Witch Rising (Witch Song, #2.5)

by Amber Argyle

[inlibrisveritas]

Witch Rising is a prequel novella that connects to the Witch Song books but can be read by itself without any worry about being out of the loop or lost. It should precede the book Witch Fall however as it goes over the main character, Lilette’s past.

Lilette is a character mentioned in Witch Song and further explored in Witch Born, and she plays an incredibly important in the history of the Witches. She’s destined to be incredibly powerful, but everyone starts somewhere and I really loved getting to see the events that occurred in her childhood that would shape the woman. The first chapter starts with immediate conflict and pulled me into the story with little to no trouble. It was heartbreaking to see so much inner conflict within Lilette as a child, and the fact that she harbored so much fear and guilt…and to have to deal with it growing up without her parents. But one thing I love the most about Argyle’s work is her strong female characters. Most are independent thinkers, most don’t feel the need to seek shelter under a care taker, and Lilette is no different.

I’m still not overly fond of the narrator, but I’ve grown used to her and I actually don’t mind her as much anymore. She definitely has a feel for the characters and does some pretty interesting accents to help distinguish the cultures.

I have Witch Fall on my wishlist so I’m hoping I get to further explore Lilette’s story.