Let’s talk about the ONLY overhyped book that didn’t disappoint me. I read this a while back, and since the sequel is about to come out, I got excited again. Now, this is by no means perfect, but bare with me while I break this book down for you.
I saw this book everywhere, and that instantly raises red flags for me. But the synopsis really intrigued me, and honestly, the cover was awesome, so I bit the bullet and started reading it. And I enjoyed it so, so much. It was a great reading experience for me. I was invested in the story at all times. The book kept me engaged and I always wanted to read more. But was it flawless? Most certainly not.
This is a YA Fantasy story (which I usually veer from) which focuses on two witches, with completely different powers. Safi is a Truthwitch, which is one of the rarest kind of witches, and she can (obviously) tell when someone is lying. This makes her a powerful weapon, so she and her Threadsister, Iseult, have to flee numerous enemies who are chasing after Safi.
The good stuff: The characters. Oh man, they were all great. I was instantly hooked on them. Iseult was an instant favorite. Cold and reserved and composed, but with a dark past and a lot of stuff boiling underneath? Sign me up! And I love her power. Iseult can see other people’s Threads, which are the connections and emotions of other people. Safiya, on the other hand, isn’t really my cup of tea. She is the kind of character that I usually dislike. She’s impulsive, reckless, acts before she thinks and i find that so annoying. But did she grow on me! She is such an endearing character, that you can’t help but love her. As for the secondary characters, they were also amazing. Even the ones that were kind of underdeveloped, left this air of intrigue around them. And Merik and Aeduan, which are (I hope with all my heart) the love interests, are some of the greatest ever. A + on that two. Also, I really liked how Dennard handled some aspects of the book. For example, the Witchery aspect. I really liked it and i didn’t find it as confusing as other people. It was really interesting and I actually enjoyed that there were many different kinds of it. Also the aspect of Threads was used to its potential. It was used to explain how people are feeling and how relationships between people grow and develop and I loved the way that was interwoven into the story. The plot was also engaging and it keeps you interested at all times. Also, YAY for strong female friendships!
The bad stuff: This is watered down fantasy. I don’t read a lot of YA Fantasy, but I do read a lot of Adult Fantasy, and I can see the difference. YA usually has a lack of world building and the vividness and vastness of the worlds of Adult Fantasy (Bare in mind that I am speaking from MY OWN experience). This book is no different. Nothing was explained properly. Things were brushed over, and just mentioned and then we went on like nothing happened. Some things were introduced matter of factly, as if I should know what they are, and not explained at all. And I found that so annoying. Because I do feel that the world has a lot of potential, that wasn’t fully explored and it could have been. I also couldn’t really imagine and really see the setting and the scenes. I just couldn’t form them in my head. The writing lacked that sort of vivid and encompassing traits. I couldn’t fully see what I was supposed to be seeing. It just wasn’t descriptive enough, and I just couldn’t grasp the setting entirely. The action scenes were also pretty bad. And somewhat boring. And kind of confusing. I don’t know what the hell was going on in most of them. It was all a bit cliche at times as well.
TL;DR: Keeping in mind all of the above, and accepting and seeing the flaws in the book, I have to say that overall I did really enjoy it. The characters were amazing and it was a very satisfying reading experience. I am definitely emotionally invested in the story and I can’t wait for the next book. Would I recommend it? Yes. If you go into it not expecting this amazing fantasy world that is really comprehensive and vivid, you will find yourself enjoying this one a lot. Do it for the characters.
There we go! If you have read the book, let me know your thoughts and feelings on it!
Inside My Library Mind 
9 thoughts on “Truthwitch by Susan Dennard”