• Reviews

    Witchshadow – Susan Dennard

    I’ve been a Susan Dennard fan ever since her debut, Something Strange and Deadly was published many many years ago – I’m very proud to say I’ve read everything she’s published! I also blame her for my Twitter addiction, her The Luminaries choose-your-own-adventure megathread back in 2019 got me hooked and now I can’t wait for the book version to come out at some point. Sooz also has a website and a newsletter full of amazing writing resources, so if you’re a budding writer yourself, check that out!

    Massive thanks to Black Crow PR and UK Tor for sending me a review copy of Witchshadow. All opinions are my own.

    RELEASE DATE: 24/06/2021

    STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

    SUMMARY: Iseult has found her heartsister Safi at last, but their reunion is brief. For Iseult to stay alive, she must flee Cartorra while Safi remains. And though Iseult has plans to save her friend, they will require her to summon magic more dangerous than anything she has ever faced before.

    Meanwhile, the Bloodwitch Aeduan is beset by forces he cannot understand. And Vivia – rightful queen of Nubrevna – finds herself without a crown or home.

    As villains from legend reawaken across the Witchlands, only the mythical Cahr Awen can stop the gathering war. Iseult could embrace this power and heal the land, but first she must choose on which side of the shadows her destiny will lie. (from UK Tor)

    OPINIONS: So this is book four in a series. Which is probably information that you need to know beforehand. It might even be considered book five, though that’s debateable as the UK missed out on the novella in between books two and three. And the Witchlands series is one of my favourite series out there. It is complex and nuanced and full of amazing characters and a detailed magic system. Safi and Iseult are the two heroines of the series, though by now there are many more characters that have become central to the story (#baeduan! Vivia! Owl! and so many more). Safi is a Truthwitch and Iseult is a Threadwitch. Each book centres on one of the characters, and Witchshadow is Iseult’s book.

    Which is a good thing. Because Iseult is my fave. She and Owl, the feisty little girl that accompanies here are the best. And I love that Sooz found a way to keep her and Aeduan apart after bringing them together at the end of the last book, Bloodwitch, rather than reducing tensions and having them be all happy together. Mistress of character tension, Sooz is. But this book being focussed on Iseult and her history, family and developing her magic doesn’t mean that the others don’t get their time in the spotlight.

    Safi deals with marriage, rebellion and the like. Ryber and Vivia explore the past and secrets. The worldbuilding in this series is just top notch, and I once again fell so hard for it. I couldn’t stop myself from reading and getting immersed in the world and I already want more. There was quite a bit of a wait between Bloodwitch and Witchshadow, but damn, this was so worth it. Please please go and give this series a shot.

    If you think you might love the Witchlands as much as I do, you can add Witchshadow to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

  • Reviews

    Show Us Who You Are – Elle McNicoll

    Last year, Elle wowed me with her debut, A Kind of Spark. I wrote a glowing review here, and pretty much everyone has been agreeing with me. This week, she won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2021 – so well deserved. See more about that here, and click through to the SPECIAL EDITION! But we’re here to talk about her sophomore novel, Show Us Who You Are. I am finding this one much harder to review in many ways – it’s brilliant, but also tough, and I felt like some elements ultimately didn’t fit together quite as well as I hoped. I still loved it and I hope you will too.

    Many thanks to Annabelle at ed PR and Knights Of for sending me a review copy – all opinions are my own.

    RELEASE DATE: 04/03/2021

    SUMMARY: When Cora’s brother drags her along to his boss’s house, she doesn’t expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of Pomegranate Technologies. As she becomes part of Adrien’s life, she is also drawn into the mysterious projects at Pomegranate.

    At first, she’s intrigued by them – Pomegranate is using AI to recreate real people in hologram form. As she digs deeper, however, she uncovers darker secrets… Cora knows she must unravel their plans, but can she fight to make her voice heard, whilst never losing sight of herself? (from Knighs Of)

    OPINIONS: I think Show Us Who You Are is an incredibly difficult book to review, especially because I, late twenties, possibly, no, most probably neurodivergent, something which I’m currently trying to figure out, am not really the target audience. The book really is written for neurodivergent kids and is a love letter to being different. But, at the same time, it is also a manifest of rage against the status quo, against how the world expects people to slot into preconceived notions. I have spoken about the story with readers who are neurotypical, who did not understand how the book worked at all – who saw Cora and Adrien’s friendship and were confused, who saw two kids who shared nothing but neurodivergency. To them I say that IS how friendship works for those to whom it doesn’t come easily. In that relationship, I saw myself as a kid. Meeting someone and adopting them as a friend immediately even if it wasn’t perfect from the start. Heck, I made a new friend just last week by simply deciding that we’re friends now.

    And the story in Show is compelling. It is a mystery and Cora is a fantastic heroine. She’s driven and she is principled and I adore her. It is a really good book. What I did think detracted from the story at times though is that the political messaging overshadowed the story itself. There were moments where it seemed more like a book aimed at adult readers featuring child characters than a true middle grade adventure – but that might be connected to my perception and subtext that would not be as visible to a child reader as it was to me as an older one. I have already read it a couple of times while trying to figure out how to review it, and I’m sure I will read it again – Elle McNicoll is a brilliant writer, and one to keep watching!

    Add Show Us Who You Are to your Goodreads here, and order a copy via Bookshop here (affiliate link).