There’s something special about the very first book that you’re ever asked to review. In my case, that was Witch of Ware Woods by Sonja F. Blanco (my review). So you can imagine my excitement when I got to review the ARC of book two, Death & Dragons, as well. Thank you very much, Sonja, for these review copies!
Death & Dragons will be available as of February 21st! Pre-order now!
Death & Dragons
In book one, we got to meet Sara Lochton, who struggled to find her place in life and manage the dark powers lurking within her. Luckily, she got taken in by the magical community living in Ware Woods, where she starts to see the beauty in magic. But a dark witch is on the prowl, and Sara soon realises she needs to unleash all her powers in order to save the ones she loves.
In book two, Sara is slowly becoming used to her new position as High Witch. This is easier said than done, however, as she’s still relatively inexperienced in the ways of magic. As evil powers rise, she recklessly agrees to a blood bargain with a dangerous enemy. In order to triumph and keep her community safe, Sara forms an unlikely alliance with some colourful characters.
Coming home to a magical forest
I loved losing myself into the magical world of the Witch of Ware Woods Trilogy again. The first book in this series was the first book I was ever asked to review when I started my blog, so this series will always have a very special place in my heart <3 Book two is just as fluent, witty, and bewitching as part one. I also loved the arrival of new types of characters, like vampires and shifters. Because face it, we can never have enough of those <3 I love the crucial role (found) family plays in this trilogy. It provides a warm layer underneath all the dangerous action. I also appreciated to get to know more about the dragons that were announced in book one.
As it had been quite some months since reading book one, I was glad to find an overview of the characters, as well as a map at the start of the book. Furthermore, it helped that there were some light reminders of what happened in the previous book included in the narrative. It was impressive though that these never felt forced or repetitive. They flowed nicely as part of the bigger story.
A magical adventure, with (found) family, romance, dark witches, and a bunch of diverse, witty, sometimes morally-gray characters? Yes, please!
Highly recommended! Four out of five gemstones:
Age Category: Young Adult
Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.
Amazon.nl: Hardcover Edition
Amazon.nl: Paperback Edition
Amazon.nl: eBook Edition
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Did you love Death & Dragons just as much as I did? Then you will be excited to learn that book three is set to be published in 2024! If you cannot wait, don’t forget to check out the prequel Flood & Fire (my review).
If you are looking for more books with magical clans, check out The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. I have really enjoyed getting to know this spooky dark fantasy in which nightmares come to life each night. My review can be found here.
Are you in the mood for more amazing young adult fantasy books by Indie authors? Then definitely read my review of Jade and Tar by Victoria Ravenwood or my review of Bewilderness by Kevin Cox. Both are highly recommended! Adventure & magic guaranteed.