tome15's review
4.0
Willis, Connie, and Cynthia Felice. Water Witch. Ace, 1996.
Connie Willis is always a class act who finds new ways to treat traditional genre material. Water Witch would seem at first to be pure fantasy, but we gradually realize that all the seemingly paranormal elements are really bits of far future tech. A father-daughter team is running a game on the Tycoon (it seems to be an official title) in a desert city. The daughter pretends to be a princess with a paranormal gift of water divination. But then the game goes sour, and the plot thickens in unexpected ways. Characters are surprisingly nuanced, and the story has several satisfying twists. Fun.
Connie Willis is always a class act who finds new ways to treat traditional genre material. Water Witch would seem at first to be pure fantasy, but we gradually realize that all the seemingly paranormal elements are really bits of far future tech. A father-daughter team is running a game on the Tycoon (it seems to be an official title) in a desert city. The daughter pretends to be a princess with a paranormal gift of water divination. But then the game goes sour, and the plot thickens in unexpected ways. Characters are surprisingly nuanced, and the story has several satisfying twists. Fun.
sarah42783's review
4.0
As far as I know Water Witch is Connie Willis' earliest work and it's a nice introduction to her world. The book was written thirty years ago but it hasn't aged at all, it feels like it could have been written two years ago. The characters and plot do lack depth compared to other novels by Willis and the story is predictable but the book is an entertaining nonetheless. There is a bit more romance than in other Connie Willis books I've read in the past but I've noticed that this usually happens when she collaborates with Cynthia Felice (granted, there is a lot less romance here than in Promised Land). Ultimately, I think what I enjoyed most in Water Witch is the world created by Willis & Felice. The character of Deza's father and the way it is incorporated in the story is also a nice addition to the book. A fun read!
singinglight's review
3.0
The worldbuilding was fascinating for this one, but I got hung up on how cliched it felt, despite some interesting twists and characterizations. [March 2010]
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