounty on Iseult, he makes sure to be the first to find her—yet in a surprise twist, Iseult offers him a deal. She will return money stolen from him, if he locates Safi. Now they must work together to cross the Witchlands, while constantly wondering, who will betray whom first?
After a surprise attack and shipwreck, Safi and the Empress of Marstok barely escape with their lives. Alone in a land of pirates, every moment balances on a knife’s edge—especially when the pirates’ next move could unleash war upon the Witchlands.
My Thoughts:
If you check out my review of Truthwitch, the first book in this series, you can see that I am a huge fan. Like, crazy in love with this world and these characters. Obviously Windwitch was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017. It did not disappoint! I tried to savor the reading of it, only listening to the audio. I did pretty good for the first 2/3 of the story (only “cheating” and reading a chapter now an then!) But that last third? Yeah, I could not stop! I picked up my physical copy of the book and devoured it. So much love.
Where to even begin? Truthwitch had me so invested in the lives of the different characters we meet. I loved that we get to know them so much more in Windwitch. I especially loved that we get to know them in new ways. At the start they seem to all be going in different directions. Safi, Iseult, Merik, Aeduan… they are each on a different path. I loved seeing how they were brought together with new characters or in different ways than in book one. We get to see a different sides to them and know them more.
Basically, I don’t think I can adequately express how incredible I found the character development in this book. The title refers to Merik so I expected to learn more about him. And we certainly do! From seeking revenge and embracing “The Fury” to confronting his mistakes/prejudices. He grows so much and is just so humbled. But like I said, I expected to see his development/growth. What really blew me away was how much we learn about each of the other characters as well. And not just the ones who’s perspectives we see. And, stars! I did not expect to find my heart breaking for Vivia of all characters!
A couple quick things I loved:
- Any interaction between Iseult & Aeduan
- Finally meeting a character mentioned briefly in Truthwitch
- Vaness
- Learning more about the Hell-Bards
- Cam!
- The way Safi and Iseult always try to think like the other one when in a dangerous situation
- Everything about Aeudan! I was hoping book three would be his story!
Susan Dennard is such a talented writer. With incredible world building and impressive character development, she has crafted a story that grabs the reader’s attention and heart and doesn’t let go.
Audiobook Notes:
I really enjoyed Cassandra Campbell’s narration. She has distinct voices for the different characters. I appreciated that none of them were annoying! Her pacing was great and I loved hearing the pronunciations of character and place names. If you’re an audiobook fan I recommend this one. You can listen to a clip on the Listening Library website.
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