Dennard - Bloodwitch [February 19, 2019]

[Angela, I'm Silverfox lost]

Buddy read starts 19th February.

[Shae]

In :-)

[Timelord Iain]

In... if you guys want to discuss Sightwitch before we start, this is as good a place as any...

[Narilka]

In. I'll probably take you up on the Sightwitch thing and do that in January.

[Scott , Karsa Orlong]

There was another request where the group is doing the entire series and is in the Dennard folder.

1st February [ book:Truthwitch|21414439]
8th february [ book:Windwitch|29939390]
15th February [ book:Sightwitch|35481848]


https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Solseit]

If I can be up to date for the book prior to this one, I will be in!

[Narilka]

I wrapped up Sightwitch faster than I expected so starting Bloodwitch tonight :D

[Shae]

Narilka wrote: "I wrapped up Sightwitch faster than I expected so starting Bloodwitch tonight :D"

Oh hooray! I picked up a copy of this over the weekend, I might try and start tonight too :-)

[Narilka]

I think I made it through ch 4. My kindle is counting pages oddly. I’m around 40 pages in but it only displays 2% completed so I’ll make sure to pay better attention to chapter numbers. Anyway, it’s great she drops us straight back into the world. (view spoiler)[Apparently I forgot that Kullen had turned into a monster at the end of the last book. I think I need to go look up plot spoilers for book 2. Also cool that the story ties back to Sightwitch already 😊 since Kullen is a paladin I wonder if he can be turned back to human or if they will need to kill the thing so he can be reborn. (hide spoiler)]

[Shae]

Grrrr, I've been staring longingly at this book on my bed side table all week and barely had a chance to crack open the 1st chapter :-(
Really hoping to slow down a bit this weekend and dive in!

[Narilka]

I'm enjoying it. My work is keeping me busy so reading time has been reduced. I hope to get more time this weekend.

Through Ch 22 (view spoiler)[I like all the points of view or at least find them all interesting. I'm most engaged with Safi/Vaness and Iseults/Aeduan's POVs though they're still separate. I dearly hope the writer brings the two friends together by the end. Their friendship is what made me fall in love with the series to begin with.

I'm still waiting to see where the thing with the Puppet master is going. And how the heck can she make people partially cleave. I think I forgot something from Windwitch.

And holy hell! Aeduan's dad is a Paladin?! (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

I just remembered. (view spoiler)[I love Safi's idea to create a truth stone. That could be very very valuable! (hide spoiler)]

[Shae]

Up to chapter 22.

Wow, Dennard certainly drops us right back into the thick of things and keeps all the moving parts cracking along at a nice pace!

@Narilka - it's been awhile since I read the first two books and the novella in this series, I felt slightly disoriented at first with all the things I had forgotten. I had to go back and look a few things up too :-)

As always, I'm really loving the way Dennard writes all the different points of view - no one's story arc is boring, all characters are nicely fleshed out and their motivations are believable.

Really enjoying this read so far - my daughter is currently listening to the audio version, so this creates some fun dinner table conversation too :-)

[Solseit]

I am through chapter 20 and I am enjoying the story.

I feel like Susan Dennard is doing a great job in describing powerful women - without exaggerating (with Vivia and Vaness mostly) - and the stories are not boring at all.

So far though, I feel like little has occurred. While I am digging the insights in Aeduan's life, I am not sure there is much happening, besides the moving pieces. Which is fine, as long as all this prework will allow to see a quick escalation of events soon!

(view spoiler)[ I am also curious to see if Owl is a paladin or the second half of the Cahr Awen. I am curious to know who else is a paladin - besides Kullen, even in his cleaved form.
I can speculate the Iseult and Aeduan are two more. I wonder who else is - is Merik one?
And what are the consequences of this categorization? (hide spoiler)]

[Mayim]

I have been delayed but I am starting Sightwitch today (great review Narilka!) and hopefully will be able to read it within one day. And then join you, ladies.

[Narilka]

Through Ch 41 (view spoiler)[It would seem that jerk priest, Corlant, is a Paladin. Dammit. That's 3 of 12 identified.

I wonder why they are determined to kill the Cahr Awen. Maybe that's how the Paladins can take their power back?

Nice explanation about Esme finally. She cleaved an origin well for her power! That's scary. And also explains that anyone or anything with magic can cleave. While I hope being knifed will kill her somehow I doubt it. Anyone betting she's also a Paladin?

So I'm a tad confused about Safi. It was great that she finally made her truth lens but now half of her magic is gone? Hope we get more explanation on that one since other type of magic thingies can be made without draining the creator.

I'm slightly irritated with Aeduan's POV at the moment. He's basically bled and crawled across the Witchlands and hasn't taken time to get healed properly but also apparently can't die. Dumbass. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Mayim wrote: "I have been delayed but I am starting Sightwitch today (great review Narilka!) and hopefully will be able to read it within one day. And then join you, ladies."

Thanks Mayim!

[Solseit]

Mayim wrote: "I have been delayed but I am starting Sightwitch today (great review Narilka!) and hopefully will be able to read it within one day. And then join you, ladies."

NICE! I am sorry I started reading before you did but I was trying to clean up my schedule! Yet, I am looking forward to your comments and thoughts!

[Timelord Iain]

Solseit wrote: "Mayim wrote: "I have been delayed but I am starting Sightwitch today (great review Narilka!) and hopefully will be able to read it within one day. And then join you, ladies."

NICE! I am sorry I st..."

Story of my life. I'm constantly signing up for things, backing out of things, delaying things because I need to take a break for my sanity, etc... so I'm always behind on BRs, it seems...

Right now, I'm a week behind on this, remembered I meant to read The Giver weeks ago, have Twenty-Sided Sorceress #4 & Tigana to read today (started Tigana), and rejoined the Farseer trilogy BR late... always something... and this ignores the UF I've been reading with another group, and cozy mysteries I've been squeezing in...

I loaded this on to my phone yesterday, so I hope to start soon...

[Narilka]

I finished last night. Those last 100 pages are quite a ride! I’m still gathering my thoughts and will post more later. Can’t wait for you all to catch up 😊

[Solseit]

Narilka wrote: "I finished last night. Those last 100 pages are quite a ride! I’m still gathering my thoughts and will post more later. Can’t wait for you all to catch up 😊"

Well done Narilka!
I think I am hitting those last 100 pages you are referring to! I am considering leaving work a little earlier and just focus on the read - I am eager to finish the story!

[Shae]

Solseit wrote: "I am through chapter 20 and I am enjoying the story.

I feel like Susan Dennard is doing a great job in describing powerful women - without exaggerating (with Vivia and Vaness mostly)"

Oh yes, I agree about the great descriptions of powerful women. I quite liked this quote from antagonist, Esme, at the end of chapter 25:

(view spoiler)["You see a strong woman and deem her evil. You see a quiet woman . . . Oh wait; you do not see them at all." (hide spoiler)]

Also, I appreciate Dennard's ability to make me feel some sympathy towards Esme, even though this character does not seem to have a shred of kindness or decency left in her soul. (There's almost always a sad reason why people allow themselves to be ruled by rage).

[Shae]

Narilka wrote: "Through Ch 41"

Lol, I agree with your assessment of Aeduan: (view spoiler)[Dumbass indeed! (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain]

Finally started... thru chapter 10... anybody that read the entire series this month want to give me a recap... I read the first 2 books in 2017, so my memory is murky and only vaguely coming back as I read...

[Solseit]

Timelord Iain (Eeyawn) wrote: "Finally started... thru chapter 10... anybody that read the entire series this month want to give me a recap... I read the first 2 books in 2017, so my memory is murky and only vaguely coming back ..."

so, quickly, as much as I recall before the blurring of the lines. Iseult and Aeduan are traveling together to find Safi; Safi and Vaness are still together; Merik is dealing with the cleaved; Vivian is a new point of view I believe in this story.

The lines between the first, second and third book are quite blurred for me right now! And I just finished Bloodwitch! Bad memory!
But I hope this will be sufficient - if not, let me know and I will try to hide the content with the spoiler tag!

[Timelord Iain]

Solseit wrote: "Timelord Iain (Eeyawn) wrote: "Finally started... thru chapter 10... anybody that read the entire series this month want to give me a recap... I read the first 2 books in 2017, so my memory is murk..."

We'll see... I'd figured most of that out, except the Vivian part... I thought she might be the new girl POV from book 2...

[Shae]

Finished :-) Far out, those last few chapters were definitely super charged!

Some final thoughts: (view spoiler)[This series has been great so far. I've really enjoyed following all the different characters on their adventures.

In this installment, I found a few recurring themes to be quite interesting.

Vivia, Aeduan and Safi all experience situations where figures of authority in their lives (parents/educators) disappoint them and they have to find the courage to walk their own paths.

Safi, Aeduan and Merik all face the challenge of spending some time with out easy access to the magic that has always been at their fingertips, this brings about some tough realisations around identity.

Stix, Aeduan and Merik all find themselves in grim situations where they are faced with the choice of self sacrifice for the greater good/safety of friends and loved ones.

While none of these themes are new, I appreciate the way that Dennard handles them in a way that feels realistic and relatable - yes even with magic in the mix :-)

In terms of what actually happens in the story - it did feel like this book was carefully setting the scene for things to really explode in the next book.

It was great that Threadsisters, Safi and Iseult, were finally reunited in the final pages. (hide spoiler)]

I'm rating this 4 stars :-) I can't wait to find out what happens in book 4!

[Narilka]

Review posted: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Shae, we had some similar thoughts.

[Shae]

@Narilka - just saw your fabulous review, loved your observation about the desire for freedom to make our own choices/decisions. This series is really fun, but has some great depth to it too :-)

[Narilka]

It is. These characters have really grown on me. I hope it's not too long a wait for book 4 :)

[Timelord Iain]

I'm on chapter 45, and I feel like I could summarize this entire series in 6 words: Things didn't go according to plan.

(view spoiler)[at the moment, basically every female character is in the process of being backstabbed... Vivia lost her queendom (but plans to get it back)... the Empress is mid-assassination, before it cut away (I dunno if I should feel so sympathetic to her character, but I do, since it's been 2 years since I read the first 2 books... I've constantly felt Safi is making a mistake going along with Habim)... Esme is being stabbed by the cleaved that regained sentience (this is only bad because it screws Merrick, really)... and Iseult is being weakened in the monastery by that darkness on the nun (hide spoiler)]

@Solseit: Vivia IS the girl from the 2nd book... unless you meant the insight into the Empress is new, cause I think that's true...

As much as I'm enjoying this book and the way it's building to a conclusion, I'm not sure if I want to continue with the next book on release, or wait for the series to end, so I can just binge it all... having been 2 years since the last book, with a novella to tide us over, I've felt mildly lost throughout the book, and think it would be better to read the book while the characters are fresh in my mind... we'll see...

[Timelord Iain]

Narilka wrote: "Chapter 22..."

I find it interesting how most characters seem to have a romantic pairing, but there's too much going on in the world for them to even really be together, never mind explore the relationship...

[Timelord Iain]

Narilka wrote: "I just remembered. [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I almost think it could be TOO valuable... who wouldn't want it?... and then they wouldn't need to rely on a truthwitch telling the truth... could easily fall into the wrong hands... (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 45: (view spoiler)[which I think it just did, with the guy that stole it... but I had this idea before she created it, so I mentioned it above... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain]

Narilka wrote: "Through Ch 41..."

(view spoiler)[Agree that Esme is unlikely to just die... and Aeduan has been martyring himself for most of the book...

I don't think it's that Safi lost her powers permanently... just that making the item saps the power temporarily and needs to recharge... I think that dude tricked her into doing it by being helpful when talking about making the poison needles... allowed them to complete whatever their full plan is... and why he said to say something down in the basement, while he was stealing the spyglass... to keep Safi from noticing she'd temporarily lost her lie-sense... (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Timelord Iain (Eeyawn) wrote: "I'm on chapter 45, and I feel like I could summarize this entire series in 6 words: Things didn't go according to plan."

Good summary!

[Shae]

Timelord Iain (Eeyawn) wrote: "I'm on chapter 45, and I feel like I could summarize this entire series in 6 words: Things didn't go according to plan.

Haha yes - a concise, yet perfectly apt summary :-)