I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read this book. Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Romance is outside my usual range of genres, but I got immediately pulled into the story. Romance, magic, wars with magickal weapons, Danger and wrong choices. Did I say romance? I was wrapped up in the story and didn't want it to end. Can't wait to read the next novel.

This was such an absolutely fun, engaging read!

for the first time, I actually tried to take notes while I was reading, highlighting quotes and typing up notes (mostly consisting of me screaming because, you know, AHH)… but then the book just got so good that I did not have the patience to stop and take more notes - I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

This was a crazy reading experience and I am more connected to these characters than I would’ve expected and now I really need the next book

Ahh where to start-

Ok first of all, Raina- girl has my heart, I love her. I was slightly surprised when I saw that first page talking about sign and sign languages, though didn’t think much of it. Then I realized that our masterful author here beautifully tied together elements of sign and magic and created our incredible main character Raina. I love how sign is perfectly incorporated into this fantasy world, but is never excessively emphasized to the point where it's annoying. Everyone is just so understanding for her needs (except for one stupid guy but we don’t talk about him), and you know just how close certain characters are with her just by how much effort they make to best communicate with her. Raina is just such a unique and beautiful character, and we never get the feeling that shes *not like other girls* because she’s just herself - strong in her suffering, living for simply happiness - and everything just works. Girl is so strong and so fixed on her goals in life- just YES! And yes there may have been a few questionable decisions, but all of them made legitimate sense and just made me appreciate her realistic, natural essence. I loved watching her move throughout this novel, seeing the world as she knew it fall apart and still staying strong throughout.

And the witch collector- AHHHHHH
I am in LOVEE asksjsks
This guy is just amazing and I loved him and just yes- I did come here just for the enemies and lovers, and though this teechnnnically isn’t exactly enemies to lovers (kinda one sided if that makes any sense?), I am still very satisfied. He- i- just yes. what a sweet, strong, protective guy - we stan.

His and raina’s banter was so much fun, i almost laughed out loud multiple times (and definitely made people question their relationship with me especially as I very effectively ignored them while speeding through this) god this was fun and I love their chemistry. And for my smut loving people, yes there’s smut hehe - but this book has that exquisite balance of romance and plot and i love it

Something I really appreciate is that the characters were never too overpowered- they weren’t just getting random abilities out of nowhere, it always tied back to something in the past. And you can clearly see the weaknesses the characters face, how they’re not all perfect and all powerful- they all have their limits and embrace them.

Ok more format-wise, the dual-perspective was perfect and just added so many layers and intricacy to the story. Some scenes just needed the two perspectives (yall know what im talking about), along with the other plot scenes told by Raina and the Witch Collector that just worked out so well- we really get a clear idea of their personalities, emotions, and beliefs, and learn so much about their relationships with each other and other characters. The dual perspective made this just so much more interesting, plus really added a lot of important, world-building elements. There was even a chapter or two told by a side character which was just perfect and really interesting to read, and i really hope we get to see the other character’s voices be explored more through the later books.

The author’s writing style is just absolutely beautiful and her world-building just made so much sense. There were times i had to reread certain paragraphs to make sure i wasn’t missing any important world elements, and yes there was a moment of just storytelling that revealed a lot of the world building - but im honestly not complaining because it just worked - the stories and mythology behind the world is just so perfectly made and every new tidbit of information meant a new twist

WITCH (omg ‘which’ autocorrected to ‘witch’, but ima just leave it like that) REMINDS ME- the twists in this book!?!?!? This was crazy??? I did not see like half the things coming. Like things were constantly hinted at because of the dual-perspectives, but still very surprising
All the twists just make me appreciate the witch collector even more because ugh this man yes

I loved how the author builds all the side characters - they were all so unique and held significant roles throughout. My only complaint is that I wish we got more time to really learn about these characters, their relationships with one another, how they connect back to the main character.
I do wish Raina’s dynamic with another side character (as to not spoil anything) was explored more- it did feel slightly rushed here though im excited to see more about this in the next book. I also felt a few questions were left unanswered, especially regarding how certain background plot events occurred, but I completely understand that this is simply a first book and we will likely see everything else unfold later on.

The ending of this was very very satisfying and i appreciate each and every one of the characters even more. Everything ties together very well but still sets up a potential plot for the next book - so you can read this as a standalone, but do you really want to? (i need more witch collector ok)

Anyways, im still screaming, this was fun and oh so satisfying AND I NEED THE NEXT BOOK THANKS BYEYBE

**Thank you to Charissa Eeaks, City Owl Press, and Netgalley for gifting me an arc of this incredible book!! and of course for providing me a new book bf and another series ima need to to keep track hehehe**

(4.5 stars rounded up)

The very premise is too faulty for me And I never manage to get into the book. I don’t understand why the hero is so angry, it makes absolutely no sense. She’s angry because the witch collected took her sister away. But I don’t understand why the sister can’t write a message saying she has a good life, or why the hero who has the power to see what she wants wherever it is, why she couldn’t see her all along. There is an attempted explanation about 30% in the book, saying in 8 years the sister changed too much, But if the hero cared so much, she could’ve actually watched her sister grow by observing her every other week. So the violent anger was just really really annoying. Especially when she holds on to that more than the actual slaughter of her village. I can go on board with rage, but it has to be justified, here it just feels like an excuse for fan service: so as to manufacture an enemy to lover trope. If she had witnessed a scene of violence or misunderstood something she saw it would make sense. But we don’t have that. Maybe later in the book? No idea, I just couldn’t keep going after the 40% mark, it was annoying me too much. I did not manage to finish the book.

The Witch collector was an enticing read. It was a little bit hard to get into the new fantasy war but it did remind me of a mix between A court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ashes.

I liked the romance that took place. This was a three star rating mostly because it was hard to get into and slow at some parts.

Sidenote, I did read this on my new Kindle Paperwhite 5!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read and review this. This will be up on my blog sometime within the next week.

What an epic read this is. Raina's journey is fraught with danger, horrible choices and pain. Filled with magic, betrayal and hope it is a very good read.

I was hooked from the first sentence! Miss Weaks has weaved a story full of adventure, love and heart break. I was devastated everything I had to put it down.
There is not one part of this book I did not enjoy.
The world building is amazing, all the intricate magicks from the Witch Walkers. She really Crafts such a magical world that is difficult to escape from, difficult to forget.
The foreshadowing is on point, just enough info to keep you guessing.
The romance is a smoldering fire, and I will forever root for Raina Bloodgood and Alexus.
The villain is purely that. A villain, and he is so good at it!

I am eagerly awaiting book two!

The Witch Collector was definitely a gem to discover, and I can't wait for the sequel. I got a free copy of the book through NetGalley and thanks to the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Do be aware of the trigger warnings, such as death of a family member, trauma, blood and gore, violence, mind control, sex.

The Witch Collector was such a fun, fast-paced, and swoon-worthy story! I devoured it in one sitting and it's stuck. The worldbuilding was immersive and captivating without being too lore-heavy. The characters were just enough to follow and care about them all. The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of my favorite ones, and how it evolved and developed in the story was a real pleasure. Though I was a bit annoyed how force-fed we were regarding the Witch Collector's hotness, he is one hot male lead with strong Aragorn vibes. And I love Aragorn.

When I'm writting a review, I never summarize the plot, as we have plot description for that. I'm writting feelings,  impressions and final reaction.
33% in and I forgot I'm reading an ARC. It feels like I'm finally reading the book that everyone talks about, even though I discovered it first only NetGalley.
The story grabbs you from the start and keeps you turning the pages until you find yourself at the end with a huge desire for the next book.

5 stars

~ I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own ~

I received book as an arc via NetGalley. No spoilers! This book captured me from the start and I couldn’t put it down! The world and character building was phenomenal and enthralling. It had all the elements that I wanted, the characters weren’t teenagers and the magick was unique! The spice was just right 😉 It’s definitely a book that leaves you in a book hangover when it ends and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

I absolutely loved this story from the very beginning! This gripping story is filled with magic, loss and love and grabs your attention from start to finish. I am looking forward to the second book to see how it will end! Must read!

Raina Bloodgood has lost her sister to the Witch Collector, but now she has a plan to finally end him with the God Knife her father once carried. But Collecting Day does not goes as planned - for anyone. Forced to travel with the Witch Collector after her village is attacked, Raina knows she must wait to get her revenge, but the longer she waits the longer she has to develop feelings for him.

This was a pleasant enough read, especially once things finally got interesting (after the 50% mark - I don't DNF if I can help it!). The weak worldbuilding resulted in confusion and a lack of investment on my part - and just when I was beginning to enjoy myself, I hit that rather lacklustre ending. I think the trilogy format really hurt this first book in terms of pacing. Which is too bad, since it had a lot of potential.

This was such a fun & exciting read! Beautifully written fantasy romance full of action packed fighting, slow burn enemies to lovers, witches & magic. The amazing heroine Riana, is out for vengeance against the Frost King and his Witch Collector for taking her beloved sister away from her family 8 years prior… Little does she know, nothing is as it seems. Chaos ensues and she must go on an intense journey with Alexus the (extremely handsome) Witch Hunter to find her sister.
Fantastic world building, great plot, and tons of sexual tension & chemistry made this one of my favorite fantasy romance reads this year! Absolutely can’t wait for the rest of this trilogy!

Thank you to Charissa Weaks and the publisher City Owl Press for the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my word what a book, the story line just gripped me from the first few pages which I love when that happens cause you know its going to be a good book, this didn't disappoint me at all loved the characters and the development straight away, definitely getting this in paperback for my collection

The Witch Collector is the first installment in the Witch Walker Trilogy. It begins in the town of Silver Hollow where Raina Bloodgood, in her early twenties, is recollecting when the Witch Collector took her sister, Nephele, eight years ago to serve the Frost King. The opening pages illustrate the determination Raina has to get her sister back by first defeating the Witch Collector. It sets the stage for a thrilling read where Raina must reunite with her sister. She is an excellent strong heroine who happens to be mute. She communicates by signing with her hands using a translated version of Elikesh, the language of the Ancient Ones. The Witch Collector has overlooked her previously as she lacks the witch markings, but she is determined to make this the year he chooses her.

This is initially a duel perspective story as both Raina and the Witch Collector, Alexus Thibault, are featured. (Also, a chapter later on features a third character that plays a key role in the story.) There is a central enemy, the Eastlanders led by the Prince of the East, that affects Raina’s initial plan to kill Alexus. Instead, she finds herself aligning with him in order for her to survive. Through both perspectives, the reader gains an insight into the dangers that exist around the characters. Alexus has a great attraction to Raina at first sight. While Raina acknowledges that Alexus is handsome, her attraction is not as initially apparent. The two characters get to know each other through their perilous journey through the woods.

There are side characters that play a smaller role, but could be featured in the big picture, such as Helena, Raina’s friend and sister to Raina’s best friend (and past love), Finn. The Frost King himself also play a role in the story and I loved getting to know his backstory a little more. There are a lot of politics and Ancient Gods that come into play within this trilogy that is mixed together with the romance storyline. As Alexus and Raina spend a lot of time together and their connection begins to grow, there is a lot of focus on building their relationship. While I would have preferred a little more exploration of the Gods and politics, I enjoyed the foundation that has been created for Alexus and Raina. For me, I connected with their relationship and I will have to see how the other two novels in the trilogy tie everything together.

Overall, there are many twists in this story that were very unexpected. The villain in the story is very well done, as he is unapologetically sinister. If this was a standalone, the pacing might have been a little slow in some places; however, it was well done as part of a trilogy. There are some lulls for the characters to develop and connect with each other and multiple places where action takes place. If you are a reader that enjoys romance mixed into your adventure, this is a great story for you. For me, it worked very well with my reading style and I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series!

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, City Owl Press, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

This book is one of the best I've read this year. It made me feel like some of my favorite books I've ever read and I've been looking for this feeling for some time. Even though we all know many of the tropes in this book, but who doesn't like tropes hello, the story itself wasn't like something I've read before and the setting was just so interesting and I want to know more about the world and more about all the characters. I fell in love with all of them, even our villain.

I love the characters, the tension between Raina and the witch collector, and well the spice was so very nice and I can only hope for more in the coming book.

I really like the villain too, it felt thought through and I want to know more about him, why and how did he become the way he is and why does he have the goal that he has? A story with a villain that you want to know more about is a good story for me.

I of course loooooove all the tropes in this book. The one bed trope but no bed just a blanket, the very short lived enemies-to-lovers and then the forced proximity and working together and not knowing if they can trust each other. Have I said I loved the tension? Yes, I have but it has to be said again.

The magic system is also so very interesting for someone like me that reads almost only fantasy and it was also very interesting seeing someone in as the main character that was born not being able to use that magic system but making it so that she can.

If I'm going to find any negative with this book at all it has to be the first three chapters, I was just such an information dump that it took me a couple of chapters until I felt that I was invested in the story.

But I'm going to recommend this book to anyone that will listen to me. and like mentioned in the beginning this was one of the best books I've read in a while. It made me feel the same as ACOTAR, FBAA and TOG and it's exactly what I've been looking for.

The new adult fantasy genre is hot right now. A book has to have something special to stand out. Weaks accomplishes that as early as her prologue. I was hooked from page one. How could you not be with an introduction like that?

The Witch Collector introduces us to a new world filled with magic wielders, immortal kings, and gods. The heroine, Raina, believes herself to be one of the least important people with very little power, and that is just fine with her. She doesn’t want prestige. She just wants to live peacefully with her family. In order to accomplish that she will need to get back a sister taken by the Witch Collector to be a soldier in the king’s army. Unforeseen circumstances force her and this same hated man to rely on each other for survival. In the process, Raina learns that she is far more important to the world than she thought.

Raina is a fascinating character. From page one she had the utmost confidence in herself even while believing she had little power. She is unable to speak but doesn’t let it slow her down in the slightest. She is absolutely sure about how she feels about the world, including who is good and bad, but she doesn’t hesitate to reevaluate those opinions when faced with evidence that discredits them.

The Witch Collector is even more complex. He recognizes and accepts the fact that he is viewed as a terror by the very people that he is working to protect. He never tries to change their opinions of him even though it clearly bothers him. Even with Raina, who he already had feelings for, he doesn’t launch into defending his actions. Their enemies to lovers romance is more built on her not having all the facts than him being morally gray, but he just lets actions speak louder then words.

Overall this is a sword slashing, magic filled fantasy adventure where a heroine begins to come into her own and a hero finds a new reason to keep fighting.

The cover hooked me in and encouraged me to request this book to review – and I’m so happy I did.

The Witch Collector is a romantic fantasy that lures you in from the first page.

The main character Raina, is a wonderful strong heroine. A diverse and a refreshingly capable lead, despite not being able to speak.

The Witch Collector, Alexus, has the dark and mysterious vibe that adds to the tension of the inevitable enemies to lovers arc.

The villain of the story, is a brutal antagonist and I hope we discover more about him in the follow up book. His origins are unclear to me and I hope the intrigue is the foundation of his arc in the rest of the series.

As the story unfolded, the expanse of the world is revealed and the politics between the Gods became clearer to me. Though, for me it was sidelined by the chemistry between Raina and Alexus through most of the book.

The pace is steady throughout, with a few adrenaline filled scenes that keep you invested overall. The slow burn between Raina and Alexus has a satisfying conclusion and thankfully doesn’t end on the cliff hanger I expected.

Overall, this was a sweet ‘Romantasy’ with intriguing side characters and a great start to the series – I can’t wait to read more!

This review has also been posted on my blog hklovesbook.co.uk (direct link below)

First I have to say that I absolutely loved the magic in play in this and our heroine Raina has some really cool abilities. To be honest I really liked how this started and Raina certainly is a girl on a mission but when tragedy strikes she is still strong enough to keep going forward even if her initial plans have got somewhat stymied.
The Witch Collector is certainly lot more than he seems and if it’s romance your little heart beats for then as the author cleverly gives us both viewpoints you can easily follow his troubled feelings for Raina. Although I hasten to add that the romance side of this whilst integral wasn’t all that kept me reading. This couple technically from Rainas point of view start as enemies but it’s quickly revealed that there’s a lot the villagers just don’t know.
With a villain in play who is truly odious and definitely evil you would expect me to rate higher but I honestly wanted a lot more about him. We do get answers and the supporting characters added greatly to this the first book. I think as an opener this was a really good read and I’m definitely onboard for the next book as Demons and even Gods come out to play !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I loved this book! It is a perfect magical romantasy! I was fully absorbed in the plot of a deaf witch discovering her powers and who is dead set on taking down the king and his witch collector who stole her sister. I love all the twists in this book. It is enemies to lovers at its finest! I am now obsessed with these characters and cannot wait for the next book!

First of all, if you are a fan of Sara J Maas and Deborah Harkness, read this. You will love it.
There is A LOT going on in this story: love, loss, hatred, torture, adventure, war, politics, mythology, a super evil bad guy, a couple of kinda evil good guys, a mute heroine and a bunch of complicated backstories. Oh, and magik with a “K.” I would be lying if I said I followed everything, even upon re-reading some sections, but the author so deftly maneuvered me through the story with excellent imagery, prose and fully developed characters that I arrived at the end totally invested and looking for the next chapter.
The middle section gets a little long, but that didn’t stop me from devouring this book in one weekend. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
Thank you to Charissa Weaks and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.