The Witchlands #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: January 5th, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: Purchase

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 416

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Summary (from Goodreads):

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

When I finally started blogging last year, this book was REALLY buzzed about. So obviously it was going to become one of my most anticipated books of 2016. I got my copy from my first-and-so-far-only book signing I've ever been to! But by the time that rolled around I couldn't bring myself to read this book because it was all I EVER saw on Twitter. I was just sick of hearing about it.

I finally picked this book up for one of the #ReadThemAllThon prompts. This was the book I chose to read for the thunderous hype prompt. I am super glad that I waited for the hype to die down before reading this book, but it was still in the back of my mind and definitely affected how I felt about this book, I think in a more negative way. I did really enjoy it, but I was just still expecting over the top amazing and it just wasn't as exciting as I was hoping.

Probably my favorite thing about this book was how the main focus was the friendship between Safi and Iseult. They really work well together, I love how they kind of even each other out. Iseult is calm and level-headed, she thinks things through. Safi is definitely more impulsive and wild. I love how they would give their lives for each other without a second thought. I really hope that this friendship remains the main focus of the series!

I also loved the relationship forming between Safi and Merik! I like how he makes her realize that her  actions affect other people. He doesn't coddle her or treat her special or anything like that. I liked that about their relationship and I just like them.

I'm really excited to learn more about Aeduan. He's so mysterious, but he doesn't seem like he's really as bad as he acts like he is or makes himself out to be. I want him and Iseult to get together and go on double dates with Merik and Safi.

I think that what probably disappointed me most of all, is that I kind of thought that this book would be more... exciting? I mean, it WAS exciting, but like not to the level that I was expecting, going in. With all the hype, I was expecting to be totally blown away and I just wasn't and I'm disappointed about it. But that is definitely not to say that this book wasn't good. Because I really did like it. I just felt like it was kind of slow.

Overall, I liked this book. I would definitely recommend this book if you like fantasy and strong female friendships! I am looking forward to Windwitch in January, but if the street team starts up again for this book, I will probably have to wait to read it again.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Have you had hype kind of ruin any books before?

Truthwitch Tuesday: #MySeaFox Coloring Competition

This week instead of doing a tag of any kind, I will be posting my sea fox picture for the Truthwitch Tuesday coloring competition! I'm gonna do a whole blog post on my sea fox so I can give her an overly elaborate background story.

If you want to join in the fun, check out THIS post!

I chose the name Nixie for my sea fox! According to the website I am looking at while writing this, it is German and means 'little water sprite'.

   

So I am going to give my sea fox the traits of the water sprites of various folklore tales.

The following snippet is a little description of a sea fox from the book that I got off of Nicola's blog post about the competition:

"When Ryber had described a sea fox, this was not what Safi had imagined.

     And she definitely didn't imagine that it would scream like the souls of the damned. A thousand layers screeched from the monster's mouth -- and then screeched from a second monster now towering over the Jana nearby."

One famous Nix of German folklore was said to sit on a rock and distract fishermen from the dangers of the reef with her voice. While, I don't fully know what a sea fox is or what they're like, from the little excerpt from Truthwitch provided and this little tidbit of Germain folklore, I'm going to say that Nixie here likes to sing. And I have decided that she's the got the prettiest 'souls of the damned' scream of all the other sea foxes. While it might only make your human ears bleed a little bit, it's a top screech amongst the sea foxes. She likes to elegantly swim through the water as though she were dancing.

Ancient Greek mythology talks of water nymphs said to guard fresh water bodies for the gods. SO weaving that information into my post here, I will say that she is VERY protective of her home. That's her singing and frolicking space and she doesn't take kindly to intruders. While she's generally a laid back sea fox, she won't tolerate your crap in her watery domain.

According to Japanese lore (which mostly contains some really creepy stuff about 'river imps') when the water sprites are feeling kind and generous, they are supposedly skilled teachers in the arts of bone setting and medical skills. SO with that said I'm going to say Nixie is caring (because it takes a caring individual to set bones and do medical stuff, I'm kinda struggling for what to say here) and will do anything to help her fellow sea fox.

Also Japanese lore says that they like to try to lure cows and horses to their watery deaths. So I think that my lovely sea fox has an insatiable appetite for horses (because they suck).

So long story short, Nixie here is:

-a rockstar with sweet dance moves.

-a very protective guardian of her watery realm.

-laid back but won't take your crap.

-caring and helpful to her fellow sea fox.

-an eater of stupid horses.

So, that's a little bit about my sea fox! Did anyone else color one? I would love to see it!

Waiting on Wednesday (#3)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting for...

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The Witchlands #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Publication Date: January 5th, 2016

Pages: 384

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Summary (from Goodreads): On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

So excited for this one! I just started really using twitter around the time of BEA and saw how everyone was talking about this book and I was like ooh I need it. Then I decided to see what it was actually about. Haha! I just pre-ordered this book from schulerbooks.com and if you pre-order it from there you can get it signed! Just mention that you'd like it signed in the comments box! So excited! Only disappointed because I want to get it the day it comes out, but I cancelled my amazon pre-order to opt for the signed one!!