A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.
Elloren
Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch,
Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the
Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute
spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of
power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else.
When
she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming
an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax
University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her
grandmother's legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which
admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals,
the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is a treacherous place for the
granddaughter of the Black Witch.
As evil looms on the horizon
and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren
thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of
survival may be among the most unlikely band of misfits…if only she can
find the courage to trust those she's been taught to hate and fear.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
The Black Witch is Laurie Forest’s debut novel and is an exciting new
fantasy tale that launches a promising series and offers readers the
opportunity to fall in love with a new world of danger, magic and
unexpected alliances.
Elloren Gardener is the
granddaughter of the last Black Witch, Carnissa Gardener who destroyed
her people’s enemies and brought victory to the Gardnerian race during
the Realm War. Every Gardnerian knows Carnissa’s name and as the
splitting image of her late grandmother, Elloren lives in her infamous
shadow. Raised alongside her brothers in isolation by her eccentric
uncle, Elloren is nothing like Carnissa, for she has no magic at all. When a visit by her estranged aunt sees Elloren given the
opportunity to pursue her dream of studying apothecary, Elloren travels
to a renowned University to study alongside her brothers. Living amongst
other races for the first time in her life, everything Elloren thought
she knew about herself and her people slowly begins to unravel and with
evil looming, will Elloren have the strength to do what’s right even at
her own cost?
After a slow and turbulent beginning, I
surprised myself by absolutely falling in love with The Black Witch. A
large novel with 600 plus pages, the first 200 pages of The Black Witch
were a real struggle for me as I couldn’t seem to connect or care much
for the characters and story. From about that 200 page mark however the
remainder of the novel absolutely flew by for me; and I thoroughly
enjoyed what I read. Laurie Forest held me entranced by her world and
especially many of the minor characters the heroine Elloren had the
pleasure of meeting and interacting throughout the story.
The
world within The Black Witch is very intricate with a lot of difference
branches that bring it to life. The Gardnerian society make up a large
part of what we see within The Black Witch but Laurie Forest also
introduces her own version of shifters, fae, Amazon warriors, demon-like
creatures, and selkies among others. Admittedly it is a lot to take in
at times and it took me a while to become comfortable with such a vast
array of races and characters, but eventually I came to love all the
different groups and what they brought to the story.
The
protagonist in The Black Witch Elloren begins the novel as a somewhat
naïve individual, especially where the true nature and the true way of
her people are concerned. At her heart she’s actually quite kind and
soft so as The Black Witch progresses, Elloren begins to learn the truth
about the world around her and has her eyes opened to the suffering and
treatment of others. Watching Elloren take chances and do the right
thing is really uplifting and honestly endears her to me.
I
adored all the minor characters Laurie Forest introduces in this novel.
Admittedly there are a lot of them and though you might be forgiven for
thinking there is
too many, each and every one seems to bring
something new to the story. From Elloren’s brothers Rafe and Trystan, to
Lupine’s Jarod and Diana, brooding and mysterious Yvan, fellow
Gardnerian and sweetheart Ashlenn, Icarels Wynter and Ariel, Gypsie boy
Andras and even Wynter’s Fae brothers….I loved them all, especially when
they were interacting and working together; they all made such a
fabulous team.
The Black Witch is also full of
blossoming romances, both forbidden and endearing. As the novel
progresses, Forest begins to pair off many of the characters. Not that
I’m complaining as I really am a romantic at heart. Personally I really
enjoyed seeing some of the relationships develop. I won’t give away any
spoilers, but Diana’s comfortability in her own skin and self-assurance
made me smile as did her unwavering determination to be with who she
wanted. I also think there are the potential for more pairings—I don’t
know why but I think Ariel and Andras would be an intriguing pairing with plenty of possibility. She’s
crazy, but I think he could handle her nature better than anyone else.
There
was honestly so much about The Black Witch that I ended up loving and I
genuinely did not want to put the book down whilst reading. I’m still
thinking about the story now, long after I’ve turned the final page. I
will
definitely be looking to read the next novel as soon as it is
released! Can’t wait to see what Laurie Forest does next this this
thrilling series with so much potential!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you Vanessa!)
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $19.99
Release Date: June 2017
Purchase: Bookworld |
Booktopia |
The Book Depository |
Amazon
Final Thoughts: After a shaky start, I ended up thoroughly enjoying this and am glad I persevered--can't wait until the sequel is released!
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