Windwitch: A Witchlands Novel

Holy hell-gates and 'rupting firepots! Where do I begin?I read forty-five books in 2016, friends. FORTY-FIVE. Of those, Windwitch was HANDS DOWN my favorite. It was also one of the most expertly crafted. (I will die on that hill. Read it, and you will, too.) Here's why.1) The World-BuildingWowowowowowowow. Guuuuuuuyyys. I know that calling anything "original" these days is rather pointless. I mean, we can all agree that nothing is truly original. And certainly, originality should never be an artist's foremost aim lest he or she never begin. But "original" is the very first word that comes to mind when I think of the world-building in this series. This multi-layered world is masterfully crafted and revealed to the reader. Every new revelation, while being delightfully unexpected, feels effortless and right - never forced, never jarring. The result is a world easily entered and not-so-easily exited. I suspect it'll be several days yet before the sights and sounds and stakes of the Witchlands cease to color my everyday. (I'm pretty sure I thanked God for Aeduan in my mealtime prayer this evening. Surely, He understands.)2) The CharactersSusan Dennard is a queen of crafting character. I observed this in my reading of her Something Strange and Deadly series and now, too, in my reading of Truthwitch and Windwitch. Her characters are multi-dimensional - each with his or her own history and voice and flaws and motivations, each with his or her own way of seeing himself or herself and the world in which he or she lives. Safi and Iseult and Merik and Aeduan (and so many of the not-so-minor characters that we meet in Windwitch) transcend the page. They are real. They are knowable. Furthermore, I've noticed that I've a new tendency to curse like Safi, to make connections like Iseult, to model Merik's nobility and Aeduan's confidence - not because these characters are perfect or powerful in ways that I am not and wish to be; but because they breathe, they move, they act, they are transformed in ways that are true to who they are. This truthfulness is what I most desire to see and what I most appreciate in characters. Susan's talent is unique in that all of her characters are crafted with it; and, too, her narrative is propelled by it.3) The PlotI read Windwitch in two sittings - two because THE STAKES and THE FEELS and MY HEART. (In other words, my being able to re-inhabit this world demanded that I step away and, well, breathe.) This series is action-packed, and there is so much on the line. Heck, you don't even know what all is on the line until that line is irreparably weathered and frayed, and OH LOOK SCISSORS! This narrative takes your heart in its hands and proceeds to squeeze it like a stress ball until it's this ragged and miserable-looking thing that will never ever be the same - no matter how many tubs of chocolatey chocolate ice cream you eat, no matter how many times you watch Bridget Jones's Diary.... Just have a friend on-call, okay? Preferably someone who's read Windwitch. (*points to self* I'm here for you.) And have a calendar nearby so you can count the days till Bloodwitch.Speaking of Bloodwitch... I NEEEEED IT. I NEED IT NOWWWWW.In summary, Windwitch is an action-packed, high-stakes, soul-crushing (in the best possible way) sequel. It's the kind of book that demands to be re-read and treasured, the kind of book that you will buy for all of your friends (because there is no way you're loaning out your copy), the kind of book that reminds you of the power of words to immerse, to inspire, to transform. I crazy-loved it!FIVE BRIGHT AND SHINY STARS!!!!

So reading Susan Dennard's Windwitch right after Truthwitch was a good idea! LOL. Not only was I still in that same mindset for the (albeit, confusing) world, but I was able to get familiar with the characters all the more quickly. I definitely liked this one a bit more than Truthwitch I think. There are still too many things that I don't know about this world and I would still kill for a glossary to help out with those terms that are still not familiar to me, but since that's not an option, carrying on is what I do best anyway!I'm not really grasping this whole "this is Merik's book" like the previous book was "Safi's". I only say that because we still get so many different characters' points of view. It doesn't really feel like a book that belongs to any one character. That being said, still totally psyched for Bloodwitch! Aeduan is still a favorite character of mine and whether we truly get more of his point of view or not, I cannot wait to read the next book.We open this book to a fire, Merik has been betrayed by someone close to him and he suspects his sister is the culprit. Luckily he was able to get most of his crew to safety, but since none of them can really find him again, he goes along with playing dead in order to find proof of his sister's treachery. Meanwhile Safi and her new "friend" Vaness were attacked and they managed to escape their ship unharmed but are soon taken hostage by yet another group of bad guys. Led by a very familiar face.Then we have my favorite duo, Iseult and Aeduan who have temporarily teamed up in order to find Safi. There was an arrangement made you could say, and no, nothing so scandalous! As before, we do a lot of hip-hopping with all the different points of view. While I understand the purpose of this and it does work for the most part, I can't help but also feel overwhelmed and confused at the best of times. There's just too much going on it seems to keep everything straight. Not to mention all these other groups that keep popping up who want one thing or another. As I said, I would kill for a glossary, one that includes characters too, just to keep things on the level.Susan has created quite an intricate world here. I both enjoy it, and yet am deeply befuddled by it at times. I seriously feel like a glossary would go a long way in my understanding of things and whatnot. But even without one, I can generally get an idea of what's going on. But then again, I am seriously overwhelmed with all the names and words that get tossed about too casually.There was still a great deal of action in this one! Some startling surprises too and I have no idea what these things might mean for the future. It will definitely make things interesting for future books. Sadly I also missed the intense bond between Iseult and Safi. Their friendship was one of the highlights of Truthwitch. And since they are still separated, I missed their bond. I also missed Safi and Merik's flirting with one another, as they too were separated. The best relationship to watch evolve of course was Iseult and Aeduan. While there's nothing overly swoony happening, we are definitely getting a foundation built between them.I may not be able to enjoy this series 100% so far, but I can say that I am invested. I am liking what I've read so far anyway and will be seeing this series through to its end! The characters are definitely the highlight for me since the world-building is still a little shaky! Oddest thing of all for me to say, but I am also hoping for more swoony moments in the next book! LOL! Past me would be shocked to hear that! Windwitch was definitely better than its predecessor and I can only hope this means that each book will continue to outshine the one before it!Overall Rating 4/5 stars

This is the sequel to Truthwitch-which i loved. Two strong and likeable female leads and a good mix of supporting characters. Windwitch added a third main female character in Meriks sister, who was again, strong but different from Iseult and Safi and it was nice to see the other side of the story from Meriks.Great plot, lots of diversity in the characters (which i'm seeing in a lot of books at the moment-which is great) this book had a lesbian and trans plot lines as well as one character having Vitiligo. (Something I haven't seen in a book yet)Only negative I have is that the book is written from different characters view points and throughout most of the book you are following 5 separate story lines which was too much. Other books I've read keep it to 3 which i find, makes a better read. None of the storylines were boring however, just too many (for me!)

I love the witchland series! They feel much more grown up than some of the other YA fictions I've read. I loved how this series doesn't completely focus on romance and how it follows everyone around. It was great to learn more about what happened after the first book and it was just an enjoyable sequeal. I can't wait to read more from this series. The characters are really interesting and each have their own merits. The story transitioned between characters really easily and it was interesting to see how the main plot was unfolding for each despite not being in a group together.

I really enjoyed truthwitch. It was a brilliant book. A unique story, full of action and magic. I really looked forward to the sequel, windwitch, and it's brilliant. Can't wait for the final book! Interesting characters, magic and adventures. There's no boring bits in these books... the ideas are so interesting and unique, difficult to do in a very thoroughly explored genre. Brilliant.

I enjoyed book 1. There was less effort here at building characters and the narrative in the three main threads got too similar - so I got confused between the Safi and Iseult storylines. Plus it's hard to tell where they are without looking at the map and even then it is an effort.On plus side the characters are quite engaging and there is an interesting ambiguity - not clear who the real baddies are. Worth a read definitely. Looking forward to next one.

Well paced and a rich background you will enjoy this and come back for more. Already bought the next instalment.