#Review - Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard #YALit #Fantasy

Series: The Witchlands (#3)
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Release Date: February 12, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Wizards & Witches

The breakout third novel in the New York Times bestselling Witchlands series, an epic fantasy adventure hailed by Alexandra Bracken (The Darkest Minds) as “a world you will want to inhabit forever.”

RAIDER, PROTECTOR. BLOODWITCH... AEDUAN. EVERY STORY HAS TWO SIDES.

Fans of Susan Dennard’s New York Times bestselling Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story. Aeduan has teamed up with the threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop the coming destruction. But to do so, he must confront his own father.
 

 

Bloodwitch, by author Susan Dennard, is the third installment in The Witchlands series. Bloodwitch follows events two weeks after the conclusion of Windwitch and the characters are all over the place and in strange combinations. This is a story that has lots of points of view that merge and diverge, with more plots within plots and added layers of world building. The story takes place in various places which gives it more depth and scope and you absolute learn about the undertows that each character is facing.  

It is fair to say that this is a character driven series which features Aeduan (Bloodwitch), Iseult (Threadwitch), Safiya (Truthwitch), Empress Vaness of Marstok, Windwitch Merik Nihar as well as his sister Vivia Nihar who is the presumed Queen-in-Waiting. If you haven't yet guessed, this book was intended to put the spotlight on Aeduan who has found himself allied with Iseult, and a girl called Owl, an extremely powerful Earthwitch child. We learn more about his parents, his steadily changing motives, his feelings towards Iseult, and his evolving relationship with Owl. 

Aeduan and Iseult make a fascinating case study in how one can go from being enemies, to being almost happy to be together. Aeduan is such a complex character, that it was nice to actually learn more about who he really is, and what he has had to go through that has led him to this point with Iseult and Owl. Aeduan and Iseult may have darkness inside, but they learned they are not bound to it. Aeduan knows that he can't remain free for long.

Safi has agreed to travel to Marstok to be the Empress Vaness's Truthwitch. So much for keeping her secret from her enemies. While Safi and the Marstoki Empress are hanging out in Marstok, attempting to cleanse the Marstok court of those who have been working against the Empress, an unexpected relation of Safi’s appears and throws her whole dynamic into chaos.

Vivia has been trying her hardest to care for her people after the city was nearly flooded and destroyed, but her father and the members of her council undermine her at every turn. When her best friend Stix disappears, Vivia decides to make an attempt at an alliance with Vaness. She needs to be strong, but she can't help but wonder what will happen once the Raider King forces invade their lands.

Merik is very much alive and has probably the hardest road of any character in this book. He finds himself taken by the Fury, used by Esme who tried to control Iseult, and then a bunch of things happen that I won't spoil. I think it is fair to say that I have not yet read Sightwitch, but really wish I had. I need to borrow it from my library and go back and catch up so that parts of this story can be further explained.

My only complaint about this story is that I waited several years for this to be released and wasn't certain I remembered why I should care about certain characters. I had to go back to my past reviews and refresh my memory. I would have preferred, I think, to have read the books back-to-back to keep things fresh in my mind. Apparently, there are at least 2 more books in this series. Hopefully the next book will be released next year.

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo