Friday, October 25, 2024

The Blood Witch by Ivy Asher

Title:
 The Blood Witch
Author: Ivy Asher
Genre: UF Fantasy
Series: The Osseous Chronicles # 2
Paperback, 280 Pages
March 27, 2021
Source: Personal Library
Buy|AMAZON
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I never saw it coming...the bones...the magic...the betrayal.

It’s no longer a question of who I can trust—the answer is no one. Now, it’s about survival.

I’m in the heart of the Order, trying to solve a series of mysterious disappearances, while doing everything that I can not to become bait.

Enemies are circling, and they can’t seem to decide if they see me as a pawn or as a threat. Oh, and there’s that little issue of being tethered to Rogan, who I now want to kill.

It’s time to figure out just what I’m capable of though. Because fool me once...shame on you. But fool me twice...and I will crush your bones to dust.

My name is Lennox Osseous, and I’m about to unleash the wrath of the Bone Witch.

MY THOUGHTS

The Blood Witch picks up right where The Bone Witch left off, with Leni being kidnapped and held hostage by The Order. Leni and Rogan are still trying to figure out who's behind the kidnapping of the Osetomancers, but working together is difficult after Rogan's betrayal, especially since Leni thought she could trust him.

The first half of the book felt stagnant, as Leni remained captive and was repeatedly interrogated by The Order. By this point, about a week has passed, and they’re no closer to finding the mastermind than when Rogan first walked into Leni's shop in the previous book. For majority of the story, Leni rants about Rogan's betrayal—and for good reason! Yet, despite everything he's done and said, she still cares for him and can’t deny her feelings. While I understand her conflict, it got a little frustrating. I’ve heard stories about people who instantly know they've found "their person," but that's rare. Leni and Rogan eventually confess their love for each other, but it’s only been a week! Most of that time was spent with neither of them trusting the other, which made the romance feel almost as bad as instalove.

The second half of the book picks up once Leni is captured again and imprisoned with the other Osetomancers. However, the villain wasn't as formidable as I expected. She turned out to be more of a psychopathic villain boosted by borrowed magic rather than a truly terrifying figure. The build-up to the final confrontation was more interesting than the actual showdown, which felt anticlimactic and rushed. As for the cliffhanger ending—it was predictable, and I saw it coming from miles away. Also, the way the books end abruptly is something I’m not a fan of, especially in this second installment. It was odd that this book was shorter than the first, and from what I’ve heard, the third book will be even shorter. This series could have been either a duology or expanded beyond three books because, at this point, the story feels incomplete.

The Blood Witch is a decent addition to the series, but it doesn't quite live up to the first book. Still, I’m eager to see how the story concludes.










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