Historical Young Adult books are so few and far between, I was delighted that The Witch Hunter was both that and a fantasy. The earlier time period fit the tone of the story very well, especially considering that Elizabeth's profession is to hunt witches. In this world, a powerful wizard was blamed for the start of a plague years ago, so all magic is forbidden. If you are caught practicing witchcraft, you will be arrested and burned at the stake. There are those who of course oppose the laws - called Reformists - and this is the group Elizabeth finds herself involved with after escaping a sticky and almost fatal situation. While I did enjoy learning about witches' powers and Elizabeth's capabilities as a witch hunter, I can't say the plot had
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There are quite a few standouts here. Fifer, one of the witches who Elizabeth is forced to work with, is probably the biggest surprise. She's a little nasty at first, even when she doesn't know that Elizabeth is a witch hunter, but as soon as the book spends more time with her I began to love her character. She's fierce and unapologetic and her personality stands out so much in comparison to Elizabeth's. She becomes a great friend, too, and I would not complain at all if we got a novella from her point-of-view. The other highlight is the main love interest, John. He's gentle and patient, which makes sense as a healer, and he blushes. I wish we had gotten more page time with him, but he definitely had my heart aflutter. Boecker developed her characters in a way that isn't seen very often within a single book.
The Witch Hunter is one of those rare reads where you feel so immersed in the story and culture that you forget to put the laundry in the dryer and the bathtub nearly overflows.I recommend “The Witch Hunter” to anyone ages 13 and up who enjoy fantasy novels with a historical twist. It’s gruesome at points, with references to sex and rape, but the latter two things are not graphic. Full of a vibrant cast of characters including pirates and hostile, invisible ghosts, The Witch Hunter is a delightful tale of magic, love and deceit that leaves you satisfied and anticipating the
There are quite a few standouts here. Fifer, one of the witches who Elizabeth is forced to work with, is probably the biggest surprise. She's a little nasty at first, even when she doesn't know that Elizabeth is a witch hunter, but as soon as the book spends more time with her I began to love her character. She's fierce and unapologetic and her personality stands out so much in comparison to Elizabeth's. She becomes a great friend, too, and I would not complain at all if we got a novella from her point-of-view. The other highlight is the main love interest, John. He's gentle and patient, which makes sense as a healer, and he blushes. I wish we had gotten more page time with him, but he definitely had my heart aflutter. Boecker developed her characters in a way that isn't seen very often within a single book.
The Witch Hunter is one of those rare reads where you feel so immersed in the story and culture that you forget to put the laundry in the dryer and the bathtub nearly overflows.I recommend “The Witch Hunter” to anyone ages 13 and up who enjoy fantasy novels with a historical twist. It’s gruesome at points, with references to sex and rape, but the latter two things are not graphic. Full of a vibrant cast of characters including pirates and hostile, invisible ghosts, The Witch Hunter is a delightful tale of magic, love and deceit that leaves you satisfied and anticipating the