Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collections
Publication
Tor Teen (2017), 400 pages
Description
After an explosion ruins his ship, Prince Merik tries to expose his sister's treachery while fighting for the weak on the streets of the royal capital. Meanwhile, Aeduan, a Bloodwitch, and Iseult, a Threadwitch, form an unlikely alliance and travel together looking for Safiya, who has been shipwrecked with the Empress of Marstok in a land of pirates and is living every moment balanced on a knife's edge, trying to keep the pirates from unleashing war upon the Witchlands. --
User reviews
LibraryThing member Narilka
Windwitch is the second in Susan Dennard's Witchland series. Things are starting to get complicated. The story picks up a not long after where book one ends with all of the characters scattered. Prince Merik has survived an assassination attempt where his ship exploded. Horribly scarred Merik is
The story has a different tone from the first one. While Safi and Iseult's friendship is still a driver for their character's actions, it is no longer the focus of the plot. The story constantly jumps between five POV characters: Safi, Iseult, Aeduan, Merik and his sister Vivia. Merik/Vivia and Iseult/Aeduan are the more interesting stories while Safi's suffers. With Merik and Vivia, we see how family relations can be twisted out of proportion by not bothering to understand one another. This is also the story that has the bigger chunk of the world politics. Aeduan and Iseult are beginning to learn more about each other and have a tentative trust between then. There are hints that there may be a romantic spark forming but it's not quite there yet. Iseult is also learning she may be more than just a Threadwitch, whether she likes it or not. Poor Safi is kept as a prisoner for most of the book. Her parts feel more like marking time in an attempt not to leave her out but not too much is done with her other than to gradually get her to where she should be physically in the world. Since all the characters are fairly spread apart, there is virtually no romance plot.
Dennard expands on the world building. We see other aspects the various witcheries. Vaness's Ironwitchery is astonishing. She has such fine control over her element! There is also better distinction between a Waterwitch versus a Tidewitch. There is a scene towards the end that has a blend of many types of witcheries that was cool to see how they could work together. More of the politics between powers is starting to come into play as well. I like the hints we have that there is something deeper going on that most people aren't aware of yet. We are given a peek into the Hell Bards society and an even smaller glimpse into two of the pirate factions. The setting is slightly different as well, being focused in two separate cities and a large contested territory. Dennard has started blending in the world's history and mythos which are great touches.
While the book overall is great, I find that I dearly miss Safi and Iseult's interactions. It was their friendship that made the first book for me and got me interested in the series. Susan, please make sure these two can get back together in book three. And while you're at it, write faster! I need to find out what happens next.
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stalking the streets of Lovats in the guise of the Fury, determined to find proof that his sister is behind the attack. Going from the frying pan and into the fire, Safi and the Empress of Marstock also escape as their ship is being blown up only to be captured by the Hell Bards, who have been sent to retrieve Safi and return her to be married. Bloodwitch Aeduan is looking to retrieve his stolen money and has accepted a contract to find Iseult. Poor Iseult. Desperate to find Safi, Iseult stumbles across an injured Aeduan and convinces him to help her track down Safi in exchange for his lost money. Hidden in shadows, the Puppeteer's power is growing. Something strange is happening with the dead, the effects of which are starting to spread throughout the Witchlands.The story has a different tone from the first one. While Safi and Iseult's friendship is still a driver for their character's actions, it is no longer the focus of the plot. The story constantly jumps between five POV characters: Safi, Iseult, Aeduan, Merik and his sister Vivia. Merik/Vivia and Iseult/Aeduan are the more interesting stories while Safi's suffers. With Merik and Vivia, we see how family relations can be twisted out of proportion by not bothering to understand one another. This is also the story that has the bigger chunk of the world politics. Aeduan and Iseult are beginning to learn more about each other and have a tentative trust between then. There are hints that there may be a romantic spark forming but it's not quite there yet. Iseult is also learning she may be more than just a Threadwitch, whether she likes it or not. Poor Safi is kept as a prisoner for most of the book. Her parts feel more like marking time in an attempt not to leave her out but not too much is done with her other than to gradually get her to where she should be physically in the world. Since all the characters are fairly spread apart, there is virtually no romance plot.
Dennard expands on the world building. We see other aspects the various witcheries. Vaness's Ironwitchery is astonishing. She has such fine control over her element! There is also better distinction between a Waterwitch versus a Tidewitch. There is a scene towards the end that has a blend of many types of witcheries that was cool to see how they could work together. More of the politics between powers is starting to come into play as well. I like the hints we have that there is something deeper going on that most people aren't aware of yet. We are given a peek into the Hell Bards society and an even smaller glimpse into two of the pirate factions. The setting is slightly different as well, being focused in two separate cities and a large contested territory. Dennard has started blending in the world's history and mythos which are great touches.
While the book overall is great, I find that I dearly miss Safi and Iseult's interactions. It was their friendship that made the first book for me and got me interested in the series. Susan, please make sure these two can get back together in book three. And while you're at it, write faster! I need to find out what happens next.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the 2nd book in the Witchlands series and I enjoyed it. There are four books planned for this series. I enjoy this world and the characters but am struggling a bit as to what the point of the story is.
This book jumps around a ton between POVs. You will sometimes get three or four POVs in
The above gives the story a very epic fantasy feel (lots of viewpoints and a story that spans broad distances). I really do love this world and some of the magic present here. I just wish the story didn’t jump around so much. Additionally since the story is so fractured I had some trouble figuring out what the point was...I know there is war brewing and there is something to do with these magical Wells…
The writing style is very readable and flows well. The characters are interesting and Dennard focused less on Safi and Iseult’s relationship as Threadsisters and more on how Iseult and Aeduan interacted. The addition of Owl (the small girl they find) was a good one and I am wondering where that will lead to.
Things end at a good point and left me curious as to where things are going.
Overall this is a very creative fantasy story with some amazing world-building….I just wish it didn’t jump around so much. I plan on continuing the series because I am very curious as to where things are going but I hope the next book is more cohesive.
This book jumps around a ton between POVs. You will sometimes get three or four POVs in
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one chapter. We hear from Safi, Merik, Aeduan, Iseult, and Vivia. I struggled with this some because as soon as I got into one character’s story I was ripped out of it and thrust into a different character’s story...sometimes only a page or two in. This made it very hard to engage with the characters.The above gives the story a very epic fantasy feel (lots of viewpoints and a story that spans broad distances). I really do love this world and some of the magic present here. I just wish the story didn’t jump around so much. Additionally since the story is so fractured I had some trouble figuring out what the point was...I know there is war brewing and there is something to do with these magical Wells…
The writing style is very readable and flows well. The characters are interesting and Dennard focused less on Safi and Iseult’s relationship as Threadsisters and more on how Iseult and Aeduan interacted. The addition of Owl (the small girl they find) was a good one and I am wondering where that will lead to.
Things end at a good point and left me curious as to where things are going.
Overall this is a very creative fantasy story with some amazing world-building….I just wish it didn’t jump around so much. I plan on continuing the series because I am very curious as to where things are going but I hope the next book is more cohesive.
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LibraryThing member Beammey
I loved this book. True, I didn't like it as much as [book:Truthwitch|21414439], but I think it's a solid second edition into this trilogy? Series? I'm not sure what it's going to be. It for sure has a different feel than the book before it, I'm not going to lie, and it didn't go at the same break
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neck pace, but it still kept me interested and I actually gasped out loud one (Holy, Isuelt! WHY?). This tugs with emotions and it was great to see the two best friend apart and then somewhat back together again at the end. I'm looking forward to Bloodwitch and figuring more out about Owl and see if what Safi does when she earns her Freedom. I hope Merik and Kullen can be saved too. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member damred
This, the second book in the Witchlands series has seen an improvement over the previous book. The biggest improvement I saw was how Safi and Iseult finally started to sound like separate people. In the first it felt like 1 person with 2 different names. Here they finally got there own voice.
Also
Also
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this book had a lot more action, intrigue, fantasy and all around cool stuff happening. I gave it 3.5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member PardaMustang
Windwitch, second in Susan Dennard's Witchlands series, finds Threadsisters Iseult and Safi separated by half a world. Iseult is determined to reunite with Safi and stumbles across Aeduan. The Bloodwitch had been tracking her and fallen into a Nomatsi bear trap. He has fallen unconscious thanks to
I absolutely devoured this book! Usually, in multi-POV books, I have a great preference for one over the others. Not this time! I was equally invested in all of the characters. Three storyline are followed- Merik, Iseult, and Safi. Merik Nihar, alive if scarred, is determined to prove his sister's presumed treachery. In tracking leads in Lovats, he crafts a new identity for himself, and finds there is so much more to his city, his people, and his sister than he ever knew. Iseult travels alone, making her way to Safi. She crossed paths with the Bloodwitch Aeduan again, and makes a deal for his help finding Safi. Unfortunately, the pair get caught between invading forces and plans go astray. Meanwhile, Safi travels with Empress Vaness. An attack in the Empress' ship strands the two in hostile territory, where they are captured by HellBards and betrayed by those who should have been Vaness' allies. Each, in the end, learns the truest depths of their strength, and each finds a family of sorts through their trials and tribulations. Each, too, gets a lesson in being careful to not judge others too quickly.
I have to say, the next book better have a happier outcome for Merik… While I like all the main characters, he and Aeduan are my faves. I do have a knack for getting attached to characters that die though… ugh, why me? Books, movies, games… invariably I get attached to those destined to not survive. Game of Thrones doesn't count, either… I really enjoy Dennard's writing, and loved seeing the characters and world fleshed out a bit more, especially in seeing more of the different ways magic manifests. This book, it was Vaness who most impressed! I want her magic! I enjoyed seeing more of Nubrevna too. It sounds like a rough place to live though. I'm hoping things continue improving for that country as future books develop. All in all, I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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the healing magic repairing his body. Iseult steals something valuable from him and retreats to her makeshift camp to await his arrival. She bargains with him to help her find Safi, and the two enter into an uneasy alliance, at least until a heartbreaking, unexpected find turns Aeduan to a different path. Safi, meanwhile, has been traveling with Vaness. When the Empress' ship is destroyed, she and Safi end up captured by HellBards and drug into Saldonica. When Vaness is betrayed by allies she anticipated having here, the group is attacked. In order to survive and escape, the witches and HellBards must work together. And Merik Nihar, presumed dead, is very much alive, though badly scarred from the destruction of his ship by seafire. The former Admiral is determined to return home and prove his sister's treachery. What he finds is a capital beset by refugees fleeing conflict. What he learns will change his views on his sister and her actions, and that the chasm between life and death isn't as wide as people believe.I absolutely devoured this book! Usually, in multi-POV books, I have a great preference for one over the others. Not this time! I was equally invested in all of the characters. Three storyline are followed- Merik, Iseult, and Safi. Merik Nihar, alive if scarred, is determined to prove his sister's presumed treachery. In tracking leads in Lovats, he crafts a new identity for himself, and finds there is so much more to his city, his people, and his sister than he ever knew. Iseult travels alone, making her way to Safi. She crossed paths with the Bloodwitch Aeduan again, and makes a deal for his help finding Safi. Unfortunately, the pair get caught between invading forces and plans go astray. Meanwhile, Safi travels with Empress Vaness. An attack in the Empress' ship strands the two in hostile territory, where they are captured by HellBards and betrayed by those who should have been Vaness' allies. Each, in the end, learns the truest depths of their strength, and each finds a family of sorts through their trials and tribulations. Each, too, gets a lesson in being careful to not judge others too quickly.
I have to say, the next book better have a happier outcome for Merik… While I like all the main characters, he and Aeduan are my faves. I do have a knack for getting attached to characters that die though… ugh, why me? Books, movies, games… invariably I get attached to those destined to not survive. Game of Thrones doesn't count, either… I really enjoy Dennard's writing, and loved seeing the characters and world fleshed out a bit more, especially in seeing more of the different ways magic manifests. This book, it was Vaness who most impressed! I want her magic! I enjoyed seeing more of Nubrevna too. It sounds like a rough place to live though. I'm hoping things continue improving for that country as future books develop. All in all, I'm very much looking forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended!
***Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I found it hard to get into the rhythm of this but it was very interesting the characters really do want to do their best and succeed in making the world a better place (except where they don't) and people have about 10 different motives for what they're doing and it's full of found families and
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mysteries and I'm curious to know what's going to happen next. Show Less
LibraryThing member Skybalon
This is the rare second novel in a series that feels superior to the first in pretty much every way. Better pacing, better character development, and more exciting. The only disappointing thing is that the next one isn't even written yet. Read the first one, just so this one--the better one--makes
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sense. Show Less
LibraryThing member GennaC
Literally just here for the Iseult + Aeduan slow burn. This started really slow for me with just too many character storylines (most of which I didn't really feel invested in). Half of this was just Merick being a shitbrick, meaning I spent the majority of the book biding my time until we were back
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to dreamboats Iseult/Aeduan. Windwitch started at maybe even a 2-star read for me and ended closer to a 4 (exciting action in the final chapters!), which brings this to a pretty solid 3. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
336 p.
ISBN
0765379309 / 9780765379306
Local notes
Continues the tale of Merik—cunning privateer, prince, and windwitch. A shadow man haunts the Nubrevnan streets, leaving corpses in his wake—and then raising those corpses from the dead.