Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

I went into this book ready for Safi and Iseult to kick some ass and… got really confused. First I wondered if I was reading the wrong thing or if I’d missed a book without realising it because Witchshadow does not start how any of us expected it to. I have to be honest I was pretty damn angry with Susan Dennard because here I was ready for the girls to get together at last and I was forced to a halt by flashbacks?! It’s a writing technique and not one I have to say I was overly fond of, especially when it took over 62% of the book before events finally matched up and things finally got to where I expected the book to actually start.

And yet, I’ve given the book a full five stars.

Yes, that is how damn good the remaining 48% of the book is. As irritated by the technique Dennard used I can’t deny that it ramped up the drama and anticipation to a boiling point, and then when everything started to happen… wow. I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages. I had expectations for certain things to happen in this book, and some of them happened, and then there are things that I never saw coming. They weren’t even in the same solar system let alone in my mind.

I am still reeling at the implications of some of the reveals in this book and what they mean. I finished Bloodwitch with a certainty of what would happen next and honestly? I have no bloody clue what to expect next. With Witchshadow Dennard has not just pulled the rug out from underneath this universe for me she’s taken the rug away and burned it. The whole board had been wiped clean. In a way, it’s a brand new world and yet in so many ways, it’s really not. There are the same characters we know and love fighting the same fight they always did, but the forces at play that were lurking in the background are no longer lurking. They’re right in the middle of things and there’s no sticking one’s head in the sand anymore.

As usual Dennard’s evocative writing brings to life the struggles and joys of her character’s stories, and as the cover denotes Witchshadow is Iseult’s book. It explores her coming to terms with who and what she is, learning about the power she has and a lot more things that I can’t say because of spoilers. As with all the books in the Witchlands series you’re in for a treat.

What else is there to say? Each book gets better and better as Dennard reveals the tightly woven threads of the Witchlands. They are more complex than I realised and this already epic fantasy series has just reached a new level of epic in Witchshadow. It does not disappoint.

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Picking up a month after the end of Bloodwitch, Safiya is now married to the Emperor of Cartorra while Iseult and Owl are on the run from the Empire. Flashbacks throughout the book show what happened during the one month gap that led to this situation.

Several of the reincarnated Paladins are revealed in this book, and the Paladins are regaining their memories of their past lives. ( )

Witchshadow is the fourth and penultimate book in Susan Dennard's Witchlands series. I believe the long gap between releases and not having reread the series prior to this hurt my enjoyment of the book. Even with the recaps on the author's website, I had a hard time remembering some plot points and reconnecting with the series. The scope was more vast than I was expecting, making it feel unfocused and left me lost at times. That said, the book as a whole feels like one big set up for the finale to come.

Iseult and Safi have come such a long way since the beginning of the series. Iseult's character development is incredible! She has finally accepted and embraced her powers and becomes a force to be reckoned with. Safi, considering her unique situation, is forced to grow beyond the skills she's always taken for granted and adapt to planning out a little strategy. I was left frustrated that, yet again, the two friends don't get to stay together as a team even after meeting up at the end. For those looking for progression in the Iseult/Aeduan romance, you will be disappointed.

I did end up enjoying the story and like some of the resolutions we were given. I have a much greater understanding of Paladins now. I think a whole series reread will be a good idea once the final book releases. ( )