Title: Windwitch – A Witchland Novel

Author: Susan Dennard

Pub. Date: January 10, 2017

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ – 4.85

---

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.

---

I loved the first novel Truthwitch, it contains some of my absolute favorite scenes that I still think about years later. So I was thrilled when Windwitch came out, and then life got in the way, so I’ve now just had a chance to enjoy it. And oh my god I did.

Susan has created this phenomenal world with rich characters and history and it always leaves me reeling. I don’t even know where I want to begin with this review because there are just so many things I loved.

Let me start with a spoiler free reaction – This Book Is So Freaking Amazing.

---

Now I’m gonna jump into the spoiler section.

*

*

*

Last chance!

*

*

*

I thought that would give me more time to collect my thoughts – still don’t know where to begin.

Okay I’m going to start with the one *tiny* gripe I had with the book, and that was MERIK AND SAFI WEREN’T TOGETHER FOR A SINGLE PAGE.

BUT,

I trust Susan and her vision for this series, so I trust that Safi and Merik will grace the page together once again in Bloodwitch.

That’s it. That’s the only reason I couldn’t give this five stars. I absolutely loved Safi and Merik in Truthwitch and the ending of the book killed me when they parted ways.

While Truthwitch was Safi and Merik’s novel, make way for Aeduan and Iseult! I love Aeduan. He isn’t totally the hardass he makes himself out to be. I think he’s got a soft gooey center – especially  when it comes to Iseult and that makes me so happy. Just thinking about the two of them, brings back all sorts of images from when I read the novel, and that’s another thing I want to talk about.

Susan Dennard is a master at creating these epic scenes that just engrain themselves in your brain and don’t disappear.

Truthwitch published in 2016, and I can still easily picture the battle scene on Merik’s ship with the Sea Foxes (it’s one of my all time favorite scenes). The images she creates, as well as the emotions and the stakes that are always involved create this permanence in my mind, and I just recall them all of the time. It’s been about three weeks since I finished Windwitch and I have read almost five books since, and I can still, so clearly see Iseult jumping into Amonra, being swept away, and Aeduan jumping in right after her. Their fight to survive the surging waters, to claw their way out of the death grip that the powerful waters had on them, how they had to work together otherwise they’d drown.

I had to keep tearing myself away from this book simply to let my mind recover because I was so enthralled to the point that I would get worked up.

Now, Merik. He was on a mission to wallow in hurt and grief and betrayal. But even in that state of mind, he was working on doing good things. For all he knew everyone he had known was dead, so I do think he had plenty of reasons to be hurt and angry. I really enjoyed how he acted like a gruff angry old man around Cam, but genuinely cared for her, and wanted to take care of her, BUT he also allowed for her to take care of herself. She relied on him, just as much as he relied on her.

The whole “Shite Street” scene – I would never walk through all of…that…but Cam made me laugh.

Now, I’m glad Safi made friends with Caden and the other Hell-Bards, but I don’t want to see a romantic anything between them, because Safi and Merik!

Another scene that has stuck with me was one of the final ones towards the end of the book, where Safi fought Kahina – oh my god that scene had me so tense, and then that twist! Needless to say, I was on the edge of my seat for most of this novel and for good reason!

I cannot wait to see what Susan has planned for Bloodwitch in 2019, which feels like such a long wait, but I’ll manage, because I know that Susan will want to create the best possible story and I know that whatever she writes I will read, and devour and ultimately love!

If you haven’t read Truthwitch or Windwitch yet, you’re missing out on a rich and wonderful world, with fantastic characters, emotional rollercoasters and high stake adventure!