Thalgor's Witch by Nancy Holland, A good story if you enjoy fantasy. Not my usual type of read. The plot was well written and I liked the characters.

Part Fantasy, part steamy romance, Thalgor's Witch brings a story that will keep you turning the page well into the night. With a wonderful cast of intense characters. this is a great book for those looking for a change of pace from strictly romance. Loved it!!!

War was brewing in full force in the Sea Mountains and Erwyn, the despised yet powerful witch and renowned healer, was escaping the battle and slavery with a child named Felyn. Soon they were captured by Thalgor and his men, and Erwyn must do everything to keep the little girl safe and protected. Thalgor was wicked and ruthless and inconsiderate, especially to Erwyn's kind - witches. But he couldn't just let her go or dispatch the witch, because she's got powers that were of great importance to the clan. 

At first, I was really confused on how Erwyn would ever fall for the evil and uncouth Thalgor. I was having a hard time deciding whether to like him or despise him for what he was doing to the witches. As the story progressed, I could feel the winds shifting and I began to understand Thalgor's role as a leader of the hunting party and as a chief responsible for the welfare of his tribe. When their increased attraction started unwavering, that's the moment I began to relax and enjoy the journey ahead. 

But in the end, there were still a lot of questions unanswered even if the major characters seemed to find their happily ever after. I am still at a loss about Felyn's curse and identity. Who was she? and who was the Witch King? Plus the majority of the timeline lacked world building and the pacing was quite slow. 

I did like however, the unhurried romance between Thalgor and Erwyn. I very much liked that this wasn't another case of insta-love. Although the process of slowly kindling those emotions almost had me clenching my hair out of frustration. Good thing, I persevered and let nature run its course. Nevertheless, I am still hoping for a possible sequel to this story so every question running on my mind could be answered.  The writing was definitely great and I can see myself looking forward to more Fantasy books by Miss Holland.

Thalgor’s Witch is a historical fantasy romance with little to no world building but interestingly enough characters and an antagonistic romance that grows on you. There is much room to grow on this barren field and the somewhat ambiguous ending looks like Holland may write this into a series. A steady pace easy to digest narrative keeps you easily moving along though some scenes needed more build up to appreciate the results.

Set in an unknown time (I’m guessing around the 12th-14th century), Holland creates a man trying to rebuild after an epic war takes everything from him. Nomadic tribes roam the world, warring amongst one another as they seek to rebuild what they once had by absorbing the weaker tribes and banding together against mercenaries. It is the survival of the fittest.

Thalgor is the leader of one such tribe who discovers he has a witch among his captives after defeating an enemy tribe. Seeking to use her in battle but wary of her power and anger, he deems her an enemy right off the bat and threatens her child if she tries to harm any of his people.

Erwyn is a generational witch who was on her way to see the oracle of witches when captured. She wants help breaking her younger sister’s curse and to learn whether her mother was faithful to her father. Unable to do harm without it backlashing onto her, she heals Thalger and his men right off the bat but continuously plots her escape while struggling to not fall for her captor.

Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about this book. It was engaging but in a rather simple fashion. It reminded me a little of Jean M. Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear. Like Auel’s story, the main focus in here is on the day to day living conditions while slowly building a romance between two people whose don’t really understand each other. The appeal of the narrative is that Holland keeps it simple. No convoluted storylines, no made up words of magic, no overly complicated names. Sometimes fantasy goes overboard as it gives birth to words that require a syllabus of correct pronunciations and definitions.

Thalger is your classic tortured alpha with a chauvinist bent. He is very protective of his people and he struggles to keep them safe and fed while attempting to resuscitate their former glory days. A stern but fair man whose childhood has left deep scars. His own days as a slave affects his choices now as he is firm that captives are never treated as slaves or concubines.

Meeting Erwyn confuses him and he comes off at first as a jerk. He makes some internal comments about his attraction to her submission but then remembers his mother was a captive and raped repeatedly. Honestly, I almost stopped reading there because what an arse, right? But after reading a little further, I realized he’s really just a dominant with a rope fetish. He understands consent though and advocates for it. He knows as his captive, Erwyn has no ability to truly consent to his attention.

I like Erwyn from the beginning. She is a strong-willed, intelligent, compassionate woman who believes in herself. She stands up to Thalgor every chance she gets and is vocal about her wants and needs. She demands equality and follows her own path regardless of the consequences. She repeatedly proves her worth but in such a manner that shows she doesn’t care if she impresses anyone or not.

The antagonism between this couple ebbs and flows throughout the story as the conflicts reveal themselves one by one and eventually narrow down to merge into one. Thalgor continues to have his jerk moments. They come out when his feelings have been hurt and he strikes out at the one he loves best-Ewryn. They do gradually learn to trust one another and themselves as the sexual attraction grabs hold and the romance soon follows. A varied cast of secondary characters steps up to help this couple through their emotional trial and tribulations though it’s an act of selflessness that knocks down the final wall between them. The villain of the final conflict was a bit of a stretch and I was disappointed by how easily he was defeated after the huge build up.

I do wish there would have been more world building and history. The story is told in the present with little background given. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was supposed to know all this.

Grade: C

When I read the blurb for this book on NetGalley, it sounded like something that was right up my alley.  I've been on a binge read of UF and PNR and the premise was intriguing so I was excited to check it out.

Trigger Warning for references to rape.

Spoilers ahead

There were some problematic elements for me starting right away in chapter 1.  The following line is from one of Thalgor's men after capturing a 5 year old child:

"Small, but female," the man declared with an ugly laugh

This was followed almost immediately by this comment by the same man after he saw Erwyn who is the witch in this story:

"A full-size female," the third man said, his toothless leer close enough for Erwyn to smell the rot of his breath.

Repulsive right?  Well this was followed by a this man groping Erwyn's breast which is how we find out that witches have an inherent power that protects them from men.  This should have told me all I needed to know about this book.  If by page 10 the author needed to declare that witches have a power to keep themselves from being raped, I should have known there was more problematic material to come but I kept reading hoping this wouldn't be the case.

In Chapter 4 after Erwyn exhausted herself healing members of Thalgor's group following a battle, Thalgor carried her off into the woods with the intention of taking her.  While he changed he realized just how weak she was, the scene was tremendously uncomfortable.  The author highlighted how Erwyn was too exhausted to user her natural power to prevent her rape, and showed her mentally preparing herself for the rape to take place and pleading with him not to rape her.

And still I kept reading trying to finish the book I had agreed to review.

In Chapter 8 Erwyn discovers that she lost a child.  She was unaware that she was pregnant and had been using her powers which is extremely hard on an unborn child.  When she shared this news with Thalgor he was a uncompassionate asshole who instructed her not get pregnant again.  And guess who continued to have sex with her in a setting that appears to have no means of preventing pregnancy.   I am sure you can see where this is going.  When Erwyn is pregnant again and cannot help Thalgor or his people he's a complete ass about it.  I was mentally raging about what a dick he was at this point but still tried to finish the book.

After Thalgor begins to exclude Erwyn from council meetings because he deems her unuseful now that she doesn't have use of her powers (see he's a dick), Erwyn begins to give him the cold shoulder.  She is avoiding him during the day and has no physical contact with him at night when they go to bed.  What do we get to see as Thalgor's reaction?

"The next night he caught her staring at him with those unforgiving eyes and that lush body, and knew he could take her at will without her magic to protect her.  For the first time he almost understood what drove the man who become Rygar's father.  But unlike that brute, Thalgor hated himself for the thought.

Are you kidding me?  This is supposed to be a romance between Thalgor and Erwyn and you have him thinking about raping her because she is refusing to have sex with him after he's a dick?  Am I supposed to sympathize with his desire to rape her even though he supposedly hates himself for thinking about it.  You can fuck right off with that.

And this my friends is when I finally put down the book at 46% to never pick it up again.

There were many other problematic examples I could provide about this book, but who needs anymore of this nonsense in their life?  There are too many other amazing books out there to devote anymore time to this problematic book.

Thalgor's Witch is a fantastic story. I especially like Erwyn who is such a unique character. When Erwyn and Thalgor meet, it's instant attraction that ultimately lead to them falling in love. Erwyn will not give up on her love and will save him not matter what. Kind of Lord of the Ring feeling to me. A compelling and well-written story with a dash of romance. Loved it.

I rarely read paranormal, but this story tempted me and I’m glad I dived between the covers. It’s a full length novel set in what I imagine to be mediaeval times, though that’s left up to the imagination of the reader, which I really liked. I also liked the conflict faced by Erwyn as she tried to balance her responsibilities as a witch with her hopes, dreams and responsibilities as a woman. The story itself was engrossing. I had started reading expecting it to be a romance, and it was, but there is so much more to this book. I was utterly enchanted!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book which is different from other novels in this genre. The characters were well written. I'm wondering if there will be a sequel.

This is an honest review of a book given to me via Netgally.

Thalgor's Witch by Nancy Holland is the first book I have read by this author. Usually when I thin of Tule Publishing I think Montana or Texas contemporary romance, but this is fantasy. It is a wonderful genre expansion which I applaud; being a well-written, solid story; that never failed to keep my interest.

The place seems very much like 14th century with groups who were more nomadic than city builders. Life is harsh and even good souls were harsher still. Peace is only a dream as well as finding a permanent place to live and belong. No one knows that better than Erwyn, the witch. Facts and suspicions mix in her story, making her wanted, feared and hated.

Much of the backstory is revealed as the story progresses with many twists and turns. Some were easily seen such as the dissension of the band but others not so easily such as the last enemy. This made for a page turning read. My husband was shocked at how late I stayed up to find out what would happen.

The romance aspect of the story was filled with just as many twists. I would have given up on Thalgor if I had been Erwyn. I found his actions believable if not likable at times. They did find their HEA in the end. However, the book reads as first in the series since there are many unanswered questions. What exactly is Felyn’s curse? Who is the Witch King? These are just two questions, I would enjoy seeing answered in what I hope will be another book in the series.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars

I’m going to be totally honest and admit I had high hopes for Thalgor’s Witch based on the cover itself. It’s gorgeous, but I don’t feel it fits well with the story. I had a few issues with the story, but overall it wasn’t the worst I have read. In fact, I enjoyed the kind of witch that was featured in this book. The main character isn’t indestructible, but in fact, has a limit to her power. That limit makes it seem more realistic than anything.

The idea of this book increased my interest, a warrior named Thalgor captures a beautiful witch named Erwyn and a small child. He decides to keep them both with his tribe as having a witch will give Thalgor an upper hand in battle. As they battle opposing tribes and marauders, the witch and the warrior fall in love. Though not everyone is happy about it, so together they must fight for their clan and their love.
Most of my issue stem from the fact that the time jumps in this book exist. I am all for jumping time to increase the storyline, but I don’t feel like it did that. It was incredibly rushed in certain parts which frustrated me. And I would have liked to know more about the child. It seemed like it was going to be a major plot point but kind of fizzled out? Along with the Witch King? I don’t want to give away the things we do find out, so I will just say I wish things would have turned out differently.

With all that said, I don’t think this book is for me. I had far too many questions unanswered for me to enjoy this novel. It had a great concept and an overall strong main character, but I just wish it wasn’t rushed and gave me more answers.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great and the world interesting. Though much time passed, it all flowed so well and I never felt it was stilted or confusing. While Erwyn and those like her were called witches, they aren't like most would imagine them I don't think. They are bound by rules they must follow or else lose their magic. I liked all that Erwyn could do with her powers. There is a lot of fighting, as would be expected of how they live here, and it's all believable and engaging. Thalgor himself is quite a force to be reckoned with. Despite how serious things tended to be there was also some humor. Often by Rygar, Thalgor's brother whom I also loved.

The relationship between Thalgor and Erwyn was very believable given their personalities. The two of them were the biggest obstacles between them being together but it was impossible not to see how much they cared about the other. Each of them suffers throughout, but I really think Erwyn suffers the most. Each time though, they find their way back to each other and are stronger for it.

Thalgor captures Erwyn after a battle and hopes to use her powers as a witch to help him take care of his people. What he never planned on was to fall for her. Though they fight a lot, he ends up being a lot more confident when Erwyn agrees with him or even sometimes relying on her judgement of people. Thalgor dreams of a life like was once lived. Where people had houses of stone and didn't have to travel all year. With Erwyn by his side, and his men behind him, he finds his dream not out of reach. But there's a man more evil and vicious than any they have encountered before that may just end his dream before it really gets started. Good thing Thalgor has a witch who loves him more than anything else.

I am left with a lot of questions by the end, but none that would frustrate me too much. Just enough for me to be ridiculously curious about them and upset I didn't get them answered at all.

Three and a half
This is a romance with a fantasy setting although if honest there isn't exactly a huge amount of world building going on . Basically this is the story of Erwyn, a Witch who has been kept a slave and as a Witch is both feared and ironically despised. When we meet her she's very protective of a young girl who could be cursed but unfortunately that particular thread isn't really followed up. What the author decides to do instead is show how the warrior Thalgor wants Erwyn for himself and the bulk of the story is about their relationship which is very strained at times.
There's conflict aplenty and various characters to help flesh out the story and even some action scenes to liven things up. For this reader though the pace seemed a little slow at times and I really wanted to know more about the Witches and indeed the Witch King who frequently crops up. Likeable characters but the crux of the story seemed to be whether or not Thalgor could find it in his heart to love Erwyn unequivocally. This worked well as a standalone but unfortunately I'm left with questions.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

***ARC received in exchange of an honest opinion***

This book was nice enough. It was a different book in the fantasy genre. It has romance and action and magic. But I think it's still misisng something.

Despite it having many battles, I still think it needed somthing more to add to them. Maybe a bit more story, a more involving plot line.

I liled the characters, but I didn't feel any real connection to any of them and I think the author missed a few opportunities regarding some of them and how the story could have developed.

Overall it was a good read, but I wasn't throughly impressed by it.

Although the cover was a bit dark and sinister, I was intrigued by the blurb of Thalgor's Witch. But already on the first page, I was drawn into the story. We meet Erwyn, who is fleeing with Felyn, from the clan where she is a slave. They are discovered by Thalgor and his men and taken to his clan. As a witch, with power to heal and to inflict pain and with the possibility to foresee the future, she is invaluable for any clan.

However, witches are not to be trusted. And Erwyn certainly doesn't feel welcome at Thalgor's clan. So Thalgor is struggling how to convince Erwyn to stay with his clan, without having to bind her with ropes in order to refrain her from escaping to the Sea Mountains.

As the story unfolds, we see how Erwyn slowly befriends some of the people of the clan. And we see how Thalgor and Erwyn are attracted to each other, but the mistrust and difference in beliefs between them is keeping them apart. Meanwhile, Thalgor is trying to find a way to give his clan a safe place to live. The constant wandering of his clan isn't helping them in restoring the great kingdom they once had. But Batte, his second in command wants to keep moving. The difference in beliefs between Batte and Thalgor, fueled by both Erwyn and Dara (Batte's lover) leads to an epic confrontation.

In all a wonderful read, where relationships and clan dynamics are described in a compelling and impressive way. We see how people who are hurt lash out in a terrible way to the people the love the most, how different beliefs can create a gap between people and what happens when people are taking sides.

Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I received a copy of Thalgor's Witch by Nancy Holland from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the summary and really wanted to like this novel, but it was a chore at times to keep reading. The storyline could have been pulled together better and the characters developed fully.

Erwyn is a witch. Her village where she was slaved has been overrun, and she is trying to escape to the Sea Mountains with a child from her village, Felyn. She is captured by the leader of the raiding party Thalgor, and that is where our story begins.

As a witch, Erwyn has power over fire, foresight, and the power to heal. If Erwyn uses her powers to kill, she will lose her powers completely.

Erwyn is now a part of Thalgor’s clan. There is a lot of mistrust about witches, and about Erwyn herself. Thalgor is attracted to her but also wary of her. I was surprised at how quickly the main character got together in the story, but it was nice not to have a lot of unnecessary back and forth drama. The strength of this story is two people with different beliefs and agenda learning to love each other without compromising who they are.

This is an unhurried fantasy romance, dealing more with character development than action. There are action sequences, but the heart of this story is how Thalgor and Erwyn trust each other and fall in love despite having such different beliefs and upbringings.

Despite the title being Thalgor’s witch, Erwyn is very much her own woman. She has a strict set of beliefs that she does not compromise for Thalgor, even though she grows to love him.

The world building was sparse. It left a lot to the readers imagination. I liked the idea of the witches who could use their powers for self defense, but if they took a life the powers were lost forever. This is a stand-alone, but I would be interested in reading more stories from this world.

The secondary characters are fun to read about and are well developed. The plot is a bit slow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it spends a lot of time developing characters. This may be a problem if you prefer action based fantasy, but I loved it.

I would recommend this for fans of Elizabeth Vaughan’s Warprize.

I received this book from net galley for an honest review. Thank you!!

This novel was a good read. The novel contains magic, romance, betrayal, and battles. Erwyn is a witch with abilities to heal and second site. She made a promise to her mother to save her sister. Erwyn was a slave and escaped but is captured by the man who conquered the people that held her as a slave. Thalgor is a warrior and also has witchblood. He sees Erwyn as a way to help his people, even though he cannot trust a witch. Thalgor is a stubborn man and as a leader, he needs to make tough decisions. Even when Erwyn warns him of danger, he does not listen at first. There are times when he blames Erwyn, which deeply hurts her. This is because they both begin to have feelings for each other. However, there are those who want to keep them apart and spread rumors about Erwyn's abilities, since many already distrust witches. Still, Thalgor does take Erwyn's advice, since she can "see" a person's true nature, but when it causes a deep conflict, his choice could destroy their relationship.