Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Windwitch by Susan Dennard

3 reviews

deb_is_reading's review

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adventurous tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

 
Ohh I had a really good time with this. I was so hesitant to pick this up because the summary didn't sound too appealing.

First of all I think this book is a little bit of a deviation from the last. The first book had a lot of plot movement but this felt more like character journey and world expansion. I personally love that but I think quite a few other fantasy readers don't like that.

I personally love the amount of new bonds formed in this one. Merick gained a friend after losing one, Safi gained allies, and Iseult relationship with another individual transformed into something else.

Also getting Vivia's new perspective was so great. I had no love for her in book 1 but I'm glad that Dennard is giving us multi-layered individuals.

 
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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

While I felt like Windwitch was scattered, I still enjoyed the book. Folks who like a solid beginning/middle/end may struggle with this second installment in Susan Dennard’s Witchland’s universe. Nevertheless, the vibrant world, interesting magic, and complex characters continue to impress and I intend to continue further into the series.

The most structured story is Merik’s. The prince was presumed dead after an explosion, and his POV storyline takes us through his quest for vengeance against his sister, Vivia, whom he presumes his murderer. We also follow Safiya and Iseult, but so much of their story takes place on the road that it takes extraordinary patience and interest to suffer through their POVs. Windwitch is primarily a bridge book, refining its characters and setting up the next big event in the series.

Susan Dennard excels in her world building. As a book with a lot of journeying, it would be easy to fall into information dumps and over-describing the landscape. Instead, she does an excellent job of surrounding us with the world and letting us uncover, bit by bit, the cultures and current politics. Fantasy is particularly vulnerable to over-description but Susan Dennard’s balance is excellent. I love the Witchlands as a fantasy world. While I’m listening, I am constantly thinking about how I can learn from her and improve my own writing.

The best part of this book was Cam. I’m not qualified to say one way or the other if they are a good representation of a transgender character, but I appreciated their existence as a principally important character. Cam’s unspoken background makes me what to learn more about what drives them. As a warning, though, they are deadnamed in the middle of the book, just once.

Should you run out and pick up a copy of Windwitch? Honestly… no. I really liked it, but a lot of my liking it has to do with my interest in the world and the fact I genuinely like Susan Dennard’s characters. Objectively, it’s not a very focused book and plot line is a really important fundamental. Nonetheless, those who enjoyed Truthwitch shouldn’t necessarily let it stop them from continuing the series. I may know that, from a technical perspective, Windwitch is not amazing. But I also really liked it. The heart wants what the heart wants.
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shrimpasta's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

just as good as the first read! found myself laughing at the travels of safi and vaness's gang and smiling at iseult's ;)
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