I ended up DNFing this sadly, and think i need to move away from shadowlands now :( I really enjoyed it at first but it’s just not quite what i want now, and i cant quite figure out why! I still love the start of the series and her latest book, so still rec Susan’s works to everyone who is tempted <3

Iseult and Safi have finally been reunited, but not for long before their plans are foiled and Iseult is forced to flee for her life while Safi remains trapped in Cartorra as a Hell-bard. Both must find a way to survive long enough to come back together to save the Witchlands from an ancient villain and stop the gathering war.

As always, there is a lot going on in the Witchlands. This series follows so many different characters and so many different plotlines, I have often struggled to keep up. Add in the emergence of the Paladins and Old Ones in Witchshadow, and I spent a good portion of time reading this book, not really understanding what was going on. I do enjoy the characters, and their individual plots are good (especially Iseult, Safi and Aeduan), but I don’t think they work fantastically well together simply because there is too much.

I was disappointed not to get more from Aeduan in this book, and Owl seemed to just disappear part way through, but I did enjoy seeing a new side of Safi and watching Iseult come into her power. I could have done with better explanations for the whole paladin thing and less of Stix and Ryber’s story because it didn’t seem particularly relevant to the wider plot. I also didn’t see much connection with Viva and Vaness’ storyline, but at least they were quite enjoyable to follow.

Overall, I did enjoy Witchshadow and I have been enjoying this series, but I think it could have benefitted a lot by being less ambitious and having a more pared back plot.

Witchshadow is the fourth entry in the Witchlands series by Susan Dennard, and I am so sorry to report that this is the first time the series appears to falter.

I was expecting to love this latest adventure in Dennard’s world. With every book, I have fallen more and more in love with the Witchlands. Bloodwitch was one of my top reads of 2019 and I loved Iseult with my whole heart. Unfortunately, Witchshadow fell so short of my expectations.

The jump in time from the third book was at the core of what ruined this book for me. You already know that the characters plans have failed, and broadly what the consequences of that are from the story happening in the present. The flashbacks describe what happened in that time period, and felt so bogged down in too much detail. They also weren’t particularly engagingly written, which made them even more of a slog to get through. The disjointed narrative also sucked all sense of tension from the story for me, leaving the stakes and my investment in the characters at an all time low.

I wish I had loved this as much as the previous three books (and novella), but this just wan’t for me. It at least seems to have worked for some other fans of the series. I am currently undecided if I will finish the series or not.

I have such a love for this series, the world and characters that Susan Dennard has created is one of my favourites. However this wasn't exactly the sequel I was expecting, especially after bloodwitch. I still loved Iseult's development and the fact this book was focused on her, parts of the plot started to tie together and move things along for a bigger confrontation, yet I think the time jump made everything more confusing than it needed to be. I was lost on so much in the beginning and I would've loved to have seen Iseult's descent into using her powers in more questionable ways, I wanted to see how Safi got to where she was, I know it was to move the plot along but I feel like we missed something by not having this insight. I am not ashamed to say that I was the most disappoint with Aeduan's journey in this book, this character (along with Iseult) has become one of my favourites and I was sad that his character was given very little page time as he was possessed for most of this one. It wasn't a turn I expect and though there was good moment in the book for him I felt like he should've gotten more, especially with this book being about Iseult. Overall I did enjoy this, it is still Dennard's writing style, characters and world that I love, but this didn't go anywhere I thought it would and it left me confused as to why Dennard felt like she needed to change elements that were loved so much. How will this book affect the rest of the series? I can't tell but I'll definitely be reading it.

I devoured this book from the moment I started it. With the return of all my favourite characters and great twists I didn’t want this book to end

I went into this book with pretty high expectations as I've been enjoying the previous books in this series more and more as the series has progressed. I hadn't seen any bad or not as positive reviews when I started this so I wasn't really intimidated by the book.

One of my favourite things about this book is how much we can see Iseult has grown since the beginning of the series; she's more confident, she understands what she can and can't do and she's a brilliant role model for Owl. I didn't enjoy the lack of Aeduan in this book (especially seeing as he's my favourite character) but we did still get some Aeduan content. I did wish we had some more of Merik but with the way his path is moving, it wouldn't make sense for a huge amount of his character. However I would happily trade Safi as she's definitely my least favourite character. I'm not sure what it is about her but I've just never been able to gel with her character, although this was the first book in the series where I didn't want to skip her chapters, so there is clearly some character development there.

This book as a significant gap in the timeline from the end of the previous book, Bloodwitch, and because of that, the first fifty to one hundred pages are a little confusing as there is a constant back and forth between the current timeline and filling us in on that gap in the timeline. that's my only real criticism of the book though as I thought the rest of the book flowed really well. Susan Dennard's worldbuilding is just so beautiful and is never rushed, and while it's slow, I can never find it boring. the action scenes always have me hooked and just wanting more, to the point I read this entire book in a day and never wanted it to end.

Since reading this I have seen quite a few people say they were disappointed in this book, however for me I think it was the best in the series so far, and has been the only one that has got a 5 star to date.

I enjoyed the characters in this, especially Iseult and her development with her powers and her relationship with her mother but I found the plot confusing. The constant switching back and forth in time meant that I never knew where in the timeline I was, and the plot just didn't feel cohesive at all, it felt like everyone had their own storyline but none were related to each other, except Iseult and Safi and theirs' only really combined at the end. Also I'd really like Iseult and Safi to get to stay together for more than 5 minutes! I was so excited that they would finally be reunited in this book, but then they're almost immediately split up again.

Sadly I was disappointed by this one. I expected things to make more sense and start coming together with it being the 4th book in the series, but it just seemed to be a game of kidnap-and-escape in which everyone would be running around everywhere with no clear indication of how or why they're connected. After so many books of this, I lost interest in the characters and what they were doing. I know many have said we're not meant to know what's happening until later in the series, but I feel like SOME things need to at least be explained a bit, or some hints given so you can theorise. Instead it feels like we're being told the story we don't want to hear as a diversion from the actual plot, under the guise of it being a smart ploy to take us by surprise later. But the intrigue has gone for me, and I can't say I'll be finishing the series, sadly.

This is the latest book in the Author's Witchlands series - reading the previous books is necessary in my opinion to fully understand the worldbuilding and to set the characters in place .

This book takes up where Bloodwitch finishes - with Safi and Iseult reunited but now summarily torn apart again .
The reasons for their separation are told via a series of flashbacks amongst the main storyline - concentration is the key here .
This is a beautifully written book with characters that i was fully invested in - although I sometimes found the various timelines confusing .

I look forward to reading book 5 in the series - and will certainly read the previous books to round out what is a superbly written fantasy series .

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The breath-taking penultimate instalment to Dennard's WITCHLANDS series is a beautiful exploration of morality and emotion, as well as a sumptuous example of world-building at its finest. WITCHSHADOW is a marvellous read.

It's come to a point where it's impossible to describe the feeling of coming home that THE WITCHLANDS brings. It's a dense high fantasy with many interwoven plot threads and lore, but Dennard manages to balance them with such poise and mastery that each time I read I completely lose myself to the story.

It may take an adjustment period when you start WITCHSHADOW to reconcile it with the events of BLOODWITCH. At the end of that book, Safi and Iseult are reunited at last. In WITCHSHADOW, they are summarily torn apart again, and how they have been separated is divvied up into flashback scenes between the main storyline. Just as we were promised a reunion two books in the making, it was entirely skipped over. Rather I would've preferred that the flashbacks happened at the beginning of the book, and then the rest of the story played out as is, but I can understand the decision pacing-wise.

As the title character of the book, Iseult has a particularly difficult journey balancing her Threadwitch upbringing with her new power over the Void. As Threadwitches are famed for their poise and 'stasis', Iseult struggles to balance the parts of her that want to viscerally feel, and letting her new, dark powers consume her. For the most part it's handled well, though I do think there was a lot of jarring back-and-forth when Iseult's narration couldn't decide whether she was perfectly calm and composed or embracing her inner monster.

Even so, WITCHSHADOW is breath-taking. Beautifully written, and with world-building to die for, I loved every moment in the Witchlands. From characters to the setting to the lore (and boy, do we get a lot of lore), there's so much to explore and enjoy. Iseult and the other characters' own adventures are harrowing and heartfelt and humorous, and never uncompelling. At times it's a little confusing to parse everything that happens, especially between the dual timelines, but in the end my experience was wholly positive. I can't wait for #5.

(Also I'm on Team Vivianess now. Sorry Stix.)

WILL I READ ON? Absolutely!

Lets be honest, by the time that the reader has reached Witchshadow, we kinda know what we're in for. We are expecting incredible friendships, slow-burn (torturously slow) relationships that have given rise to much in the way of fan art, and much in the way of trauma. Every good writer has that deeply sadistic streak that drives their readers into a frenzy. And Miz Suze is no different. The book trauma was even worse this time around. As long term fans know, Dennard was spending just as much time with her Witchshadow book baby as she was with her human baby. In fact, baby Witchshadow was finished with baby Dennard smack bang in her mothers lap.
So the two year wait, while difficult, is easy to understand.

What is also worth the wait is that - technically - Witchshadow is two books smooshed together. Truthwitch was Safi's story, Windwitch Merik's, Bloodwitch was all about the mysterious (and very shippable) Aeduan. When is came to the lovely Iseult, Dennard had so much that her two planned books became one glorious tome. Yay! In a way it reads like there is still two separate stories. There is the now, where Safi and Iseult are finally together and everyone is filled with hope for the future. But then there is the soon where so much has gone wrong. Like I said, all writers are sadists. I may have actually gasped out loud at my first glimpse of soon Iseult but NO SPOILERS!

So, how to actually review without spoilers? By now we know that the Cahr Awen is real, that Safi and Iseult are not only the best and loveliest of friends who would gladly tear down the world for each other, they are also the fulfillment of a prophecy meant to heal what has gone wrong and bring back balance to the Witchlands. We also know that multiple factions are very aware of this and willing to go to war to posses their power. We know that The Queen in Waiting and The Empress of Marstok are on the run and oh wow do I ship those two.
We also know that Iseult is one of only two known Weaverwitches, beings capable of manipulating, changing, claiming, and even severing the "threads" the lifeforce of anyone. And we know for sure the identities of three of the great and powerful Paladins, Kullen, Stix, and Owl. But what of the other nine?

I will absolutely not spoiler anything about any of this, I mean, the discord discussions about possible paladins are some of the most articulate and well thought out that I've found on the net! But what I will say is that you'll be able to tick off a few more by the time that you get to the end. However what I can say is that Dennard's already incredible world building is deepened, as are the relationships between her characters There are many threads of story that finally become woven into a pattern that we can really see. There are enough small moments between characters, those little slice of life moments to really satisfy. Yet there are enough gloriously epic and breathtaking action sequences to keep you reading up past your bedtime.

To the long term reader, you will be just satisfied enough yet just tormented enough by unanswered questions and cliffhanger moments to start a new countdown.To a new reader for whom all of this is gobbledygook? Friendship, magic, mystery, reincarnated god-like beings, betrayal, gigantic bat monsters, and a pair of badass babes that you would love to know. Get thee to a bookstore! (or at least to your online order page because we all want you to be safe please)

Two years after the release of Bloodwitch, book four in The Witchlands series, Witchshadow, is here. I have to admit that it got off to a rocky start for two reasons. The first is that I couldn't remember the events of the previous book. However, that was quickly resolved, because Dennard has kindly provided a summary here, which helped. The second reason is that the story switches from the past to the present. It was hard to follow and confusing at first, but once I got into the book it started to flow better.

After that initial hurdle I was sucked into the story. We have multiple points of view again and as with any book with multi POV there's going to be characters who you're more interested in than others. For me that's Iseult and Aeduan. Apparently the next book is the last in the series. If that's the case I really hope there's more scenes with Iseult and Aeduan together. There is not nearly enough of them in Witchshadow and their slow burn is torture!

Romance aside we finally get answers to some burning questions and learn more about Leopold who I have been very intrigued about. Witchshadow is ultimately Iseult's book and she goes through a lot of growth. I've liked her from the start, so I didn't think it would be possible to love her anymore than I already do, but alas, Dennard made it so. She is, no doubt, my favourite character.

I can't wait for the next (and maybe last?) installment in the series!

Witchshadow might possibly be my favourite Witchlands book to date. Dennard brings all the little threads, hints and clues she has dropped in the previous books to make a story filled with plot twists and unforgettable moments and characters. It's incredibly hard to talk about this book without giving away major spoilers, but do please note this will contain spoilers for the previous books in the series.

I have been waiting an age for Isuelts book and it did not disappoint. War has reached the Witchlands, Safi and Isuelts reunion is short lived after Isuelt is forced to flee leaving behind her threadsister to an unknown fate. But she finds help in the unlikeliest of places and people, and as Isuelt learns more about her past and her power she realises she has a decision to make, one that could change the fate of this war. Ancient magic is brewing, people thought dead are returning to the Witchlands and before long our characters will have to decide which side of the war they are going to fight for.

Witchshadow gives us five main POV's; Isuelt, Safi, Vivia, Aeduen and Stix. I loved returning to POV's from the previous books but I did enjoy learning and hearing more from Stix after getting a few chapters from her in Bloodwitch. With Stix and Ryber travelling together, we get a lot of our Eureka moments thanks to them, with Stix searching for her history. But Witchshadow, without a doubt, is Isuelts book. Isuelt has been my favourite character from book one and I have been patiently waiting for her to get her moment in the spotlight. She is constantly in Safi's shadow, but with her accepting her new found powers, as well as learning more about them, she realises that she stronger than Safi, in power if not in mind. Dennard sure likes to torment her characters and the emotions I went through alongside Isuelt ranged from sadness to joy, but I just enjoyed seeing her accept who she is, accept her power and not be afraid of it.

Dennard is the Queen of foreshadowing, every single book brings a new player to the game, a new clue, piece of history, bit of law and in Witchshadow they all get brought together to make for an explosive and sometimes shocking read. All the little hints come together and I found myself absolutely gripped to the pages, unable and unwilling to put it down until I had devoured it all. THIS is the book where it all starts to make sense, though she still leave us with plenty of unanswered questions to ensure we are eager to read the final book.

>Like her previous books, with Witchshadow, Dennard gives us the perfect blend of history, romance, action and lore that ensures you stay glued to the pages. Her writing style ensures the action scenes leap off the pages and never hesitate to make me feel as though I'm right there in the middle of all the fighting. But some of my favourite scenes are the quieter ones, the ones where people are travelling, telling a story, simply being. Through these Dennard ensures that you form a bond with every single one of her characters, you can love them or hate them but you know their innermost thoughts and desires.

The romance arc's through this series are seriously well written, but incredibly slow burn. After seeing the progression between Aeduan and Iseult in Bloodwitch I was excited for their scenes together, but something happens early on that ensures they don't pick up where they left off. We also get to see a bond forming between Vivia an Vanness, their scenes together were certainly a little humorous, neither willing to give up what little power they have to the other, but both aware of the growing feelings between them. As well as romantic relationships, Dennard does a stellar job at focusing on the familial, whether by blood or circumstance. Isuelt and Safi's bond is one of my favourites of the series, and though they spend a significant part of the book apart, their bond runs deep enough that the other never feels to far away.

Witchshadow took me on an emotional roller coaster ride, and Dennard's writing style as well as the flow of the book ensured that I struggled to put it down ( I may have read it in one sitting.) If you like your fantasy worlds intricate with a well built and visually stunning magic system, your characters a little hot headed &amp; more likely to run towards danger than away, your romances minimal but sweet and *chefs kiss* foreshadowing, well then look no further.

So this is book four in a series. Which is probably information that you need to know beforehand. It might even be considered book five, though that’s debateable as the UK missed out on the novella in between books two and three. And the Witchlands series is one of my favourite series out there. It is complex and nuanced and full of amazing characters and a detailed magic system. Safi and Iseult are the two heroines of the series, though by now there are many more characters that have become central to the story (#baeduan! Vivia! Owl! and so many more). Safi is a Truthwitch and Iseult is a Threadwitch. Each book centres on one of the characters, and Witchshadow is Iseult’s book.

Which is a good thing. Because Iseult is my fave. She and Owl, the feisty little girl that accompanies here are the best. And I love that Sooz found a way to keep her and Aeduan apart after bringing them together at the end of the last book, Bloodwitch, rather than reducing tensions and having them be all happy together. Mistress of character tension, Sooz is. But this book being focussed on Iseult and her history, family and developing her magic doesn’t mean that the others don’t get their time in the spotlight.

Safi deals with marriage, rebellion and the like. Ryber and Vivia explore the past and secrets. The worldbuilding in this series is just top notch, and I once again fell so hard for it. I couldn’t stop myself from reading and getting immersed in the world and I already want more. There was quite a bit of a wait between Bloodwitch and Witchshadow, but damn, this was so worth it. Please please go and give this series a shot.

The author's difficulty writing this book is unfortunately evident in the first half of the story. Everything felt disjointed and I struggled to follow what was happening at times. It took me longer than usual to read this but I flew through the second half as the author got her mojo back and delivered another epic instalment. 3 stars for the first half but 5 for the second.

BOOK REVIEW: Witchshadow by Susan Dennard

3.5 Stars

Witchshadow was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I am gutted to say that it let me down.

The story does not start off after where Bloodwitch (the 3rd book) finished. Instead we are further along in time and so many of the changes that have occured in the time inbetween are a complete mystery. We get flashbacks for about half of the book which slowly fill in the gaps in knowledge, however it means for at least the first 150 pages I was thoroughly confused. I don't understand the decision behind doing this as the series is complex enough without the events being in the wrong time order! It really made the book hard to read and left me a feeling of disconnected.
As ever, I adored the characters and although Iseult and Aeduan have been my firm favourites from the beginning, I felt Safi came into her own in this book and I loved hearing more about her. I enjoyed that smaller characters such as Leopold and Vaness got more time as they are great characters.

The storyline was very complex and at times not easy to follow. There is almost TOO much going on which did not help my confusion levels! The rest of the storyline was brilliant with lots of drama and showdowns and I especially loved Safi's side of the action!

I will say that Susan Dennard's writing is incredible. If you are reading this and haven't started this series then I really recommend it for Susan's writing and imagination alone. This series is brilliant, I just think a few errors were made with the editing of this book and that it has suffered from "middle book syndrome". I actually cannot wait for the next book now I finally understand what is going on and have some answers!

Overall, a confusing but interestinf addition to the series. However, I am thoroughly in love with these characters and cannot wait to see where the next book leads us.

Please note that I was #gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

After reuniting and restoring one of the Origin Well's, Safi and Iseult have a plan to save Safi's uncle and free all of the hellbards from the Emperor of Cartorra. But, when the plan goes wrong, and Iseult has to flee, using her newfound Voidwitch powers to protect both herself, and her young charge, Owl. But forces are at work to stop her saving those she cares about, and are even controlling those once thought uncontrollable. As Vivia and Vaness fight to reclaim their lost thrones, the proximity and shared anger towards the Dalmotti Doge ignites and they find themselves closer than ever. And for Stix, her newly uncovered past as a Paladin needs exploring further, and the history of the Witchlands is slowly revealing.

Now, one thing I am going to say is that I haven't read Sightwitch, and honestly, I think I needed to in order to understand a lot of what was revealed in Witchshadow, especially Stix's chapters. And, I probably could've done with a recap of the other books in the series, but I think I managed to pick my way through the book without it.

My, this was a beast of a book, full of twists and turns, interleaving events and happenings that completely blindsided the reader. As Iseult's tale, we learnt a lot more about her, including how her powers worked, and who her father was (finally!), and I really enjoyed her chapters. I was gutted she was separated from Safi again, and from Aeduan, but she really grew into her own, and she is such a different person from the one we met all that time ago in Truthwitch. Then we have more information about the paladins, and the truth behind Eridysi's Lament that has been quoted so much in the series. I felt like some of the revelations I had already guessed at, but some shocked me, and I can't wait to see that aspect of the series being explored further. Now that the Cahr Awen are known, they should be all powerful, but some of the events that occur really early on are shocking, and I loved seeing that side of Safi, and also learning more about Leopold and his past betrayal, seeing how it all fits into the bigger picture, and answering some of the many questions we have. I can't wait for the next book, and will definitely be having a re-read (including Sightwitch) beforehand!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Witchshadow was my most anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint! I am a huge fan of the Witchland series and my favourite character is Iseult so I was very eager to get my hands on this book.

I loved everything about this book. Iseult's journey was absolutely fantastic (and heartbreaking at times). I enjoyed every single point of view so much! I feel like we got so many reveals in this book, I had to keep turning pages!

Next book can't come soon enough!

I went into this book ready for Safi and Iseult to kick some ass and… got really confused. First I wondered if I was reading the wrong thing or if I’d missed a book without realising it because Witchshadow does not start how any of us expected it to. I have to be honest I was pretty damn angry with Susan Dennard because here I was ready for the girls to get together at last and I was forced to a halt by flashbacks?! It’s a writing technique and not one I have to say I was overly fond of, especially when it took over 62% of the book before events finally matched up and things finally got to where I expected the book to actually start.

And yet, I’ve given the book a full five stars.

Yes, that is how damn good the remaining 48% of the book is. As irritated by the technique Dennard used I can’t deny that it ramped up the drama and anticipation to a boiling point, and then when everything started to happen… wow. I couldn’t take my eyes off the pages. I had expectations for certain things to happen in this book, and some of them happened, and then there are things that I never saw coming. They weren’t even in the same solar system let alone in my mind.

I am still reeling at the implications of some of the reveals in this book and what they mean. I finished Bloodwitch with a certainty of what would happen next and honestly? I have no bloody clue what to expect next. With Witchshadow Dennard has not just pulled the rug out from underneath this universe for me she’s taken the rug away and burned it. The whole board had been wiped clean. In a way, it’s a brand new world and yet in so many ways, it’s really not. There are the same characters we know and love fighting the same fight they always did, but the forces at play that were lurking in the background are no longer lurking. They’re right in the middle of things and there’s no sticking one’s head in the sand anymore.

As usual Dennard’s evocative writing brings to life the struggles and joys of her character’s stories, and as the cover denotes Witchshadow is Iseult’s book. It explores her coming to terms with who and what she is, learning about the power she has and a lot more things that I can’t say because of spoilers. As with all the books in the Witchlands series you’re in for a treat.

What else is there to say? Each book gets better and better as Dennard reveals the tightly woven threads of the Witchlands. They are more complex than I realised and this already epic fantasy series has just reached a new level of epic in Witchshadow. It does not disappoint.

Susan Dennard has done it again! Witchshadow had me absolutely hooked from the first chapter and the way the story was told, with small snippets from previous books being recapped by the characters helped me remember the story so far as I didn't have chance for a re-read first and I didn't feel lost at any point in the book. The dual timelines eventually merging into one worked wonderfully. I am so excited to find out what happens next!