reka111's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
Date: 2023/04/09-2023/04/14
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★.25
Spice rating: —
Age rating (I think): 16+
TIGGER WARNINGS: torture, death, profanity
Thanks to the author for the ARC copy so I can honestly review the book.
First, what you can expect from this book:
- enemies to lovers (but rather hate to love)
- found family
- unique world construction
- great wording
- exciting and adventurous
- some chapters end with a cliffhanger or twist
- the battle of good and evil
- morally grey characters
- witches and magic
- 3rd person
- mainly male lead
- medium-paced
- funny speeches
PRELIMINARY:
I'll be honest, this book was very hard for me to absorb (but eventually did) and that was due to the slow start and the names that I didn't even know existed at first (but still, what a cool name Malachi is and very unique, if anyone is interested means messenger of god, which is almost comical here).
The characters grew very close to my heart, especially Teska, I could identify with her a lot and I'm sorry for everything she had to go through. I've always loved strong and fighting women, but she holds a special place in my heart even among them.
When I finished this book, I had so many emotions swirling inside me that I couldn't really name any of them, but I also can't decide how I feel now a day later.
ATTENTION SPOILER (if you haven't read the book, scroll down at your own risk)
THORNE
Okay, shame, no shame, but I only read a few male-lead books, so this was the first one I picked up in a long time and, to be honest, I was quite afraid of it, because it's a little harder for me to identify with male lead characters, because I'm always used to them only the love interests. But I was pleasantly disappointed. Thorne was everything I wanted and expected from this book. He goes through an unusual character development (that's seriously rare) throughout the book and it's remarkable from him. At the beginning of the book, he has the power, and like everyone he uses it, both deterrence and obtaining information, he blindly believes in the church and does not question whether what he is doing is right. With him, you can observe in a terrible good way what happens to a person when he is suddenly deprived of this superiority and has to survive without it. Actually, I don't believe that he is bad, but I wouldn't say that he was good either, because he did a lot of bad things and his hands are not clean - no one's are - but at least he can learn from his mistakes. It is clear that his motivation is replaced by loyalty to friends and love, and along the way he finds something that is really worth fighting for. It was what made him so human; his bad decisions, his loyalty and how he changed. You may see him a stern and evil figure on the outside, but inside is much more complex, capable of empathy and he's fight for those who close to him. Overall, he was a great protagonist, someone I would love to read about anytime.
TESKA
My Ghost, who was so brave, for so long and didn't forget to remain human in a world full of monsters. Like Malachi, she goes through a lot of character development herself; Driven by revenge, she turns from a lost thief into a true warrior and finds the path destined for her by fate. I guessed that she has something to do with witches or brexias (and that Throne witchfinder simply makes things funnier), but not so much. It was obvious from the first moments that she was not normal and that there was something special about her. I loved that she was so determined and brave and persistent but never blind, not only in not following the church, but because she was able to forgive Solomon, which took a lot of strength for her. She has undeniably become one of my favorite female characters with her personality and uniqueness. I look forward to seeing what happens to her.
THE OTHERS
As in (almost) every book, you need a funny secondary character, but here the author managed to make his jokes so well that they were not disturbing. Yes, Warner carried this thing on his back and I'm really grateful to him for that, even in the most tense moments he had a joke up his sleeve and made me laugh. I was so scared that he and Cabbott might not survive, but they did, so now I'm calm and owe that witch my soul.
For me, Hawkes was more of a fighter and protector than a real personality, despite this, I have to mention him because of his loyalty and perseverance, since without him the characters would not have lived (and without Teska).
Dario, well, he was either terribly strong or terribly stupid. Maybe both at the same time, maybe neither, but I know that he did everything for his family and friends, and for that I respect him. He literally - though not willingly - gave up most of her life to find out what happened to his nieces, only to lose them again. Somehow I don't trust that he will be with us for a long time, he will slip by like a butterfly, but I am ready for it, because like him, I have no other choice.
Neris, the brexia (or witch) is the leader of the communion. To be honest, I wanted to get to know her better and her goals and motivations, because she wasn't really driven by anything other than fear, on the contrary, she was very interesting and I hope we can get to know her better in the future.
A single word is enough for Rann; Darth Vader and everything will make sense.
Merrick was a revolutionary, a leader and a fool. But honestly I got used to his presence and it was terrible when he disappeared and what they did to him. He deserved much, much better. He believed so much in a better future so much, and he wanted it so much and it didn't work out for him, but I hope Throne will do it for him and bring them a free world, one in which there is no church, no rules and free people.
LOVE STORY
Okay, so I couldn't stick enemies to lovers on this no matter how much I wanted to. They weren't really enemies (or not long enough to be called enemies), but the fact is that they didn't get along well in the beginning. Although for me this out-of-the-air love was a bit rushed, it wasn't that terrible, not as much as I've experienced in other books, here at least they got time and probably more, because nothing really happened. I wouldn't really say that they are together, rather they just stomp in front of the other and expect that the other will notice this.
Totally random comment:
Ok, Teska has red hair (just like witches used to) but that's not the strange thing, it's that Elaine had it too (according to Merrick) but I have no idea who she is and what happened to her. I mean, she's proven to have something to do with Throne and uhhh I feel like this is a painful memory for him. But I'm still very interested in who or what exactly she was.
THE PLOT PACE/CONCEPT/ETC
One of my problems - as I mentioned - was caused by the slow start, but I understand why it was necessary; to get to know the situation and the characters, regardless, that's why I had to remove it from the rating.
The plot itself actually kicks in around 20%, so it clearly deserves the flag of slowness at the beginning, but from there it gallops like a wild horse and I honestly liked that we never stopped for a moment until the end and there was always something going on when I say that action is needed, that's exactly what I mean.
The wording, however, was beautiful, in the strictest sense of the word. I liked that author didn't just throw the words out there, but gave them real meaning and gave exactly as many descriptions of the things that the reader absolutely needs in order to understand the plot.
Okay, a map really helped a lot to define where we were going, but since I've never been very particular about them, I just let my brain fill in the places and imagine Departia itself, but this is definitely a plus point.
The world structure itself was very good, magic, witches, different creatures, etc., in a word, stayed true to its name and remained fantasy and did not change into something else.
FINAL WORD
So I finished this book thinking that I will definitely come back here in the future, as there is a second book and soon a third. Although I'm a little worried about the title, because in the previous book everything fell apart because of the Crimson Fathers and the Crusaders. I am very curious about their goals and what they want (or why they need Teska so much).
RECOMMENDATION
I definitely recommend reading it, because it guides you to a world where magic and monsters come to life, friendships are made and run away, secrets come to the destructive surface and dreams turn to dust. First of all, fantasy fans may like this book, but I strongly recommend it to anyone, because it is not worth missing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse
readersjournal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
daughteroffantasy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
✨Witchfinder Review✨
✨Book starts right away, action on page 14!
✨The church is orderly and immediately frightening with their doctrines and rigid structure.
✨I was excited to have a point of view chapter from our witch!
✨Our hero is almost an anti-hero and he has to overcome some pretty serious hurtles both mentally and physically!
✨Would recommend this books for fans of Ken Follett’s - Pillars of the Earth, and Bernard Cornwell’s - The Last Kingdom!
Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!
✨Book starts right away, action on page 14!
✨The church is orderly and immediately frightening with their doctrines and rigid structure.
✨I was excited to have a point of view chapter from our witch!
✨Our hero is almost an anti-hero and he has to overcome some pretty serious hurtles both mentally and physically!
✨Would recommend this books for fans of Ken Follett’s - Pillars of the Earth, and Bernard Cornwell’s - The Last Kingdom!
Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!
2ndchance_chad's review
4.0
This was another eARC that I received, this time through LibraryThing's website. I must have missed a slight bit of description on this one. I didn't pick up on it until I was already several pages in. For most of this book it reads and feels like a traditional Fantasy story where the Church rules most of the known world. There is magic and weapons seem fairly medieval themed. However, as you read through it turns out the story actually takes place about a thousand years after what may appear to be more like present day. There is a cataclysm that takes place and apparently throws the world back into more medieval times. With all of that being said, it was a very enjoyable read. It seems a rather quick and easy read as well. The pacing seems quick to me but not so much that it didn't allow time for the world and characters to develop. I did seem to get twisted from time to time on the plot itself but I like where things ended up at the end of the book.
I would consider this on the darker side and it appeared to have tragedy after tragedy. I really enjoyed the character development. Many times I had to ask myself who are the good guys and who are the bad guys in this story. This isn't due to it not being clear. It is more due to the fact many of the characters learn more and more about the world they live in and who they really are and who or what they want to be.
I'm excited to see where this story goes from here in the future!
I would consider this on the darker side and it appeared to have tragedy after tragedy. I really enjoyed the character development. Many times I had to ask myself who are the good guys and who are the bad guys in this story. This isn't due to it not being clear. It is more due to the fact many of the characters learn more and more about the world they live in and who they really are and who or what they want to be.
I'm excited to see where this story goes from here in the future!
darrahsteffenwrites's review
4.0
This was a good book! It started out slow. But once I did get into it I didn't want to stop!
hwright93's review
4.0
I kindly received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.
The Witchfinder is a Dystopian book set in the future after the world as we know it has been destroyed. The church reigns supreme and people are captured for being witches. It's an interesting concept of Witch Hunts that happened hundreds of years ago also happening in the future.
The book is full of magic and mystery and definitely has a few unexpected twists. The characters are pretty good although at times the Churchmen can be unbearable with their 'logic'. The character arc's are satisfying.
I did find bits of the book slow and I found it hard to get into the book initially. The final 1/3 however is really good, fast paced and has made me want to read the sequel.
3.5*
The Witchfinder is a Dystopian book set in the future after the world as we know it has been destroyed. The church reigns supreme and people are captured for being witches. It's an interesting concept of Witch Hunts that happened hundreds of years ago also happening in the future.
The book is full of magic and mystery and definitely has a few unexpected twists. The characters are pretty good although at times the Churchmen can be unbearable with their 'logic'. The character arc's are satisfying.
I did find bits of the book slow and I found it hard to get into the book initially. The final 1/3 however is really good, fast paced and has made me want to read the sequel.
3.5*
thepageladies's review
4.0
This book was a pleasant surprise!
The story is about Malachi Thorne he works for The Church of Deiparous as the top the witch-finder, which is really like a high-ranking officer in an army. He’s dedicated to the church completely. But when a heretic escapes and to keep his perfect record, he goes after the witch. Along the way, he finds out things about the church that have him second guessing his beliefs.
When I first started this book I thought oh no another witch finder remake but as I read it is very different. The world building and the character development were fantastic. It was fascinating to hear how the city was set up! Some rules or laws that were in place surprised me. I really hope this is going to be a series! Once the book got going, I was hooked, and I wasn't ready to leave this world just yet! Happy reading everyone!
Thank you BHC Press and J. Todd Kingrea for sharing this book with me!
The story is about Malachi Thorne he works for The Church of Deiparous as the top the witch-finder, which is really like a high-ranking officer in an army. He’s dedicated to the church completely. But when a heretic escapes and to keep his perfect record, he goes after the witch. Along the way, he finds out things about the church that have him second guessing his beliefs.
When I first started this book I thought oh no another witch finder remake but as I read it is very different. The world building and the character development were fantastic. It was fascinating to hear how the city was set up! Some rules or laws that were in place surprised me. I really hope this is going to be a series! Once the book got going, I was hooked, and I wasn't ready to leave this world just yet! Happy reading everyone!
Thank you BHC Press and J. Todd Kingrea for sharing this book with me!
cbramblings's review
5.0
If you are a fan of The Witcher series you are going to like this world.. It has that epic vibe to a "T", even if it is more on the post apocalyptic side. But that's not all, the plot is so engrossing and it correlates with so many of the circumstances we are living today (the importance of free will and autonomy of thought regardless of your beliefs) that it truly blew me away.
This is the story of Malachi Thorne (isn't that the coolest name?) a servant of The Church and Wow! his character development is one of my favorite things about the book (and I have many) How he needs to question himself and what he believes when faced with hidden truths about the church he serves it's so relatable and impactful..It all has a deeper meaning.. He's also a "normal" type character not a chosen one or an overpowered hero which I found so refreshing; it was so easy to connect with him..
I didn't like that much how quickly the relationships between the characters were stablished.. it felt a little like an afterthought not quite a progression but once they were set in motion we get a steady flow that made me overlook this...
This story has action (full action packed scenes so very well written that are so easy to get sucked into) Romance (minus the detail I mentioned earlier) and it has enough suspense throughout that will keep you guessing and looking forward to reading more...
I was delighted to read this book, it made it so easy to lose myself in the story and simply enjoy the ride.. and I urge you to do the same..
This is the story of Malachi Thorne (isn't that the coolest name?) a servant of The Church and Wow! his character development is one of my favorite things about the book (and I have many) How he needs to question himself and what he believes when faced with hidden truths about the church he serves it's so relatable and impactful..It all has a deeper meaning.. He's also a "normal" type character not a chosen one or an overpowered hero which I found so refreshing; it was so easy to connect with him..
I didn't like that much how quickly the relationships between the characters were stablished.. it felt a little like an afterthought not quite a progression but once they were set in motion we get a steady flow that made me overlook this...
This story has action (full action packed scenes so very well written that are so easy to get sucked into) Romance (minus the detail I mentioned earlier) and it has enough suspense throughout that will keep you guessing and looking forward to reading more...
I was delighted to read this book, it made it so easy to lose myself in the story and simply enjoy the ride.. and I urge you to do the same..
varshh's review
If you're looking for a novel that has a melange of politics, romance, gruesome fight scenes, friendship and in toto, a series that could capture you, then this does it for you.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story revolves around Malachi Thorne, the Witchfinder Imperator (a highest-ranking officer) who serves for the Church, an order which rules with a tight fist and tyranny. In this medieval reign, witch practices are abandoned and those who pursue this are subjected to death. When a heretic escapes from Malachi's grip, he's hell-bent on finding and putting him to "justice". In the pursuit of this traitor, Malachi confronts demons, witches, sorcery and a dangerous dark truth of the Church which makes him question his loyalty, his ideals and importantly his belief. Thorne must decide who and what he believes in—and what he will do about it before his friends get killed in the cross-fire.
Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, The book has themes that reflect some of the current hot topics such as the importance of free will, opinions and importantly dangers of blind belief. I loved how the author has introduced the settings and set the premise for the saga. The characters are dynamic and I was happy to see a hero who is flawed and normal instead of having an inhuman power in the cliched fantasy/dystopian novels. The novel has the perfect pace, suspense, surprise elements and some unforgettable characters.
Although, I was able to guess the upcoming twist and ending, I was hooked by the instability of the story flow and was eager to see the pieces fit together. But I found it hard to pinpoint the exact location of the world. In the beginning, Malachi visits a town Rimlingham which was once called Birmingham (it is mentioned) and later on the narration describes places and objects that point to the United States. How did they manage to cross an ocean without a ship is a big question mark. It was quite difficult to remember who is who as there was a contradiction of names between narration and when spoken in dialogue. Not leave out the perplexity when the characters say "hells" instead of "hell" in the book.
A sound novel with a firm foot for a series that would satisfy the fans of the Witcher and Divergent series.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story revolves around Malachi Thorne, the Witchfinder Imperator (a highest-ranking officer) who serves for the Church, an order which rules with a tight fist and tyranny. In this medieval reign, witch practices are abandoned and those who pursue this are subjected to death. When a heretic escapes from Malachi's grip, he's hell-bent on finding and putting him to "justice". In the pursuit of this traitor, Malachi confronts demons, witches, sorcery and a dangerous dark truth of the Church which makes him question his loyalty, his ideals and importantly his belief. Thorne must decide who and what he believes in—and what he will do about it before his friends get killed in the cross-fire.
Despite being set in a post-apocalyptic world, The book has themes that reflect some of the current hot topics such as the importance of free will, opinions and importantly dangers of blind belief. I loved how the author has introduced the settings and set the premise for the saga. The characters are dynamic and I was happy to see a hero who is flawed and normal instead of having an inhuman power in the cliched fantasy/dystopian novels. The novel has the perfect pace, suspense, surprise elements and some unforgettable characters.
Although, I was able to guess the upcoming twist and ending, I was hooked by the instability of the story flow and was eager to see the pieces fit together. But I found it hard to pinpoint the exact location of the world. In the beginning, Malachi visits a town Rimlingham which was once called Birmingham (it is mentioned) and later on the narration describes places and objects that point to the United States. How did they manage to cross an ocean without a ship is a big question mark. It was quite difficult to remember who is who as there was a contradiction of names between narration and when spoken in dialogue. Not leave out the perplexity when the characters say "hells" instead of "hell" in the book.
A sound novel with a firm foot for a series that would satisfy the fans of the Witcher and Divergent series.
katrina_ingram's review
I DNF this book so have not left a rating. It is set in a dystopian future with a witch finder as the main character. I love dystopian books and I thought I would enjoy the witch hunting. It was well written and I liked the concept but it was too heavy on religion. I realise this is an important part of the story and it might lessen as the book goes on but I was struggling to get into it. As I wasn’t invested I didn’t really know who any of the characters were aside from Thorne so started struggling to follow what was going on. I’m sure others will enjoy this book, if you like books focussed on witch hunting or the church with a medieval feel to it then give this one a go