Friends, when I read a book that does not impress me, I'm unafraid to tell you it was crap. Is this one of those books? I wasn't sure at only three chapters in, but if it continued on in the same way, I might have to be breaking the news to you. I wont pretend I have the best taste in books or that I'm particularly well educated or discerning in the world of things you can consume with your eyes. People tend to trust my book opinions for the most part, however, and having said that, well, let's see what happens with this little piece of… fiction. I do read Young Adult novels, which I've capitalised because it is an actual genre of books that doesn't seem to narrow subject matter down to much more than "possibly trite stories about young people that could have a fantastic premise or make young adults feel as though they aren't alone". Spoiler alert, we're all alone... but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Having finished this book, I can tell you - it got better. It got better to the point that I actually got mad I didn't have the second one, and immediately purchased it on my Kindle so I could keep reading. Don't get me wrong, it's not a literary masterpiece but the characters become compelling once you get past the initial set up and world build, which Dennard does not have a talent for introducing, I'm sad to say. The basic premise of the books is pretty interesting. A world divided into nations, touched by witchery that some have and others do not, and if it isn't registered with the monarchy (and likely signalling that you have something the powers that be must have control of, equaling slavery) then you are automatically branded a heretic. Slavery, poverty, religious fervour are real, pressing concerns and the world has been quieted by a twenty year truce that's about to come to an end... Magic comes in various flavours and strengths. Mostly this is based on well springs of the elements - water, earth, fire, air, but further abilities exist in the vein of being able to tell when people are lying or things are being shrouded in secrecy, or even in the sensing of the interpersonal connections between people, nature, objects, blood tracking, human manipulation... By the time I'd written the above, I had finished the second book. My initial impression of the book is based on an introduction to the characters and world build that seems confusing, a little contradictory and frankly a bit cliche. The first scene we experience from the point of view of what becomes a love interest and major plot point, is based around a prince deciding he cant wait to get out of his formal clothing as a few decorative frills make him feel unmanly. I was reading this at my desk at work and this pissed me off more than it probably should have. I put the book down. My work mate asked me if I was ok. I was annoyed at the way these characters were being established when the whole premise seemed so promising. I realise this makes it sound like I do nothing at work but I'm a call center girl and I have time between calls sometimes to do some reading. I swear, I do work hard when there's work to do! Title: Truthwitch Author: Susan Dennard Published: 2016 Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult Pages: 416 Finish Date: 08/06/2017 Title: Windwitch Author: Susan Dennard Published: 2017 Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult Pages: 384 Finish Date: 10/06/2017 Ultimately, when you're reading standard fantasy YA fiction there's a lot of similar content to contend with and while there are cliche elements to the books so far, there's also a lot of curious interactions between the protagonists and the world around them. They are as close as sisters though polar opposites, and travel very different paths, hiding what they are from the world around them. There's a bit of classic mysticism involved, half-truths and suspicions abound. The characters, once you get a little way into the book, even out, flesh out and start to become interesting in terms of their motivations. The two girls who share the role of protagonist are total opposites. Safiya is the standard pretty blonde girl with good heritage, respect, a hot temper and a secret that threatens her entire way of life. She's an unregistered Truthwitch and is terrified of being enslaved to the sovereignty because her powers are so rare that she would be instantly made a tool of the crown. Her sister, for all intents and purposes, is a member of a Nomatsi clan, you might be able to guess they're essentially nomadic/gypsy type people, though she is an outcast among them. She's a level-headed Threadwitch, one who sees the connections between people, their relationships, their feelings. Eventually these powers grow into something else, a hugely relevant plot point. I know I'm being vague, but it's difficult to reveal things about the story line when so much of it is so relevant and spoiler-y! If you're one of those people who can devour young adult fiction at a rate of knots, then give these ago, you'll like them. I'll give it a six out of ten collectively, I think. Poorly explained foundations but it gets better.
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