Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1)

by Susan Dennard

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I really enjoyed this book!

Truthwitch has a strong fanbase, although it's not as popular and hyped as Sarah J. Maas or Leigh Bardugo's novels. Still, devoted fanbases tend to signify a good book, and Truthwitch was no exception. The worldbuilding was spectacular and interesting. I really appreciated the variety of magic and the aesthetic of the setting - this did not feel like a traditional, western European-inspired fantasy. It had an oceanic feel, or Mediterranean, which a wide variety of settings. I really liked it.

The characters were fun as well. I didn't love all of them, but the banter between Safi and Iseult was a blast! The relationships between characters and their rapport was well-done. I also really enjoyed the way each character used their witcheries.

This definitely feels like the start to a series, but it was a good start with the right amount of creativity and worldbuilding. I'm here for the rest of the Witchlands series!

*As a note, I was warned by a lot of people that the narration of the audiobook wasn't great. It's definitely each to their own, but I listened at 1.25x and didn't have any problems. :) So if you're an audiobook listener, I'd say it's still worth a try!