Book Review: Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Day 2 of Susan Dennard Appreciation Week is upon us, and I can’t wait because that also means it’s BLOODWITCH RELEASE DAY!! I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but the books in The Witchlands series just get better as the series goes on, so it’s no surprise that my new favorite Witchlands novel is Bloodwitch.

In December, I won a giveaway hosted by Ryan Graudin for the chance to win 40 signed Young Adult books. Susan was one of the participating authors, and last week I got an advance finished copy (the first finished copy of Bloodwitch Susan ever signed, no less!) and I read it all the day after I got it because I had responsibilities that day and I knew if I started it then, nothing would get done. #WorthIt

So, read my (VERY not spoiler free, read on at your own risk!) ramblings and get excited, because this is a book you won’t want to miss!

About The Book:

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard, book 4 in The Witchlands series, published by Tor Teen on February 12, 2019. Recommended reading age is 12+

Official Synopsis:

My Ramblings:

Bloodwitch omgomgomg. I screamed when I had it in my hands, and I immediately went and had a mini photo shoot with it. Leading up to the release, I had read the sneak peak in the back of Sightwitch, the excerpt from Bookish First, and a roughly 25 chapter excerpt from Netgalley. I knew what I was getting myself into. I just hadn’t prepared myself.

Okay, Aeduan is my favorite. The tortured bad boy with a soft spot for the capable and badass girl, while they both pretend something isn’t happening to them? THEY HAD TO SHARE A ROOM. They had a fight. She is constantly saving his life. I love them.

Bloodwitch was really a turning point for Aeduan, which makes sense given that this is his book and Susan has said before that depending on the title, that character has the biggest character arc in the story. I like that, even though in Windwitch Aeduan & Iseult’s POVs were my favorite, not Merik’s.

Speaking of Merik… I really enjoyed his character growth in this book. It was painful to watch because it was so real, but I’m proud of him. One scene in particular that has stuck with me was the scene where He and *redacted* were talking and he was corrected on the term “Matsi”. It was a big turning point for him and I think it stuck with me so much because that sentiment could be applied in today’s world, too.

Even though Styx only had like 2 chapters (and I hope she gets more in future books, but after how this ended I’m not sure how that would happen) I really liked them. It was so interesting seeing inside of her mind, experiencing the same think Kullen must have.

Vivia and Vaness was a team up I wasn’t expecting but I loved it anyways. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book between them. 10 bucks says they develop some feelings for each other because flustered Vaness was adorable and Vivia is kinda a helpless romantic it seems, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I want to talk about reunions. This book had a few of them and some were great if we actually got to see them. Owl and Aeduan reuniting wasn’t shown and frankly that was disappointing. Owl and Iseult and Leopold however was so cute. some certain threadsisters saw each other again and though it was brief, I loved it. But we never found out how Safi reacted to Aeduan. Also, they just left each other again? And we don’t find out where they went really or how they parted? Merik and Safi found each other again which was lovely and sweet but I find it hard to believe Safi was content not looking for him in the mountain. Maybe I’ll have to go back and read it again, but that just doesn’t seem like Safi. The best reunion of all though, was Aeduan and Iseult. Those chapters had me swooning and squealing like a little girl, and I am not ashamed of it. AHHHHH. WHY ARE THEY BOTH SO OBLIVIOUS TO THEIR FEELINGS.

I wish I had incorrectly read Merik’s last chapter of the book. I have a lot of faith in Susan, but I really can’t fathom how Merik is gonna come back from this one. It’s a nice solution to his Kullen problem, but not really for his living problem. *insert me shrugging here*

Okay, I’ve got some theories.

SPOILERS BELOW

• Iseult and Aeduan. I personally believe the only way they will every get together is if one is saving the other from something and they’re in a heated argument and one breaks down and just kisses the other. I don’t want to be wrong.
• Aeduan’s little/older sisters are still in the ice next to Merik and Kullen, while Merik and Kullen took Dysi and Ragnor’s spots. I guess Aeduan was born in the ice while Dysi was in it, so they got to leave the ice before the girls. I hope they get to leave soon. I wonder if Aeduan knows about the,. I am guessing not because he kinda talked about them as if they were dead, and I feel like if he knew they were there he would’ve tried to get them out.
• I need to go back and reread Sightwitch apparently, because we learn Owl’s really name (Dirdra) and I could have sworn that was mentioned in Sightwitch. Only thing is, I can’t remember if she was mentioned in Ryber’s POV or Dysi’s POV. She could be the little girl that was dropped off at the Convent after all the sisters had disappeared that Ryber turned away, or she could be someone else entirely.
• So, just double checking, we know of 3 reborn paladin’s right? Kullen, Styx and Aeduan? Possibly Iseult, thought I doubt it because I think the mysterious thing about her is her witchery, not her heritage.
• Iseult. I am very excited for the next book which is supposed to be Iseult’s book! I wonder what it will be called? In the most recent #ClanChat Susan held on Feb. 9th, 2019, Susan mentioned that all of the titles in the series won’t be “(blank)Witch”. Eventually they will end with something other than witch. My best bet for Iseult’s book is Weaverwitch, or Voidwitch. My stronger guess is on the former since that would be her actual powers, and not the category her witchery is cataloged under.
• (Fun Fact! When I saw Susan on tour for Windwitch, she mentioned she had to rework the whole plot of the series on account that she couldn’t use the title “Threadwitch” because a major book retailer said it sounded too much like a craft book. Iseult’s book was supposed to be the book after Windwitch, not Bloodwitch. That explain’s Iseult’s arc [I do wonder what her path would have been originally though] )

So there we go! my super spoiler-y review for Bloodwitch! One day when I’m not super busy (so like this winter) I will post a spoiler free review for the book, but I just had too many thoughts to not post!

Have you read the book yet? What were your thoughts? Am I missing anything major for my theories section?