2.5

DNF 50% Two stars b/c some of the dialogue is entertaining, but I've been forcing myself through this at lunch for two weeks and it's just not worth it.

Will write a review later

I loved this book it was a very interesting conclusion to a good story that was action-packed from start to finish. I liked the characters, even more, this time other than the little bump in the road of Elizabeth and John's relationship but that was resolved quickly I loved the characters they were interesting. I really enjoyed the story it was so interesting from start there was never a dull moment in it all I really enjoyed reading this book. So overall I loved this book and would read more by this author.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Elizabeth is a witch hunter. When coerced in the King's bed, she is forced to take witch's herbs to prevent a pregnancy, thus being accused of witchcraft. Oh, and she is rescued from burning at the stake from thebmost wanted wizard of the country. What a mess.
It was not a bad book, but neither was a great one.
My vote: 3.5 stars

Source: Digital ARC provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group via NetGalley.

“Nicholas says that magic isn't inherently good or bad, it's what people do with it that makes it that way.”

Set in an alternate 16th century England, Elizabeth is the only female witch hunter – an elite group of people who are under the king’s orders to discover witchcraft and sentence those who use it to imprisonment or death by burning. When Elizabeth is accused of being a witch herself, she is forced to put herself at the mercy of the most powerful wizard in the kingdom.

The Witch Hunter is marketed as Graceling meets Game of Thrones, but that tagline is incredibly misleading. While I enjoyed certain aspects of the book, there were others I was left underwhelmed by. Mostly, those underwhelming moments were due to the plot and characters not quite meeting the expectations (due to the marketing blurbs) or overall potential (due to the plot and character development) of the book.

Although the timeframe isn’t quite clear initially, I did love the setting and the time period. Teens will enjoy that aspect, whether they are historical fiction readers or not. It’s very easy to imagine the kingdom and villages in the 16th century English setting. And, while some teens will lament the fact more modern-style language is used, many more will like how it’s combined with the historical setting.

I also loved how magic looked and worked in this alternate historical setting. There are also many different types of magical humans, creatures, and entities that truly enrich the setting and world building of the novel. This was probably my favorite aspect of The Witch Hunter.

On that same note, I enjoyed the secondary characters we get to meet as a result of Elizabeth’s situation which separates her from the world she knows as a witch hunter. I enjoyed these characters so much, I would have preferred to see them fleshed out a bit more because they were such a strong point for me.

But, having said that, I did have some problems with Elizabeth as a main character. She seemed flat to me and there was not much depth to her throughout much of the novel. I never felt like I truly connected with her in a way which I was hoping to. I think a lot of this had to do as a result of her relationship with Caleb and then eventual relationship with John. These relationships and the romance never quite felt right to me.

Spoiler

Elizabeth pines after Caleb for the first part of the book, then meets John, and before we know it the romance between the two of them just happens with not a whole lot to support it. And, to be honest, despite his flaws I became increasingly intrigued by Caleb and his motivations separate from the early hints of a potential romance between him and Elizabeth. But, we hardly see or hear anything from him after Elizabeth joins Nicholas. We are meant to be invested in her and Caleb’s shared history and complicated feelings for each other, and then it all just gets pushed aside. So, I never quite knew what to make of that.

Also, there was a plot point which I had some major problems with:

Spoiler

the contraceptive herbs and rape plotline involving Elizabeth and the king. It was used as a plot device (the entire rest of the novel is based on this discovery), but it just wasn’t handled very well and made me uncomfortable. Elizabeth never really dealt with it and it didn’t seem to bother her much after the fact. It was brushed over and needed to be handled more directly or just not used at all.

Overall, however, I just wanted MORE from the book – more plot development, more character development, more magic, more darkness, more intrigue. There was so much potential with the framework of the plot, but it just wasn’t explored enough for me. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but then all the action was condensed at the end with a rushed last few pages. I was led to believe it would be darker and more complicated than it was – it had elements of adventure, magic, and fun to it, yes, but it definitely was younger and lighter than it is marketed.

Having said that, teens who love historical fantasy or stories with magic will want to try this and may find many things about it to enjoy – particularly the band of characters Elizabeth runs around with during the second half of the book. I think the romance elements may fall flat with teen readers, but the story will certainly leave them hanging for what’s to come next. I will keep the sequel on my radar next year as I’ll be anxious to see what’s in store for Elizabeth, Caleb, Nicholas, and the rest of the characters.

Recommended ages: Grades 8 and up

I think my biggest problem was that I remembered about 25% of the first book. I unsuccessfully tried to find a recap, but figured that sequels usually pound details of the first book to you in the beginning. "The King Slayer" did this to an extent, but I still feel like I spent so much time trying to remember who characters were. I still don't even slightly remember some of the characters from book 1.

Unfortunately, this took a huge part of the book away from me. I just didn't enjoy it as much as the first. It was still an interesting story with a lot of action, but I couldn't quite get into it.