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Widdershins #1
Widdershins
Logicide! Heretic!
Behold, the city of Laburnum, where all the gods are dead.
The all-seeing Academy has outlawed faith and superstition. Those caught whispering about unreasonable things quickly disappear.
But in this cruel city dripping with lies and conspiracy, an aristocrat and a slum boy are about to have their fates wound together by a mysterious cat. They will soon discover the dark underworld behind their city's curtain — and that evil has more than one face.
Pure Dickensian Voodoo.
Widdershins is a dystopian thrill-ride of top hats, politics, misfits and blood magic, from a striking new voice in fantasy.
Behold, the city of Laburnum, where all the gods are dead.
The all-seeing Academy has outlawed faith and superstition. Those caught whispering about unreasonable things quickly disappear.
But in this cruel city dripping with lies and conspiracy, an aristocrat and a slum boy are about to have their fates wound together by a mysterious cat. They will soon discover the dark underworld behind their city's curtain — and that evil has more than one face.
Pure Dickensian Voodoo.
Widdershins is a dystopian thrill-ride of top hats, politics, misfits and blood magic, from a striking new voice in fantasy.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 6, 2018
97 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
About the author
Alex Alexander
6 books29 followersAlex Alexander is a London based Fantasy & Science Fiction writer.
He is well read in the Dark Arts, Studies of Demonology, Essays on Soul Eating and other illogical things.
He is a human slave to a cruel, twisted, highly demanding and always hungry cat; that occasionally responds to the name: Albie.
Widdershins is his debut novel, and the first of a series.
He is well read in the Dark Arts, Studies of Demonology, Essays on Soul Eating and other illogical things.
He is a human slave to a cruel, twisted, highly demanding and always hungry cat; that occasionally responds to the name: Albie.
Widdershins is his debut novel, and the first of a series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 20, 2020
Review now live at Grimdark Magazine
Widdershins begins in the slums, where we meet our protagonist Niclas. It’s difficult to call him hero, as he’s a pretty simple lad and if we’re being honest, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He means well and tries to do the right thing, but he’s just not cut out for great heroics.
What’s unfortunate for Niclas is that he’s thrust into a series of situations where if he can’t be heroic, at least he is around others that can. The first thing he does is bungle a pickpocket assignment he’s given as a rite of passage into the top slum gang, the Crimson Men. But after he lands in prison, he’s rescued by a talking cat named Balthazar.
The city of Laburnum is ruled by a monarchy, but the real power is the Academy, whose laws are constructed in the interest of logic. It is the Age of Rationalism and the Academy has an Inquisition that stamps out all violations of this idea. The most heinous criminals in the land are guilty of logicide and are locked up in the Academy’s dungeons for all time.
Widdershins, as explained by Balthazar to Niclas, is simply going against the grain. The clock turning counterclockwise or anyone acting contrary to Logic is going widdershins.
After rescuing Niclas from his dire fate of imprisonment, Balthazar reveals that he has a purpose for this kindness. He needs a manservant, and Niclas is the closest thing he’s found to having one. There are certain things a cat cannot do for himself, as he has no hands. What’s more, most people will rail against the possibility that a cat can talk, and even if they believe it they are then risking their own investigation at the hands of the Academy. After all, the concept of a talking cat goes against all of the principles of logic and reason.
Widdershins also introduces us to the princess of Laburnum, a young woman named Cassandra. She’s a very good student who likes to read almost to a fault. While her scholar encourages her education, Cassandra exceeds expectations and soon learns that reading too much of the wrong kinds of books is a quick way to get into trouble.
There is also the Witchhunter in the city, and it doesn’t take him long to catch wind of a talking cat moving around the slums. And as a talking cat would be completely illogical, he determined that it must in fact be a witch in disguise.
Widdershins is a great escape down a dark and dangerous path, where not all is logical or as it seems. This story reminded me quite a bit of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, as far as its setting and our main character Niclas. The dark steampunk world gives a great sense of dread, while the hints of magic and wonder behind the curtain of Logic give us hope that it’s not all as bad as it seems. There is a certain lightheartedness to the telling as well, a touch of humor mixed in with the dire circumstances that our characters fall into.
It does take a little bit to get the story rolling and all of the characters in place, but once they’re moving it’s a pretty riveting ride. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface of Laburnum, much of it quite literally. The authorities of the Academy would not want these secrets getting out, or it might unravel the entire concept of Logic.
Widdershins begins in the slums, where we meet our protagonist Niclas. It’s difficult to call him hero, as he’s a pretty simple lad and if we’re being honest, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He means well and tries to do the right thing, but he’s just not cut out for great heroics.
What’s unfortunate for Niclas is that he’s thrust into a series of situations where if he can’t be heroic, at least he is around others that can. The first thing he does is bungle a pickpocket assignment he’s given as a rite of passage into the top slum gang, the Crimson Men. But after he lands in prison, he’s rescued by a talking cat named Balthazar.
“It was the first time Niclas had seen a cat smile. The majority of it is in their eyes – their narrow, mischievous eyes.”
The city of Laburnum is ruled by a monarchy, but the real power is the Academy, whose laws are constructed in the interest of logic. It is the Age of Rationalism and the Academy has an Inquisition that stamps out all violations of this idea. The most heinous criminals in the land are guilty of logicide and are locked up in the Academy’s dungeons for all time.
“Anyone who goes widdershins is dubbed a criminal, convicted of logicide and dealt with as swiftly as an itch.”
Widdershins, as explained by Balthazar to Niclas, is simply going against the grain. The clock turning counterclockwise or anyone acting contrary to Logic is going widdershins.
After rescuing Niclas from his dire fate of imprisonment, Balthazar reveals that he has a purpose for this kindness. He needs a manservant, and Niclas is the closest thing he’s found to having one. There are certain things a cat cannot do for himself, as he has no hands. What’s more, most people will rail against the possibility that a cat can talk, and even if they believe it they are then risking their own investigation at the hands of the Academy. After all, the concept of a talking cat goes against all of the principles of logic and reason.
Widdershins also introduces us to the princess of Laburnum, a young woman named Cassandra. She’s a very good student who likes to read almost to a fault. While her scholar encourages her education, Cassandra exceeds expectations and soon learns that reading too much of the wrong kinds of books is a quick way to get into trouble.
“He was usually enjoying a good book. He spent four fifths of his time reading, which didn’t leave a great deal many fifths for much else. But it did make him very smart.”
There is also the Witchhunter in the city, and it doesn’t take him long to catch wind of a talking cat moving around the slums. And as a talking cat would be completely illogical, he determined that it must in fact be a witch in disguise.
Widdershins is a great escape down a dark and dangerous path, where not all is logical or as it seems. This story reminded me quite a bit of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, as far as its setting and our main character Niclas. The dark steampunk world gives a great sense of dread, while the hints of magic and wonder behind the curtain of Logic give us hope that it’s not all as bad as it seems. There is a certain lightheartedness to the telling as well, a touch of humor mixed in with the dire circumstances that our characters fall into.
“Some of the stuff people flushed down their water closets was really quite extraordinary.”
It does take a little bit to get the story rolling and all of the characters in place, but once they’re moving it’s a pretty riveting ride. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface of Laburnum, much of it quite literally. The authorities of the Academy would not want these secrets getting out, or it might unravel the entire concept of Logic.
January 27, 2019
"The trees were the same shade of grey as the headstones. They were the kind of trees that moved their arms when they weren't being watched."
"Her song was melodic and innocuous, the kind of innocent tune that sounds just like pure evil."
Thank you to the publisher for the e-book giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This story is filled with witty quotes and descriptions as I've shared above. Balthazar, the talking cat, had me laughing left and right with his wonderfully sarcastic ways of speaking. Niclas, a poor uneducated boy, is surprisingly likeable despite what Balthazar refers to as his stupidity. Cassandra, the royal princess, is that girl we all know way too well who feels superior, talks too much, is demanding, and oblivious to the moments that she's not in control of the situation. I swear I could hear the voices of each character. I could see what each of them looked like and I could imagine every description even when it was not of this world. This was a fantastical story that I could find myself rereading and recommending to anyone looking for a fantasy story with wit and humor in it. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a talking cat?
The only reason I give this story 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt like at times it moved way too quickly. There are scenes that could have been even more fantastic had there been more substance to them. I also did not appreciate the cliffhanger at the end. I read plenty of series, and not only was there no indication of this being the first book of a series, but that ending was borderline mean. There's no need for the first book of a series to end in the middle of an important scene in the way this one did. However, I do want to read the next one. I enjoyed this magical story quite a bit and honestly didn't want it to end. I'm glad there will be at least one more book. I'm hoping the plan is to have many books of adventures with Niclas and Balthazar.
"Her song was melodic and innocuous, the kind of innocent tune that sounds just like pure evil."
Thank you to the publisher for the e-book giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This story is filled with witty quotes and descriptions as I've shared above. Balthazar, the talking cat, had me laughing left and right with his wonderfully sarcastic ways of speaking. Niclas, a poor uneducated boy, is surprisingly likeable despite what Balthazar refers to as his stupidity. Cassandra, the royal princess, is that girl we all know way too well who feels superior, talks too much, is demanding, and oblivious to the moments that she's not in control of the situation. I swear I could hear the voices of each character. I could see what each of them looked like and I could imagine every description even when it was not of this world. This was a fantastical story that I could find myself rereading and recommending to anyone looking for a fantasy story with wit and humor in it. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a talking cat?
The only reason I give this story 4 stars instead of 5 is because I felt like at times it moved way too quickly. There are scenes that could have been even more fantastic had there been more substance to them. I also did not appreciate the cliffhanger at the end. I read plenty of series, and not only was there no indication of this being the first book of a series, but that ending was borderline mean. There's no need for the first book of a series to end in the middle of an important scene in the way this one did. However, I do want to read the next one. I enjoyed this magical story quite a bit and honestly didn't want it to end. I'm glad there will be at least one more book. I'm hoping the plan is to have many books of adventures with Niclas and Balthazar.
July 29, 2020
Fair warning: I won a free Kindle copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Niclas is a rather dull boy from the lowest rungs of society. A theft gone wrong sets him on the run from the law, and only the intervention of Balthazar, a talking cat, saves him from their clutches. He needs Niclas’ help in procuring a certain book. But Niclas’ former criminal compatriots would also like a word with him, as would Princess Cassandra, who helps him locate the book in the library. And then there's the Witch Hunter …
This was a fairly entertaining book, a bit on the madcap caper side. It's juuuust tongue-in-cheek enough to be fun without being so silly that you don't take it seriously enough to fear for the protagonists’ lives at the appropriate moments.
It's marred a bit by not really having an ending. Things just happen for a while, and then the book stops, clearly to be continued in a future volume.
It's fun enough. Just don't expect a resolution in this book. As such, I can't really recommend it, but do check it out if you're curious.
Niclas is a rather dull boy from the lowest rungs of society. A theft gone wrong sets him on the run from the law, and only the intervention of Balthazar, a talking cat, saves him from their clutches. He needs Niclas’ help in procuring a certain book. But Niclas’ former criminal compatriots would also like a word with him, as would Princess Cassandra, who helps him locate the book in the library. And then there's the Witch Hunter …
This was a fairly entertaining book, a bit on the madcap caper side. It's juuuust tongue-in-cheek enough to be fun without being so silly that you don't take it seriously enough to fear for the protagonists’ lives at the appropriate moments.
It's marred a bit by not really having an ending. Things just happen for a while, and then the book stops, clearly to be continued in a future volume.
It's fun enough. Just don't expect a resolution in this book. As such, I can't really recommend it, but do check it out if you're curious.
January 30, 2019
*Bumped my rating up to 4 stars as I was informed that there will be a sequel, so I will get to see what happens to this unlikely group of characters.
This book isn't my usual taste, but at first I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself rooting for the talking cat, misfit boy, and the unruly princess. The story held my attention and their adventures were interesting. This book would have been 4 stars for me if not for the ending. The book...just ended. I kept trying to turn the page to see what happened next but there were no more pages! No word of a sequel either. Even a sequel would have wrapped up slightly better. I kind of feel let down since I don't know what happened to the characters I invested 4+ hours into.
This book isn't my usual taste, but at first I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself rooting for the talking cat, misfit boy, and the unruly princess. The story held my attention and their adventures were interesting. This book would have been 4 stars for me if not for the ending. The book...just ended. I kept trying to turn the page to see what happened next but there were no more pages! No word of a sequel either. Even a sequel would have wrapped up slightly better. I kind of feel let down since I don't know what happened to the characters I invested 4+ hours into.
December 12, 2018
Niklas is a guttersnipe from the slums who hopes to rise in the world by proving his worth as a thief. But his first time out, he's nicked and sent to the tower where he'll either be branded, mutilated, or executed. When a talking cat offers to rescue him if he'll do him some unspecified favors, Niklas gives his word.
The boy is eager to please, the cat is not telling everything he knows, and the princess isn't as smart as she thinks she is. Lots of political maneuvering as the foundations of a society are called into question. Creepy witches, loaded guns, scheming rats, prison breaks, bowler hats, black candles, and a whisperer. Action-packed, societally challenging, gruesomely messy, and occasionally violent ... but certainly more adventure than horror.
Very much a part one (thanks, wretched cliffhanger). I would like the next book, please and thank you.
The boy is eager to please, the cat is not telling everything he knows, and the princess isn't as smart as she thinks she is. Lots of political maneuvering as the foundations of a society are called into question. Creepy witches, loaded guns, scheming rats, prison breaks, bowler hats, black candles, and a whisperer. Action-packed, societally challenging, gruesomely messy, and occasionally violent ... but certainly more adventure than horror.
Very much a part one (thanks, wretched cliffhanger). I would like the next book, please and thank you.
October 21, 2023
Wow! Just wow!
I have to admit I wasn’t very impressed with Niclaus in the beginning of the book but when this book picked up it took off at the speed of light. It’s got a little bit of everything: really evil characters without saving grace, lowlifes you feel sorry for, a talking cat, a spoiled princess, a boy who has never been educated, and a bad guy that might be a good guy. Yep slight confusion but oh gosh I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
I have to admit I wasn’t very impressed with Niclaus in the beginning of the book but when this book picked up it took off at the speed of light. It’s got a little bit of everything: really evil characters without saving grace, lowlifes you feel sorry for, a talking cat, a spoiled princess, a boy who has never been educated, and a bad guy that might be a good guy. Yep slight confusion but oh gosh I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Want to read
August 31, 2018Free copy courtesy of Alex Alexander and Goodreads First Reads, which in no way influences this review
September 21, 2018
Review to come.
May 22, 2020
I don't know why, but didn't really get through this book. It was probably me in a slump period. I'm not going to give up on this book, I'm going to set it aside and reread it later.
March 23, 2018
Excellent story telling
This is a long tale but a good one. Well written, but for some editing issues. Definitely read this if you like something very unique. A talking cat due to a spell, the cruel upbringing of a "guttersnipe", and a princess caught up in the dangers and intrigue in a kingdom in trouble. Lots of adventure, danger, and chaos. A page turner.
This is a long tale but a good one. Well written, but for some editing issues. Definitely read this if you like something very unique. A talking cat due to a spell, the cruel upbringing of a "guttersnipe", and a princess caught up in the dangers and intrigue in a kingdom in trouble. Lots of adventure, danger, and chaos. A page turner.
September 1, 2018
I love this book but I also hate this book. I really liked the story, structure and the way it was told. I just cant get past the dialogue. It wasn't bad, I just couldn't get past two characters. Niclas, one of the main characters, is dumber than a box rocks. Overly so, to the point I didn't like him as a character at all. Even though he is from the slums and uneducated I just cant deal with 15 going on 6 mentality. Then there was one of the thugs who had a lisp. A lisp is no big deal but the way his dialogue was written was somewhat difficult to read and not very enjoyable. I'm still giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy the story itself but me personally, I will not be continuing on with this series. Unfortunately, those two characters really killed the book for me which sucks because the others where great.
July 22, 2019
I wanted to like this book. The story and chara yers were interesting. It felt like Mark Twain and H.P. Lovecraft had a lovechikd and called it this book, which is a strange combo, but it was interesting. Eventually, the overuse and misuse of question marks and the author's need to speak directly to the audience got to be overwhelming and stood in the way of what could have been a good story.
September 3, 2020
You know when you start a book and you're both drawn to it and pushed away by the writing style? That's what I got from Widdershins. It struck me as a try-too-hard fantasy humour that wanted to be Terry Pratchett but had whacked on the fast-forward button and cranked up the irritating accented dialogue to max. It had so much potential to be fun, but the writing style... Some people might like it, but I was all ready to DNF after part 1 of 6.
But. Seriously, a big but.
I kept going because in part 2 things started to look up, both because of the evolving writing style and the new character POVs. By part 3 I was feeling far more invested in the characters, and by 4 there was no way I could stop. Once the story really gets into the swing of things, dropping that try-hard jokey tone and 4th wall breaking narration that crops up, I loved it. Sure, there are a few moments later on of awkwardness, one conversation that's purely there are a shoe-horned joke about real estate or somesuch, but the story. It's strange and quirky, darkly fun in that way that is indeed very Terry Pratchett-ish. There's also something a bit Edge Chronicles about it; whimsical but with more bite to the humour alongside the YA style warmth.
The story follows an initially irritatingly stoopid boy named Niclas who gets caught up in the machinations of a talking cat. This is problematic for many reasons, not least because the city he lives in believes wholeheartedly in the superiority of logic. A talking cat asking a boy to steal a forbidden library book that may or may not be magical is not all that logical. Nor is it something the relentlessly curious girl Cassandra can just ignore. She unwittingly ends up tangled in their madcap schemes, just as a darkly clad stranger arrives in town. He too is looking for practisers of the illogical, but his penchant for weaponry implies more than just a scholarly interest. And that's before the Academy, hoarders of knowledge and wielders of logic-based justice get involved.
I'm guessing these parts were written serial style rather than as one body of work, and it shows from how the writing style evolves at it goes along. Things that frustrated me, like long reams of unbroken accent dialogue, and the comic asides when the narrator chose to address the reader directly, melted away as the story gathered pace. It took a little while for the bigger picture to show (like what exactly "logicide" meant) but we got descriptions, action, in-stream humour that didn't break the flow, explanations of the city and how their world worked. It went from jumbled but interesting to a thing of bizarre beauty. I was curious at the beginning; I was hooked by the end. The biggest gripe about this is that it just... ends. No wrap up, no "that's it for now" closure, just a sudden stop as if the next chapter is missing.
Bluntly, I didn't like reading about Niclas. I know he's meant to be sympathetically stupid and I could like him, but his speech and early slowness just grated on me (someone get the boy ell-oh-kew-shun lessons please). Cassandra was a lot easier to read, and even though she's the clever one you still got that satisfying feeling of being one step ahead when she refused to see her world for how it really was. Balthazaar is excellent as the despairing adult in the room (even if he is technically a cat) and Witchunter was a great dark foil for our crew. Other characters could grate a little, mostly the ones wot don't speak proper, innit - I fought it well 'ard to read all dem accents an' fings. And then came the lisp. I ended up skimming unnecessary dialogue just to get the gist.
TL;DR; Loved the story, came to love the characters, and the weird fantasy world is a thing of joy - just mind the hard to read dialogue and the sudden stop ending. Expect talking cats, exploding rats, creepy magic, naive tomfoolery, and a compellingly created world that isn't as logical as it pretends to be.
For all my whinging, I really hope this series continues soon, because all that world building and darkly silly fantasy became so much fun.
But. Seriously, a big but.
I kept going because in part 2 things started to look up, both because of the evolving writing style and the new character POVs. By part 3 I was feeling far more invested in the characters, and by 4 there was no way I could stop. Once the story really gets into the swing of things, dropping that try-hard jokey tone and 4th wall breaking narration that crops up, I loved it. Sure, there are a few moments later on of awkwardness, one conversation that's purely there are a shoe-horned joke about real estate or somesuch, but the story. It's strange and quirky, darkly fun in that way that is indeed very Terry Pratchett-ish. There's also something a bit Edge Chronicles about it; whimsical but with more bite to the humour alongside the YA style warmth.
The story follows an initially irritatingly stoopid boy named Niclas who gets caught up in the machinations of a talking cat. This is problematic for many reasons, not least because the city he lives in believes wholeheartedly in the superiority of logic. A talking cat asking a boy to steal a forbidden library book that may or may not be magical is not all that logical. Nor is it something the relentlessly curious girl Cassandra can just ignore. She unwittingly ends up tangled in their madcap schemes, just as a darkly clad stranger arrives in town. He too is looking for practisers of the illogical, but his penchant for weaponry implies more than just a scholarly interest. And that's before the Academy, hoarders of knowledge and wielders of logic-based justice get involved.
I'm guessing these parts were written serial style rather than as one body of work, and it shows from how the writing style evolves at it goes along. Things that frustrated me, like long reams of unbroken accent dialogue, and the comic asides when the narrator chose to address the reader directly, melted away as the story gathered pace. It took a little while for the bigger picture to show (like what exactly "logicide" meant) but we got descriptions, action, in-stream humour that didn't break the flow, explanations of the city and how their world worked. It went from jumbled but interesting to a thing of bizarre beauty. I was curious at the beginning; I was hooked by the end. The biggest gripe about this is that it just... ends. No wrap up, no "that's it for now" closure, just a sudden stop as if the next chapter is missing.
Bluntly, I didn't like reading about Niclas. I know he's meant to be sympathetically stupid and I could like him, but his speech and early slowness just grated on me (someone get the boy ell-oh-kew-shun lessons please). Cassandra was a lot easier to read, and even though she's the clever one you still got that satisfying feeling of being one step ahead when she refused to see her world for how it really was. Balthazaar is excellent as the despairing adult in the room (even if he is technically a cat) and Witchunter was a great dark foil for our crew. Other characters could grate a little, mostly the ones wot don't speak proper, innit - I fought it well 'ard to read all dem accents an' fings. And then came the lisp. I ended up skimming unnecessary dialogue just to get the gist.
TL;DR; Loved the story, came to love the characters, and the weird fantasy world is a thing of joy - just mind the hard to read dialogue and the sudden stop ending. Expect talking cats, exploding rats, creepy magic, naive tomfoolery, and a compellingly created world that isn't as logical as it pretends to be.
For all my whinging, I really hope this series continues soon, because all that world building and darkly silly fantasy became so much fun.
September 20, 2018
**Spoilers** So I won an advanced copy of this one thinking it would be a fluffy YA flavored distopian novel with a cat. I underestimated it. It definitely had an Orwellian flair because The Academy had set itself in charge of the flow of information using its power to control education, religion, and even the monarchy in the name of "logic." Though the villains in this novel were plentiful, the faceless intuition of the Academy did a great job infusing a constant level of vigilant fear through the novel because the Academy had no problem crushing its opposition in a manner worth of Revolutionary France. Balthazar, a man trapped in the body of the cat, seems to be the chief trouble magnet in the empire. He is a man turned into a cat waiting for one day a year when his curse can be reversed assisted by a guttersnipe named Niclas who has more heart than brains, the crown princess Casandra who has made herself an enemy of the Academy by thinking too much just like her murdered father, and a Witchhunter who spends half the book wanting to kill everyone he meets. While I'm taken with Niclas and his simpler outlook on life, I think the most interesting character in this book is the Witchhunter. Alex Alexander has managed to make the tension of this complicated world boil down to one man. The Academy made magic illegal, and when you meet the Academy inquisitors you realize that they are evil monsters. So I was inclined to like witches because at least they were going against the Academy. NOPE! The witch we meet is totally deserving of anything the Academy dishes out because she preys on the weakest and most vulnerable members of the slums to fuel her sick necromancy. So by the end of the book, the Witchhunter looks like the sane one because he is willing to kill who ever gets in his way. So yeah. Not a fluffy book. Very icky sections. But I really want to know what happens next because of the dreadfully cliff-hangered ending!
September 30, 2018
Loved the book immensely and loved the characters too. Niclas was a great character and an enjoyable protagonist and hes just the right amount of innocence and ignorance (that of which typically go hand in hand) to make the reader want to hug the poor boy and drag him away from all the many people who want him dead. Niclas is also a sharp contrast to all the negativity of the world around him and great for lighting up the mood in an otherwise dreary situation. God, I could go on for hours about how I love each character but I'll spare everyone by just saying the rest of the characters and the world building itself makes me want to binge on the rest of the Widdershins series. I searched for the second book all over but I've only seen the title and cover for that here and can't access it though the amazon link so I would have to assume it isn't out yet? Waiting as patiently as I can for the next installment of this fantastic series.
August 27, 2018
I won this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
A talking cat, a misfit boy, a princess and a witch hunter. What could be better than that? Not much honestly. Although I admit this is not my typical go-to genre, I really enjoyed it. Well written with an engaging story and fascinating characters, this is a book I would recommend to anyone.....especially people who like talking cats. Can't wait for the sequel.
A talking cat, a misfit boy, a princess and a witch hunter. What could be better than that? Not much honestly. Although I admit this is not my typical go-to genre, I really enjoyed it. Well written with an engaging story and fascinating characters, this is a book I would recommend to anyone.....especially people who like talking cats. Can't wait for the sequel.
January 8, 2019
First of all, the scenes with the thug that speaks with a lisp was a pain to read.
But other than that, and perhaps a few odd narrative moments, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a fun, imaginative story with bits of magic, humor, and suspense. The cast is unique and their banter with each other is entertaining. And even though Niclas is as dumb as a stump, he was endearing and I enjoyed all of his page time. ... I look forward to the next book.
But other than that, and perhaps a few odd narrative moments, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a fun, imaginative story with bits of magic, humor, and suspense. The cast is unique and their banter with each other is entertaining. And even though Niclas is as dumb as a stump, he was endearing and I enjoyed all of his page time. ... I look forward to the next book.
November 20, 2018
I received this in a Goodreads giveaway. I’m torn between 3 and 4 stars. For the most part, I really enjoyed the world created but Niclas drove me nuts. His dialogue was terrible and two of the main characters were 15/16 but were so innocent/sheltered/ignorant that it felt more middle grade. It’s a good start to a series.
May 10, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, the premise sounded so interesting, but unfortunately the author just didn't make it work. The characters were not developed well. The writing style was at times humorous, but more often came across as pretentious. The book ended on a cliffhanger so there's at least one more book coming, but I honestly have no desire to read it or anything else by this author.
April 7, 2018
I really enjoyed the book once I got into it. It started slow, but gained speed once the characters were explained in more depth. I love books that are supernatural and this one had some elements I had never read before. Really looking forward to the next book.
September 10, 2018
I was excited to receive a kindle copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway. It fits my niche of favorite books, humorous and magical. While I enjoyed the premise of the book, I felt that the characters lacked depth and development.
December 11, 2018
Lots of fun
Talking cats always get my attention,so few humans hear them! So I grabbed This book and read like crazy. It's a fun read,well worth my time. I look forward to the next volume with anticipation!
Talking cats always get my attention,so few humans hear them! So I grabbed This book and read like crazy. It's a fun read,well worth my time. I look forward to the next volume with anticipation!
January 15, 2019
Absolutely loved this book!
I loved this book. In a moment of becoming fed up with a great percentage of the unlimited kindle books seemingly horribly written and predictable, Widdershins was a breath of fresh air.
I loved this book. In a moment of becoming fed up with a great percentage of the unlimited kindle books seemingly horribly written and predictable, Widdershins was a breath of fresh air.
February 23, 2019
A wonderfully written tale
I loved this book, from the quirky writing style to the unique setting each element added to the feeling of being in the world. I look forward to reading the next book.
I loved this book, from the quirky writing style to the unique setting each element added to the feeling of being in the world. I look forward to reading the next book.
March 25, 2019
Does a lot of head jumping but then I think it helped tell the story succinctly, so I won't knock it. I enjoyed reading this novel. Magic, black cats, adventure. It's a fun read and I'm looking forward to the next.
April 12, 2018
Good read
It was a good story. I enjoyed the characters. Balthazar the cat is well written. The idea of the inquisition was interesting.
It was a good story. I enjoyed the characters. Balthazar the cat is well written. The idea of the inquisition was interesting.
May 7, 2018
It was good. I wasn't sure what to expect, it was a novel idea and the writing was well done. Overall a good read!
May 20, 2018
Decent quick read
I enjoyed the book, but was looking for a sequel... otherwise a very enjoyable quick read. Lots of magical adventurr.
I enjoyed the book, but was looking for a sequel... otherwise a very enjoyable quick read. Lots of magical adventurr.
May 27, 2018
Abosolute fantastic fun! Can’t wait for the sequel!
February 14, 2019
Worthy of a Read
This book played like a movie in my head. The story was excellently stitched together and described in beautiful detail. Can't wait for the next book!
This book played like a movie in my head. The story was excellently stitched together and described in beautiful detail. Can't wait for the next book!
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