Publisher: Tor
Release: 14th January 2016
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:
"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."
Review
Truthwitch is one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2016 so I was beyond excited when I got to read this way back in August 2015. Despite following all of the hype for this book on the journey to publication, and knowing from the very beginning that it was going to be something truly special, I still don’t think I was prepared for what this book would come to mean to me nor realised that it would be such a game changer for YA Fantasy.
What I loved most about Truthwitch, and what makes it so special to me, is that this book has an epic female friendship at its heart which is something I haven’t seen before in Fantasy, at least not on the same scale as Truthwitch. In many ways Truthwitch is a celebration of female friendships those strong, lifelong friendships that become such a part of you that you can’t tell where you end and your best friend begins. If you’re lucky enough to have a friendship as strong as that like I have, it is immediately recognisable in this book and is finally given a name that feels right, that goes deeper than best friend: Threadsister.
Truthwitch follows Threadsisters Safiya and Iseult’s adventures in the Witchlands. Safiya is a Truthwitch meaning that she has the power to tell if somebody is telling her a truth or a lie – a rare highly sought after power. Iseult is a Threadwitch meaning that she can see the ties and relationships people have with those they love. Together the girls are an unstoppable force and are on the run from those who wish to capture Safiya and use her in the war against the Empires.
The world building and pacing in this book knocked me off my feet and kept me turning the pages. The threads of the world building are so cleverly weaved throughout this story so that you’re constantly learning new information right up until the very end. There is literally never a dull moment as you’re continuously discovering more about this world and characters.
As well as Safiya and Iseult’s epic friendship there are also so many ship potentials to have fun with. Susan Dennard excels at intense, steamy chemistry between her characters which was fun (and at times torturous!) to read.
Truthwitch is a bright and shining new addition to the Fantasy genre with an unforgettable friendship between two daring female protagonists at its heart. Don’t miss this lavish new adventure.
