Review: Witchlanders

Title: Witchlanders

Author: Lena Coackley

Series: None

Release Date: August 30^th, 2011

Number of Pages: 420

Publisher: Atheneum

Source: Bought

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

One of the first thing I want to say is that I’m so excited to see a book with two male main character! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that didn’t a last have one female main character. How fun is it! When I say that’ I was extremely happy.

I loved this book, and I just couldn’t get enough. It has been a while since I’ve read that kind of fantasy book. Witches without school, it has been a while since I’ve read that. The story is set in an old village, where two territories are soon to be at war? It isn’t the most original setting, yet I haven’t read a story set in that kind of environment in a while.

Still, it’s more than that. The characters are simply relatable. I loved Ryder’s strength and courage. He wants to protect his family more than anything. Falpian (ok, what kind of name is that?) is trying to make his father proud, while grieving for his lost twin. I can’t really say which one I liked best between the two of them, because they felt like two side of a coin to me; so different, yet so similar.

Another thing that I liked was that there wasn’t much romance in the book. Why? Simply because every book has romance in it these day. It felt good to read something different. I enjoy seeing more a kind of “Bromance” if you will. I felt like that’s what we were seeing between Flapian and Ryder. Enemies becoming friends.

I really enojyed the writing. I enjoyed every page, and I still wanted more after the last page. A great captivating book for readers looking for more than just a romance.