Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Review: Witch's Pyre by Josephine Angelini

 


Goodreads Overview:

Lily Proctor has come a long way from the weak, sickly girl she used to be. She has gained power as a witch and a leader, found her way home, chosen to face battle again, and (after losing her first love and being betrayed by her new love) she has learned more about loss and grief than she ever wanted to know.

Thrust once again into a society different from anything they have ever seen, Lily and her coven are determined to find answers―to find a new path to victory, a way to defeat the monstrous Woven without resorting to nuclear weapons or becoming a tyrannical mass murderer like her alternate self, Lillian. But sometimes winning requires sacrifices . . . and when the only clear path to victory lies at Lillian's side, what price will Lily be willing to pay?

Review:

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining series, but it wasn't nearly as good as Angelini's Starcrossed series. 

In this final installment, Lily and her coven discover a secret city on the west coast that none of the eastern cities knew existed. It is essentially a perfect society. There is no crime, everyone is wealthy, the city is pristine, and it appears that aging and illness have been completely eliminated. This may sound like a magical place to live, but perfection may cost more than Lily and her friends are willing to give up. 

Once Lily discovers the source of the city's power and wealth she is determined to defeat their leader. Lily and Lillian must gather a huge army and work together if they are going to have a prayer of a chance of victory. They know the odds are not in their favor, but the world as they know it could be in danger if they don't act.

The story is action packed and I enjoyed the magical elements contained throughout the series. I did find some of the concepts to be far fetched and difficult to relate to at times. For example, the fact that Lily could transport thousands of people in and out of danger at will. Yes...It was convenient for the story, but I prefer some amount of plausibility even within fantasy/fiction. 

Also...It seemed like the drama between Lily and Rowan went on for WAY too long. For two people who can use mindspeak to read each others thoughts, feelings, and emotions, you would have thought they could have gotten to the truth behind their dilemma a lot sooner than they did.

This was a 3 star series for me from start to finish. I was expecting a bit more from Angelini after reading her Starcrossed series which I gave 4 stars, 5 stars, 5 stars respectively. Helen, Lucas, and the rest of the characters in the Starcrossed series captivated my attention from start to finish. I simply couldn't get enough of that series. In this case, I was interested in the story and wanted to see how it ended, but I never felt compelled to stay up reading "just one more chapter."

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