A review by readingwryly
The Black Witch, by Laurie Forest
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Okay, it’s been awhile since I was in the mood for a fantasy. But this one hit the spot! I saw a TikTok that compared this to ACOTAR and I thought, “why not?”
Was it like ACOTAR in reality? I can certainly see the comparison, however it reads legitimately YA whereas ACOTAR is clearly much more adult. No smut here, folks! Not in book one at least. But it does have a diverse cast of lovable characters who I couldn’t help but to fall for. And there is definitely romantic suspense. Think, giddy high school love.
This book was clearly a set-up book for the rest of the series. The main focus is on our naive protagonist, Elloren, who lives a sheltered rural life until she goes off to university and discovers how big her world actually is! She is exposed to new people, new ideas, and new politics, and forced to rethink her world view. And along the way she finds herself, and a new found family.
This story gave me ACOTAR, with a hint of Harry Potter. Was it (potentially) excessively tropey? Yes. Do each of these found family members have conveniently perfect and powerful secrets? Yes. Do they pair off like a Sarah J Maas book? Absolutely. Am I trash for all of it? Undoubtedly.
Was it like ACOTAR in reality? I can certainly see the comparison, however it reads legitimately YA whereas ACOTAR is clearly much more adult. No smut here, folks! Not in book one at least. But it does have a diverse cast of lovable characters who I couldn’t help but to fall for. And there is definitely romantic suspense. Think, giddy high school love.
This book was clearly a set-up book for the rest of the series. The main focus is on our naive protagonist, Elloren, who lives a sheltered rural life until she goes off to university and discovers how big her world actually is! She is exposed to new people, new ideas, and new politics, and forced to rethink her world view. And along the way she finds herself, and a new found family.
This story gave me ACOTAR, with a hint of Harry Potter. Was it (potentially) excessively tropey? Yes. Do each of these found family members have conveniently perfect and powerful secrets? Yes. Do they pair off like a Sarah J Maas book? Absolutely. Am I trash for all of it? Undoubtedly.