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ellemnope 's review for:
The Once and Future Witches
by Alix E. Harrow
I loved this book! I had read Harrow's novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January prior and gave it 5 stars, but I liked this one even more.
I found the premise (and the fact that I enjoyed said previous novel) intriguing enough to put this on my TBR, but SERIOUSLY underestimated where it could go. The Once and Future Witches goes far beyond your typical "witchy" novel. It is an incredibly well-written and magical story that takes history, fairytale, and children's rhymes and tosses them together with liberal alteration to create something ridiculously creative and gripping.
The characters and atmosphere were both amazing. Typically a book is either character-driven or plot-driven. This was very easily both. The characters were brilliant. Distinct personalities, well-demonstrated flaws, and individualized motivations were present for all three protagonists in even balance. Even the supporting characters had dynamic development and followed full character arcs. Brilliant.
The world-building was intricate and just kept wowing me. The usage of "believable" magic was fantastic, with the use of simple "spells" from childhood rhymes and the need for basic items and herbs. This was incredibly well thought out and entertaining. There are little historical nods and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the narrative in a way that makes it immensely fun to read.
The pacing is great throughout the story. Despite the fact that it is a lengthy read, not a bit of the plot felt wasted. There is a constant build of tension created in a way that took advantage of the surroundings, made things feel dark and foreboding, and took use of historical and fantastical license well. Every page and chapter served a purpose and added to the story, either through plot movement or vibrant background information that occasionally left me giddy.
This book was beautiful and amazing. The only (fairly minor) flaw for me was the inclusion of an epilogue, which I felt took a little fire and power out of the ending. Still...hard 5 stars. I will definitely read this one again and will be putting a copy in my permanent collection.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *
I found the premise (and the fact that I enjoyed said previous novel) intriguing enough to put this on my TBR, but SERIOUSLY underestimated where it could go. The Once and Future Witches goes far beyond your typical "witchy" novel. It is an incredibly well-written and magical story that takes history, fairytale, and children's rhymes and tosses them together with liberal alteration to create something ridiculously creative and gripping.
The characters and atmosphere were both amazing. Typically a book is either character-driven or plot-driven. This was very easily both. The characters were brilliant. Distinct personalities, well-demonstrated flaws, and individualized motivations were present for all three protagonists in even balance. Even the supporting characters had dynamic development and followed full character arcs. Brilliant.
The world-building was intricate and just kept wowing me. The usage of "believable" magic was fantastic, with the use of simple "spells" from childhood rhymes and the need for basic items and herbs. This was incredibly well thought out and entertaining. There are little historical nods and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the narrative in a way that makes it immensely fun to read.
The pacing is great throughout the story. Despite the fact that it is a lengthy read, not a bit of the plot felt wasted. There is a constant build of tension created in a way that took advantage of the surroundings, made things feel dark and foreboding, and took use of historical and fantastical license well. Every page and chapter served a purpose and added to the story, either through plot movement or vibrant background information that occasionally left me giddy.
This book was beautiful and amazing. The only (fairly minor) flaw for me was the inclusion of an epilogue, which I felt took a little fire and power out of the ending. Still...hard 5 stars. I will definitely read this one again and will be putting a copy in my permanent collection.
* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *