This month’s review of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard was selected by

my Patreon patrons!

So, first of all, I MUST THANK my patrons for selecting this as my first read of 2016 because wow, Wow, WOW. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard is a truly stunning example of fantasy and I am so very glad that it was my first read this year.

I’m always a bit nervous to read books that share a common ~element with my stories. In this case, that element is… elements. And people’s abilities to control them. But a friend who had read Truthwitch assured me that it was very different from my Threats series, so I (eagerly) opened the book.

And was so busy reading Truthwitch in one sitting that I was nearly late for a wedding that I was attending that night.

The beautiful thing about this review is that I don’t have any criticism. I can simply sing Truthwitch and Susan Dennard’s praises. Let’s go down the list of all that I loved about this book.

Awesome ladies being awesome

Iseult and Safi have such different personalities and they compliment each other perfectly. There are also some really cool ladies in the supporting cast… like Empress Vaness for instance. I found her particularly fascinating, but I also enjoyed the other women, as well– be they cinnamon rolls, wise and kick-ass, or lying, power-hungry what-have-yous.

Womance (or WoTP, if you prefer)

The relationship at the very heart of Truthwitch is the amazing and steadfast friendship between Safi and Iseult. They put each other’s safety above all else and it’s incredible. I love that they’re considered Threadsisters. That Dennard acknowledges the importance of friends turned family without the ties of blood really resounded with me.

A complex, intricate world and politics

The world-building in Dennard’s Truthwitch is A+++++. From the past war to the religious orders and sovereign nations to the world’s mythology and magic, you really get a sense of how things work and it all builds up to transport a reader to an incredible world.

In short, Truthwitch was stunning and I join the hordes of folks waiting to get their hands on the next book, Windwitch. 

But lucky for us all, Truthwitch is out in the world now.