The Truth About Truthwitch? It's Worth the Hype. ~ ***The Starry-Eyed Revue***

Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Narrator(s): Cassandra Campbell
Series: The Witchlands, book #1
Length: 14 hrs 41 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher, purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I know, I know. What took me so long, right? The hype. It scared me. No way could it be that good. Of course, I said the same about Six of Crows. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But, sometimes I find that the audio version is even better, makes for an even more enjoyable reading experience. And in this case, I think it was the better choice because no way would I have read it with Cassandra Campbell's accents and emotions. It was really quite good.

I've only read the first book in Dennard's other series, and to be honest, it was kind of fun but not very impressive. So, I lowered my expectations for this novel initially. But then the hype. Hype can go either way for a novel, but in this case, I think it's pretty well deserved.

That cover is so fiercely awesome, guys...I can't even. And then to read Susan talk about the fierce friendship in this book and what it means to her....YAAAAASSSS! The friendships in this book are what I think make the book so special. There just aren't enough books that focus on friendship over romance, but this one so does.

The magic system presented in this novel is equally awesome, though. So many individual powers, so many ways to use them. I just read another book -- though, for the life of me, I cannot remember which one -- where one of the characters was able to discern whether someone was telling the truth, and I loved how that ability was employed. In this novel, the power is explained in a more realistic way, showing that the ability is not infallible but that it does have its uses.

And that unseen villain! There are tons of enemies in the story, but just the mentions of the big baddie leave me with a sense of foreboding and loss. I'm actually hoping that one of these guys turns into more of a frienemy...or dare I say, maybe even a love interest? It wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility, and I just love a great redeemable villain. ;P

It's kind of weird because I feel like the middle of this book was the strongest portion for me. Usually, that's the area that drags, but not in this story. In fact, the whole story had me captivated from beginning to end. And after that ending, I'm very much interested in picking up the next book. This is one of those times where a series' potential definitely lives up to the hype.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series (from HarperTeen) as well as the forthcoming Witchlands series (Tor, 2015). When not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or earning bruises at the dojo.

Find Susan:

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