[Review] Truthwitch - Susan Dennard

Titel: Truthwitch

Series: Witchlands #1

Author/Autor: Susan Dennard

Publisher/Verlag: Tor Teen

First Released/Erstmals erschienen: 05.01.2016
Format: Kindle, 416

Synopsis: GoodReads

Review: 5*, Blog, GoodReads, LovelyBooks

TBR/Leseliste: -

Buy: amazon.de, amazon.co.uk

 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.

-->Goodreads 

I’d heard about the Witchland Series by Susan Dennard before, but it was more of a coincidence that I started reading it this week. But I couldn’t be happier that I did pick it up.

You know those book where you read the first page and you know it’s going to be a five Star book, no matter what problems may present themselves later on? This was one of those books for me. Only no problems presented themselves.

The worldbuilding in this book was fantastic. I loved the world this is set in, getting to know all the different empires and peoples, although I’m sure there is lots more for me to explore. At any given time throughout the story I felt like I had all the information I needed, yet I constantly learned something new.

The plot was very interesting and something I haven’t yet read before, probably because I still don’t know what the grand plan actually was/is. Just as Iseult and Safi I was swept up in events without completely knowing what was going on exactly.

One of the things I loved most in this story is the friendship between the two of them. I haven’t read many books with strong friendship or sibling bonds in them (except HP), and I don’t think there are many with relationships as strong as this one. Safi and Iseult complement each other perfectly and work together seamlessly. Most of notable tough is the implicit trust they have in each other. That’s one friendship I’m in serious awe of.

But speaking about relationships, I also liked the romance in this book. It’s exactly the way I want my romance to be. There and noticeable, but not overbearing and  long time coming. Not insta-love, not taking over the whole plot, but always there in the background, waiting for the perfect time to make an appearance.  

Onto the characters themselves. I enjoyed the fact that most side characters had unique personalities as well, even though they didn’t get the screen time to totally show them off. Our two main characters are two strong, young women who both have their strengths as well as their weaknesses. As I said before, they both have their unique personalities that complement each other perfectly.

All in all I absolutely loved this book and rated it a full five stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes strong female leads as well as epic high fantasy.