Blog Tour: Truthwitch Book Tag

Welcome to today’s blog tour post for the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard! The new hardcover box set came out yesterday, October 8th, and features brand-new, refreshed covers for the first two books and a full cover map posters. Now if you don’t know I love the Witchlands series (also, hi and welcome!). It is full of elemental magic, friendship, angsty romance, and a world on the brink of war as a 20-year truce is about to come to an end.

So today in honor of the boxset release I am doing the Truthwitch Book Tag created by Insidemylibrarymind. It’s such a fun tag and will give you a small glimpse at all the moving parts and I get to talk about more books I like!

Safiya – A character that grew on you

 For this I have to go with Mirabella from the Three Dark Crowns series by Kendare Blake. It was just so easy to root for Katherine and Arsinoe but she was a slow burn. She was too perfect and tried to hard and cared in weird ways. But eventually I was at the point where I didn’t want her to die.Three Dark crowns

Iseult – A character that you relate to the most

the school for good and evil Besides Isuelt?! I don’t know that there is a way to answer this question without it being a brag. I think a character that I love and want to be consider like (at like peak me time) 8a6d9db8-dca9-42fd-9484-2c8491037332-1417-00000203493c67d0is Agatha from the School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Nubrevna – Favorite Setting

There are so many good options for this but I am going to go with Tamora Pierce’s Tortall. I have spent 5 book series there and I never tire of it. There is so much too explore and I like the magic and the gods and Pounce.

Aeduan – Favorite Anti-Hero

Shockingly I am not a huge fan of the anti-hero despite my deep love for Bae-duan. Maybe I will like more in the future but for now I am going with the other one I know well and like despite EVERYTHING which is the Vampire Lestat from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

the vampire lestate

Merik Nihar – A loyal character

I feel like it is too easy to go with Ron Weasley for this one but I am going to go with another classic best friend and choose Grover Underwood from Percy Jackson and thelightning thief Olympians by Rick Riordan. If I need to explain this you need to go reread the books. 

Safi & Iseult – Favorite Female Friendship

Rosie and Peony from Spindle’s End were probably the first and still one of the best female friendships I have read. Their deep love and support for each other despite their differences is so touching. Plus I am a sucker for like the very spindles engirly feminine and grunge dynamics especially in a positive relationship.

Threads that Bind – Favorite Book Relationship

Ummm the relationship in Bloodwitch… but for real. I think my other answer for this question would be Elisa’s relationship in Crown of Embers and the Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson. It is so swoon worthy and angsty and they love each other so freaking much it hurts. Hopefully we get more sweet scenes with them in the upcoming Empire of Dreams.

crown of embers

The Puppeteer – Favorite Villan

 Actually very similar to the idea of the Puppeteer. I am going with the Fates from Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly. This was one of my favorite books this year and it was spurred on by the ongoing contest between the personifications of Fate and Chance, which I absolutely loved.

stepsister.jpg

The Mountain Bat – Favorite Animal/Creature

Blink from Diadem: Worlds of Magic by John Peel. He is a red panda familiar to a powerful sorceress who is an ally to our main trio. He can talk and he is sassy and sleepy and never wants to do work. I desperately wanted him when reading the e61da458-996f-40bc-a3ba-936f52eb759e-6747-000007c509ac4800books when I was like 9 and still kinda do.

Vaness – Most Intimidating Character

Intimidating is such a hard feeling to identify from a character cause it’s scythenot the most powerful or scariest, just the most intimidating. Which is definitely a cool dynamic that Safi experiences with Vaness. I am going with Scythe Curie from the Arc of the Scythe series by Neal Schustermen. She is so important and so impenetrable, especially when we first meet her. So it feels like an obvious choice.

So again read the Witchlands it is sooo worth it! And buy the full boxset of the first three books in the series with revamped covers by Cliff Nielsen and a full color map of the Witchlands from Jessica Khoury.

If you are interested you can purchase the boxset at any of these locations:

 

 

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Monthly Recommendations: Witch-y Reads

This month for the Goodreads group we are recommending books that are… witchy. Now especially in books it’s hard to define what makes a book witchy it could be anything from Harry Potter to the Crucible.

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft – I was super lucky to get to pick up this new anthology from my library. It was about witchcraft but focused much more on feminism, independence, forging ones own path in all variations of witchery. My favorite of these stories: The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma, Divine are the Stars by Zoraida Cordova, and Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May.

toil and trouble

The Witchlands series by Susan Dennard – This is a fantasy series but the magic is witchy enough for me to justify putting one of my favorite series on this list. The magic is derived from 6 natural wells of magic and have nature as their base. All those with powers are required to have prominent witchmarks. It’s a story of female friendship saving the world and if that doesn’t sound witchy fight me.

truthwitch

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani  – Though both Agatha and Sophie have magical powers. Hester, Anadil, and Dot are probably one of the best covens of all time is in this middle grade trilogy. Their fantastical prowess is a perfect fit for the school of evil. Not to mention this is just one of my favorite series of all time.

the school for good and evil

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare – This more a type reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials set in 17th century New England. Kit doesn’t feel like she fits in until she meets the town witch…

witch of blackbird pond

The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull – This is an occult  magical realism novel that follows a witch prophecy as two babies are born. It’s beautiful and spooky the witch culture and coven is exactly what one wants this time of year. Highly recommend for witch fans of Laini Taylor.

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Monthly Recommendations: Underrated Reads

Every month a Goodreads group gives a category to recommend books from, August’s theme is Underrated Reads. I am really excited about this because I really need to talk with other people about some books that it feels like no one else has read and I want to read more, everything I haven’t heard of.

Catwings (series) by Ursula K. Le Guin – This is my favorite children’s series of almost all time. It’s so cute and it’s about stray cats with wings. It’s very fun and all about found family. Also if you have small children it’s a great way to indoctrinate them to the master of Ursula K. Le Guin

Diadem: Worlds of Magic by John Peel- This is a 12 book epic fantasy series. It is so fun and each book takes place on a different world. This is more middle grade but is so fun and has one of my favorite magic systems that works through creatures and crystals. I honestly feel like it’s such a good baseline for fantasy characters, creatures, and world. But I think about it like at least twice a day so more people need to read it.

Susan Dennard (all of her books) – The Something Strange and Deadly trilogy is criminally underrated. Not only is the main magic necromancy but we follow a problematic main character who has to get over her own prejudices. This takes place all over the world and has just the angst-filled romance. I still believe that her Witchlands series will gain popularity as people realize her genius. It has a great elemental magic system, even the healers are beholden to their element in healing. There is so much political intrigue and the most three-dimensional characters I’ve ever read in YA.

The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irene Brignull – Honestly I just read this book and made me realize how much I wanted to do this theme this month. It was just the creepiest most beautiful written witch novel. It was so up my alley and I had never heard of it. It is about a witch and a human switched as they are being born to fulfill a prophecy for someone. It’s cruel and dark and beautiful and I really need to talk to someone about it.

Frontier Magic by Patricia C. Wrede – This alternative history trilogy is fantastic. It follows the United States as it expands west, except you know magic is real and there are great mythical creatures. There are so many magic systems that go with different culture and doesn’t overlook the civil war or the racial discourse of the time. In this the main character is from a family that follows a numerological magic system as the Thirteenth Child in her family she is curse and must overcome her fear of herself. SOO GOOD!

Sun Wolf and Starhawk (series) by Barbara Hambly – It is a great adult fantasy series that follows mercenaries (always the best). There is very cool and cult-like magic. Probably some of the best characters that respect you know other people and women. It does follow the trope of a chosen one but Sun Wolf makes decisions that make sense and Starhawk is a badass warrior who never relinquishes her femininity .

Mid-year book Freakout Tag

Holy poop the year is half way over! Also I really read a lot of books, almost 60! Working weird hours and having an easily accessible library has really helped my reading life. So I have always seen this tag going around booktube and book blogs and I thought I would try my hand at it.

  1. Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2018?
    • Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. The hype is real but also well deserved. I thought it was beautifully written and I love fantasies that seemly integrate politics and religion. cbb
  2. Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2018?
    • Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire. The third in the Wayward Children series but this is the first direct sequel to Every Heart a Doorway. I love seeing so many worlds and finding out about different travelers and magic systems and it was delightful.beneath the sugar sky
  3. New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?
    • Either Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian or Furyborn by Claire Legrandash princess
  4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2018?
    • Either of Kiersten White’s new books: Bright We Burn or The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankensteinbright we burn
  5. Biggest Disappointment?
    • The Beast of Cretacea by Todd Strasser. I really wanted to like but I didn’t know Melville enough and I feel like there wasn’t enough suspense to care about the twists.
  6. Biggest Surprise?
    • To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. It was really good and I don’t usually like contemporary. to all the boys I've loved before
  7. Favorite New Author?
    • Maria V. Snyder. I read the first 3 of the Study Series in like a month and am totally obsessed. I want to read the rest of the series this year!poison study
  8. Newest Fictional Crush?
    • Cassian from ACOTAR
  9. Newest Favorite Character?
    • ISEULT! from the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard. I have never felt so connected to a character and her arc and I just feel like we need more always because she is smart and fierce and scared and important and I love her. truthwitch
  10. Book That Made You Cry?
    • The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Obviously spoilers involved.the lies of locke lamora
  11. Book That Made You Happy?
    • The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. This is the last book in the Heroes of Olympus Series and it made my heart feel so good and wrapped up.
  12. Favorite Book To Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year?
    • N/A
  13. Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year?
    • N/A
  14. Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?
    • So I only recently borrowed this from the library but Death Sworn by Leah Cypess is stunning so I’m saying it counts.death sworn
  15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?
    1. Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
    2. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
    3. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
    4.  Captain’s Fury by Jim Butcher
    5. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley