I really can't contain my utter disappointment in this series. When I read the first book I really fell in love with the world and the characters, the first book had it's flaws but it was still unique. And it's a fantasy story about two badass females, that doesn't happen very often!  But the second book was terrible, and alas this third was also terrible. 

Bloodwitch was unfortunately even worse than the previous book because at least I read all of the second book. I couldn't even finish this one, I was so bored and tired of cliche.

Again, everyone under the sun had to have their own POV. It made for a messy and jumbled story, with too many details being told too soon.  It completely took away from what I loved about the first book, which was Iseult and Safi.  In this book they're not main characters, they're side characters at best.  And not only are there multiple characters telling the story, but sometimes the POV would change mid-chapter! Which is just bad writing. 

When I first started this series I had hoped that it would be better than The Throne Of Glass series. It felt similar but better in the first book.  But unfortunately it's fallen into a lot of the same cliches as TOG. I felt this the most with the poorly written romances. Aeduan and Iseult have about as much chemistry as two rocks sitting next to each other, but the author just had to keep pushing them together. At least I quit before I got to any gross bestial sex scenes that Maas seems to love. 

So yeah. I'm done with this series. I don't care how many rave reviews come out for Dennard's next book, I won't be reading it.  Feel free to remind me of this promise if I get sucked in again. ;)  In the end I gave this book one star.

An amazing addition to the series, I love Aeduan and this was a fascinating look at what goes on inside his mind. In the previous 2 books I was always fascinated by his character and perspective, so this was a fun and enjoyable time! Still felt true to Dennard's writing style, and kept me on the edge of my seat waiting for more!

I absolutely devoured this book over just a couple of days. Susan is a master at managing multiple points of view and connecting intricate plot points. She’s been setting the groundwork for this story for the last three books, and threads are finally starting to come together. This is a must read for high fantasy, female friendship, and found family fans.

I mistakenly requested this and therefore did not read this sampler. Firstly, I thought that it was the full text version and discovered afterwards that it was not. Secondly, I DNF’d the second book in this series and am therefore not going to continue on with the series. I completely understand the hype surrounding these books but they were just not for me.

Excellent excerpt!
Good opportunity to sample and be aware of what is being published. Looking forward to the rest of the book.

If you have been reading The Witchlands series, you know you have been dying to read about our Bloodwitch Aeduan and we have FINALLY got his book and OH MAN, it was everything and more than I was expecting, don't you agree?

Aeduan's story continue were we left off on the last book, but we also got everything we wanted, we got his back story, we got his feelings, we got to understand his powers. Holy crap, it was so much in one book, that once I started, I couldn't stop, I didn't want to stop and I didn't want to end.

Of course we got our favorite Treadwitch Iseult teamed up with Aeduan and these two and my favorite duo, my favorite couple and their story are everything to me, they go through so much together and that ending? I'm not ready for that to be it, I need more of them and I'm sure we are going to get more, right Susan?

And can we talk about our little magical girl Owl? That little girl is a beast, she is freaking amazing and the best thing that bring those two together, I need a little Owl in my life and I wouldn't mind her little friend to come along too :)

Okay, Okay...I feel like I have just been gushing about Aeduan and Iseult and Owl but seriously guys, the book was amazing, so much action happens in this book, Aeduan and Iseult fight their way through so much and they just don't give up even when things are at their worst and things really take turns they never thought would come on their way. They fight armies and raiders and enemies and find unexpected help on the way too. SO GOOD.

The only thing I have left to say is please read the series and if you haven't read Bloodwitch yet, go ahead and start NOW.

5 out of 5 stars

I got a preview from NetGalley and then went ahead and bought the book after :)

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard, third in the Truthwitch series, continues following Isuelt and Aeduan as they seek Owl's tribe. A world away, Safi is fulfilling her obligations to Vaness in rooting out the betrayers in her court. In Nubrevna, Vivia has prepped the underground city and is ready to reveal it. And Merik, traveling with Cam and Ryber, seeks the Sightwitch temple in hopes of finding a cure for his condition.

This series just keeps getting better! I'm still very invested in all of the characters' storylines. I enjoyed getting to see more of Vivia in a positive light. She's trying so hard to come into her own and keeps getting thwarted. When she went to see Vaness on her own terms, I cheered. And Vaness seemed to take her seriously as the rightful Nubrevnan leader. Speaking of coming into their own, Safi and Isuelt are doing so themselves. Separated, they are learning how to think in new ways, and finding their true depths. Once rejoined, they'll be even stronger.

Merik and Aeduan are stretching their limits too, and learning to think differently. I adore them both, want to stick their broken parts back together, and at the same time, give them each a good Gibbs-smack. Both are injured mentally and physically, yet remain stubborn in the wrong ways. Seeking help is okay. It doesn't make you weak. Most people are stubborn in this way, so actually asking and/or accepting help shows a great strength rather than weakness. I'm really hoping there's a way to reverse Merik's 'condition' and that he gets to reunite with Safi. Aeduan's problem seems the 'lesser' of the two. It seems far easier to cure a curse like his than Merik's. No doubt he's going to also be facing a future choice between Owl and Isuelt, and his father's crusade. Hope he follows heart over head, or he's gonna need another Gibbs-smack.

Highly recommended!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

*will be posted on 10/31/19, will update at that time with links

❝ From the day she had stabbed Aeduan in the heart, that heart had become hers—and she would not let this be his end. ❞

This book has to be my favorite by far in the series. Although it still has some elements that need work, I was excited to see more of Iseult and Aeduan this time around and seeing how the information we learned in Sightwitch played out.

Like in Windwitch, the romance was a driving force for me in this book. Iseult and Aeduan’s relationship continues to get complicated but it’s written so well that it all just flows naturally without the forced insta-love that Safi in Merik suffered from.

We also have another group of characters that Safi befriends, and it feels to me like one of the male characters in particular may be vying for Safi‘s romantic interest (or maybe that’s wishful thinking because I ship them way more than her and Merik). I think it may be too early to tell what Dennard intends with their relationship, but I’m rooting for it to take a more romantic turn.

But getting back to Iseult and Aeduan— I was pleased with not only the romantic development but their personal ones. Aeduan didn’t seem very committed to either Iseult or his father’s cause in Windwitch (at least not strongly). He was definitely conflicted but I feel like he finally made a decision about where his loyalties lie in this book.

❝ He was a Bloodwitch no longer. He was a monk no longer. He was a man, just a man. It would have to be enough.❞

As for Iseult, I think she’s finally embraced who she is and come to terms with it. In Windwitch she began to explore her new identity, but in Bloodwitch she really shines.

The plot has been a bit of an issue for me since the beginning of the series so I know you’re curious about how I thought the progression went this time. The answer? It’s roughly the same. The story moves along but it waffles between too fast and too slow. Yes, things happen constantly and it can seem fast, but in the overall sense of plot progression between books in the series, it progresses agonizingly slow. We have a few theories confirmed or supported but so many questions still remain unanswered. If I wasn’t already four books into it I might not continue on, to be honest. At this point, I just feel like I’ve sunk a lot of time into it and I’m desperate enough to get answers that I keep pushing on.

I feel like we were thrown a bone in this book with so many other things that happened, but at some point, I hope Dennard actually starts revealing more of her plot than she has so far. I think Bloodwitch is a good installment for those who have made it this far but I have to say that I have to warn new readers thinking about reading the series that it doesn’t have the strongest openings/beginnings and that they should be ready to deal with the plot dragging on very slowly.

What a brilliant addition to the series! I absolutley adored this book and the characters - i would highly recoment it to all YA fantasy fans

This was an incredible book! I have read all the books in this series so far and now I am going to go back and read them all again!

I love this world and these characters and I need more! So much happened and I got so many things I wanted but it still wasn't enough! How am I supposed to wait for the next book?!

After Truthwitch and the sequels thereafter I was hoping for the best but not keeping my hopes too high because none of the sequels measured up to Truthwitch for me. I'd have to say, Bloodwitch was a pleasant surprise and on par with Truthwitch.

Susan Dennard is a master of her craft. This series is everything, and everyone should read it. The characters are excellent, and this instalment focuses on one of the favourites, Aeduan. Can’t wait to finish the whole series, this world is addictive.

Bloodwitch picks up where Windwitch left off. Aeduan and Iseult are continuing their search for the woman from Owl’s tribe. Safi is with Empress Vaness where she uses her Truthwitch powers in hopes to help Nubrevna.
All of the characters are battling threats in the outside world, as well as within.
The chemistry between everyone is still great, too. There are relationships that grow both stronger and weaker.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you enjoyed the rest of the books in this series. Really enjoyable read.

Baeduan.....


Okay, so, I don't think it's a surprise that I love this. But I do. The whole Witchland universe is amazing and Susan writes incredibly.

A must read!

I absolutely love this entire series and this book didn't disappoint. As with the previous books the characters are expertly woven together and each one adds depth and their own finesse to the story.

The fast paced storyline and unique characters make this a fun and enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the several character viewpoints. In the chaos of many things happening to the several main characters at the same time Susan Dennard manages to pull it all together quite beautifully.

A review of the excerpt and the full novel is avaliable through Goodreads. The link is available below!

Promises to be another thrilling and heart-wrenching installment in the Witchlanders series. The sense of ongoing adventure is very clear, and I’m excited to see how the magical discoveries unfold.

Can't wait to read this book! :) Just an excerpt, so waiting on the library to read the whole thing now.

I love this series. It gets better with each book, and the focus on strong women and friendships is why I highly recommend it. The storytelling and world-building are phenomenal.

If you love fantasy, start with book 1 (Truthwitch). You won't be disappointed.

I received a preview of this book from the publisher, and read the book after it was released.