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Wishtress
She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. But when a granted wish goes wrong, she is cursed: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She must travel to the Well to break the curse before it claims her life—and before the king's militairen find her. To survive the journey, Myrthe must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Bastiaan's powerful—and rare—Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. He gains Myrthe's trust by promising to take her to the Well, but once he gets what he needs, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise him.
Their quest can end only one way: with her death.
Everyone seems to need a wish—the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one wish, Myrthe would pay with her life. And if she tells them about the curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. But when a granted wish goes wrong, she is cursed: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She must travel to the Well to break the curse before it claims her life—and before the king's militairen find her. To survive the journey, Myrthe must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Bastiaan's powerful—and rare—Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. He gains Myrthe's trust by promising to take her to the Well, but once he gets what he needs, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise him.
Their quest can end only one way: with her death.
Everyone seems to need a wish—the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one wish, Myrthe would pay with her life. And if she tells them about the curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.
453 pages, Hardcover
First published September 13, 2022
206 people are currently reading
13941 people want to read
About the author
Nadine Brandes
8 books3,232 followersNADINE BRANDES has been known to do wild things (like ride a sleeper train across Russia) in the name of book research. She is the 4-time Carol Award-winning author of seven Young Adult novels (ROMANOV, FAWKES, WISHTRESS, THE NIGHTMARE VIRUS, and The Out of Time Series.) While inventing worlds is fun, she is most passionate about Jesus, motherhood, and creating with the Creator. Nadine and her husband strive to live out Psalm 34:3 with their four exuberant children.
(Connect with her on her Instagram and her YouTube)
(Connect with her on her Instagram and her YouTube)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 983 reviews
September 16, 2022
In a Nutshell: A complicated YA fantasy handling the good vs. evil trope in a novel way. Clean. Lengthy. Engrossing. Slow. An outstanding ending. (Oh, and it’s also Christian, though I couldn’t make this out even until the end.)
Story Synopsis:
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The plotting is impeccable. I loved how the various pieces fit into place. Other than the fantastical elements, nothing is left unexplained and no loophole is left unplugged.
😍 The magical elements were so good! I enjoyed the concept of Talents and Banes, of the two contradictory wells that provide these abilities, the variety of the magical qualities that people possess. It was all fun, even when dangerous!
😍 The characters of Myrthe and Bastiaan are detailed out wonderfully. Neither of them are the typical goody-goody characters but layered and flawed. You know that they will connect with each other but to my great happiness, it wasn’t an insta attraction. Other than these two, I loved Myrthe’s cousin Anouk and Bastiaan’s sidekick Runt. Runt steals the show with his spunky attitude.
😍 Extra positive point for having a female lead character dealing with a limp and an almost-lifelong chronic pain. The author mentions in her note that this comes from own health battles, and the personal experience shows in the writing. Well done!
😍 The idea of good vs. evil is amazingly explored through the fantastical elements. While things seem predictable at the start, the story soon makes you realise that not everything is that easy. The whole shebang sheds a wonderful light on human nature and the role of choices.
😍 While the pacing is very slow (it took me almost a week to get through this), the progress is steady and I enjoyed most of the journey.
😍 The writing is beautiful, with some really thought-provoking content. This was the main reason the slow pace and the length didn’t bother me much.
😍 Completely clean, because of the Christian publisher and Christian author. Then again, other than the good vs. evil trope (which is also quite neutral if you think about it – I don’t know why this theme is classified as Christian), you won’t find anything overly Christian in the content unless you are trying to push in religious themes where none are directly mentioned.
😍 I adored the ending. While I am still not sure if the author plans to write a sequel, (which I am totally in for!) the ending winds up things at the right point, with enough said and enough clues to know what will happen next. It’s not exactly a HEA, but also not sad or bittersweet or even a cliffhanger. It is the perfect ending for this story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😕 I didn’t like the changeover between Myrthe’s first person and Bastiaan’s third person narrative. While I don’t mind varied grammatical voices, it didn’t flow well in this story. Both the characters were central to the story (despite what the title suggests) and hence both should have been written the same way.
😕 Mixed feelings on the world building. The writing with its sprinkling of Dutch names and German words gave confused signals about the location, though every place is imaginary. At the same time, the magical detailing (the talents, the wells, the trials) are written so well that it isn’t tough to picture any of them in your mind. Basically, this book gives vibes of a medieval European village caught in a fantastical quandary.
😕 Some of the secondary characters are too clichéd.
😕 Some of the issues could have been resolved sooner if the characters had simply opened their mouths and revealed the truth instead of being so insecure and/or secretive about it.
⚠ Sometimes, things fall into place a bit too neatly. But as it’s a YA Fantasy, this is sort of expected. Not a major flaw for me (especially as these plot conveniences were still written well), but might not make some others happy.
All in all, if you go in with the right expectations, this is a beautiful character-driven story with plenty of good content and an outstanding magical ideology. Though I wish it had been faster in its pacing, I still enjoyed it quite a lot. Recommend to lovers of YA Fantasy and Christian Fantasy that doesn’t go ‘in your face’ with its Christian allegories.
4.5 stars. (Should have gone with a 4.25 considering the shortcomings but I just loved the magical bits and the ending.)
My thanks to Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Wishtress”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
Myrthe has been born with a Talent she didn’t ask for – her tears can grant wishes. However, with a dictatorial grandmother taking control of her Talent as well as her wishes, Myrthe hasn’t figured out how to handle her role as the ‘Wishtress’, until the day she is cursed and her world turns upside down. Her only hope now is to travel to ‘The Well’ to rectify matters.
Bastiaan has earned a Talent without expecting it – he can stop time. Unfortunately for him, his latest tryst with this ability ends up with the king being dead. The new king wants the Wishtress delivered to him. Bastiaan sets off on this mission, but with his own secret intent.
When their paths collide, Bastiaan and Myrthe begin a new journey of hope as well as restoration.
The story is written in the first person perspective of Myrthe and a limited third person perspective, mainly from the point of view of Bastiaan.
Where the book worked for me:
😍 The plotting is impeccable. I loved how the various pieces fit into place. Other than the fantastical elements, nothing is left unexplained and no loophole is left unplugged.
😍 The magical elements were so good! I enjoyed the concept of Talents and Banes, of the two contradictory wells that provide these abilities, the variety of the magical qualities that people possess. It was all fun, even when dangerous!
😍 The characters of Myrthe and Bastiaan are detailed out wonderfully. Neither of them are the typical goody-goody characters but layered and flawed. You know that they will connect with each other but to my great happiness, it wasn’t an insta attraction. Other than these two, I loved Myrthe’s cousin Anouk and Bastiaan’s sidekick Runt. Runt steals the show with his spunky attitude.
😍 Extra positive point for having a female lead character dealing with a limp and an almost-lifelong chronic pain. The author mentions in her note that this comes from own health battles, and the personal experience shows in the writing. Well done!
😍 The idea of good vs. evil is amazingly explored through the fantastical elements. While things seem predictable at the start, the story soon makes you realise that not everything is that easy. The whole shebang sheds a wonderful light on human nature and the role of choices.
😍 While the pacing is very slow (it took me almost a week to get through this), the progress is steady and I enjoyed most of the journey.
😍 The writing is beautiful, with some really thought-provoking content. This was the main reason the slow pace and the length didn’t bother me much.
😍 Completely clean, because of the Christian publisher and Christian author. Then again, other than the good vs. evil trope (which is also quite neutral if you think about it – I don’t know why this theme is classified as Christian), you won’t find anything overly Christian in the content unless you are trying to push in religious themes where none are directly mentioned.
😍 I adored the ending. While I am still not sure if the author plans to write a sequel, (which I am totally in for!) the ending winds up things at the right point, with enough said and enough clues to know what will happen next. It’s not exactly a HEA, but also not sad or bittersweet or even a cliffhanger. It is the perfect ending for this story.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
😕 I didn’t like the changeover between Myrthe’s first person and Bastiaan’s third person narrative. While I don’t mind varied grammatical voices, it didn’t flow well in this story. Both the characters were central to the story (despite what the title suggests) and hence both should have been written the same way.
😕 Mixed feelings on the world building. The writing with its sprinkling of Dutch names and German words gave confused signals about the location, though every place is imaginary. At the same time, the magical detailing (the talents, the wells, the trials) are written so well that it isn’t tough to picture any of them in your mind. Basically, this book gives vibes of a medieval European village caught in a fantastical quandary.
😕 Some of the secondary characters are too clichéd.
😕 Some of the issues could have been resolved sooner if the characters had simply opened their mouths and revealed the truth instead of being so insecure and/or secretive about it.
⚠ Sometimes, things fall into place a bit too neatly. But as it’s a YA Fantasy, this is sort of expected. Not a major flaw for me (especially as these plot conveniences were still written well), but might not make some others happy.
All in all, if you go in with the right expectations, this is a beautiful character-driven story with plenty of good content and an outstanding magical ideology. Though I wish it had been faster in its pacing, I still enjoyed it quite a lot. Recommend to lovers of YA Fantasy and Christian Fantasy that doesn’t go ‘in your face’ with its Christian allegories.
4.5 stars. (Should have gone with a 4.25 considering the shortcomings but I just loved the magical bits and the ending.)
My thanks to Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Wishtress”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
September 28, 2022
Although it's not a short book, I breezed through the story in a couple of days, that's how fast it flows. And no, it's not fast-paced; it's quite the contrary, slow and parsimonious. A bit hard to explain this convergence of slow plot with quick reading, it probably has to do with the writing, because it flows without bumps, neither flowery nor overwrought but smooth.
It's easier to say what I liked about this book: the girl protagonist and the magic system. Myrthe has a certain Cinderella aura about her, being exploited by her selfish grandmother for her tears with the ability to grant wishes; but she also has a bit of a Toads & Diamonds sprinkling, and a curse that could well fit in any mainstream fairy tale. But this is pretty much its own story that doesn't follow a specific tale, with a world and a magic system of its own, and a setting that looks like The Netherlands for the most part. She's not a character you'd call flawless, but she sure is someone you can understand.
I can't say the same for Bastiaan, the male lead, who failed to impress me. Runt, his sidekick, had more personality and charisma, and if he'd been the protagonist instead, I'd not have complained. He was funnier, more lovable, and definitely had far more pluck! The rest of the characters in general are a bit one-note.
The worldbuilding is where the book started to lose points with me. I don't think it's all that clear whether the author made up her mind on whether this world was Dutch or German because she mixes both in a confusing way. It's mostly Dutch, except when it isn't. I disliked this indecisiveness; it's one thing to want to merge several countries into one and it's another to throw everything into the blender and serve us whatever weird smoothie comes out of it. There's also the fact that, for a German-Dutch blend, the characters sometimes slip into using American idioms that'd be out of place in pre-Industrial Europe.
Then there's the POV switch, going from 1st person for Myrthe to 3rd person for Bastiaan and the other POV. If you want to use both first person and third person, it'd be better to use Third Person Limited because it allows for both an omniscient narrator and getting inside a character's head simultaneously. It's less grating than switching writing styles every chapter. This is also part of why I couldn't care for Bastiaan as I did for Myrthe, seeing things from her perspective, feeling her feelings, sharing her experiences, and then being forced into his more detached and less relatable POV.
So 3.5 stars rounded up it is, for the writing, imaginative magic, and overall plotline. The ending could've been less abrupt, too, because I was expecting another chapter to wrap it up and then... it just ended. Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but to fix this "there's a missing chapter" feel, at least a little complementary short story or novelette wouldn't be a bad idea.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's easier to say what I liked about this book: the girl protagonist and the magic system. Myrthe has a certain Cinderella aura about her, being exploited by her selfish grandmother for her tears with the ability to grant wishes; but she also has a bit of a Toads & Diamonds sprinkling, and a curse that could well fit in any mainstream fairy tale. But this is pretty much its own story that doesn't follow a specific tale, with a world and a magic system of its own, and a setting that looks like The Netherlands for the most part. She's not a character you'd call flawless, but she sure is someone you can understand.
I can't say the same for Bastiaan, the male lead, who failed to impress me. Runt, his sidekick, had more personality and charisma, and if he'd been the protagonist instead, I'd not have complained. He was funnier, more lovable, and definitely had far more pluck! The rest of the characters in general are a bit one-note.
The worldbuilding is where the book started to lose points with me. I don't think it's all that clear whether the author made up her mind on whether this world was Dutch or German because she mixes both in a confusing way. It's mostly Dutch, except when it isn't. I disliked this indecisiveness; it's one thing to want to merge several countries into one and it's another to throw everything into the blender and serve us whatever weird smoothie comes out of it. There's also the fact that, for a German-Dutch blend, the characters sometimes slip into using American idioms that'd be out of place in pre-Industrial Europe.
Then there's the POV switch, going from 1st person for Myrthe to 3rd person for Bastiaan and the other POV. If you want to use both first person and third person, it'd be better to use Third Person Limited because it allows for both an omniscient narrator and getting inside a character's head simultaneously. It's less grating than switching writing styles every chapter. This is also part of why I couldn't care for Bastiaan as I did for Myrthe, seeing things from her perspective, feeling her feelings, sharing her experiences, and then being forced into his more detached and less relatable POV.
So 3.5 stars rounded up it is, for the writing, imaginative magic, and overall plotline. The ending could've been less abrupt, too, because I was expecting another chapter to wrap it up and then... it just ended. Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but to fix this "there's a missing chapter" feel, at least a little complementary short story or novelette wouldn't be a bad idea.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2022
Breathtaking. Never have I ventured into a more unique and vibrant story world than within the pages of Wishtress. It is both fairy tale and literature, modern fable and timeless allegory. Nadine Brandes has crafted the masterpiece of her career. Full of secrets, romance, and magic, Wishtress is the book everyone will be wishing never comes to an end!
July 26, 2022
First thoughts (May 21):
I READ ALMOST THE ENTIRE BOOK IN ONE DAY. I'm not kidding. I couldn't put it down, and it wrecked me in the best way possible. AND THAT ALLEGORY. It's an understatement to say Nadine is the queen of allegories, and she totally nailed this one. I think this is my new favorite of hers. Fullfangirling review to come soon!
Full review:
In typical Nadine Brandes style, Wishtress whisks you away on an unforgettable, edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride from its captivating first sentence right up until the last page, leaving you breathless and a little dazed by the end. Only Nadine could pull off a story so perfectly balanced between heart-stopping adventure, compelling character arcs, and deep, allegorical themes that hint at biblical truth. Suffice it to say, this is a book you won’t be able to put down!
Characters: Let’s start with Myrthe—dear Myrthe. The pain, the loss, the betrayal she endured—it all broke my heart for her. While she might have been a little careless and naïve at times, she still had a good heart. And her caring, sacrificial nature made me love her all the more.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Bastiaan at first. But he grew on me as I delved deeper into his character and saw him protect and care for Myrthe. The way Nadine contrasted his gentle respect of Myrthe with Sven’s total disregard for her melted my heart. Of course, their romance was adorable too! And I loved Bastiaan’s relationship with Runt—so touching and sweet!
My favorite scene in the whole book though?
Plot/Worldbuilding: Nadine’s trademark is her mind-blowing twists and turns that leave you never knowing what to expect next. Wishtress was no different! And yet, it is so much more than a well-crafted plot with plenty of clever twists to keep you turning pages. My favorite part of Nadine’s books is the way she so skillfully weaves profound truth into the very fabric of the story.
While the worldbuilding wasn’t particularly original, I thought it suited the story well, working as the supporting backbone to the rest of the story. And I loved the magic system! Somehow Nadine still managed to add so much depth and detail to it even though the story was already packed full of other elements.
Theme: Not only is Nadine a master of twists, but she’s also the undisputed queen of allegories. And while I’m not a huge fan of most allegorical stories, I L.O.V.E.D the allegory of the two wells in Wishtress. The picture of the two wells as light and darkness fighting against each other was simply powerful and such a beautiful illustration of Jesus, our living water.
Every Nadine Brandes book is packed full of biblical truth, yet always in the subtlest and surprisingly simplest of ways. Her stories somehow manage to paint vibrant pictures of truth in a simple yet profound way that speaks straight to the soul. I have yet to find another speculative fiction writer who can so seamlessly weave deep themes in while still preserving the natural pace and integrity of the story.
Be warned: You might not make it out with your heart fully intact, but trust me, it is a sacrifice well worth it. You’ll close the book a changed person, but a better person for having read it. It certainly won’t be a tale you forget soon!
Favorite quotes:
“To share your story is a choice. Don’t underestimate the healing that can come from daring to not suffer alone.”
“She didn’t have memory of our life together, but she knew me. A single memory of me calling her mother was enough to remind her heart that she loved me. Not even my wishes could erase her love for me.”
“Sometimes one spent a lifetime searching out love, and sometimes they experienced it at its deepest over no more than a few hours.”
“And maybe something was worth dying for in order to use my last wish.”
I READ ALMOST THE ENTIRE BOOK IN ONE DAY. I'm not kidding. I couldn't put it down, and it wrecked me in the best way possible. AND THAT ALLEGORY. It's an understatement to say Nadine is the queen of allegories, and she totally nailed this one. I think this is my new favorite of hers. Full
Full review:
In typical Nadine Brandes style, Wishtress whisks you away on an unforgettable, edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride from its captivating first sentence right up until the last page, leaving you breathless and a little dazed by the end. Only Nadine could pull off a story so perfectly balanced between heart-stopping adventure, compelling character arcs, and deep, allegorical themes that hint at biblical truth. Suffice it to say, this is a book you won’t be able to put down!
Characters: Let’s start with Myrthe—dear Myrthe. The pain, the loss, the betrayal she endured—it all broke my heart for her. While she might have been a little careless and naïve at times, she still had a good heart. And her caring, sacrificial nature made me love her all the more.
I wasn’t sure what to think of Bastiaan at first. But he grew on me as I delved deeper into his character and saw him protect and care for Myrthe. The way Nadine contrasted his gentle respect of Myrthe with Sven’s total disregard for her melted my heart. Of course, their romance was adorable too! And I loved Bastiaan’s relationship with Runt—so touching and sweet!
My favorite scene in the whole book though?
Plot/Worldbuilding: Nadine’s trademark is her mind-blowing twists and turns that leave you never knowing what to expect next. Wishtress was no different! And yet, it is so much more than a well-crafted plot with plenty of clever twists to keep you turning pages. My favorite part of Nadine’s books is the way she so skillfully weaves profound truth into the very fabric of the story.
While the worldbuilding wasn’t particularly original, I thought it suited the story well, working as the supporting backbone to the rest of the story. And I loved the magic system! Somehow Nadine still managed to add so much depth and detail to it even though the story was already packed full of other elements.
Theme: Not only is Nadine a master of twists, but she’s also the undisputed queen of allegories. And while I’m not a huge fan of most allegorical stories, I L.O.V.E.D the allegory of the two wells in Wishtress. The picture of the two wells as light and darkness fighting against each other was simply powerful and such a beautiful illustration of Jesus, our living water.
Every Nadine Brandes book is packed full of biblical truth, yet always in the subtlest and surprisingly simplest of ways. Her stories somehow manage to paint vibrant pictures of truth in a simple yet profound way that speaks straight to the soul. I have yet to find another speculative fiction writer who can so seamlessly weave deep themes in while still preserving the natural pace and integrity of the story.
Be warned: You might not make it out with your heart fully intact, but trust me, it is a sacrifice well worth it. You’ll close the book a changed person, but a better person for having read it. It certainly won’t be a tale you forget soon!
Favorite quotes:
“To share your story is a choice. Don’t underestimate the healing that can come from daring to not suffer alone.”
“She didn’t have memory of our life together, but she knew me. A single memory of me calling her mother was enough to remind her heart that she loved me. Not even my wishes could erase her love for me.”
“Sometimes one spent a lifetime searching out love, and sometimes they experienced it at its deepest over no more than a few hours.”
“And maybe something was worth dying for in order to use my last wish.”
November 9, 2022
Oma held the bottle aloft and a small tear bounced around the bottom of the jar like a trapped guppy, flickering silver and white and magic.
I'm so glad I got to read this arc, it ended up being even better than I expected!
Wishtress is a young adult fantasy set in a world where a magical well grants people talents. But only to those it chooses. And to even get to the Well, one must get through a set of trials, which only a handful of people succeeded.
We follow a powerful Talented, the Wishtress, cursed to not be able to use her powers. She is desperately trying to get to the Well, hoping it might have answers for her. But to get there, she will need to put her trust in others - something she's learned not to do long time ago.
I loved all the layers this story had, from political situation all the way to a dash of romance. This story was whimsical and wholesome, fairytale-like. A perfect choice when you want an interesting, captivating, but lighter fantasy read, without too much gore and darkness.
If you want to see my more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Wishtress by Nadine Brandes in exchange for an honest review.
I'm so glad I got to read this arc, it ended up being even better than I expected!
Wishtress is a young adult fantasy set in a world where a magical well grants people talents. But only to those it chooses. And to even get to the Well, one must get through a set of trials, which only a handful of people succeeded.
We follow a powerful Talented, the Wishtress, cursed to not be able to use her powers. She is desperately trying to get to the Well, hoping it might have answers for her. But to get there, she will need to put her trust in others - something she's learned not to do long time ago.
I loved all the layers this story had, from political situation all the way to a dash of romance. This story was whimsical and wholesome, fairytale-like. A perfect choice when you want an interesting, captivating, but lighter fantasy read, without too much gore and darkness.
If you want to see my more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Wishtress by Nadine Brandes in exchange for an honest review.
May 26, 2023
Reading this was like stepping inside an icy fairy tale.
From the first page to the last, Nadine enchants with a whimsical and spellbinding adventure, a gorgeous Christian analogy, and one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever seen. The characters were vivid and unique and I love them so much. The writing was beautiful and crystal-bright and kept me hooked the whole time. I highly recommend! 🩵🩵
From the first page to the last, Nadine enchants with a whimsical and spellbinding adventure, a gorgeous Christian analogy, and one of the sweetest romances I’ve ever seen. The characters were vivid and unique and I love them so much. The writing was beautiful and crystal-bright and kept me hooked the whole time. I highly recommend! 🩵🩵
December 23, 2023
Um excuse me, WHAT IS THAT ENDING??
July 23, 2024
Edit*
I keep thinking about this book even after a year has gone by. I'm upping it to 4.5 stars <3
Review:
Wow, what a book! This one had me on the edge of my seat for its majority, and it wasn’t until the very end where I felt like I could finally breathe again.
I loved so much about this story. The Biblical analogies with the Well and the Nightwell, with Talents and Banes… that was so well done.
Also. The characters were all so believable, so much so that I loved to hate the villains. Perhaps a bit too much 😂
Also, Bastiaan and Myrthe were amazing. And Runt was definitely my favorite!
Overall, a wonderful story!
Content:
Some pretty descriptive moments of blood and stabbing (at least for me) mild-moderate violence overall
Super sweet romance
No swearing
I keep thinking about this book even after a year has gone by. I'm upping it to 4.5 stars <3
Review:
Wow, what a book! This one had me on the edge of my seat for its majority, and it wasn’t until the very end where I felt like I could finally breathe again.
I loved so much about this story. The Biblical analogies with the Well and the Nightwell, with Talents and Banes… that was so well done.
Also. The characters were all so believable, so much so that I loved to hate the villains. Perhaps a bit too much 😂
Also, Bastiaan and Myrthe were amazing. And Runt was definitely my favorite!
Overall, a wonderful story!
Content:
Some pretty descriptive moments of blood and stabbing (at least for me) mild-moderate violence overall
Super sweet romance
No swearing
April 29, 2022
4.75 ⭐️
Set in a fantasy, Wishtress invites readers into a world of magic. Seventeen-year-old Myrthe was born with a magical ability that was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of her ability to turn her tears into wishes; a curse because, when Myrthe attempts to help someone and it backfires, she’s cursed: her next tear will end her life. Bastiaan also has a magical ability, but unlike Myrthe, he wasn’t born with his. When the king commissions Bastiaan to find the Wishtress and deliver her to him, Bastiaan befriends Myrthe by promising to take her to the Well and, once he got what he wanted from her, he would turn her into the king. But what happens when that bond of friendship is tested and strengthened in ways both of them never imagine?
Wowzers, this book was a wild ride! There are definitely a lot of things I loved about this book, but I’ll just mention a few of my favorites in this review.
First, I loved the pacing of the book and the length of the chapters. This may not be a big deal to some readers, but I really appreciate it when the author keeps the chapters short with I-have-to-keep-reading cliffhangers. That alone makes me want to keep turning the pages to find out what’s happening next, knowing that the chapter will only take me a few minutes to read. The author nailed this aspect of the story writing process!
Second, I loved the characters, especially Bastiaan. I think his character was developed a lot in the story. I really loved his relationship with his mom and how he was willing to listen to her advice and be humble enough to take it to heart. His character went from being self-centered to selfless, and it was a gradual, slow, un-perfect, but genuine change. I really loved that about Bastiaan’s character so much!
Third, without giving away spoilers, I just gotta say—the bread scene between Myrthe and Bastiaan…it reminded me so much of Peeta and Katniss, which made me love this book all the more. Felt all the feels!
Fourth, the ending. Okay, so endings are huge for me. If it’s not well done, that’s a game-changer for me because endings are so important to nail. I’m very happy to report the author nailed the ending. So. So. Good. I won’t give any spoilers, but I love how the story came together in a complete way but didn’t end how you expected it to. Absolute perfection.
The only reason I docked .25 stars from the book was nothing against the content itself, just a few minor personal dislikes or things I wished had been done a little differently. However, as I said, these are just personal preferences and nothing against the content itself!
For those of you who love fantasy books that give you The Hunger Games vibes in the best possible ways, stories of finding the light in the darkness, words of redemption and love and sacrifice, this book is for you. Definitely recommend it!
"𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒."
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Wishtress. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.
Set in a fantasy, Wishtress invites readers into a world of magic. Seventeen-year-old Myrthe was born with a magical ability that was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of her ability to turn her tears into wishes; a curse because, when Myrthe attempts to help someone and it backfires, she’s cursed: her next tear will end her life. Bastiaan also has a magical ability, but unlike Myrthe, he wasn’t born with his. When the king commissions Bastiaan to find the Wishtress and deliver her to him, Bastiaan befriends Myrthe by promising to take her to the Well and, once he got what he wanted from her, he would turn her into the king. But what happens when that bond of friendship is tested and strengthened in ways both of them never imagine?
Wowzers, this book was a wild ride! There are definitely a lot of things I loved about this book, but I’ll just mention a few of my favorites in this review.
First, I loved the pacing of the book and the length of the chapters. This may not be a big deal to some readers, but I really appreciate it when the author keeps the chapters short with I-have-to-keep-reading cliffhangers. That alone makes me want to keep turning the pages to find out what’s happening next, knowing that the chapter will only take me a few minutes to read. The author nailed this aspect of the story writing process!
Second, I loved the characters, especially Bastiaan. I think his character was developed a lot in the story. I really loved his relationship with his mom and how he was willing to listen to her advice and be humble enough to take it to heart. His character went from being self-centered to selfless, and it was a gradual, slow, un-perfect, but genuine change. I really loved that about Bastiaan’s character so much!
Third, without giving away spoilers, I just gotta say—the bread scene between Myrthe and Bastiaan…it reminded me so much of Peeta and Katniss, which made me love this book all the more. Felt all the feels!
Fourth, the ending. Okay, so endings are huge for me. If it’s not well done, that’s a game-changer for me because endings are so important to nail. I’m very happy to report the author nailed the ending. So. So. Good. I won’t give any spoilers, but I love how the story came together in a complete way but didn’t end how you expected it to. Absolute perfection.
The only reason I docked .25 stars from the book was nothing against the content itself, just a few minor personal dislikes or things I wished had been done a little differently. However, as I said, these are just personal preferences and nothing against the content itself!
For those of you who love fantasy books that give you The Hunger Games vibes in the best possible ways, stories of finding the light in the darkness, words of redemption and love and sacrifice, this book is for you. Definitely recommend it!
"𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒."
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of Wishtress. A positive review was not required, only my honest opinion. All thoughts are expressly my own.
October 4, 2022
2.5 stars, personally.
About this book:
“She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It's a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life--and before the king's militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Bastiaan's powerful--and rare--Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she's fulfilled her end of the deal, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise his job.
They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.
Everyone seems to need a wish--the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.”
Series: As of now, no. As a stand-alone novel.
Spiritual Content- “Thank the Well” is said once; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking someone (never specifically said Who the prayers are towards but it’s mentioned about praying to “whatever power created Talents” and begging the Well not to take someone); Mentions of the Well of Talents talking to those who receive a Talent (It talks to Bastiaan saying that it is with him); A few mentions of putting your trust in something beyond your own power, that being the power of the Well of Talents; A couple mentions of faiths & being faithful to the Well; A mention of seeing someone “on the other side” after death; A mention of being prepared to exit this world and “enter whatever eternity looked like”;
*Note: Myrthe is a Wishtress which is said to be the most powerful Talente; Myrthe’s grandmother bottles and sells Myrthe’s tears (called ‘wishes’) because they have the power to grant someone’s wish (they cannot bring back the dead, however); Myrthe is cursed by someone who’s eyes change and lightning sparked across her skin when reciting the curse *Spoiler* ; People can receive a Talent if they drink from the Well of Talents and the Well finds them worthy (Talents can range from healers that can heal the body, see the future, know if someone is lying, etc.); Those with Talents (called Talenteds) each have a Talent Mark that shows where their Talent is (such as Myrthe’s being a single “magic-white” eyelash and Bane having a silver mark on his middle finger); To get to the Well of Talents, you have to pass the Trials which are a mist of magic that give harsh weather scenarios and can kill people; If you submerge yourself into the lake of The Nightwell, you’ll reemerge with a Bane (some people call it a great power and others say it’s more of a weapon than a gift like a Talent); Banes are considered shortcuts for those who didn’t have the patience or appreciation for a Talent (they sought power with little thought of serving people with it and are driven by selfishness); There are many different Banes such as cursing others, commanding others to obey you, taking away someone else’s voice, etc.; Banes and Talents are others in competition to each other and if someone has both, they have to chose one or the other (this is said to be the struggle of the world, to choose between Bane and Talent); The water from Nightwell is said to be magic and not the magic Bastiaan is used to; Coralythe gives someone a Bane that causes his blood to be like poison to others (he is terrified by this but she says it’s a defense); *Spoiler* ; Due to Bastiaan’s Talent (to be able to snap his fingers which causes time to stop and he enters what he calls a “Stillness”, his physical body does not change, but anyone he brings with him will age), his soul is 107 years old, but he looks like a young man; Myrthe is called a savior for a group of people (twice); A woman is called a witch for having a Bane; All about many mentions of curses & being cursed; A mention of someone being looked at as an idol of a group; A mention of treating a Talent as an idol and not a gift; A mention of Myrthe thinking of Bastiaan’s Talent as “godlike”; A mention of Coralythe praising Nightwell for a small victory; A mention of someone being carried both towards and away from hell; A mention of someone liking to play the devil’s advocate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, three ‘stupid’s; Made-up curses/phrases; a ‘for spring’s sake’, a ‘how in winter’s name’, five “Weather and Woods”s, and eighteen “Winter’s breath”s; Mentions of curses (including one by Bastiaan, said, not written); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Some lies (some for safety, Myrthe also tries not to lie to someone); Seeing deaths & bodies (semi-detailed); Lots of Battles/Fighting, Knocking others out, Being Harmed, Harming others (in fights), Being choked, Major Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Being near death (semi-detailed to detailed); Preparing yourself for dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Passing out from the pain of being cursed (semi-detailed); Being whipped, screams, seeing someone being tortured & hints of what’s to come (up to semi-detailed); Being attacked by wasps, bears, giant spiders, scorpions, & fighting them (including killing them and thinking someone is killed by them, up to detailed); Seeing others shot with arrows and also stabbed, lots of their blood/bleeding, & them being near death (up to semi-detailed); Seeing an appendage cut off & the person’s pain (semi-detailed, *Spoiler* ); Being drugged & drugging yourself (Myrthe, up to semi-detailed); Feeling guilt for events that caused others’ deaths (Myrthe and others try to talk to her about it not being her fault, semi-detailed); Wanting to hurt others that hurt you (Myrthe struggles with this feeling, up to semi-detailed); Myrthe wonders if she should die after being cursed (her grandmother tells her that her life “was given to [her]. A gift. And just because it’s yours doesn’t give you the right to end it”, though, Myrthe doesn’t think she’s being sincere, just wanting Myrthe’s Talent; her negative thoughts about giving up and there being nothing in this life for her happen a couple more times); Bastiaan wonders how he would die in the Stillness (since he doesn’t physically age), that it would have to be an accident or self-inflicted (which he puts out of his mind as that isn’t an option he was willing to consider since “he didn’t given himself life; therefore, he refused to put himself in a place of authority in which to take it”); Grieving the loss of parents (including Myrthe wishing that they never knew her, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of illnesses, deaths, accidental deaths, people freezing to death, drownings/suffocating, murderers, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (including children, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fighting/battles, seeing others harming others and willing to kill, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of a rumored assassination/murder/death, the assassin/murderer, a fire, & bad burns (semi-detailed); Mentions of picturing dead people (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of near deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone with a Bane commanding others to kill someone (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of executions, an execution order, being arrested, being tied up, & dungeons; Mentions of someone cutting off someone else’s appendage & them keeping it to show another (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of torture, screams, & threats of cutting from toes and fingers from a man who lusts for violence (semi-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & a potential war; Mentions of deaths on pilgrimages to the Well of Talents; Mentions of children being abandoned & freezing to death; Mentions of kidnappings & a possible one; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & pickpockets; Mentions of being physically punished by a grandmother (Myrthe, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of frostbite & loosing toes and fingers (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of poisons; Mentions of blackmail & threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors, gossip, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of stabbing someone & being stabbed; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a father who left his family; A couple mentions of drinking & ale; A couple mentions of hunting; A couple mentions of vomit; A couple mentions of slaughtering chickens; A mention of a plan to slit someone’s throat; A mention of a child being beaten; A mention of a man trying to beat the Talent out of a young Bastiaan; A mention of children swarming like crows on a carcass; A mention of a cell smelling of corpse;
*Note: A mention of wanting to tell someone where they can stick their request.
Sexual Content- A palm kiss, a neck kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss & the desire for someone; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing; Myrthe and Bastiaan hide under a blanket together but because the air gets stuffy fast, Myrthe jokes that it’s “certainly not how I pictured my first foray beneath a blanket with a man”; Mentions of a father selling his young teen daughter out to men & her becoming pregnant (including mentions of the baby being taken away from her, her thinking she was just a commodity, the father of the child “being the gentlest”, and that the young girl isn’t a prostitute but a warrior *Spoiler* ; Mentions of children being born-of-out-wedlock (including a young boy saying that his pa got “the wrong woman pregnant” and that he wasn’t supposed to be born); Mentions of kisses & kissing (including Myrthe thinking towards Sven that “I’d kiss him good anything to feel his lips on mine the way he kissed me in the winter. But summer had come. His kisses weren’t the same in the summer. Too light. Too quick.” And it changing that she no longer craves his kisses, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a man’s poor decisions in the past making an illegitimate child; A mention of Coralythe calling her husband an unfaithful beast; A mention of a young man thinking of a queen’s status as useless and degrading, which Myrthe wonders if that’s his view on marriage; A mention of using someone to make another jealous; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of being naked; A mention of a mother who died in labor.
-Myrthe Valling, age 17
-Bastiaan Duur, around age 20
P.O.V. switches between Myrthe (1st person), Bastiaan (3rd), and Coralythe (3rd)
??? pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{Minus a full star for those sensitive to fighting, harming others, & deaths}
I literally gasped when I turned the page and saw the Discussion Questions.
That was the end?!
Thatwas the end.
Huh.
I wasn’t expecting that. And while I can’t say I loved it, I didn’t hate it either.
Let’s back up a bit.
~
Nadine Brandes is a popular author in the Christian Fantasy industry and I’ve read a couple of her books before with others still on my TBR.
Though I’ve attempted to read Christian Fantasy books for years, it’s only been recently started enjoying some fantasy books. I think I still have a limit on what my poor brain can held in regard to the fantasy elements of a plot.
So, yes, that was my personal main struggle with this book. I think big fantasy fans okay with the content listed above would probably enjoy this book quite a bit, but I’m not a big fantasy fan. Some parts turned my stomach in terms of battles/fighting/maiming others along with a few sexual hints. This author definitely is not afraid to hurt her characters for the greater good of the plot and I found myself wondering at many times, “will Myrthe and Bastiaan ever catch a break?” I felt pretty neutral to both of them, but I did really like the fact that their hypocrisy was pointed out (numerous times) and that they each reflected on it themselves, not necessarily because someone else pointed it out. I preferred reading Bastiaan’s parts more than Myrthe’s (not only because of Runt, but, yes, mainly because of Runt and his relationship), but I think that’s because I had a harder time connecting to her. I felt like their romance was a little out-of-left-field and never really felt they belong together, personally. Runt was easily my favorite of the characters and that ending, again, shocked me because I was looking forward to seeing what was next.
All that said, for me personally, I don’t think this was my type of fantasy book due to all the fighting and harming, let alone all the fantasy elements.
Magic & Allegory Notes: I’ve seen a few other reviews mention about the “Christian fiction vibes” at the end and to be completely honest, I didn’t see that at all. There is a very slight allegory within the plot. But it’s not done in the way of different names for God, Jesus, and the devil. It’s more of a spiritual thread, then actual Christianity, in my personal opinion. You can definitely connect the two together, but it’s more symbolic in this story such as someone being made new in the Well of Talents and the Well speaking to those with Talents, saying it/he is with them. There’s similarities and it’s definitely the classic good vs evil fight, but I wouldn’t say it’s obviously Christian.
In terms of magic, the actual word “magic” is used about ten times and in the way that Myrthe’s wishes and other Talents are described. There’s no wizards or wands, but there is curses (used by the “bad guys”) and such mentioned frequently throughout the story, with Myrthe being cursed and all.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“She didn't ask to be the Wishtress.
Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It's a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life--and before the king's militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.
He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Bastiaan's powerful--and rare--Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she's fulfilled her end of the deal, he'll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don't compromise his job.
They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.
Everyone seems to need a wish--the king, Myrthe's cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they're ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they'll just kill her anyway.”
Series: As of now, no. As a stand-alone novel.
Spiritual Content- “Thank the Well” is said once; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking someone (never specifically said Who the prayers are towards but it’s mentioned about praying to “whatever power created Talents” and begging the Well not to take someone); Mentions of the Well of Talents talking to those who receive a Talent (It talks to Bastiaan saying that it is with him); A few mentions of putting your trust in something beyond your own power, that being the power of the Well of Talents; A couple mentions of faiths & being faithful to the Well; A mention of seeing someone “on the other side” after death; A mention of being prepared to exit this world and “enter whatever eternity looked like”;
*Note: Myrthe is a Wishtress which is said to be the most powerful Talente; Myrthe’s grandmother bottles and sells Myrthe’s tears (called ‘wishes’) because they have the power to grant someone’s wish (they cannot bring back the dead, however); Myrthe is cursed by someone who’s eyes change and lightning sparked across her skin when reciting the curse *Spoiler* ; People can receive a Talent if they drink from the Well of Talents and the Well finds them worthy (Talents can range from healers that can heal the body, see the future, know if someone is lying, etc.); Those with Talents (called Talenteds) each have a Talent Mark that shows where their Talent is (such as Myrthe’s being a single “magic-white” eyelash and Bane having a silver mark on his middle finger); To get to the Well of Talents, you have to pass the Trials which are a mist of magic that give harsh weather scenarios and can kill people; If you submerge yourself into the lake of The Nightwell, you’ll reemerge with a Bane (some people call it a great power and others say it’s more of a weapon than a gift like a Talent); Banes are considered shortcuts for those who didn’t have the patience or appreciation for a Talent (they sought power with little thought of serving people with it and are driven by selfishness); There are many different Banes such as cursing others, commanding others to obey you, taking away someone else’s voice, etc.; Banes and Talents are others in competition to each other and if someone has both, they have to chose one or the other (this is said to be the struggle of the world, to choose between Bane and Talent); The water from Nightwell is said to be magic and not the magic Bastiaan is used to; Coralythe gives someone a Bane that causes his blood to be like poison to others (he is terrified by this but she says it’s a defense); *Spoiler* ; Due to Bastiaan’s Talent (to be able to snap his fingers which causes time to stop and he enters what he calls a “Stillness”, his physical body does not change, but anyone he brings with him will age), his soul is 107 years old, but he looks like a young man; Myrthe is called a savior for a group of people (twice); A woman is called a witch for having a Bane; All about many mentions of curses & being cursed; A mention of someone being looked at as an idol of a group; A mention of treating a Talent as an idol and not a gift; A mention of Myrthe thinking of Bastiaan’s Talent as “godlike”; A mention of Coralythe praising Nightwell for a small victory; A mention of someone being carried both towards and away from hell; A mention of someone liking to play the devil’s advocate.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, two forms of ‘blast’, two ‘idiot’s, three ‘stupid’s; Made-up curses/phrases; a ‘for spring’s sake’, a ‘how in winter’s name’, five “Weather and Woods”s, and eighteen “Winter’s breath”s; Mentions of curses (including one by Bastiaan, said, not written); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Some lies (some for safety, Myrthe also tries not to lie to someone); Seeing deaths & bodies (semi-detailed); Lots of Battles/Fighting, Knocking others out, Being Harmed, Harming others (in fights), Being choked, Major Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Being near death (semi-detailed to detailed); Preparing yourself for dying (barely-above-not-detailed); Passing out from the pain of being cursed (semi-detailed); Being whipped, screams, seeing someone being tortured & hints of what’s to come (up to semi-detailed); Being attacked by wasps, bears, giant spiders, scorpions, & fighting them (including killing them and thinking someone is killed by them, up to detailed); Seeing others shot with arrows and also stabbed, lots of their blood/bleeding, & them being near death (up to semi-detailed); Seeing an appendage cut off & the person’s pain (semi-detailed, *Spoiler* ); Being drugged & drugging yourself (Myrthe, up to semi-detailed); Feeling guilt for events that caused others’ deaths (Myrthe and others try to talk to her about it not being her fault, semi-detailed); Wanting to hurt others that hurt you (Myrthe struggles with this feeling, up to semi-detailed); Myrthe wonders if she should die after being cursed (her grandmother tells her that her life “was given to [her]. A gift. And just because it’s yours doesn’t give you the right to end it”, though, Myrthe doesn’t think she’s being sincere, just wanting Myrthe’s Talent; her negative thoughts about giving up and there being nothing in this life for her happen a couple more times); Bastiaan wonders how he would die in the Stillness (since he doesn’t physically age), that it would have to be an accident or self-inflicted (which he puts out of his mind as that isn’t an option he was willing to consider since “he didn’t given himself life; therefore, he refused to put himself in a place of authority in which to take it”); Grieving the loss of parents (including Myrthe wishing that they never knew her, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of illnesses, deaths, accidental deaths, people freezing to death, drownings/suffocating, murderers, pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (including children, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fighting/battles, seeing others harming others and willing to kill, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of a rumored assassination/murder/death, the assassin/murderer, a fire, & bad burns (semi-detailed); Mentions of picturing dead people (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of near deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone with a Bane commanding others to kill someone (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of executions, an execution order, being arrested, being tied up, & dungeons; Mentions of someone cutting off someone else’s appendage & them keeping it to show another (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of torture, screams, & threats of cutting from toes and fingers from a man who lusts for violence (semi-detailed); Mentions of rebellions & a potential war; Mentions of deaths on pilgrimages to the Well of Talents; Mentions of children being abandoned & freezing to death; Mentions of kidnappings & a possible one; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & pickpockets; Mentions of being physically punished by a grandmother (Myrthe, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of frostbite & loosing toes and fingers (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of poisons; Mentions of blackmail & threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors, gossip, & eavesdropping; A few mentions of stabbing someone & being stabbed; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a father who left his family; A couple mentions of drinking & ale; A couple mentions of hunting; A couple mentions of vomit; A couple mentions of slaughtering chickens; A mention of a plan to slit someone’s throat; A mention of a child being beaten; A mention of a man trying to beat the Talent out of a young Bastiaan; A mention of children swarming like crows on a carcass; A mention of a cell smelling of corpse;
*Note: A mention of wanting to tell someone where they can stick their request.
Sexual Content- A palm kiss, a neck kiss, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss & the desire for someone; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Some noticing; Myrthe and Bastiaan hide under a blanket together but because the air gets stuffy fast, Myrthe jokes that it’s “certainly not how I pictured my first foray beneath a blanket with a man”; Mentions of a father selling his young teen daughter out to men & her becoming pregnant (including mentions of the baby being taken away from her, her thinking she was just a commodity, the father of the child “being the gentlest”, and that the young girl isn’t a prostitute but a warrior *Spoiler* ; Mentions of children being born-of-out-wedlock (including a young boy saying that his pa got “the wrong woman pregnant” and that he wasn’t supposed to be born); Mentions of kisses & kissing (including Myrthe thinking towards Sven that “I’d kiss him good anything to feel his lips on mine the way he kissed me in the winter. But summer had come. His kisses weren’t the same in the summer. Too light. Too quick.” And it changing that she no longer craves his kisses, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a man’s poor decisions in the past making an illegitimate child; A mention of Coralythe calling her husband an unfaithful beast; A mention of a young man thinking of a queen’s status as useless and degrading, which Myrthe wonders if that’s his view on marriage; A mention of using someone to make another jealous; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of being naked; A mention of a mother who died in labor.
-Myrthe Valling, age 17
-Bastiaan Duur, around age 20
P.O.V. switches between Myrthe (1st person), Bastiaan (3rd), and Coralythe (3rd)
??? pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars (and a half)
{Minus a full star for those sensitive to fighting, harming others, & deaths}
I literally gasped when I turned the page and saw the Discussion Questions.
That was the end?!
Thatwas the end.
Huh.
I wasn’t expecting that. And while I can’t say I loved it, I didn’t hate it either.
Let’s back up a bit.
~
Nadine Brandes is a popular author in the Christian Fantasy industry and I’ve read a couple of her books before with others still on my TBR.
Though I’ve attempted to read Christian Fantasy books for years, it’s only been recently started enjoying some fantasy books. I think I still have a limit on what my poor brain can held in regard to the fantasy elements of a plot.
So, yes, that was my personal main struggle with this book. I think big fantasy fans okay with the content listed above would probably enjoy this book quite a bit, but I’m not a big fantasy fan. Some parts turned my stomach in terms of battles/fighting/maiming others along with a few sexual hints. This author definitely is not afraid to hurt her characters for the greater good of the plot and I found myself wondering at many times, “will Myrthe and Bastiaan ever catch a break?” I felt pretty neutral to both of them, but I did really like the fact that their hypocrisy was pointed out (numerous times) and that they each reflected on it themselves, not necessarily because someone else pointed it out. I preferred reading Bastiaan’s parts more than Myrthe’s (not only because of Runt, but, yes, mainly because of Runt and his relationship), but I think that’s because I had a harder time connecting to her. I felt like their romance was a little out-of-left-field and never really felt they belong together, personally. Runt was easily my favorite of the characters and that ending, again, shocked me because I was looking forward to seeing what was next.
All that said, for me personally, I don’t think this was my type of fantasy book due to all the fighting and harming, let alone all the fantasy elements.
Magic & Allegory Notes: I’ve seen a few other reviews mention about the “Christian fiction vibes” at the end and to be completely honest, I didn’t see that at all. There is a very slight allegory within the plot. But it’s not done in the way of different names for God, Jesus, and the devil. It’s more of a spiritual thread, then actual Christianity, in my personal opinion. You can definitely connect the two together, but it’s more symbolic in this story such as someone being made new in the Well of Talents and the Well speaking to those with Talents, saying it/he is with them. There’s similarities and it’s definitely the classic good vs evil fight, but I wouldn’t say it’s obviously Christian.
In terms of magic, the actual word “magic” is used about ten times and in the way that Myrthe’s wishes and other Talents are described. There’s no wizards or wands, but there is curses (used by the “bad guys”) and such mentioned frequently throughout the story, with Myrthe being cursed and all.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
October 11, 2022
What. A. Story.
Nadine Brandes has done it again with these incredible characters and this gripping, soul-wrenching story. It's beautiful and deep and real and true in ways that encourage and inspire my heart. I couldn't get enough of these characters and this story.
This story is going to live on in my mind and heart for a long time yet!
Nadine Brandes has done it again with these incredible characters and this gripping, soul-wrenching story. It's beautiful and deep and real and true in ways that encourage and inspire my heart. I couldn't get enough of these characters and this story.
This story is going to live on in my mind and heart for a long time yet!
Want to read
October 12, 2021We have a nameeeeeeee!!!! *squeals* I am SO stoked for this!!!!
July 5, 2022
Nadine writes such beautiful stories. ✨
I knew I was going to like this book from the beginning. I love how Nadine weaves together vivid worlds, engaging plots, and deep characters. This was an inspiring and gripping story that seemed bent on making my heart hurt. And that ENDING! I highly recommend this and all of Nadine's stories.
(p.s. Runt is probably my favorite 🥰 )
I knew I was going to like this book from the beginning. I love how Nadine weaves together vivid worlds, engaging plots, and deep characters. This was an inspiring and gripping story that seemed bent on making my heart hurt. And that ENDING! I highly recommend this and all of Nadine's stories.
(p.s. Runt is probably my favorite 🥰 )
March 4, 2023
THE SUMMARY
Myrthe, the Wishtress-in-hiding of the kingdom of Winterune, has made a terrible decision. As a result, she is cursed to die when she sheds her next tear. (But her role as the Wishtress means her identity is wrapped up in her ability to cry tears that grant wishes. Cue an existential crisis.) After fleeing her controlling grandmother and getting in trouble with the king (not to mention everyone hates her because of that wish gone wrong), she is forced to try to make things right by trekking to the Well. A random guy named Bastiaan shows up along the way and tries to help her, causing more angst along the way.
Will Myrthe be able to fix her grave mistake, or does she only make everything worse?
THE GOOD
Believe it or not, I don't hate Wishtress. There were some good things, namely Runt. He was so sweet and I thought Nadine did a good job of grounding him as a kid - he was realistic and fun. The worldbuilding was also cool; Winterune was compelling and fun to read about. Nadine's writing style is also pretty.
To be honest, I'm being pretty sparse here because the vast majority of Wishtress reviews are positive. Go read those if you want to know what other people think about this book. Carrying on...
MYRTHE (MAIN CHARACTER)
I'm going to be subjective again when I say that I didn't like Myrthe. She was the impossible combination of self-pitying and self-sacrificing. Two sides were warring within her: the one that wanted her to live and flee and hide, and the side that wanted her to save everyone and heal everything. (I think she had a savior complex, to be frank, but she also didn't want to die. Problematic, huh?) If she did want to fix everything, why didn't she make her dying wish that the She was a bit too selfish to really try to fix the kingdom. Instead of truly sacrificing herself, she had to try to fix it all without using her all-powerful power.
Also why didn't she shed a tear and then make her dying wish that she could live and be the Wishtress again? Since there aren't any apparent parameters on what the wishes can be used for (are they all-powerful?), what's to stop the Wishtress from taking over the world? This is starting to become a rant about the plot, so let's move on.
THE PLOT
The plot wandered so much. It couldn't decide if it was having Myrthe rescue herself, Myrthe rescue the wells, the wells rescue Myrthe, Bastiaan rescue the wells, Bastiaan rescue Myrthe, the wells rescue Bastiaan, or Myrthe rescue Bastiaan. And that's not even mentioning the fate of the entire kingdom! It's a bit much to try to weave all those plots together well. Myrthe wasn't a particularly active character, either; she merely reacted to everything going on around her.
"Oh, gotta prove myself to my boyfriend! Never mind, that went poorly, now he's leaving and I gotta go find him so he can save everything... and that didn't work out, so now I need to go to The Well ASAP!" (very simplified version)
I thought the plot was rather slow, due to the lack of character development and my lack of interest in Myrthe. I wasn't hooked in the least. But I made it through! As a side note, I didn't really see the allegory in it. As Lindsey of BfCG said, it seemed more spiritual in general than a Christian allegory of the Trinity working to save the people of the kingdom's souls.
BASTIAAN (LOVE INTEREST)
I'll try not to rant here... but I disliked Bastiaan. Intensely. He had this big secret that he felt guilty about, but he didn't reveal it until I was already wary of him. And his secret only made it worse. He drove me nuts, to say the least. Besides, he was so much older than Myrthe. (Their romance was odd. He's far more mature than her, or at least so you'd think.)
And this brings me to their romance, which was far too insta-love-y for my tastes. Myrthe and Bastiaan met only a few times and didn't have any time to get a true grasp on who the other person was, and then bam! They're in love.
THE MAGIC SYSTEM
The magic system was too all-powerful and apparently limitless. (Unless I missed something major?) The Wells are in charge of who gets what - except for the Wishtress. Speaking of the Wishtress, how was she chosen? Why was she only ever a girl? Why was it an innate power (from birth, unlike the others)? Plot holes there. And her wishes could apparently do anything, which is weird and scary. Besides, the other powers (like Bastiaan's) were alarming - not to mention full of potential plot holes. Does Bastiaan need to eat when he's stopped time? If so, where does the food come from? (Again, I might have missed something here. Please let me know if that or anything else I've said was wrong.)
TROPES
There were a lot of tropes in Wishtress, so I tried to list a few out:
THE CONCLUSION
Wishtress is fairly clean, aside from some violence and mentions of past abuse. (For more content warnings, see Lindsey of BfCG's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... - her review is excellent.)
I'm not going to recommend it or say I don't recommend it. Read other reviews and judge for yourself if Wishtress is worth a read.
As with any negative review, I am attempting to be as objective as possible. But sometimes it's hard to separate personal opinion and true, objective fact. I have also struggled with putting exactly why I'm not a fan of Wishtress in words. So disclaimer: this is my personal opinion. And another disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Nadine Brandes. She's so inspiring and I love her email newsletter. This review - and this book - doesn't change that.
Myrthe, the Wishtress-in-hiding of the kingdom of Winterune, has made a terrible decision. As a result, she is cursed to die when she sheds her next tear. (But her role as the Wishtress means her identity is wrapped up in her ability to cry tears that grant wishes. Cue an existential crisis.) After fleeing her controlling grandmother and getting in trouble with the king (not to mention everyone hates her because of that wish gone wrong), she is forced to try to make things right by trekking to the Well. A random guy named Bastiaan shows up along the way and tries to help her, causing more angst along the way.
Will Myrthe be able to fix her grave mistake, or does she only make everything worse?
THE GOOD
Believe it or not, I don't hate Wishtress. There were some good things, namely Runt. He was so sweet and I thought Nadine did a good job of grounding him as a kid - he was realistic and fun. The worldbuilding was also cool; Winterune was compelling and fun to read about. Nadine's writing style is also pretty.
To be honest, I'm being pretty sparse here because the vast majority of Wishtress reviews are positive. Go read those if you want to know what other people think about this book. Carrying on...
MYRTHE (MAIN CHARACTER)
I'm going to be subjective again when I say that I didn't like Myrthe. She was the impossible combination of self-pitying and self-sacrificing. Two sides were warring within her: the one that wanted her to live and flee and hide, and the side that wanted her to save everyone and heal everything. (I think she had a savior complex, to be frank, but she also didn't want to die. Problematic, huh?) If she did want to fix everything, why didn't she make her dying wish that the She was a bit too selfish to really try to fix the kingdom. Instead of truly sacrificing herself, she had to try to fix it all without using her all-powerful power.
Also why didn't she shed a tear and then make her dying wish that she could live and be the Wishtress again? Since there aren't any apparent parameters on what the wishes can be used for (are they all-powerful?), what's to stop the Wishtress from taking over the world? This is starting to become a rant about the plot, so let's move on.
THE PLOT
The plot wandered so much. It couldn't decide if it was having Myrthe rescue herself, Myrthe rescue the wells, the wells rescue Myrthe, Bastiaan rescue the wells, Bastiaan rescue Myrthe, the wells rescue Bastiaan, or Myrthe rescue Bastiaan. And that's not even mentioning the fate of the entire kingdom! It's a bit much to try to weave all those plots together well. Myrthe wasn't a particularly active character, either; she merely reacted to everything going on around her.
"Oh, gotta prove myself to my boyfriend! Never mind, that went poorly, now he's leaving and I gotta go find him so he can save everything... and that didn't work out, so now I need to go to The Well ASAP!" (very simplified version)
I thought the plot was rather slow, due to the lack of character development and my lack of interest in Myrthe. I wasn't hooked in the least. But I made it through! As a side note, I didn't really see the allegory in it. As Lindsey of BfCG said, it seemed more spiritual in general than a Christian allegory of the Trinity working to save the people of the kingdom's souls.
BASTIAAN (LOVE INTEREST)
I'll try not to rant here... but I disliked Bastiaan. Intensely. He had this big secret that he felt guilty about, but he didn't reveal it until I was already wary of him. And his secret only made it worse. He drove me nuts, to say the least. Besides, he was so much older than Myrthe. (Their romance was odd. He's far more mature than her, or at least so you'd think.)
And this brings me to their romance, which was far too insta-love-y for my tastes. Myrthe and Bastiaan met only a few times and didn't have any time to get a true grasp on who the other person was, and then bam! They're in love.
THE MAGIC SYSTEM
The magic system was too all-powerful and apparently limitless. (Unless I missed something major?) The Wells are in charge of who gets what - except for the Wishtress. Speaking of the Wishtress, how was she chosen? Why was she only ever a girl? Why was it an innate power (from birth, unlike the others)? Plot holes there. And her wishes could apparently do anything, which is weird and scary. Besides, the other powers (like Bastiaan's) were alarming - not to mention full of potential plot holes. Does Bastiaan need to eat when he's stopped time? If so, where does the food come from? (Again, I might have missed something here. Please let me know if that or anything else I've said was wrong.)
TROPES
There were a lot of tropes in Wishtress, so I tried to list a few out:
THE CONCLUSION
Wishtress is fairly clean, aside from some violence and mentions of past abuse. (For more content warnings, see Lindsey of BfCG's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... - her review is excellent.)
I'm not going to recommend it or say I don't recommend it. Read other reviews and judge for yourself if Wishtress is worth a read.
As with any negative review, I am attempting to be as objective as possible. But sometimes it's hard to separate personal opinion and true, objective fact. I have also struggled with putting exactly why I'm not a fan of Wishtress in words. So disclaimer: this is my personal opinion. And another disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Nadine Brandes. She's so inspiring and I love her email newsletter. This review - and this book - doesn't change that.
September 17, 2022
I am blown away with the story telling and writing style of Nadine Brandes in her latest release, Wishtress. Ya’ll, when I say, I was so invested in this story – I REALLY was invested! I read this SO fast, just as many others have said. It’s an amazing fantasy read!
Wishtress is a Christian fantasy story that will keep you on the edge of your seat needing to know what happens next! This story will stay with me for a long time and as someone who doesn’t typically read the fantasy genre, I am a true fan now! 5 BIG STARS! I feel the same way I felt when I first read books like The Hunger Games for the very first time. Just that feeling of something so special! The skill Nadine has in her writing is phenomenal!
This story is about Myrthe, who is also known as the “Wishtress”. Her tears grant wishes, but they can be deadly when not used properly or precisely. People in this world can have talents granted to them by the Well of Talents when someone drinks the water from the well.
Myrthe doesn’t know how to use her “talent” that she was born with and is scared to even try again, because when she was young, her tears and wishes caused death to loved ones. After losing her parents, she stays with Oma who helps raise her and utilizes her tears as wishes to sell to others. When a situation arises with selling the wishes and trying to show her talent to someone she cares about, Myrthe becomes cursed! Her next tear she cries will kill her. Everyone wants a wish. The King. Her friends. Those she loves. But she will have to die to give it to them.
Then we have the point of view of Bastiaan – he is the kind of character you just love the entire time and root for. His talent is stopping time and when he stops time they go into the “stillness”. Many things happened the last time he was in the stillness, so he is trying to recover and move on from those events, but its hard for him to trust people. But Bastiaan soon gets wrapped up in the Wishtress when the King assigns him with the task to hunt her down for him. What he soon realizes is there is more to Myrthe than meets the eye…
So ya’ll – this story! The world building and magic system was so much fun and SO interesting! I was so invested in this world and the characters! Myrthe and Bastiaan were my favorites, but I also LOVED our side characters of Anouk and Runt! They surprised me as the story went along. It was like a beautiful family vibe when they were all together. They truly cared for each other.
The last 40% of this story was so fast paced and intriguing I was turning pages so fast! I stayed up until Midnight to finish this book! It was just THAT action packed and good!
There was also something cool I loved where they had to go through something call “trials” to past these tests to the well – I WAS LOVING THIS. I could see this so vividly – this would be so great as a movie!
I also want to note the Christian allegory in this was awesome! I felt like in the last 50% we could really see a correlation to Jesus in many ways and of course we had many light vs evil parts and many times I felt like we had a correlation to satan and the temptation he tries to push on us. Loved seeing that Christian allegory.
Overall, the ending had me in TEARS and I need a second book Nadine! So action packed and emotional! 😊 I would love to see a continuation of some of my most favorite characters in a fantasy series yet! A beautiful Christian fantasy and I can’t wait to read more of Nadine’s books!
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wishtress is a Christian fantasy story that will keep you on the edge of your seat needing to know what happens next! This story will stay with me for a long time and as someone who doesn’t typically read the fantasy genre, I am a true fan now! 5 BIG STARS! I feel the same way I felt when I first read books like The Hunger Games for the very first time. Just that feeling of something so special! The skill Nadine has in her writing is phenomenal!
This story is about Myrthe, who is also known as the “Wishtress”. Her tears grant wishes, but they can be deadly when not used properly or precisely. People in this world can have talents granted to them by the Well of Talents when someone drinks the water from the well.
Myrthe doesn’t know how to use her “talent” that she was born with and is scared to even try again, because when she was young, her tears and wishes caused death to loved ones. After losing her parents, she stays with Oma who helps raise her and utilizes her tears as wishes to sell to others. When a situation arises with selling the wishes and trying to show her talent to someone she cares about, Myrthe becomes cursed! Her next tear she cries will kill her. Everyone wants a wish. The King. Her friends. Those she loves. But she will have to die to give it to them.
Then we have the point of view of Bastiaan – he is the kind of character you just love the entire time and root for. His talent is stopping time and when he stops time they go into the “stillness”. Many things happened the last time he was in the stillness, so he is trying to recover and move on from those events, but its hard for him to trust people. But Bastiaan soon gets wrapped up in the Wishtress when the King assigns him with the task to hunt her down for him. What he soon realizes is there is more to Myrthe than meets the eye…
So ya’ll – this story! The world building and magic system was so much fun and SO interesting! I was so invested in this world and the characters! Myrthe and Bastiaan were my favorites, but I also LOVED our side characters of Anouk and Runt! They surprised me as the story went along. It was like a beautiful family vibe when they were all together. They truly cared for each other.
The last 40% of this story was so fast paced and intriguing I was turning pages so fast! I stayed up until Midnight to finish this book! It was just THAT action packed and good!
There was also something cool I loved where they had to go through something call “trials” to past these tests to the well – I WAS LOVING THIS. I could see this so vividly – this would be so great as a movie!
I also want to note the Christian allegory in this was awesome! I felt like in the last 50% we could really see a correlation to Jesus in many ways and of course we had many light vs evil parts and many times I felt like we had a correlation to satan and the temptation he tries to push on us. Loved seeing that Christian allegory.
Overall, the ending had me in TEARS and I need a second book Nadine! So action packed and emotional! 😊 I would love to see a continuation of some of my most favorite characters in a fantasy series yet! A beautiful Christian fantasy and I can’t wait to read more of Nadine’s books!
Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 4, 2022
I don't even know what to say aside from I adored this book. It was the perfect fall read, the vibes were immaculate, the writing gorgeous, gripping, and beyond compare. Nadine Brandes has a delightful way of world building with a trickle of information that gets the point across without giving pages of exposition, her chapter hooks are to die for, and her characters deep, with emotions as vast as the sea. I adored every single one of the characters and this book left quite the impression.
While not a Christian book, I did adore the metaphorical parallels/allegorical elements to Scripture, the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, and spiritual warfare that I personally found within it's pages.
Content: Wounds, some that approached a slightly more gory side, but were handled tastefully. Mentions of prostitution/trafficking, again, tastefully handled, curses, gifts, powers etc. One more adult level comment about a "foray beneath a blanket with a man" that felt a little off to me personally. Definitely an older YA audience.
While not a Christian book, I did adore the metaphorical parallels/allegorical elements to Scripture, the Gospel and the Holy Spirit, and spiritual warfare that I personally found within it's pages.
Content: Wounds, some that approached a slightly more gory side, but were handled tastefully. Mentions of prostitution/trafficking, again, tastefully handled, curses, gifts, powers etc. One more adult level comment about a "foray beneath a blanket with a man" that felt a little off to me personally. Definitely an older YA audience.
August 27, 2024
This was more of a high 4-stars BUT it was AMAZING!!
I loved the writing, symbolism, and the characters, but the beginning/middle felt a bit slow
I loved the writing, symbolism, and the characters, but the beginning/middle felt a bit slow
July 4, 2024
“I’d always have winter.”
༘⋆ ❅ ･:*:｡ ❆
Can I just say that fantasy novels by Christian authors are like my favorite things ever?? 🤭🤍 This book was absolutely beautiful in the most tragic way and I was obsessed with it lol I couldn’t put it down!!! I wish it never ended 😭 and there better be a sequel she can’t leave us hanging like that!!!
When a book has dual POVs I like to do a breakdown so here we gooooo:
❅ Myrthe: She is the kind of character your heart breaks for. If there’s one thing Nadine Brandes excels at it’s writing broken main characters. I noticed a pattern in at least three of her books: the mc has a physical disadvantage. A disadvantage that makes them stronger in the long run. Myrthe has a bad limp due to the pox she had as a child. She can’t run well or walk fast. Myrthe was abused for her power, making her selfless and compassionate. Her character was beautiful and complex. I hope we get more of her story 🥹🤍
❅ Bastiaan:
tehehehehe long story short: I fell in love! Jk, I wouldn’t want to ruin his perfect love story with Myrthe. He didn’t have a physical disadvantage, unless lowkey depression counts but that’s a mental disadvantage so nvm. I loved his relationship with Runt honestly YA books need more wholesome platonic relationships plz. I loved his character development and his utter selfless for the ppl he loved and also the whole world lol. 🥰
ok that was kinda hard to write my sisters are having karaoke in the car and I’m just over here trying to concentrate 😩
What else to I love about this perfect book? Oh yes. The German based culture! When authors make their own world but base the culture off a real one it makes me happy for no reason. 🤭
AND THE BIBLICAL ANALOGIES! If you have read this let’s grab coffee and discuss them bc I LOVED IT! Here are the ones I noticed:
(minor spoilers mebbe?)
• The Nightwell (Satan) and The Well (God/Jesus) are constantly at battle but The Well always has victory. The Well can also erase the taint the Nightwell leaves on people. (John 1:5)
• When the Nightwell gives Banes, it makes it look appealing and wonderful but actually it will break you. But once you use the Bane (sin), the harder it is it to get rid of. The only way to get rid of it is to turn away from it and to The Well instead. (Acts 26:18)
• Both Myrthe and Bastiaan had to ‘die to their old selves’ in order in be cleansed by The Well. (Romans 6:7, 2 Cor. 5:17)
• Not everyone will be saved as being saved always comes thru faith alone, just as The Well doesn’t give everyone Talents. (Matt. 7:21, Luke 14:25)
• I think Bastiaan represents the Christian who doubts God when things get hard . Myrthe is looking for hope but doesn’t know God yet; instead she sees Him in other people.
there’s probably more lol!
Y’all plz go read this book it’s good for your soul 🫶🏻
༘⋆ ❅ ･:*:｡ ❆
“It’s possible to make a mistake and not be seen only as that mistake.”
༘⋆ ❅ ･:*:｡ ❆
Can I just say that fantasy novels by Christian authors are like my favorite things ever?? 🤭🤍 This book was absolutely beautiful in the most tragic way and I was obsessed with it lol I couldn’t put it down!!! I wish it never ended 😭 and there better be a sequel she can’t leave us hanging like that!!!
When a book has dual POVs I like to do a breakdown so here we gooooo:
❅ Myrthe: She is the kind of character your heart breaks for. If there’s one thing Nadine Brandes excels at it’s writing broken main characters. I noticed a pattern in at least three of her books: the mc has a physical disadvantage. A disadvantage that makes them stronger in the long run. Myrthe has a bad limp due to the pox she had as a child. She can’t run well or walk fast. Myrthe was abused for her power, making her selfless and compassionate. Her character was beautiful and complex. I hope we get more of her story 🥹🤍
❅ Bastiaan:
tehehehehe long story short: I fell in love! Jk, I wouldn’t want to ruin his perfect love story with Myrthe. He didn’t have a physical disadvantage, unless lowkey depression counts but that’s a mental disadvantage so nvm. I loved his relationship with Runt honestly YA books need more wholesome platonic relationships plz. I loved his character development and his utter selfless for the ppl he loved and also the whole world lol. 🥰
ok that was kinda hard to write my sisters are having karaoke in the car and I’m just over here trying to concentrate 😩
What else to I love about this perfect book? Oh yes. The German based culture! When authors make their own world but base the culture off a real one it makes me happy for no reason. 🤭
AND THE BIBLICAL ANALOGIES! If you have read this let’s grab coffee and discuss them bc I LOVED IT! Here are the ones I noticed:
(minor spoilers mebbe?)
• The Nightwell (Satan) and The Well (God/Jesus) are constantly at battle but The Well always has victory. The Well can also erase the taint the Nightwell leaves on people. (John 1:5)
• When the Nightwell gives Banes, it makes it look appealing and wonderful but actually it will break you. But once you use the Bane (sin), the harder it is it to get rid of. The only way to get rid of it is to turn away from it and to The Well instead. (Acts 26:18)
• Both Myrthe and Bastiaan had to ‘die to their old selves’ in order in be cleansed by The Well. (Romans 6:7, 2 Cor. 5:17)
• Not everyone will be saved as being saved always comes thru faith alone, just as The Well doesn’t give everyone Talents. (Matt. 7:21, Luke 14:25)
• I think Bastiaan represents the Christian who doubts God when things get hard . Myrthe is looking for hope but doesn’t know God yet; instead she sees Him in other people.
there’s probably more lol!
Y’all plz go read this book it’s good for your soul 🫶🏻
༘⋆ ❅ ･:*:｡ ❆
“It’s possible to make a mistake and not be seen only as that mistake.”
March 22, 2023
Hmmmmm...
Okay, I have majorly conflicted feelings about this book.
First of all, this is a seriously good book. The writing is wonderful, the allegory is seamless without being stilted, and the characters are very realistic.
That being said.
I...
I really just don't know how to feel and I'm actually struggling to write this review.
Let's start with this: this book is graphic. It does not pull punches about pain or grief or physical harm. I actually love that.
My problem, though, is that it became escapist for me. It's really hard to do that, but this book tinted reality a shade of Wishtress for several days.
Part of me didn't mind that. The other part REALLY did because the tint of Wishtress is unfortunately NOT the Well.
Which is really sad, because the entire point of the book SHOULD have been the Well.
But...it wasn't.
This book had a ridiculous amount of potential. It didn't even deserve to have this much potential! The characters were SUPERB. The romance was perfect (even if it did happen wayyyy too quickly).
The concept of Talent pitted against Bane was beautiful and left me convicted.
Here's my problem, though. Even at the end of the book, even at that really *cough cough* UNSATISFYING *cough hack* I meannnn hopeful ending, I still felt like the book was grieving. It was still somehow stuck in the Nightwell.
It was still stuck on the curse.
Still caught on all the things wrong.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... this book doesn't satisfy like it was meant to. It doesn't proclaim truth, beauty, and goodness the way I expected it to. It didn't awaken longing or desires. All it did was expose brokenness, but it didn't really offer a full solution to that brokenness.
Which I feel weird saying because...it did.
Just not well.
I'm SO conflictedas is becoming painfully obvious so I think I'm going to retry this review later if I figure out better what I'm trying to words...
But all of that to say. This book is really good. It is definitely worth reading. But don't expect to find your satisfaction here (or in any book, for that matter, except the Bible ;) ) This book is good if you're searching for good characters, a solid plot, and a really cool worldbuilding idea. This book is cool. It's just...incomplete somehow.
Enjoy! :)
Okay, I have majorly conflicted feelings about this book.
First of all, this is a seriously good book. The writing is wonderful, the allegory is seamless without being stilted, and the characters are very realistic.
That being said.
I...
I really just don't know how to feel and I'm actually struggling to write this review.
Let's start with this: this book is graphic. It does not pull punches about pain or grief or physical harm. I actually love that.
My problem, though, is that it became escapist for me. It's really hard to do that, but this book tinted reality a shade of Wishtress for several days.
Part of me didn't mind that. The other part REALLY did because the tint of Wishtress is unfortunately NOT the Well.
Which is really sad, because the entire point of the book SHOULD have been the Well.
But...it wasn't.
This book had a ridiculous amount of potential. It didn't even deserve to have this much potential! The characters were SUPERB. The romance was perfect (even if it did happen wayyyy too quickly).
The concept of Talent pitted against Bane was beautiful and left me convicted.
Here's my problem, though. Even at the end of the book, even at that really *cough cough* UNSATISFYING *cough hack* I meannnn hopeful ending, I still felt like the book was grieving. It was still somehow stuck in the Nightwell.
It was still stuck on the curse.
Still caught on all the things wrong.
I guess what I'm trying to say is... this book doesn't satisfy like it was meant to. It doesn't proclaim truth, beauty, and goodness the way I expected it to. It didn't awaken longing or desires. All it did was expose brokenness, but it didn't really offer a full solution to that brokenness.
Which I feel weird saying because...it did.
Just not well.
I'm SO conflicted
But all of that to say. This book is really good. It is definitely worth reading. But don't expect to find your satisfaction here (or in any book, for that matter, except the Bible ;) ) This book is good if you're searching for good characters, a solid plot, and a really cool worldbuilding idea. This book is cool. It's just...incomplete somehow.
Enjoy! :)
February 9, 2023
THE ENDING *dies* WHYYYYYY. Soooo good tho. XD
November 21, 2022
“You both get to write your story, but the longer you live, the more you’ll learn to surrender your ink.”
Mutti 😭
I don't know how to even write this review. This book was so beautiful and everyone should read it. EVERYONE. It was magical and meaningful and just amazing.
Also, that twist near the very end had me so shocked and I was like "I should have seen this coming" but I didn't! And then there weren't enough pages left to resolve the story so...
I do expect a sequel.
Like, I'll be fine if there isn't one but I don't think Nadine would do us dirty like that haha
lowkey 4.5 stars because of the ending. If we get a sequel, it'll be a full 5 stars again.
Mutti 😭
I don't know how to even write this review. This book was so beautiful and everyone should read it. EVERYONE. It was magical and meaningful and just amazing.
Also, that twist near the very end had me so shocked and I was like "I should have seen this coming" but I didn't! And then there weren't enough pages left to resolve the story so...
I do expect a sequel.
Like, I'll be fine if there isn't one but I don't think Nadine would do us dirty like that haha
lowkey 4.5 stars because of the ending. If we get a sequel, it'll be a full 5 stars again.
March 8, 2025
this book is beautiful and wonderful and so delightful, but an epilogue would have been much appreciated 👀
My takes: Runt is the best character by far, Bastiaan is simply amazing, and Myrthe needs a lot of hugs.
My takes: Runt is the best character by far, Bastiaan is simply amazing, and Myrthe needs a lot of hugs.
actual-tbr-list
October 13, 2021Ooh ooh ooh!!! *jumps up and down and makes grabby hands* New book!!! We wants it!!!!
March 28, 2024
1.75/5
Hello and welcome to this rant review! A place of hate, and hate alone. But for good reason:
For the first 70% Myrthe, the mc, is the whiniest person I’ve ever read about. She’s stupid, shallow and naive. When I read young-adult I want to read about fierce women who are proud of their femininity and themselves and are allowed to be selfish and make their own choices.
All Myrthe is, is a sacrifice for others. It’s how she views herself and how the book wants you to believe she is a “good person”!
This book takes on a very spiritual take, which I partly enjoyed: The Well of Talents and the “higher being” calling it has, is really cool! But Myrthe her “redemption” arc is absolutely ridiculous. Constantly willing to sacrifice your life doesn’t make you brave, or special, or good.
Myrthe is obsessed with being a “good person” and giving up as much of herself as possible to achieve that:
Myrthe is the absolute worst part of this book.
The second worst part is how convenient the plot and it’s characters are. The cast is important for no reason but convenience. Bastiaan and Myrthe’s story happen to collide just because Myrthe is a “good, selfless person” and gives him bread. And Bastiaan just happens to be one of the people with one of the most powerful and convenient Talents for the plot.
Then there’s the whole side plot about Anoek, Myrthe’s cousin, and her son who she got separated with. Anoek has had a very difficult past that involves being forced to have sex with men. One of those men being the prince and future king. She got pregnant from him, of course.
*SPOILER*
And of course her son, and heir to the throne, is Bastiaan’s adopted brother!
*END OF SPOILER*
What a small world, huh?
Besides convenience there’s another thing wrong with this plot. It’s laughable how fast people’s “statuses” change. It goes from dead to alive, from Talented to cursed, every couple of pages. I had to withhold lots of eye-rolling.
Then there’s the weird thing going on with the language. There are random English words exchanged for German and Dutch words to “add flavor” I’m guessing.
I kind of liked it, in a way, as intended it made the book a little more unique. But it feels cheap in a way. Especially since the author used two languages. I wonder if she did it on purpose… since most words and names are Dutch and just a few are German. As if they got lazy and mixed them up halfway through writing.
As a Dutch person, our language and culture gets constantly misrepresented in American media (specifically, it gets mixed up our neighbors, the Germans).
In cinematography, I guarantee that 99% of Dutch representation is an actor with a bad German accent. It just hurts because making fun of our culture and our accent is such a Dutch thing. We’re direct and have a questionable sense of humor. It feels like this book handpicked some aspects of our culture (from the Middle Ages of course. The time with the least cultural significance!) and just mixed it with the Germans bc aren’t we the same anyway?
And then on a last note, this is very instalove-y. Bastiaan and Myrthe have had around five encounters where it goes something like this:
1. “Here bread!”
2. Akward talk with lots of fake laughing and are-they-even-considered-jokes.
3. Akward horse ride to reunite Myrthe with her ex.
4. Exchange backstories and cuddle with horses!
5. “I love you and would die for you.”
Even with all my bickering: the world-building was pretty amazing and made me stay the dreadful 450 pages! 1 star added just for that.
Besides that I’ve got nothing left to say except giving my thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this arc, yada yada.
Pre-review:
This will either be really good or really disappointing
Hello and welcome to this rant review! A place of hate, and hate alone. But for good reason:
In a world where people have to travel to the Well of Talents to get their magical abilities, Myrthe is born with one. As the wishtress, Myrthe’s tears can bring forth wishes. But after misusing the very first wish, a wish to prove herself to her boyfriend, she gets cursed and is doomed to die by her next wish.
For the first 70% Myrthe, the mc, is the whiniest person I’ve ever read about. She’s stupid, shallow and naive. When I read young-adult I want to read about fierce women who are proud of their femininity and themselves and are allowed to be selfish and make their own choices.
All Myrthe is, is a sacrifice for others. It’s how she views herself and how the book wants you to believe she is a “good person”!
This book takes on a very spiritual take, which I partly enjoyed: The Well of Talents and the “higher being” calling it has, is really cool! But Myrthe her “redemption” arc is absolutely ridiculous. Constantly willing to sacrifice your life doesn’t make you brave, or special, or good.
Myrthe is obsessed with being a “good person” and giving up as much of herself as possible to achieve that:
Myrthe is the absolute worst part of this book.
The second worst part is how convenient the plot and it’s characters are. The cast is important for no reason but convenience. Bastiaan and Myrthe’s story happen to collide just because Myrthe is a “good, selfless person” and gives him bread. And Bastiaan just happens to be one of the people with one of the most powerful and convenient Talents for the plot.
Then there’s the whole side plot about Anoek, Myrthe’s cousin, and her son who she got separated with. Anoek has had a very difficult past that involves being forced to have sex with men. One of those men being the prince and future king. She got pregnant from him, of course.
*SPOILER*
And of course her son, and heir to the throne, is Bastiaan’s adopted brother!
*END OF SPOILER*
What a small world, huh?
Besides convenience there’s another thing wrong with this plot. It’s laughable how fast people’s “statuses” change. It goes from dead to alive, from Talented to cursed, every couple of pages. I had to withhold lots of eye-rolling.
Then there’s the weird thing going on with the language. There are random English words exchanged for German and Dutch words to “add flavor” I’m guessing.
I kind of liked it, in a way, as intended it made the book a little more unique. But it feels cheap in a way. Especially since the author used two languages. I wonder if she did it on purpose… since most words and names are Dutch and just a few are German. As if they got lazy and mixed them up halfway through writing.
As a Dutch person, our language and culture gets constantly misrepresented in American media (specifically, it gets mixed up our neighbors, the Germans).
In cinematography, I guarantee that 99% of Dutch representation is an actor with a bad German accent. It just hurts because making fun of our culture and our accent is such a Dutch thing. We’re direct and have a questionable sense of humor. It feels like this book handpicked some aspects of our culture (from the Middle Ages of course. The time with the least cultural significance!) and just mixed it with the Germans bc aren’t we the same anyway?
And then on a last note, this is very instalove-y. Bastiaan and Myrthe have had around five encounters where it goes something like this:
1. “Here bread!”
2. Akward talk with lots of fake laughing and are-they-even-considered-jokes.
3. Akward horse ride to reunite Myrthe with her ex.
4. Exchange backstories and cuddle with horses!
5. “I love you and would die for you.”
Even with all my bickering: the world-building was pretty amazing and made me stay the dreadful 450 pages! 1 star added just for that.
Besides that I’ve got nothing left to say except giving my thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this arc, yada yada.
Pre-review:
This will either be really good or really disappointing
July 28, 2022
I don't know if it's the disappointment of so many average hyped ya fantasy reads or it's just that this book just gave me what I was yearning for from a good ya fantasy read: this book hooked me from the very beginning till the very end. And I am in love with it.
The plot is dark and the characters gave me anxiety. No kidding! Our main character is suffering throughout the read and I as a reader had to worry about her the entire time! Forget about the guy. But also, I cannot forget the guy Bastiaan (Don't know why I believe his name was Sebastian all this time ☺️).
I kept worrying for both these characters.
I would say this is the only book in a very long time that a book actually lived up to its blurb! I don't need to tell you the story. And if you can, just pick up this book and go into it blindly. You will be thoroughly entertained and you will be at the edge holding your breath until the end. One with the curse and the secret. The other waiting to betray. And the unexpected feelings involved.
Yes, we are here for the drama, the adventure and all the dark secrets.
Gave me pure joy amidst the anxiety.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson, for the advance reading copy.
The plot is dark and the characters gave me anxiety. No kidding! Our main character is suffering throughout the read and I as a reader had to worry about her the entire time! Forget about the guy. But also, I cannot forget the guy Bastiaan (Don't know why I believe his name was Sebastian all this time ☺️).
I kept worrying for both these characters.
I would say this is the only book in a very long time that a book actually lived up to its blurb! I don't need to tell you the story. And if you can, just pick up this book and go into it blindly. You will be thoroughly entertained and you will be at the edge holding your breath until the end. One with the curse and the secret. The other waiting to betray. And the unexpected feelings involved.
Yes, we are here for the drama, the adventure and all the dark secrets.
Gave me pure joy amidst the anxiety.
Thank you, Thomas Nelson, for the advance reading copy.
April 20, 2023
I have no words to express how much I loved this book. If you could only see the tabs in my book, they probably equal half the pages in the book 😂.
A truly unique fantasy concept with such a grounded understanding of God's mercy and renewed graces. I loved it and I cannot wait to see what new fantasy Nadine writes next.
A truly unique fantasy concept with such a grounded understanding of God's mercy and renewed graces. I loved it and I cannot wait to see what new fantasy Nadine writes next.
July 13, 2022
If you’ve been around a bit, you may know that Nadine Brandes is among my favorite authors. So, naturally, I was thrilled to receive an Advance Reader Copy of her upcoming book Wishtress! I was already super excited about this one due to it being a straight-up fantasy, which is my favorite genre. And it’s a standalone, which I think is underrated these days—especially in the fantasy genre. Y’know, besides Nadine being the author. And Wishtress did not disappoint!
(Required disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but was not required to contribute a positive review. The following thoughts are entirely my own, honest review.)
Wishtress gives the Out of Time series a run for their money as my favorite Brandes story. Though, to be honest, I had some trouble with Myrthe as a narrator for the first third of the book or so. As a character, she was well-done. I didn’t find her too annoying, and her struggles felt realistic. It was her relationships that really gave me difficulty, and especially her relationship with Sven at the very beginning. Her impression of certain side characters—Sven most notably, and later Anouk—didn’t always line up with the impression I got of those characters from their actual behavior, so there were times Myrthe almost felt like an unreliable narrator. Eventually things smoothed out and what Myrthe had been saying became more evident, but it felt like she was too far ahead of how the characters were actually behaving and we didn’t get to see what she saw until later than I would have liked.
Aside from that, the characters were all excellent. Bastiaan and Runt were both amazing. Anouk was great (and her story! It was done so well and handled so honestly and tactfully and I give huge props to Nadine for tackling the topic she tackled in such a graceful manner). Coralythe was really interesting, with her different facets. Sven’s arc was well-done. And most of the relationships were done well, also. Oma and Myrthe’s relationship felt realistic from start-to-finish. Bastiaan and Runt’s relationship was the best (brotherly vibes are my favorite). Anouk and Runt were super sweet. Bastiaan and Myrthe worked… almost surprisingly well together, and the way they handled disagreements—especially on Bastiaan’s part—was so refreshing! Honestly, Bastiaan in general, with his struggles and his growth and how he took care of Myrthe and Runt and handled things with antagonists and everything… He was just a fantastic character and I really, really enjoyed reading about him and seeing inside his head.
The world and the themes… Where do I start with this. First of all, I love when worlds are intrinsically tied to story themes, and vice versa, and Wishtress was amazing in that department. The world had only a couple of really unique/memorable elements—the climate with the ice skating that came of that, and the Wells—but it worked well to really highlight those elements and let the rest of the world serve as a backdrop that didn’t distract from the key themes and plot and all of that. (I’m not usually one for worldbuilding as a backdrop to any degree, but that’s the right way to make use of more generic worldbuilding elements.) But then the Wells. And the allegory thereof. And the way The Well was written. And the battle, both shown and left behind (if you read the book, hopefully that wording will make sense). It was so well-done. I don’t even know what to say more specifically, because it was just so well-done all-around. Though I can say that Bastiaan’s climax scene was powerful, and the “resolution” of the main plot was such an interesting way of handling things and such an interesting allegory (that I’m not sure I 100% agree with, but I can certainly 100% appreciate).
And then the ending. I stopped, stared, and then laughed out loud as I turned the page to see the first line of the acknowledgements: “To every reader who just turned the last page and either hates me, loves me, or vacillates between the two…” (I was definitely in that last camp. XD) Anyway. You have to read it to see what I mean, but it was very well-done.
Overall, Wishtress was amazing!
(Required disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but was not required to contribute a positive review. The following thoughts are entirely my own, honest review.)
Wishtress gives the Out of Time series a run for their money as my favorite Brandes story. Though, to be honest, I had some trouble with Myrthe as a narrator for the first third of the book or so. As a character, she was well-done. I didn’t find her too annoying, and her struggles felt realistic. It was her relationships that really gave me difficulty, and especially her relationship with Sven at the very beginning. Her impression of certain side characters—Sven most notably, and later Anouk—didn’t always line up with the impression I got of those characters from their actual behavior, so there were times Myrthe almost felt like an unreliable narrator. Eventually things smoothed out and what Myrthe had been saying became more evident, but it felt like she was too far ahead of how the characters were actually behaving and we didn’t get to see what she saw until later than I would have liked.
Aside from that, the characters were all excellent. Bastiaan and Runt were both amazing. Anouk was great (and her story! It was done so well and handled so honestly and tactfully and I give huge props to Nadine for tackling the topic she tackled in such a graceful manner). Coralythe was really interesting, with her different facets. Sven’s arc was well-done. And most of the relationships were done well, also. Oma and Myrthe’s relationship felt realistic from start-to-finish. Bastiaan and Runt’s relationship was the best (brotherly vibes are my favorite). Anouk and Runt were super sweet. Bastiaan and Myrthe worked… almost surprisingly well together, and the way they handled disagreements—especially on Bastiaan’s part—was so refreshing! Honestly, Bastiaan in general, with his struggles and his growth and how he took care of Myrthe and Runt and handled things with antagonists and everything… He was just a fantastic character and I really, really enjoyed reading about him and seeing inside his head.
The world and the themes… Where do I start with this. First of all, I love when worlds are intrinsically tied to story themes, and vice versa, and Wishtress was amazing in that department. The world had only a couple of really unique/memorable elements—the climate with the ice skating that came of that, and the Wells—but it worked well to really highlight those elements and let the rest of the world serve as a backdrop that didn’t distract from the key themes and plot and all of that. (I’m not usually one for worldbuilding as a backdrop to any degree, but that’s the right way to make use of more generic worldbuilding elements.) But then the Wells. And the allegory thereof. And the way The Well was written. And the battle, both shown and left behind (if you read the book, hopefully that wording will make sense). It was so well-done. I don’t even know what to say more specifically, because it was just so well-done all-around. Though I can say that Bastiaan’s climax scene was powerful, and the “resolution” of the main plot was such an interesting way of handling things and such an interesting allegory (that I’m not sure I 100% agree with, but I can certainly 100% appreciate).
And then the ending. I stopped, stared, and then laughed out loud as I turned the page to see the first line of the acknowledgements: “To every reader who just turned the last page and either hates me, loves me, or vacillates between the two…” (I was definitely in that last camp. XD) Anyway. You have to read it to see what I mean, but it was very well-done.
Overall, Wishtress was amazing!
January 5, 2023
Okay y’all this was my first Christian fantasy read. There’s been soooo much hype around this book. Not gonna lie it was very slow for me at first and dragged some and I had my rating around a 3 star. However, by the end of the book I really enjoyed a lot of the elements and details this book has. I’d say it didn’t really catch my interest a lot until I hit about the %70 mark. And with that last 30% of the book is what drove my rating up to a 4 star.
There are beautiful examples of love, grace, forgiveness, and healing. There were moments near the end regarding “light” & “darkness” that really spoke to me and has me thinking! Also, I really enjoyed the descriptions too and I vividly had the book and characters in my brain! In some ways I did think the plot was somewhat predictable and it didn’t blow me away by what actually happened but the way the author detailed the scenarios and dialogues were great even tho what I predicted happened (hope that makes sense). Overall, I enjoyed this story and if you already love fantasy you’d probably love this. If you’re new to fantasy, like me, it was very easy to read and understand.
There are beautiful examples of love, grace, forgiveness, and healing. There were moments near the end regarding “light” & “darkness” that really spoke to me and has me thinking! Also, I really enjoyed the descriptions too and I vividly had the book and characters in my brain! In some ways I did think the plot was somewhat predictable and it didn’t blow me away by what actually happened but the way the author detailed the scenarios and dialogues were great even tho what I predicted happened (hope that makes sense). Overall, I enjoyed this story and if you already love fantasy you’d probably love this. If you’re new to fantasy, like me, it was very easy to read and understand.
March 24, 2024
Despite the fact that this isn't my favorite book by Nadine Brandes—largely because my tiny brain refuses to comprehend the complexities of magical fantasy—the fast pace, vivid worldbuilding, and cast of unique characters almost immediately pulled me in. Ultimately, I'm glad I stuck around to the end to witness the seeming chaos come together, resulting in a beautiful story arc of restoration and sacrifice. 3.5 stars.
Original pre-review:
A new book by Nadine Brandes? Sign me up. ;)
Original pre-review:
A new book by Nadine Brandes? Sign me up. ;)
January 2, 2023
It’s appropriate for a book about tears that I shed so many while reading this book: ugly tears, happy tears, overwhelmed by the beauty of the story tears. The symbolism of this story was so powerful that sometimes I had set it aside and just absorb it all. I’ve read several of the author’s books and loved them, but this is on a whole level of writing. It’s definitely going to be one of my top books for 2022. Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy.
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