Darkwitch (Dyrwolf #2) in Review / Write / Read Club (Indie & Self-Published)

Nov 27, 2022 Sotto Voce rated it really liked it

While this second book regales me with the conclusion of the whole story, I don't enjoy it as much as the first one.

3.5 cats tangled in 5 strands of arrogant Nils' hair
Possibly spoiler

Personally, I think it doesn't hold the same magic and has become quite predictable. The Chosen One trope is too foreseeable, and it has double dose. I have lost count of how many times the main character wanders into the woods or roams around, gets into life-threatening situations, makes it back/recovered/rescued While this second book regales me with the conclusion of the whole story, I don't enjoy it as much as the first one.

3.5 cats tangled in 5 strands of arrogant Nils' hair
Possibly spoiler

Personally, I think it doesn't hold the same magic and has become quite predictable. The Chosen One trope is too foreseeable, and it has double dose. I have lost count of how many times the main character wanders into the woods or roams around, gets into life-threatening situations, makes it back/recovered/rescued, and repeats as the main plot points for the story to move forward. It's repetitive and becomes apparent when you binge the book. It's also a bit tiresome that the character is thinking and whining about the same thing repeatedly, sometimes being overly dramatic about things that shouldn't have that much foundation to be upset with based on the personality of the character I read from book one.

Unlike the first book, which introduces us more to the world, cultures, and little things that matter, this one relies more on actions that build up the whole book with a reward of a predictable payout while leaving some critical plot points behind. Monkshood is well underplayed and shoved aside after all the importance in the first book. It almost seems like it's too deadly/powerful that the story chooses to ignore it.

Having written all that off my chest, there are still some gems. I enjoy the Gunnar character; although he is the only one who shines in this book, compared to many in the previous. I like that, as in real life, there is something after happily ever after in the first ending, that things are far from rosy, although I don't think it's explored to its potential. The final battle feels like it's coming out of nowhere, not built enough, and some questions are not really answered, especially tallying from how it has evolved from the first book's ending and events/skills/strategy/strength of each side throughout the two books.

Although it's not as strong, or perhaps I compare it too much to the previous book, it's still an entertaining read and provides the story's closure so that I will round the stars up.

3.5 cats tangled in 5 strands of arrogant Nils' hair

Another thing that I like is that despite the book being in YA Paranormal Werewolf, it touches and handles mature subjects well, and there is no point where I think this is mushy and I'm too old to read it. The problems told are relatable to the real world, and there are many respectable and rootable characters.

...more

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May 30, 2024 E.K. Frances rated it it was amazing

Fabulous Read

Having enjoyed Dyrwolf, I was looking forward to reading this sequel. Tensions run high in the Colony, with plots afoot to disrupt the fragile peace. Meanwhile, Lea is having visions of Henrik’s death. Can the humans and dyr unite against a common foe, and can Lea save Henrik from his fate?

I loved this sequel. Brilliant pacing and tension throughout, as I tried to work out who was working for who, and all the little mysteries. The twists are great. The slow burn romance between Henr ...more

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Apr 09, 2024 Eric Gibson rated it it was amazing

Though book one ended satisfactorily at the time, book two builds so effectively on the remaining threats that I can only see it as one story, carrying its steady progression of challenges through after the intermission. I pity the poor souls who read Dyrwolf early and had to wait for Darkwitch to be written.
Before, what peace existed was due to the river boundary with free humans on one side and the oppressive regime of lycanthrope slavers on the other, only held at bay by the deadly monkshood Though book one ended satisfactorily at the time, book two builds so effectively on the remaining threats that I can only see it as one story, carrying its steady progression of challenges through after the intermission. I pity the poor souls who read Dyrwolf early and had to wait for Darkwitch to be written.
Before, what peace existed was due to the river boundary with free humans on one side and the oppressive regime of lycanthrope slavers on the other, only held at bay by the deadly monkshood growing just over the bridge. After the events of Dyrwolf, the humans coexist freely with the wolves together in the Colony, but even with each other underfoot, the divide is wider than ever. Tensions grow as loyalties shift and the stakes grow higher as the remnants of the driven-out oppressors increase in power. Lea has her mother back, but the woman's hatred of the wolves drives her to oppose them politically at every turn, increasing the Colony's unrest, and attempting to drive a wedge between Lea and Hendrick. Lea's visions of his death drive her to take more risks while he is forced by unknown circumstances to keep secrets. It was painful to experience the tension between them, as they tried to fall back on their previous teasing and banter, only to have it fall flat, leaving them feeling more distant. This aspect was well written and thankfully short lived, the progression of their puppy love frozen in place by the more adult pressures weighing on them. Without each other to lean on they grow steadily more exhausted and desperate. She loses sleep every night and sneaks out to hunt for the mysterious figure from her visions, her body weakening and her mind threatening to snap. Hendrick grows thin and sunken-eyed while keeping Lea at arm's length.
The worst thing I can say about Darkwitch is that it's even more grim than the first book, and for longer stretches. Lea and Hendrick are each more isolated. Without the memory of the frolicking girl and wolf from before, this story would have felt bleak indeed.
The best thing I can say is that Kinney's prose is still there to beautifully render every dark vision, political backstabbing, political frontstabbing, and regular frontstabbing that makes the book hard to put down. And biting. So much biting. ...more

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Apr 06, 2022 Lynn Helton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: challenge-readers-unbound-2022, speculative-fiction, young-adult

This story picks up shortly after the end of Dyrwolf, with Lea and Henrik dealing with the aftermath of events from the first book and struggling with all the conflicting loyalties that have resulted. Not only are the YA main characters trying to find their way, but two different cultures are as well.

Secrets, plots, and questions of loyalty and friendship and trust drew me into the story as Lea’s visions of danger drive her to act. I found myself holding my breath at parts, wondering what would ...more

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Feb 17, 2023 Seth Hobbs rated it really liked it

While the first book seems to have resolved a lot of the major issues and plot points, the second one jumps right in with more adventures. This is often not an easy task to do with a book series, but the author has a talent for worldbuilding and telling the story through great points of view and characterization. The book has just enough balance to be on point, even as it deals with complex emotional traumas, shapeshifters, and a plethora of other relatable experiences, while blending them toget ...more

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Apr 28, 2022 Kat rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

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May 10, 2023 Peter Boyde marked it as to-read

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Jul 14, 2025 Ann Birdgenaw marked it as to-read

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