Apart from the slightly stereotypical YA Fantasy characters, this is a wonderfully imaginative adventure in an alternative Victorian London, where 6 different magical peoples coexist under a strained treaty.
There’s mystery, magic, intrigue, love, humour and thrill.
The end left me unsatisfied though, but I sincerely hope (and I’m fairly sure), there’s more to come from the Witherward!

Hannah Mathewson’s debut and the beginning of a new fantasy series, has been a nice read.

‘Witherward’ follows seventeen-years-old Ilsa, living in Victorian London – or like, we later come to know, Otherworld – and working as a magician’s assistant in the theatre. Only that her magic is more than tricks. It’s real, and she has spent her whole life trying to find others like her. Now, she’s attacked, and her friend murdered, only to be taken to another world, Witherward, to realise that there’s more to her and magic than she has ever imagined. And that she may not be all alone in the world.

‘Witherward’ is full of interesting characters and magic, and I have enjoyed the book quite a lot. It has a great atmosphere and interesting world, though at moments similar to many of the books of this genre. I felt like sometimes the action was not fast-paced enough, or the descriptions were telling more than showing, but overall it has been a nice read and a promising start to a new series.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2021/03/02/witherward-witherward-1-by-hannah-matthewson/#comment-53223
My Five Word TL:DR Review – I thoroughly enjoyed this one

The thing is, I’m quite a lot less inclined to pick up YA these days. In fairness I’m not the target audience and more often than not I find myself coming away from them with more questions than answers. Witherward was such a lovely surprise, the world building was impressive, the plot kept me hooked and I enjoyed the characters. On top of which there is a very low key romance that is simmering away. Yeah, I had a good time with this one.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t necessarily say that there’s anything groundbreaking here and it has something of a ‘chosen one’ trope but there are some lovely refreshing elements, good writing,strong foundations and a number of twists.

This is a world with two Londons. One quite hidden and accessed via portals, known as Witherward, where all sorts of magic and supernatural elements exist. The other London – the one we, the readers, are familiar with – is known as Otherworld Witherward has a number of different factions. On the face of it they exist amicably, well, mostly. Changelings are exactly what they sound like- they can shift into virtually any animal, bird or even a different person providing their magic is strong enough and they can hold the image in their mind. The other factions are Wraiths, Whisperers, Oracles, Sorcerers, and Psi – each with their own particular strengths. There is an accord between the factions to keep them in line, they each inhabit particular areas but the Changelings are relatively new and at this point, not entirely accepted. So, for the purposes of this story we follow the Changelings as they withstand various conspiracies.

Ilsa is a Changer who has lived in the Otherworld for as long as she can remember. Initially at an orphanage until the cruel treatment she received eventually forced her to run away and carve out a life on the streets. As the story begins Ilsa is taken, ripped from everything she has ever known and taken to Witherward. From there, everything she has ever known is turned upside down, Amongst strangers she discovers a whole new world full of possibilities that she never imagined, although this is of course tinged with constant threats to life and limb.

What did I enjoy about this? Such a lot. The world building is really well done. Admittedly, there is a lot to take on board initially but it’s all really well grounded with history and emotions that run deep. I liked the characters. Ilsa is easy to like. She’s not perfect by a long stretch of the imagination but she is resourceful and independent. I also liked a number of the other characters and it felt very easy to get on board with them. I enjoyed the way that we discover things along with Ilsa. It felt natural and unforced. I liked the dialogue that came across easy to read and natural. The plot was intriguing and there were a number of twists.

Overall this makes a great start to series. We have something of an enemies to love interest ‘thing’ going on which is enticing and well paced and actually was quite unique in the direction it eventually takes and is a definite draw in terms of book 2 (which I’m really looking forward to given how this one ends).

In terms of criticisms. I don’t really have anything. This was a really enjoyable read for me that quite outdid itself in terms of my expectations for YA. I feel like I’m perhaps not giving this as glowing a review as I would like – so, for the avoidance of doubt, this was great.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Thank you so much to Titan Books for sending me a copy of Witherward by Hannah Mathewson for review! I was on the Instagram tour for the release and I had a fun time reading it. This is a YA fantasy book which released a few days ago, so check it out if it sounds interesting to you!

The synopsis of this book intrigued me immediately. The book focuses on a London alternate to our own, with conflict between different magical factions. Isla, a Changeling, finds herself transported from a London where real magic is seen as satanic, to the Witherward. There are themes of the Victorian Era, as well as a search for a long-lost family member, and Isla gets caught up in all of this drama. It sounded so cool!

The world-building combines magic, politics and intrigue to captivate the reader. I really liked learning about the different types of magic-wielders in this world and how their histories intertwined to form London. All the abilities sound so cool – especially Changelings and Wraiths. I’m hoping we’ll hear more about the political history between them in the next book, because I really enjoyed that. There is also a lot of history that Isla doesn’t have the answers to yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that part of the story develops.

Isla was an interesting character to read about, especially since she was thrust into a world she knew nothing about, just as the reader was. She was strong in coming to terms with her new identity, and I have no doubt that she will develop even more as the series continues. I didn’t completely fall in love with her – she did kind of seem like a generic protagonist at times. This might be just me, but sometimes I forgot that she had a Cockney accent and suddenly it would seem really strong, but I’m not sure if I was imagining the inconsistencies. But that’s just a random note!

I also found the book to move pretty quickly, and this was helped along by the mystery element of the book. It’s unknown what exactly happened to Isla’s parents, and her brother is also missing. Everyone in the Witherward is keeping secrets, and Isla doesn’t know who to trust. I’m not completely sold on the romance yet, but there is definitely intrigue there and I just think it needs time to develop.

Overall, I did have a fun time reading this book! I’m struggling a bit with my rating, because while I did enjoy reading it, something was missing. I think I just wish I felt more connected to the characters, but to be fair I don’t always get that with the first book of the series. I am still intrigued to see where the story will go, – I read it very quickly and I would recommend it.

3.5/5 stars

I ended up DNFing this book at 43%. I tried really hard to finish it and I really wanted to like it, but it got the stage where I couldn’t continue reading it. There was nothing special about this book, it felt like just another fantasy book. I didn’t really connect to or care about any of the characters, there was a lot of information dumping which I found hard to process and I simply didn’t enjoy it.

It was a very enjoyable read I would (and will) recommend to others. It provides an entertaining plot, compelling characters, and intriguing magic. A strong debut.

I had high expectations of Wiherward due to the description on Netgalley which alluded to Victoria Schwab, Six of Crows and The Prestige!! Often my expectations are too high when publishers do things like this but actually it was justified in this case. This was an enjoyable, entertaining and engrossing read which has a likeable heroine at it's heart.

I absolutely loved the character of Ilsa and I was drawn to her from the very beginning and invested in her story. I also loved the alternate Victorian fantasy London and the different factions which exist within it. It reminded me of A Darker Shade of Magic but it's an original stroy in its own right and quite original in storyline and setting. The cast of characters are also very diverse and the book is well written and engaging.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this book.

Alternative Londons have been around for donkey’s years and yet I never get tired of reading about them. London is a city that’s so bursting with life and so rich with history that it’s easy to imagine it could be magical too. And that’s the case with Witherward. Here, the alternative London is a shadow city to Victorian London, and it’s bursting with magical factions and races with tensions that are rapidly reaching boiling point…

Our guide is Isla, a shapeshifting Changeling who is taken to Witherward after being targeted by a rival faction. There, she discovers that she’s related to the leader of the Changelings, Gedeon, who has mysteriously gone missing- and in his absence the city is in danger of falling into civil war. It’s a bold premise and Matthewson follows it up with reams of world-building, constructing a city where addicts co-exist alongside a fantastical underground cavern that telekinetic Psi have made their own. This blend of the gritty and fantastical lends a nice rounded feel to the whole story, which underpins Ilsa’s fairytale with dark undertones.

As far as plot goes, it absolutely romps along, teasing us with red herrings and introducing us to a revolving cast of interesting characters (the least interesting of which, sadly, is stereotypical love interest Eliot), all of whom seem to be absolutely gorgeous- but hey, that’s YA for you. Quibbles aside, though, this was a wildly entertaining book with an exciting premise. More please!

I loved the mix of magic and action in Witherward and how the book just oozed steampunk, victorian vibes. If you’ve ever seen The Prestige (a film about Victorian magicians) you’ll know EXACTLY what I mean by that. With plenty of intrigue and magic, this is a book I think a lot of Fantasy buffs will really enjoy.

The idea of magical versions of our own world is a long-standing part of fantasy from Diana Wynn Jones to Neil Gaiman and VE Schwab many authors have played with the idea of magical worlds just outside the corner of our eyes. If we are fantasy fans deep down in our hearts, we all believe in the possibility of magic. I am always interested to see what versions of our world can exist. In Witherward by Hannah Mathewson we have a promising start to new fantasy series that has the potential to tell some really interesting stories.

The story begins in Victorian London where magicians assistant Ilsa is about to work for her rather sozzled friend in the theatre when she is stunned to see someone perform actual magic on the streets of London. The issue is she thought she was the only person who could do that. Ilsa has the ability to change shape into animals or even look like another person hence now working for the Great Balthazar known backstage as Blume. The day gets stranger when she feels she is being watched backstage and finally the evening ends with a brutal murder and Ilsa being forcefully taken to where she is told she belongs…Witherward. An alternate London comprised of semi-warring factions. Ilsa is told she is a changeling of which there are many here and she is the believed dead daughter of one of the most famous leaders of the groups killed in a brutal attack. Ilsa discovers she has a brother she never knew about, but he is now missing and for some reason a group of people now also want Ilsa dead.

The start of this story is really well told. We get a fascinating character in Ilsa as Mathewson also creates a wonderful sense of weirdness and tension culminating in a quite shocking death that firmly underlines that we are in adult fantasy territory. This is not a safe Victorian London and Ilsa’s assailants and even her rescuer feels a bit different. I was also intrigued by Ilsa’s past and the mystery of this hidden magic. Very strong opening but this gets a little side-tracked in the second quarter of the book. When Ilsa arrives, she is sent to the Changeling’s HQ, meets the key cast and then gets an awful lot of exposition explaining the world, the magical factions, the magic and the history of the location. This section was a bit hard to get through and drained the urgency of the initial opening. Its always tricky in a new series establishing the ground rules but, in this case, I really did question if I really needed to know everything before anything else really happened. It would have been better I think to walk us around and show us this London and not be told about it first. The great news though is after this section of the book it lets loose and really starts to turn into something special and hard to put down.

The cast of characters we meet are really interesting I loved the taciturn broody yet occasionally Charming Elliot who seems the black sheep of the group yet shares Ilsa’s humour, the young brilliant but shy Fyfe who is exploring how you can replicate and stop magic through technology, the cunning definitely not a spy Aelius and the initially very placid but underneath quite dangerous Cassia and their current leader in her brother’s absence Hester – sharp, cold and recovering from her back being broken in a recent attack and the subsequent loss of her powers. This core group really work well each bringing out a different side to Ilsa and helping explore the world she is now in. Ilsa though is just a fun character a Victorian urchin merged with the ability to lie, deduct problems, and pickpocket she is very easily a match for the best of the Changelings and while there is a great hurdle for her to climb, she is fascinating to watch develop and flourish in this world. Mathewson’s big strength is the character scenes where the emotional stories of the characters come out be they hostile, fun or romantic and that’s what really pulled me into the story. I ended up caring for what happened to this group which is always key to a series’ success.

In terms of adversaries the Witherward is amazingly dangerous. There is no central government just warring factions vying for power or protecting their own depending upon your point of view. We have six magical groups all with their own powers and for this story I think the key groups to highlight are the mysterious Oracles who see past present and future all at once – in particular angry with Ilsa for reasons unknown; the dangerous Wraiths who can pass through any objects and for whom we meet the most fascinating possibly an assassin Captain Fowler who steals all his scenes and the strange Whisperers who can hear thoughts, plant memories and make you question reality. These groups are all found to have their own secrets and inner factions so there is a clear number of other stories to be told alongside what has happened to Ilsa’s brother Gedeon. Nothing feels safe and you get the feeling the bigger story is lurking underneath as we see double-crosses, treachery and death are all normal in the Witherward. Also the magical battles are very well thought through and make some great tense set pieces!

I found this a very entertaining debut after the ground rules are set in. It is a very promising start to what could be quite an unusual series. I hope that the next tale relaxes a bit now the rules of the world are set and we can get to having a lot of fun. A series to keep an eye on because I think this set of adventures is going to be a lot of fun!

Witherward was a fast-paced, magical tale that kept me hooked right until the very end. It was surprising at every turn!

Witherward is a world very much like our own, except it's populated by people with incredible powers, and London is a city divided by factions. Changelings, Wraiths, Whisperers, Oracles, Sorcerers, and Psi. But the concepts for each of these are very different from what is usually seen in fiction; changelings aren't fae and wraiths have nothing to do with ghosts.

This story follows Ilsa as she discovers an entirely new London after being rescued from an assassination attempt that killed her friend instead. Isla finds out she wasn't abandoned, after all, but that her family believed she was dead until recently.
I loved Ilsa's character! She was so resourceful, clever, naturally cautious of others because of how she grew up but still so kind!

This idea of an alternative London and warring supernatural factions really reminded me of both A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab and The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, so if you enjoyed this book, you might enjoy those two (or vice versa).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the sequel!

Ilsa is a shapeshifter, getting by in our Victorian London by using her talents to make her the perfect stage magician's assistant. When someone tries to kill her she discovers that for the first 17 years of her life she's been marooned in the wrong London. Her parallel London is a city divided between magical factions and she's the lost member of the Ravenswood Clan, a leading Changeling family..

Having believed herself an orphan all her life, Ilsa discovers she has a brother who is missing. Times are dire. The new London is on the brink of civil war and Ilsa has a part to play.

This book was announced as Six of Crows meets The Prestige, so (loving Six of Crows) I might have gone into this with expectations set too high. Sadly it did not meet them. In fact there were times when I might have put the book down and not picked it up again, but it kept me reading... just. The world building is elaborate (though I confess I sometimes lost track of the different magical clans). The pace is a bit slow and - though there's depth - it isn't always in the right place. The premise sounded interesting, but in the end I didn't care enough about the characters. A pity because i really wanted to like it.

This is my first ever review via NetGallery, therefore I was sent a review copy of the book from the publisher in return for an honest view.

Now I admit that I was a bit apprehensive about this one, as the blurb sounded fantastic, but once I got into it I started to get some horrible flashbacks of reading Uprooted. However, my fears were unfounded as it was much, much better than that!

Ilsa our main protagonist is an orphan, runaway, shape-shifter stranded in our Victorian London. She knows she is special and has just about got a handle on her powers, well, enough to put on what would otherwise be the magic show of the century anyway, that is if the actual magician could keep the whiskey bottle out of his hand long enough to let his 'Magical Assistant' do her thing! </p>

They finally have their last chance to knock them dead, but something unforeseen happens, which results in a handsome stranger dragging Ilsa off to her real family in an ever so slightly more 'Magical' London.</p>

It is there that Ilsa learns of her heritage, her missing sibling and the plight of her people as this alternative London is a city divided, split between six rival magical factions, each with their own extraordinary talents. But with enemies seemingly on all side, and only a handful of allies to boot can Ilsa get herself, and her people out of this mess?

Mathewson does a really good job of grounding the world with real-world elements and places that are apparent in both Londons. There are rules and limitations to the magic that is used by each of the factions. some of these limitations go follow some dark themes, but I feel that this only adds a little more depth, grit and overall believability to the world Matthewson has created. Although, if you ask me the Wraiths may be a tad OP, but everyone loves a plucky, good-looking ever so slightly cocky captain right? Or is that just me?

The characters do suffer a tiny bit from 'Adolescence', and just about every male in it is 'classically handsome, or fit' but for the most part they are likeable, well rounded, and have a variety of different personalities, quirks, tensions &amp; pre-existing relationships that Ilsa has to uncover in a new person in the kings/queens court sort of way.

All in all its no real surprise that I liked this one, being a fan of YA, Magical worlds, mysterious figures and stories with a slightly dark edge to them this one pretty much ticked all of my boxes. I would certainly recommend picking this one up and giving it a go!

I'm honestly so surprised I haven't seen more hype for this! Not because it's the best book I've ever read, but it seems like exactly the kind of thing that would become a book community darling: it's got the spunky heroine who's out of place in her own life; the parallel magical London; family secrets; the dark, mysterious, initially-antagonistic love interest...

I found a lot of the worldbuilding quite confusing - I really struggled to keep all the different factions and types of magic straight, and the fact that Witherward has all the same place names as regular London, but in a different arrangement, really threw me off! On the other hand, we got a lot of details about the intricacies of shapeshifting, and I really loved those granular details about the rules of the magic!

I enjoyed Ilsa's character, and the friends she makes in Witherward (especially Fyfe!) - found family will always get me! It also seems to be setting up for the sequel to have one of my favourite romance tropes, so I'm excited to see where the story goes next!

Witherward is an amazing adventure, with high stakes and an interesting political climate.

In Witherward we meet Ilsa, a young magician’s assistant, who can do actual magic. As a Changeling she can change shape, into any animal she knows and even in other people. When she gets taken to an alternate version of London, in an alternate world called the Witherward, she quickly learns there are many more Changelings like her, and even five other types of magic. This alternate London is on the brink of a magical civil war, and Ilsa might be the key to stopping it.

I absolutely devoured Witherward. I could not put it down, I was reading when cooking, brushing my teeth, when walking the dog. I loved Ilsa. She felt like a real, fleshed out person with flaws and a history. Her traumatic history wasn’t taken lightly, and it both helped and obstructed her.

The other characters were great as well. They all had their own distinct personalities, their own flaws and secrets. The romance was done very well, as well. It was a slow enough burn to keep me interested, giving just enough flirtation throughout the book.

The story itself was exciting. We learn how the world works at the same time as Ilsa does, which works very well to build up a world. There is a lot of political warfare going on between the six different factions of London, and the stakes are high. There wasn’t a happily-ever-after type of ending, which I appreciate, especially since this is only the first part of a series.

I’m almost sad I rushed through Witherward as I did - I could spend forever with Ilsa and Eliot, Cassia, Fyfe, Oren, Aulius, Fowler and Hester. I can’t wait for the second book to come.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I am genuinely surprised by how much I liked this book; there are many things wrong with it, such as all the main characters being so trusting of Ilsa (and a lot of other things that I thought of at 2 am, but can't remember as I'm writing this). I genuinely find it hard for a lot of books to hold my attention in doses of longer than 10 minutes, but for this one it was easy; it didn't become slow and boring as it built up the world; it did so through the actions of Ilsa.

In some ways, I don't like Ilsa, but the other characters around her, Hester, Cassia, Elliot, Fyfe, Gedeon, and even Oren are fantastic complicated characters who I want to see more of. I think even Ilsa is sticking around to see more of them.

I will genuinely go out and read the next book when it comes!

✨’When she looked back, he was glancing around. “The washroom?” he said.
“I—” Why was this killer in her house, covered in Aelius’s blood, asking where he could clean it off? “By the stairs.”’✨
— Witherward, Hannah Mathewson

SIX OF CROWS meets THE PRESTIGE.

🌷 Welcome to Witherward, where we have an alternate London filled with magic and wonder. But the city is far from perfect. It is separated into six rival, and vicious factions who each have their own abilities.

And in the Changeling faction, Gedeon Ravenswood, the alpha of the Changelings has gone missing.

Ilsa, the shapeshifting Changeling with a death sentence hanging over her head, enters the Witherward and it is up to her to search for answers. It is up to her to find Gedeon and work out who she can trust.

🌸 OH. MY. GOODNESS! I was not expecting to enjoy this book so freaking much! Honestly, I picked it up with very little expectations and then it became glued to my hands! I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN!

Some part of me was obviously craving YA! And this book has all the delicious YA factors with a plot line that will make you go WOW!

Enemies to lovers.

The importance of family and identity.

Independence and bravery.

Thank you so much @Netgallery and @Titanbooks for giving me this free copy! I LOVED IT!

Read. Be happy. Stay safe.

Yes! Yes, to more books set in Witherward. And if at all possible, can it be right now?

Unique, fascinating, exciting, mysterious - the world you step into with this book is an unforgettable one.

What I liked:

1) The author creates this intricate, fascinating world that is very complex. I appreciate the fact that we got to learn about the history of the world as well, not just as it is today, which made this world so much more believable.

2) This will possibly sound odd, but this didn't feel like a typical fantasy. Yes, there were fighting scenes, shapeshifting, magical amulets, all of that, but there was this element of solving a mystery that I couldn't shake. It felt like our MC couldn't trust anyone in this new world, and she went on a mission of gathering intel. It was actually quite interesting to experience that in fantasy because I do love mysteries too.

3) I'm just thrilled that neither of the characters were annoying! We usually get a frustrated, historical MC, thrust into a new world, making one mistake after the other because of her stubbornness. But this wasn't the case, and I actually really warmed up to our MC. She was humble, simple, down to earth, unstoppable.

4) The camaraderie, which may not have been so obvious in the beginning, but it's still lovely to follow all of these semi-mysterious people around our MC who have her back and are there to take care of her and help her.

What I didn't like:

There are two reasons why I cannot give this story five stars:

1) I prefer a bit more characterisation when it comes to characters in a fantasy novel, because that's what's going to MAKE the entire story. Otherwise, all of the characters can just be fall into a mold that we have already read or seen somewhere before. Just a dash more of getting to know each of the characters would have made this story even more enjoyable.

2) There was a part in the story where I felt like our MC was a detective. Everyone kept coming to her, confiding their version of the events in the past. And it happened so consecutively, it became a bit exhausting. I kept waiting for something to happen, to grab me by the shoulders and give me a good shake.

This is definitely a slow-burner, so be aware of that. It feels like a great fantasy to pick up when you want to escape reality for a few days.

The element of romance here wasn't overdone, it wasn't corny, wasn't made out to be the center of the story, and thank you for that!

Who would like it? Any fantasy lover who loves elaborate world-building and a complex magic system, stories that blend our existing world and an alternate realm all in one, stories with oracles, shapeshifters, mystery.

Witherward is the debut novel by Hannah Mathewson. It’s a young adult portal fantasy set in Victorian London and starts a series of the same name.

This is a book that relies heavily on its unique world, occasionally at the expense of the plot. Alongside with and unbeknownst to the normal world, Otherworld, is Witherward where seasons and times of day are the exact opposite, with some similarities to Otherworld but with its own rich history. It’s populated by people with magical abilities. There are Changelings who can change into any animal or person, or make a more attractive version of themselves; Sorcerers can manipulate the world around them, Psis can move things with their mind, Oracles see the future, Whisperers can read and manipulate minds, and Wraiths have supernatural strength and speed, and they can move through walls. They all hate one another and Changelings above all. London has been divided into sectors to maintain a semblance of peace, but strife and warfare are constant.

Ilsa is a seventeen-year-old Changeling who has lived her whole life in Otherworld London not knowing why she has the skill to change into animals and people. She’s fled the orphanage she grew up in because they treated her like a devil there, and has supported herself with thieving and, later, as a magician’s assistant, relying on her special skills. Then—out of the blue—she’s whisked to the Witherward London to save her life. But she might not be much safer there.

Ilsa learns that she’s a long-lost daughter of the leading family of Changelings. Most of her family are dead in the hands of a secret group, but she has a brother, Gedeon. Only, he’s gone missing. With the help of people who lead and protect the Changelings, she sets out to finding him. But it’s not easy to learn the rules of her new world, and there are secrets and spies everywhere.

The plot is fairly good, but rather slow to unfold. The book consists mostly of scenes where Isla either learns a new skill or gets to know the people around her, and only every now and then the search for Gedeon moves forward. But there are enough action scenes to keep the reader’s interest. True to the YA genre, there’s romance too, though it doesn’t dominate the story or become the driving force of Ilsa’s actions.

Ilsa is a great character, resourceful and resilient, despite traumas from her childhood that occasionally cripple her. The side characters are interesting too, with their own backstories and ghosts. They never really come together as an ensemble, but that reflects the state the household is in because of Gedeon’s absence. Everyone is distrustful of everyone else. The ending is good and complete enough to make the book work as a standalone, but it sets the stage for the next book too, which makes me want to continue with the series. All in all, a very good debut.

It was an absolute pleasure to spend time in the Witherward, a world similar to our own but ruled by waring magic factions. Ilsa, our MC, has grown up an orphan in London living by her wits and hiding her unexplainable magic, not knowing that there is another London existing in opposite time to our own.

I really enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters, each with their own quirks, tensions & pre-existing relationships that Ilsa has to uncover as she finds her way in this new world. Fyfe was my favourite with his loyalty, enthusiasm & intelligence, though it was a tough choice as Eliot & Fowler were fantastic too. This story draws you in & without realising it I was completely hooked. There are obviously slower moments, it's not all magic & action, but these all build towards the bigger story. My only gripe was with Ilsa's accent, which was totally in keeping with her character and well done, but took a little getting used to reading.

I'm genuinely excited for the next book, this doesn't end on a cliffhanger & would be totally satisfying as a stand alone, but I want more! There are a few questions unanswered & relationships that need exploring further.