Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) in What's the Name of That Book???

Oct 01, 2015 Emma rated it liked it · review of another edition

Magic is as common as breathing in the Witchlands. But not all witcheries are created equal as two Thread Sisters know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch able to use her magic to tell when someone is lying to her while Iseult is a Threadwitch able to see the threads that bind everyone together--except for her own.

Together, they have spent years keeping Safi's witchery a secret, knowing that it could be seen as a valuable tool or a dangerous weapon. Safi and Iseult are used to getting into troub Magic is as common as breathing in the Witchlands. But not all witcheries are created equal as two Thread Sisters know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch able to use her magic to tell when someone is lying to her while Iseult is a Threadwitch able to see the threads that bind everyone together--except for her own.

Together, they have spent years keeping Safi's witchery a secret, knowing that it could be seen as a valuable tool or a dangerous weapon. Safi and Iseult are used to getting into trouble as they prepare for the life they'd like to lead together free of societal obligations and pressures.

When a Bloodwitch catches Safi's scent, both girls are forced into hiding as fugitives. With the help of their witcheries and unlikely allies including a Nubrevnan captain (and Windwitch) named Merik, Safi and Iseult might be able to survive the storm that is coming. But only if they can manage to stay together in Truthwitch (2016) by Susan Dennard.

Truthwitch is the start of Dennard's new Witchlands series.

This book is written in alternating close third-person perspectives. The majority of the story follows Safiya and Iseult although Merik and Aeduan (the Bloodwitch) also carry key parts of the narrative.

In any ensemble book, there is the risk that one character will be more appealing than others. That risk is compounded when the character is decidedly not the center of the narrative. Given the strong theme of friendship and camaraderie, it's easy to argue that Safi and Iseult are equally important to the story. On the other hand, in a book called Truthwitch, perhaps it isn't surprising that the story revolves around the decidedly less interesting Safi instead of Iseult.

Many novels are based on the idea that the main character is unique or important. Safi, as a rare Truthwitch, is both. She is also, like many of these same unique and important characters, essentially the worst at what she does. Safi tries to keep her witchery a secret. She fools no one. Safi tries to save her friend. She almost gets that friend killed. In other words, Safi is reckless and thoughtless and shows almost no growth by the end of Truthwitch.

Breakneck pacing and a shoe-horned romance (plus fairly clear foreshadowing of future "ships") flesh out the story without much nuance. While Dennard has created a complex world with well-researched details, Truthwitch never lingers long enough on any one piece to let readers appreciate these details.

Truthwitch is an interesting start to a new series sure to appeal to readers looking for new lighter fantasy fare. Ideal for readers seeking an action-heavy, plot-driven story.

Possible Pairings: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst, Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen, The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey, The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

* An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration* ...more

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Nov 23, 2015 Laura rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: old-reads, mt-bookpile-2011-2015

A world in which there's magic (different types of magic) and political/religious struggle? This could have been great, but instead of building a world the author throws readers in - all too frequently with no explanation of what/who - and then overwrites things so that there's So. Much. Tension. The moments that could have been down times, for example early on at the ball, were also treated this way, rather than calming and explaining some of what was going on. There is a market for this, but f ...more

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Dec 13, 2017 Punk marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ebook

Tor.com's free ebook of the month for January 2020. Available for download in DRM-free epub or mobi until January 17th, 2020. You only have to sign up for their newsletter. ...more

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Sep 02, 2018 Kate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: age-ya, fantasy, audiobooks, 2018

Safiya is a Truthwitch, she can tell when others are lying. She and her best friend Iseult, a Threadwitch (who see people's "threads" and their emotions), enjoy their rogue lives, until Safi's uncle calls her back to take on her proper role as a Dona and sends Iseult back to her homeland. Safi discovers that there's some kind of plot to make her marry the Emperor and Iseult discovers that her homeland is in shambles, and in both of their escapes, they manage to find each other. Now on a ship to ...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Teresa Jensen rated it liked it

Shelves: evergreen-2020

Safiya and Iseult are Threadsisters, inseparable and faithful, caught in the politics of their worlds as the 20-year peace treaty comes to an end.

The world-building is drawn out very slowly; might be an obstacle to less patient readers.

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Jan 24, 2016 Kerry (The Roaming Librarian) O'Donnell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, fantasy, action-adventure

SO F-ING GOOD!!!!!

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Mar 11, 2020 Sarani Rangarajan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really solid YA

Unsatisfying as a full fledged fantasy, because the kinds of struggles of identity that are unique to an emerging adult are showcased here. But I do like that “side” characters are fully fleshed out, and the characters themselves have more than just romance to bind them. Would recommend.

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