Review: Wishtress

Release Date: September 13, 2022

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review:

“Someday I’d have to put my trust in something beyond my own power.”

I decided to request this book for two reasons, the cover and because it seemed to be a Christian fantasy and I can’t pass those up. Anytime I see a Christian author attempting to delve into fantasy is makes me so excited because so few do it and succeed. But this author succeeds and can I say, what a stunner of a book she wrote.

I would call this book a character journey above all else. It’s more character-focused than it is plot, world-building or even romance. All of those play an important role to the characters’ individual journeys but in the end their stories are what take the forefront. Watching the three different POVs of Myrthe, Bastiaan and Coralythe converge and diverge as they each explored their own course through the book was great storytelling. Of the three Bastiaan was by far my favorite and I think the best developed. Although Myrthe is meant to be the lead as the Wishtress I felt that her story lacked some depth at points and she was floundering to find herself amidst her curse, which was understandable but made it hard to connect with her. Bastiaan’s intensity and surety of purpose made him easier to connect to and follow as even though he stumbled and make mistakes he moved through the book with intention, less letting things happen to him and taking charge of his faults and trying to find the best way forward. Coralythe I wasn’t always sure what to do with, she became a gray area that even unto the end stayed gray. I felt she needed a better resolution in the end but at the same time imperfect resolution can fit with a morally gray character who’s choices you don’t always agree with but on some level can understand.

The magic in this book is easy enough to follow but just out of your grasp in a way that keeps it interesting. There is of course more I would like to know but it’s always that way with fantasy. The same goes for the world-building. This author’s writing is stunning and the how she weaves settings and places makes you feel as if you were there even if all the details aren’t wholly filled in. While I could feel immersed in an individual place, I would have appreciated the world as a whole being described more, the power system, the town structure and some of the word meanings. The pacing of the book was pretty even throughout until right at the end where things were happening pretty fast one after the other. I liked the steady pace since I enjoy books centered around characters and their growth but if you’re looking for big action, it doesn’t really happen until the last 30% or so, the pay off is well worth it I would say though.

I liked how the author explored love in the book. The difference between what we think is love and what really is. Her contrasting Myrthe’s feelings and actions towards Sven vs. Bastiaan. The relationship with Bastiaan started out as such a perfect slow-burn and my only complaint is I wish it would’ve evolved in that slow manner. The two characters spent a good deal of the book apart so by the time they were finally together near the end and their romance truly introduced, it ended up feeling insta-love. I still enjoyed their moments together though, how Myrthe and Bastiaan truly worked as a team and brought out the best in each other, how they showed one another such grace and understanding. I just would’ve liked seeing them with each other sooner than the ending, with those feelings being known and explored earlier.

The side characters were great additions to the main, honestly I wouldn’t have minded having more of their stories included. Runt and his father/son/brotherly relationship with Bastiaan was so sweet. I appreciated that their dynamic allowed us to see a different side to Bastiaan’s character. Same with his mother, her guidance and softness towards Bastiaan give us an idea of who he is from a perspective outside his own. Anouk, Myrthe’s cousin, does the same for her. I appreciated the inclusion of her story as an extra plot and how everything resolved with it, even if I could see the likely conclusion. And although he can’t necessarily be called a “good” character, Sven was written well as showing the evolution of a man given over to his greed and lust for power. I appreciated the author showing the consequences of a person’s choices and how they can have opportunities for change but will still refuse in the face of obvious defeat.

Other reviewers have commented on the excellent use of allegory in this book and I will echo their sentiments. An author who is a believer doesn’t always have to put their faith in their books but I’m impressed when they manage to in a way that works with the overall narrative and makes sense. It definitely did in this case. The way the author used The Well, The Nightwell, Talents and Banes as different representations and brought the stories of her characters into an interweaving tapestry of growth, faith, repentance and renewal was wonderful. Although near the end the allegory became less covert and more overt, I still loved the way the author wove faith into her story and made everything understandable and beautiful because that’s what it is.

I only really have one critique for this book and it’s why does it have to be a standalone? There is so much I feel can be explored from this story, this world and these characters. I will admit the ending was not particularly to my taste. Not because it was bad or sad but because it felt unfinished. To me there were still loose ends that needed to be tied up that weren’t. After so much buildup on different fronts I left the last page wanting more resolution.

Overall though, this book was a delight. From the first page to the last I loved these characters, I cried for them, empathized with their struggles and joyed in their triumphs, my only wish is that there were more. Oh, to be the Wishtress 😉

– I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley from Thomas Nelson–FICTION. All thoughts and opinions are my own. –

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Christian Fiction

Author: Nadine Brandes

Links: Goodreads / Amazon

Synopsis:

She didn’t ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It’s a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life–and before the king’s militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan’s powerful–and rare–Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she’s fulfilled her end of the deal, he’ll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don’t compromise his job.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

Everyone seems to need a wish–the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.