Three stars for excellent characters and an exciting premise!

I am so grateful to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for the opportunity to read this exciting story about finding your own strength. I enjoyed this a lot!

Myrthe has the ability to grant wishes with her tears. In this world, it's a rare and coveted Talent. Everyone else has to travel to the Well of Talents to get one, but Myrthe is born the Wishtress. Myrthe becomes cursed such that her next tear will be her last--she will die after her next tear. She meets Bastiaan, a Talented, who has his own reasons for needing a wish. In fact, everyone seems to need a wish from her. All the while she tries to deaden herself to any emotion lest she cry.

Here's what I liked:

The premise was super neat. The idea of a Wishtress and being able to grant wishes was interesting and made me excited to read this. The plot, which was more or less a race to the Well and also a game of "capture the Wishtress," was exciting and made sense. The stakes felt very high by the climax!

The characters felt fleshed out and nuanced. I didn't think there were any caricatures.

The romance that developed was subtle, but enjoyable.

Myrthe was a nice MC. Her life and background is a bit tragic, she has a limp, and she has been objectified by everyone in her life except Anouk. Watching her grow by realizing the objectification, and then doing her best to take back control of her life and still do the right thing was very satisfying. I was 100% rooting for her to fight for herself!

Runt was the best, and while the reveal at the end was not surprising, I was excited for him.

The villains were gross and I hated them; I think that means they were great villains! There wasn't much about why the villains were doing evil deeds, I just accepted that they were the bad guys and they made my skin crawl.

Here's what I didn't like:

The worldbuilding was lacking, I thought. It was difficult to orient myself in the world and to understand what was going on at times. I also had trouble with the way passage of time was explained (or not explained). Which is ironic, given one of the key Talents.

The ending of this book was anticlimactic and unsatisfying. It feels extremely open-ended, are we waiting on a sequel? The ending did two things that I especially was unhappy about. 1) What the heck is Anouk's deal? In the beginning, she was wonderful and kind and very much a solid support character for Myrthe. By the end, she was a mystery and not loyal to anyone it seemed? Was that an attempt to give her a character arc that was not Myrthe dependant? 2) Myrthe's ending where she found inner-peace but still sacrificed was frustrating. She had been objectified the whole way to the end, in fact her coming to terms with that and rising above was perhaps her key development, but because she learned to "trust the Well" it didn't matter anymore and she was done fighting? That was weird. And to that end, the Well and its role in this world is confusing.


THIS IS A SPOILER, SKIP THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH--ok, why did Myrthe have to lose her powers? This was such a lame ending for her character! This girl has been through it and she was fighting for herself and her own future and then she loses powers, and suddenly it's all "let's be compliant and not fight, trust the Well." I did NOT like that. Seemed very out-of-character.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes is a magical tale with a battle between Talents and Banes that creates a massive rift in a kingdom. While it takes a while for the story to get moving, once it does, it becomes a delightful masterpiece of a tale. The plot features different characters all trying to visit the well where they can obtain their talents or figure out how to save the kingdom with their talents. Many journeys, trials, and perils await each individual character as they travel to the well. The plot reminded me a lot of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. Each character on their own journey, and readers are introduced to their struggles either internally or externally. Whereas, each character is discovering themselves, Myrthe also has a little bit of struggle with learning to trust others and learning to discover what love is and how it will affect her future. Since this is a fantasy novel, the setting is different, but also, pretty familiar to readers of the Medieval time period. Story rings true with the setting and the actions that occur to the characters. Overall, Wishtress by Nadine Brandes is a talented book full of mystery and danger. The story ends in a cliffhanger, so I hope that means that their will be another books to join these characters on another journey.

I received a complimentary copy of Wishtress by Nadine Brandes from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

3.5 stars

This was a bit of a disappointment. After reading Romanov, I was super excited to read another book by Nadine Brandes, but it was not what I expected. It wasn't bad, not at all. But it wasn't amazing either.

I thought the characters were a bit bland. They didn't really have character growth or something to love about them. Also, I think there were too many characters we were getting to know at the same time.

The story itself was a bit to slow paced for me, but the ending felt a bit rushed.

But other than that, I really liked the concept of the story. It has magic, a curse, people with magical abilities, a quest. It has everything I love, but it just wasn't enough for me.

I still recommend it though. Especially for a bit younger readers. It's a perfect middle grade book.

I'm so sad I didn't like Wishtress. I liked the concept and a lot of the things this book was trying to do. I liked a few of the character dynamics (namely Runt and Bastiaan, of course) and I liked some of the tropes, but I just never cared. The disjointed pacing didn’t help matters and character motivations were confusing and ever changing (read: contrived) and I had a hard time believing in any of it. I so wanted to love this, but I just didn’t.

Myrthe was naive and careless (she stressed me out) and I found it impossible to believe that it all didn’t come to a head before this point. The inciting incident wasn’t earned. I was told over and over about the hold Oma had over her, but I didn’t believe it in the showing. I don’t know. It felt like Myrthe did some of her character development before she was supposed to and was going through the motions despite the fact that she’d already grown past it. She never came across as trapped. And I was never able to care about her character after that point, which made it hard to care about the story and even the other characters.

You can’t love something if you can’t root for it.

If this book had been told from Runt’s perspective, or solely Bastiaan’s, I probably would have liked it far better.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a book! I loved reading Nadine Brandes’ most recent book, Wishtress! First of all, Bastiaan😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 (fangirl screaming). I still have no idea how to pronounce his name, but I am in love with him!!!! I loved how he had such amazing morals and deeply desired to do what was right. Though he did fail at times, he was willing to admit his wrongs and ask for forgiveness. I really need to know if he was able to fix his talent!!! (Iykyk)
Myrthe was an amazing heroine! She went through so much and tried to harden her heart but her actions proved that her heart was still tender. I loved reading about her story and how she was willing to give up her life for others!
And Runt! That one part at the end left me flabbergasted! Did not see that coming!!!!!
Another think I love about Nadine’s books is that they are so unpredictable! They keep me guessing the whole time and definitely do not follow any typical book stereotypes. This book did not disappoint! Near the end I kept thinking it was about to be over but it kept going lol😂
Anyway, this was an AMAZING BOOK! I am so thankful I was given the chance to read and review it!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Meet Myrthe the wishtress. A girl who can create wishes throughout her tears.
Having lost her parents early on, Myrthe lives with her grandmother, who her whole life has taken advantage of Myrthe's special talent,
 By selling Myrthe's wishes against her will. But having no one she can confide in, Myrthe allows her grandmother to use her, till she meets Bastian, who is intended on finding the Wishtress and bringing her to the king. As Myrthe and Bastian embark on a journey to the Well of wishes, they soon discover that they have much more in common than they first believed.

The magic system in this book was pretty unique in my eyes. There were a lot of different magical powers woven into the story, and it was great to see that Myrthe wasn't your typical blind narrator. She knew from the beginning which people actually rooted for her well-being and who only liked her for her talent. It was super refreshing to read from a character, who wasn't totally clueless to the way people treated her.
I was a bit overwhelmed by the writing, since it kept jumping from one scene to the other, and it made the pacing feel off. The resolution of this book was too convenient for my liking, because rules that were established for the talents were disregarded in the next chapter, so that no character was truly ever in any danger of not succeeding, which in result lessened the stakes for me personally.
But I absolutely loved the focus on chronic pain, which is a topic that I still haven't read much about and should definitely be more present in books. I enjoyed this book, but it didn't meet the expectations I build at the start of the story.

Oh wow, this book is amazing, and by that, I mean amazingly annoying. (Ops!) No, but seriously, I couldn't find a single likable character in this whole thing. That doesn't however, mean I didn't like the story because I absolutely loved it. It's a sad story set in a tragic world where people either have Talents or they want them. Why though, is anyone's guess for it seems that having a Talent just makes your life all the more difficult and your choices all the more important. They will not only affect you but also the ones around you.
And in this twisted world, which is much like ours, there are two people with Talents trying to survive in the best possible way. Although they are not doing a very good job of it, but that's what the story is all about. It's one of those beautiful tales that will make you cry and throw things at walls. So, get ready for an emotional ride. Every backstory is filled with tears. Every character is fighting in vain. Every figure of authority is cruel and power-hungry. And almost everyone is a hypocrite. Yet, among all of them are two souls who are constantly learning from their mistakes and attempting to do better. And they are the main characters. A Wishtress and a Talented. It's their story and it's wonderful in its own twisted way. I loved every minute of it and kept turning the pages until the end. And what an awesome ending it is, too. All in all, I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to all readers, especially those who are not afraid of a little darkness. Because only after you have endured it, you can reach the light that will last.

Wishtress has most of what tween readers would enjoy - girl meets boy, he helps with her life-or-death mission and they fall in love. However, compared to the recent slew of strong female driven fantasy books, Myrthe is a lackluster protagonist and her interactions with Bastiaan eventually become predicable. The strongest point of the book is the worldbuilding and system of magic. A true fantasy lover should read this just for that. I really wanted to love this book as I love the premise, but a stronger female lead was needed to carry the plot through.

I have to admit I didn’t enjoy this as much as I was hoping to based on other reviews I read. It was a good story - Myrthe is the Wishtress and can grant a wish with a single tear. Her grandmother basically controls her and never taught her how to use the wishes properly, so when one goes wrong she ends up getting cursed so that the next tear she sheds will kill her.

Myrthe had great character development and I enjoyed seeing her learn to stand up for herself and to survive on her own. The side characters were just okay, I liked ten year old Runt the best. The romance was nice but not really anything to rave about.

It started to drag for me after a while and I kind of just wanted to be finished with it. I did like the way it ended, although I thought it was a standalone but it kind of ends as if it’s a series? It definitely left things open ended. Overall it wasn’t a bad book but it wasn’t really for me.

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

tl;dr
A very traditional good vs. evil tale with distinct and interesting characters. Plot is a little contrived in places.

About
Myrthe's tears can grant wishes, a power that has served others more than her for most of her life. When an attempt to use it for herself goes terribly wrong, she finds herself cursed to die the next time she cries. But with the king suddenly dead and a struggle for power on the horizon, everyone wants one of Myrthe's wishes - even if it costs her life.

What I Liked
A well-paced book about the responsibility and consequences of power. The writing is clean and easy to read, with each of the character voices and POVs distinct. Despite a magic system rooted pretty clearly in good vs. evil, the characters themselves were allowed a little more moral complexity, with heroes making mistakes, and several antagonists having sympathetic motives. Character development is slow, but steady, and I was impressed by how much the two leads grew over the course of the book. The ending will probably be pretty divisive, but I appreciated how open it was, and I think it was a better place to finish than pretend that the day is saved and everything is good now.

What Wasn't For Me
The plot came together in a lot of very convenient ways that take a bit of suspension to really accept. Anouk's story in particular felt like it had to be reworked to fit everyone else's storylines. It also hits my personal peeve of people keeping vague secrets so the plot can be more dramatic and go longer.

What if your tears could grant wishes? In Wishtress, the main character has that power though she has not been taught all she needs to know in how it works. She does know that if she grants one more wish, it will kill her because of a curse, so she is off on a journey to try to break the curse.

The world building and magic system are interesting. Some people have different "talents" in this world of magic. So as not to give any spoilers, look for Wishtress this September and prepare for an adventure.

1.75/5

For the first 70% Myrthe, the mc, is the whiniest person I’ve ever read about. She’s stupid, shallow and naive. When I read young-adult I want to read about fierce women who are proud of their femininity and are allowed to be selfish and make their own choices.

All Myrthe is, is a sacrifice for others. It’s how she views herself and how the book wants you to believe she is a “good person”!

This book takes on a very spiritual take, which I partly enjoyed: The Well of Talents and the “higher being” calling it has, is really cool! But Myrthe her “redemption” arc is absolutely ridiculous. Constantly willing to sacrifice your life doesn’t make you brave, or special, or good.

Myrthe is obsessed with being a “good person” and giving up as much of herself as possible to achieve that:


Myrthe is the absolute worst part of this book.


The second worst part is how convenient the plot and it’s characters are. The cast is important for no reason but convenience. Bastiaan and Myrthe’s story happen to collide just because Myrthe is a “good, selfless person” and gives him bread. And Bastiaan just happens to be one of the people with one of the most powerful and convenient Talent for the plot.

Then there’s the whole side plot about Anoek, Myrthe’s cousin, and her son who she got separated with. Anoek has had a very difficult past that involves being forced to have sex with men. One of those men being the prince and future king. She got pregnant from him, of course.



*SPOILER*

And of course her son, and heir to the throne, is Bastiaan’s adopted brother!

*END OF SPOILER*

What a small world, huh?



Besides convenience there’s another thing wrong with this plot. It’s laughable how fast people’s “statuses” change. It goes from dead to alive, from Talented to cursed, every couple of pages. I had to withhold lots of eye-rolling.


Then there’s the weird thing going on with the language. There are random English words exchanged for German and Dutch words to “add flavor” I’m guessing.

I kind of liked it, it made the book a little more unique. What I didn’t like is that the author used two languages. Why two? It doesn’t make sense.


And then on a last note, this is very instalove-y. Bastiaan and Myrthe have had around five encounters where it goes something like this:

1. “Here bread!”
2. Akward talk with lots of fake laughing and are-they-even-considered-jokes.
3. Akward ride to reunite Myrthe with her ex.
4. Exchange backstories and cuddle with horses!
5. “I love you and would die for you.”

Even with all my bickering: the world-building was absolutely amazing and made me stay the dreadful 450 pages! 1 star added for that.

Besides that I’ve got nothing left to say except giving my thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this arc.

Originally posted on:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4697507345

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC.

I'm a big fan of Nadine Brandes writing and Wishtress didnt dissappoint. The plot was engaging and the characters were amazing and so tough. It was fast-paced throughout and perfect for a stand alone.

It was very clean fantasy read. But I undoubtedly enjoyed it. It was fun, entertaining and super exciting to read about especially with the tough as nails main characters!!

It was a fast paced story with the phenomenal and gripping plot. Throughout my entire read I found myself being on the edge of my seat.. definitely loved it.

This book was interesting! I enjoyed the plot and the fantasy element to it. The pacing and character development could have used some work, but I still found it engaging and enjoyable to read. The ending was great too! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC! All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Firstly, I loved the concept of this book, where there are different Talents, and Myrthe is a Wishtress who can grant wishes with her tears. The first half of the book was fast paced and I love how the book went straight into action from the very first page. However, I felt like it really started to drag from the second half onwards. I don't feel like the plot had enough content for 400+ pages. The ending of the book could have happened at 65% of the book instead. Even though it was a nice ending, it didn't feel necessary for it to be dragged out for so long.

I really like how the chapters in this book switched from Myrthe's POV (first person), to third person. Myrthe is a very likeable character and I really enjoyed her journey with Bastiaan. I also liked how the book portrayed her relationship with different characters, such as Oma, Anouk and Sven.

Main con's: length of the book, lack of world building

Main positives: fun plot, interesting characters, chapters are written in different POVs, deals with a range of themes from societal class, love and loss

Overall, this was a fun fantasy read with a tinge of romance and darkness, and with plenty of magic!

Brandes is really good at hooking you from the get go and has an amazing knack for writing fantasy. I love how unique the storyline is and that I couldn’t put the book down! It was an absolutely page turner!

Wishtress is everything you could wish for in a book, a magical world full of adventure, love, and secrets. Beautiful character and world building between the pages that mark this book a masterpiece. Breathtaking.

Thanks to the publisher And author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review reflecting my own opinions… Loved the book and the concept and the cover all of them are fantastic..

But absolutely freaking hated the ending absolutely a no go for me I mean if you turn to the end you’ll see why…. At least I the advanced copy…. Seriously good vs evil with romance am magic all are my language but the ending is a nope…..