Ancient Witches

Witchlanders

By Lena Coakley

Genre: Fantasy

After the death of his father, Ryder is struggling to harvest enough food for his family – two younger sisters and a mother that's obsessed with predicting the future by casting bones. They are Witchlanders, white-haired and pale-eyed, governed by a coven of witches that Ryder mistrusts. A generation ago, the Witchlanders were at war with the dark-haired Baen across the mountains. Ryder's world changes when the village is attacked and his mother predicts an assassin Baen living in the mountains, itching to start the war again.

A shot in the dark, I picked up without knowing too much before reading. I am so glad I found this book, it has easily become a new a favourite on my shelf. The world was rich; characters relateable and believable; and there was always something at stake. The reveal of the depth to this world is mind-boggling and expertly crafted.

The first third of the book burned slowly, giving us a “slice of life” for the main character Ryder. The second third gave us more questions than answers. And the last third flew by with gripping action.

Overall, the atmosphere was ancient and mysterious. It reminds us there are no sides, and that sometimes, traditions lose their original meaning.

Highly recommended for the fantasy lover.

5/5 STARS

Classroom: The topic of religion is constant and may not be suitable for classroom use, unless you are wanting religion-based discussions. Other discussion-worthy issues are war, familial duties/expectations, tradition for the sake of tradition, substance abuse, obsession, and racial judgements/stereotyping.