The Rite of Wands

The world build is very intriguing. And it's a shorter read, which I loved. Still, the character pacing and motivations, especially towards the end of the book, didn't make sense. But I liked one character, who was really the co-protagonist, a lot.

The Rite Of Wands is a medieval fantasy about a warlock, Mierta who foresees a horrific future in his Rite Of Wands ceremony, a ceremony which of initiation all witches and warlocks must go through. Scared, Mierta starts working towards preventing the tragedy he has been shown. Meanwhile, in the castle where Mierta's father works as a court physician, there are people who are full of secrets and nobody knows who to trust.

When I opened this book and saw the translations for Orlynd's speech, I was a bit concerned I would not be able to understand the book. However, it was pretty easy to understand what he was saying without having to check the list too often.

This story had such a medieval feel to it. I felt like I was transported back to the days of dragons and witchcraft. I particularly liked the use of terms we do not normally see like 'warlock' and 'soothsayer.' There was even a banshee thrown in.

The plot moved quickly enough that I finished the book a lot faster than I expected. My only issue was that at some points, the author included a bit of unnecessary explanations.

My favorite character was Orlynd, the new soothsayer at the castle. He was the only person I felt to be truly trustworthy and loyal. I was glad when the king realized his worth.

I would actually like to continue this series and see what happens next. This series would appeal to those who love fantasy and medieval stories.

Recurrent themes: Magic. Potions. Royalty. Secrets. Poisoning. Murder. Deception

Violence: A character was shot with an arrow. Characters were poisoned. A violent explosion mars a character's face badly
Sexual Content: The sexuality of one of the characters is hinted at and used to her advantage but there is no detailed description
Profanity: None
Religious Themes: A character prays to God
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: Mead is drunk at parties

Thr rite of wands by Mackenzie Flohr
This was a kind of book which left me curious for more. A tale of magic, trust, betrayal, prophecies, love, hate, sorrow, family, secrets and wands. This was a a book with a different vibe to it with the historical society and characters who will definitely keep you curious. To be honest it took me a long time to read this book. The writing was a bit different but later after a few chapters I was comfortable with it. The author has an unique style and I acknowledge that it's beautiful.

This is a tale of a kingdom and it's prophecies that need to come true and some people trying to stop it. At the heart of this tale is betrayal, trust and magic that gives the whole thing a blissful uplift that will ensnare you if, you are a fan of historical fiction. The rite of wands is a procedure that every warlock must undergo and thus whatever happens at that time should not be told to anyone no matter what. That being the only rule complicates things. A murdered mother, a murdered king... So many events yet hidden to the eyes. A quest of the warlocks to see justice done with a wonderfully crafted book. I loved the characters both dark and good with the plot of the story.

The multiple pov's in this book keep the anticipation up if what is to come and that acts as a treat to the reader. The landscape setup was a bit confusing but I thoroughly enjoyed the circumstances and how the story just flowed from past, future and present without too many hitches. If you are looking for a grasping read with a touch of magic you can surely pick this book up.
#netgalley #theriteofwands

I had fun reading it and appreciated the world building.
The plot is good but there's some issues toward the end.
It was an engrossing and entertaining read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine