Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch is the first book in the Witchlands series.
On the fantastical continent known as the Witchlands, people are born with magical abilities. These powers vary in strength and type allowing some to manipulate the elements and others see the bonds between people. Out of all the witches, none is more sought after than the powerful Truthwitch. With the power to discern truth from lies, each of the rival empires in the Witchlands covets her ability. For years, the empires fought bitterly until the Twenty Year Truce brought an end to the Great War. The story picks up in the final turbulent days of the Twenty Year Truce.
Safiya fon Hasstrel is a high class lady or domna of Cartorra. Possessing skill in swordplay, detailed knowledge of foreign powers, and the ability to tell when someone is lying, Safiya is a powerful individual. Unfortunately, she has always found her title restrictive and dreamed of her freedom. She is brash, impulsive and headstrong. Unfortunately, she lacks the patience for making methodical plans. Her plans often fall apart leaving her and her loved ones in danger. Iseult is a Threadwitch from the Nomatsi tribe. As Nomatsis are hated by most nations, Iseult faces near constant prejudice and her skin color makes her a target for violence. As a Threadwitch, Iseult possesses the ability to see the bonds of emotion surrounding people. From a young age, she was taught to suppress her emotions. With her quiet and strategic personality, Iseult uses her methodical mindset to get Safiya out of trouble. As foils of each other, the two girls make for one another’s weaknesses and form an unstoppable team.
Truthwitch is an exciting addition to the fantasy genre. The plot picks up immediately throwing you into the fierce action. From then on, the plot only accelerates, blasting towards and exciting finale. Unfortunately, the book’s pacing leaves little time for worldbuilding. Readers have to put together the world’s history as the book goes on, but complex countries and organizations make this difficult. This book paints an expansive world full of lore, but barely touches upon it. Similarly, the magic system is only given a broad description. The magic system is based off the basic four elements, but adds other complex and abstract powers. Sadly, a lot of the fundamentals of being a witch are brushed over and many of the abstract powers lack proper explanation. Despite this, both the world and magic system are interesting and will likely be further developed in future novels. The characters also leave something to be desired. Safiya and Iseult are both well-crafted characters. Their opposing personalities emphasize their weaknesses. The supporting characters are where things fall apart. Many of them have one personality or motivation. Others aren’t given enough to develop as multidimensional characters. Hopefully the returning characters will receive development in future installments. I give this 412 page book 4.5 stars.
Witchlands
The witchlands are a bunch of countries still ruled by monarchs. In each of these countries there are people born with magical power. Some have control the elements while others can see the bond of emotion between people. After years of fighting, the kingdoms reached a peace at the signing of the Twenty Years Truce. After many long years, the truce is up for renewal, but several forces work destroy the peace.