Truthwitch (The Witchlands Book 1) by Susan Dennard

Truthwitch is the first book in the YA fantasy series, The Witchlands. Safiya and Iseult are two witches who have the fate of the world in their hands, as the three empires that rule the continent are about to go to war. Iseult is a Threadwitch, who can see the threads that connect people's hearts and emotions. She is from Nomatsi, and she gets a lot of backlash about it. Safiya is a Truthwitch, which means that she can tell if someone is telling the truth or lying. It is a very rare type of witchery that all the empires want on their side, so she must keep it a secret.

However, a bloodwitch named Aeduan smelled her blood and knows the truth about her power, and will do anything to capture her. The emperor of Cartorra is also chasing her, and all the girls want is freedom. The girls align with an unlikely ally, Prince Merik of Nobrevna, likely their only chance for survival.

Iseult and Safiya's friendship was the the best element of the book. They are threadsisters, a bond that is unbreakable. They are opposites, and their personalities play off each other perfectly. Safiya is a fighter, and she is very impulsive and reckless. She is not afraid to stand up for what is right, and I love that about her. Iseult is calm and thinks strategically. She is protective of Safiya and cares about her a lot. While Iseult has less of a role in the book, her impact is huge.

This book is written in third person limited, switching from Safiya, Iseult, Merik and Aeduan. I liked all the types of magic, and enjoyed the amount of detail in the fighting scenes. I did not like the ending very much. I also felt like there were important things left out of the story, but overall I really liked this book!

I recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, Windwitch, which is expected to be published on January 3, 2017!

Title: Truthwitch (The Witchlands Book 1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: Tor Teen

Pages: 412 pages

Series: Yes, Book 1

Rating: 4 Stars

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