What do you think?
Rate this book
Witchcraft and Fury
Solar Carpenter is the first girl to study magic in a hundred years. And maybe the last.
For over a century, only high-born men have wielded magic in Ashwood. The nobility’s youngest sons are taught by the kingdom’s wizards in roving magic encampments. Witchcraft is forbidden, and the women who practise it persecuted.
Yet change is coming.
Solar Carpenter, a girl providing for her family any way she can, is plucked from her life of menial work and petty theft to study at an elite encampment. Under the guidance of one of Ashwood’s greatest wizards, she will learn in the field as a witch-in-training, using her powers to protect the kingdom.
Or die trying.
But what if something other than destiny lies behind her rise to magical prominence? Is Solar merely a pawn in an intricate game of thrones and power? Or the greatest force for change in a hundred years?
The answer lies in the Chronicles of the Divided Isle, an epic saga of high politics, deception and romance.
Witchcraft and Fury is an immersive, character-driven medieval fantasy of magic, defiance and destiny from T.T. Greenshaw.
For over a century, only high-born men have wielded magic in Ashwood. The nobility’s youngest sons are taught by the kingdom’s wizards in roving magic encampments. Witchcraft is forbidden, and the women who practise it persecuted.
Yet change is coming.
Solar Carpenter, a girl providing for her family any way she can, is plucked from her life of menial work and petty theft to study at an elite encampment. Under the guidance of one of Ashwood’s greatest wizards, she will learn in the field as a witch-in-training, using her powers to protect the kingdom.
Or die trying.
But what if something other than destiny lies behind her rise to magical prominence? Is Solar merely a pawn in an intricate game of thrones and power? Or the greatest force for change in a hundred years?
The answer lies in the Chronicles of the Divided Isle, an epic saga of high politics, deception and romance.
Witchcraft and Fury is an immersive, character-driven medieval fantasy of magic, defiance and destiny from T.T. Greenshaw.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
30 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
July 30, 2025
Im not so good at reviews, but keen to share my thoughts to boost this lil world.
I really loved this story.. its one the left my heart all fuzzy at the end, and keen to hear the next part of this found families adventure! It was fast paced and the characters really grew on me throughout the book, however I do feel there could have just been a little more... so, some parts felt almost too fast paced and although they grew on me, I felt the characters could have benefited from a little more development.. but that aside, I loved the story, the world building, and this was a nice easy read full of adventure and intrigue.
tysm t.t Greenshaw for an ARC of this book!
I really loved this story.. its one the left my heart all fuzzy at the end, and keen to hear the next part of this found families adventure! It was fast paced and the characters really grew on me throughout the book, however I do feel there could have just been a little more... so, some parts felt almost too fast paced and although they grew on me, I felt the characters could have benefited from a little more development.. but that aside, I loved the story, the world building, and this was a nice easy read full of adventure and intrigue.
tysm t.t Greenshaw for an ARC of this book!
July 21, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's a young adult high fantasy, with adventure, great humour, ultimate betrayal, found family, exclusive magic training, and has a highly resilient FMC with a feisty take no rubbish attitude. If I didn't have to put it down, I would have read it in one sitting, it was such an exciting and easy read.
It has a small element of romance later on in the book, with young adult appropriate content, but it doesn't ever take over the focus of the story.
The plot is so easy to follow, and I love how the author incorporates the characters' own thoughts throughout the book to really keep your engagement in the story in the right place. It's really refreshing to read a fantasy story where the FMC has such a common background, and seeing the friendships blossom from snarky hateful comments to playful banter really showed that you don't need to be royal to be worthy.
I do feel at times in the different missions taken in this book that it was a little easy to predict, but I would like to reiterate that this book is a YA fantasy and it will in no way reduce my anticipation for the next installment of the series!
I would very much like to thank the author for giving me the privilege of being part of the ARC team. Theo, i wish you all the success in your debut release.
'Wield justice, honour the code'
This book follows 17 year old Solar Carpenter, who takes over providing for her sick mother and 10 year old brother when her father goes missing after being called upon to serve in the kings war. She is a thief by day, barmaid by night, and does her best to make ends meet, but the way things are currently going in Raventop, the poor stay poor with no way out. So when Solar is presented with an opportunity to be brought under the wing of a famous wizard to learn witchcraft, to gain magic skills that will not only give her the noteriety to take jobs ridding the continent of evil beings and creatures, but also gain the power needed to defend herself while searching for her long lost father, she jumps at the chance. Seems like a great opportunity, right? well, here's the thing, for the last century, magic has been outlawed and the only ones legally permitted to practice and train in the magical arts are the youngest sons born to only the most noble houses.
It has a small element of romance later on in the book, with young adult appropriate content, but it doesn't ever take over the focus of the story.
The plot is so easy to follow, and I love how the author incorporates the characters' own thoughts throughout the book to really keep your engagement in the story in the right place. It's really refreshing to read a fantasy story where the FMC has such a common background, and seeing the friendships blossom from snarky hateful comments to playful banter really showed that you don't need to be royal to be worthy.
I do feel at times in the different missions taken in this book that it was a little easy to predict, but I would like to reiterate that this book is a YA fantasy and it will in no way reduce my anticipation for the next installment of the series!
I would very much like to thank the author for giving me the privilege of being part of the ARC team. Theo, i wish you all the success in your debut release.
'Wield justice, honour the code'
This book follows 17 year old Solar Carpenter, who takes over providing for her sick mother and 10 year old brother when her father goes missing after being called upon to serve in the kings war. She is a thief by day, barmaid by night, and does her best to make ends meet, but the way things are currently going in Raventop, the poor stay poor with no way out. So when Solar is presented with an opportunity to be brought under the wing of a famous wizard to learn witchcraft, to gain magic skills that will not only give her the noteriety to take jobs ridding the continent of evil beings and creatures, but also gain the power needed to defend herself while searching for her long lost father, she jumps at the chance. Seems like a great opportunity, right? well, here's the thing, for the last century, magic has been outlawed and the only ones legally permitted to practice and train in the magical arts are the youngest sons born to only the most noble houses.
August 12, 2025
Firstly thank you so much Theo for the ARC!
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It took me until probably the second half of the book to really get into it, but that’s more on me as I’m used to more action packed fantasy.
The main character, Solar, I really liked. She was written in a realistic way - you felt the hardship that she’d been through, and she never forgot her roots and where she came from, which can often get lost in this kind of story. I also liked the way her naivety was portrayed, and I could feel that we were actually learning with her - it was nice to not feel like the most stupid one in the room.
Without giving anything away, I also really enjoyed the reveal in the last quarter.
Looking forward to A Legacy of Flames 💚
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It took me until probably the second half of the book to really get into it, but that’s more on me as I’m used to more action packed fantasy.
The main character, Solar, I really liked. She was written in a realistic way - you felt the hardship that she’d been through, and she never forgot her roots and where she came from, which can often get lost in this kind of story. I also liked the way her naivety was portrayed, and I could feel that we were actually learning with her - it was nice to not feel like the most stupid one in the room.
Without giving anything away, I also really enjoyed the reveal in the last quarter.
Looking forward to A Legacy of Flames 💚
July 21, 2025
Okay...where to begin...
First and foremost, I want to thank the author, Theo Greenshaw, for letting me read an advance copy of his book as an ARC reader. This debut novel caught my attention from BookTok, and I was immediately invested. This book reminded me of Eragon by Christopher Paolini (amazing read), and, especially in Ravensbridge, of Spirited Away (amazing movie).
I must say, it has been a long time since I've devoured a book in this manner- I tell you- I finished this within one sitting! I want to say it took me all of four hours to finish Witchcraft and Fury. That alone should tell you something about Greenshaw's writing. For that, praise is definitely needed. I have never read a book so fast. His writing is easy to read, captivating, and fast-paced.
That being said, it was a little too fast-paced. There are also some typos and grammatical errors.
Buckle in, this is going to be a long and honest review.
So firstly, I love a fast-paced book, that's what gets me hooked-but I fear this book just steam-rolled through everything. There wasn't enough time to learn and care for the characters because they were jumping from one thing to another, and we weren't learning much about any of them, about their past or their motivations, just briefly skimmed past it. I loved the first two chapters as they showed promise, and we learnt a lot about Solar and the kind of person she was. The narrative was focused on the inner workings of her mind. I especially enjoyed the Danger! scene. But this was lost slowly throughout the book, and it was more her thrust into predicament after predicament, with no real chance to connect more with her. I did love how she named her sword Fury.
There were way too many page breaks and short chapters. While I love short chapters (as it provides an exciting read), combined with many page breaks, this did not work well. Causing for most of the story to rely solely on dialogue.
Which leads me to my next problem. A lot of the story is dialogue revealing the world-building lore. While the world Greenshaw has created is relatively interesting, we don't know much about it, and when we do learn something about it, it's always from dialogue from characters lore-dropping on Solar. It's a lot for a reader to keep up with when there's new information every dialogue tag. I understand it was written this way because Solar is essentially new to the magic world and is actively learning, and consequently, Binns and Loveday teach it to her; it just lacked the depth. It was more of a book where Greenshaw unloaded all of his worldbuilding ideas upon the reader.
Because of this, the friendships she said to have formed in the early few chapters make no real sense. Bear and Pingot don't share that many conversations with each other, but after a few interactions and Bear saving her from Grubber, immediately those two are deemed to be her two firmest/bestest friends, but there's no plausibility in that and no natural, gradual formation for those friendships. I would merely call them classmates, based on their interactions. While of course, friendships can be made off the page during the time that passed, it's not convincing (given how Greenshaw introduces them) that she became easy, fast friends with them. Oswald and Wyman's friendships with her were more natural than those two.
Again with the pacing, while it was good, it just so happened that something was happening every chapter (which entails an exciting read, yes), but it just further develops the fact that most of the book is just introducing world-building. I think everything happened too conveniently and too predictably. For example, in one chapter, they learn about Azure Euphoria, and within the next chapter, it is used and applied to their problem in Ravensbridge. Another one is Dusk's Delight. Loveday mentions it, and immediately, Solar has conveniently seen one before and goes to grab it, while getting in a pickle with Grubber. Then, further along (because Gib warned her of Loveday), Solar was suspicious and wanted to spy on Loveday to see if he was sinister, and in the next chapter, conveniently enough, Bayen arrives wanting to talk with Loveday, where Solar, of course, goes to eavesdrop.
I think what bothered me the most is that throughout the book, until the end, there was no real threat or purpose to them. Even halfway through the book. Merely, they are the ones chasing the threats so they can advance from trainees to apprentices (or in Cal's case, forrester). With no real threat or stakes, even halfway through the book, it's easy to lose interest (though I didn't, for other readers potentially) and not develop a care for the characters. Even though Solar insistsently repeats she wants to look for her father after her training, nothing has changed since the start of the story. She wanted to find her father, regardless, if anything, training under Loveday just made the prospect easier. But that was her only driving force, which became tiring eventually.
Now comes the smaller other parts that came to me whilst reading.
First point: Wouldn't Gib have just killed Solar instantly? Why wait four or so hours for her to die slowly if she had crucial information with her? If he killed so many people before, the gravedigger wouldn't have questioned it since he says himself he keeps himself to himself and didn't give much thought to the murders anyway.
Second point: I couldn't wrap my head around the Twin Killer spirit. It was an interesting theory, but I didn't understand why it was limited to people who have killed their twin only. It just seemed kind of random. It would have been okay if it were something to do with family or siblings, but the fact that it was only restricted to twins struck me as weird. I don't know if that's just me.
Third point: Every time Solar and the encampment faced adversaries, their attacks were always quickly managed, and the attacks didn't last long. Also, Grubber and the goblins follow them for so long, but how did they keep sight of them for so long if they could never catch them behind them? Also, wouldn't Loveday put a charm or magic around them to keep them concealed? It seemed like a world where any kind of magic was possible, so why didn't he do this and make their life easier?
Fourth point: "Being a rover is all I ever wanted." Is it really Solar? We never knew of this until that moment. Up until then, all we knew was that all she ever wanted was to learn magic and find her father. Motivations again are unclear.
Fifth point: As a reader, we can't help but feel frustrated at Solar's unlikely dismissal of all the warnings she received about Loveday. Also, how did the Lady find them again so easily? If they can be found that easily, why didn't Loveday put up more protective wards instead of resorting to the mundane efforts of leaving his trainees to keep watch? Seems useless and a missed opportunity for a great wizard like himself. Anyway, it is out of character for her not to pursue the warnings and her own suspicions just because of a few compliments and charm. Before she went into the tent, she was adamant about finding the truth, but Loveday says a few nice things, and that's all gone out the window- it's frustrating as a reader; a lot of the book could've been chopped if she had just mind raiding him there and then, deeming the rest of the book unecessary.
Sixth point: Sometimes the dialogue sounded a lot like the narrative-Greenshaw himself. The characters felt bland and sounded the same. Especially when Cal turned nicer, Oswald, Wyman and he, though they are said to be different, don't really have distinct personalities. And to be honest, a lot of the time I forgot about Oswald and Wyman's existence as they weren't that memorable as characters. Baymen and Binns had more of a personality! (Though even there, I couldn't form any real connection with the characters because the pacing was quite fast.) If you removed the dialogue tags, you wouldn't know who was speaking.
Seventh point: Cal's personality makes no sense. He hates his father and how they rose to power, and how he ran away from him to be rid of his father's cruel ways. But why then does he have no problem flaunting his riches or his house title? This backstory seems more fitting to Bear or Pingot, who are the nicest of the bunch, and the backstory for them would've been more plausible. I feel like Greenshaw just set in his mind that he wanted Solar to end up with Cal and forced it to be that way, which I didn't enjoy in the slightest. Even though, later on, Cal explains his hatred for her was not because she was a lowborn or a witch, it doesn't make sense why he would hide behind his title to hate her and speak so lowly and rudely to her. Because there, he is no better than his father or his title, and given his backstory, it seems unlikely he would act in this way.
Also, for someone who, a few chapters ago, hated Solar, for him to unravel his whole life story just because she saved them once in Ravensbridge makes no sense. This is the first proper conversation we see between them, and usually, you don't go dropping all your lore on someone you've just started to get to know or speak with properly. Especially when Cal hated her so much until they got to their second adventure.
Eight point: Which brings me to this point. Inevitably, the kiss Solar and Cal share doesn't sit right with me either. Besides Solar's obvious attraction to Cal, there aren't any real reasons or a connection for them to immediately after form a tight relationship or kiss in the first place. A kiss between her and Bear- oh, justice for Bear! (possibly the only character I felt anything for)- would have made a lot more sense, and therefore made the love triangle unnecessary. All the more, this string of events was very much predictable. From the moment I met Cal in the book, it was very clear and obvious to me she would end up with him, and it robs you of letting her explore her connection with Bear, and also, she didn't even explore a friendship with Cal either before leaping into the kiss. Bear has a genuine car for Solar, while all we know about Cal is that his hatred was drawn from jealousy. Which just brings you to question why he was even kissing Solar? Why was Solar kissing him? Someone she also hated equally. Initially, I knew this would be an enemies-to-lovers trope, and early on, reading their interactions, I thought it was being written well. However, the immediate switch from enemies to lovers with no space for friendship, like with Bear or Pingot, makes the whole thing dull. Their relationship was not exciting to me; there was no tension.
Ninth point: "Cal was kind, compassionate and thoughtful, when he wanted to be, and he was just beginning to let her see it."- gREenSHAW NO. This line has missed an opportunity! This would've made perfect sense in the middle of the book. But all the way at the end? Theo, no darling. After they kissed many times and very nearly led to something else, honey, it just doesn't make sense. At this point, she should already know of his kindness if she's allowing herself to kiss him, like him, and slowly fall in love.
Standalone comment: Solar's flying carpet? Where did that come from? (I know from the Lady from their second adventure, but I mean why a flying one? Again- way too conveneint.) Very much giving Aladdin.
Tenth point: While the plot twist would've been better if we weren't told of Loveday not to be trusted early on, it would've landed SO much better. I had already gathered way before the end that Loveday was no good, and he compelled her to go and get the book from the Queen's port. Also, why is there a Queen's port- where's the Queen?
So, in conclusion, to summarise. I thought this was a good read, a good debut novel. I read it really fast, and it was enjoyable. However, clearly there were many things that just didn't make sense to me, I couldn't connect to Greenshaw's characters, and they fell dull, and most of all, it was just too predictable- I had a feeling Solar's father was alive, of course he would be. This is why I couldn't give it more than three stars, though, Theo, got to hand it to you mate, your writing was captivating enough for me to finish the entire thing (unlike fucking Fourth Wing *shudder*), so having said all of this, I actually really look forward to your next book! I do recommend others to pick up this book and have a read.
Thanks again for the advance copy, despite all my comments, I did enjoy the book!
Meli xx
First and foremost, I want to thank the author, Theo Greenshaw, for letting me read an advance copy of his book as an ARC reader. This debut novel caught my attention from BookTok, and I was immediately invested. This book reminded me of Eragon by Christopher Paolini (amazing read), and, especially in Ravensbridge, of Spirited Away (amazing movie).
I must say, it has been a long time since I've devoured a book in this manner- I tell you- I finished this within one sitting! I want to say it took me all of four hours to finish Witchcraft and Fury. That alone should tell you something about Greenshaw's writing. For that, praise is definitely needed. I have never read a book so fast. His writing is easy to read, captivating, and fast-paced.
That being said, it was a little too fast-paced. There are also some typos and grammatical errors.
Buckle in, this is going to be a long and honest review.
So firstly, I love a fast-paced book, that's what gets me hooked-but I fear this book just steam-rolled through everything. There wasn't enough time to learn and care for the characters because they were jumping from one thing to another, and we weren't learning much about any of them, about their past or their motivations, just briefly skimmed past it. I loved the first two chapters as they showed promise, and we learnt a lot about Solar and the kind of person she was. The narrative was focused on the inner workings of her mind. I especially enjoyed the Danger! scene. But this was lost slowly throughout the book, and it was more her thrust into predicament after predicament, with no real chance to connect more with her. I did love how she named her sword Fury.
There were way too many page breaks and short chapters. While I love short chapters (as it provides an exciting read), combined with many page breaks, this did not work well. Causing for most of the story to rely solely on dialogue.
Which leads me to my next problem. A lot of the story is dialogue revealing the world-building lore. While the world Greenshaw has created is relatively interesting, we don't know much about it, and when we do learn something about it, it's always from dialogue from characters lore-dropping on Solar. It's a lot for a reader to keep up with when there's new information every dialogue tag. I understand it was written this way because Solar is essentially new to the magic world and is actively learning, and consequently, Binns and Loveday teach it to her; it just lacked the depth. It was more of a book where Greenshaw unloaded all of his worldbuilding ideas upon the reader.
Because of this, the friendships she said to have formed in the early few chapters make no real sense. Bear and Pingot don't share that many conversations with each other, but after a few interactions and Bear saving her from Grubber, immediately those two are deemed to be her two firmest/bestest friends, but there's no plausibility in that and no natural, gradual formation for those friendships. I would merely call them classmates, based on their interactions. While of course, friendships can be made off the page during the time that passed, it's not convincing (given how Greenshaw introduces them) that she became easy, fast friends with them. Oswald and Wyman's friendships with her were more natural than those two.
Again with the pacing, while it was good, it just so happened that something was happening every chapter (which entails an exciting read, yes), but it just further develops the fact that most of the book is just introducing world-building. I think everything happened too conveniently and too predictably. For example, in one chapter, they learn about Azure Euphoria, and within the next chapter, it is used and applied to their problem in Ravensbridge. Another one is Dusk's Delight. Loveday mentions it, and immediately, Solar has conveniently seen one before and goes to grab it, while getting in a pickle with Grubber. Then, further along (because Gib warned her of Loveday), Solar was suspicious and wanted to spy on Loveday to see if he was sinister, and in the next chapter, conveniently enough, Bayen arrives wanting to talk with Loveday, where Solar, of course, goes to eavesdrop.
I think what bothered me the most is that throughout the book, until the end, there was no real threat or purpose to them. Even halfway through the book. Merely, they are the ones chasing the threats so they can advance from trainees to apprentices (or in Cal's case, forrester). With no real threat or stakes, even halfway through the book, it's easy to lose interest (though I didn't, for other readers potentially) and not develop a care for the characters. Even though Solar insistsently repeats she wants to look for her father after her training, nothing has changed since the start of the story. She wanted to find her father, regardless, if anything, training under Loveday just made the prospect easier. But that was her only driving force, which became tiring eventually.
Now comes the smaller other parts that came to me whilst reading.
First point: Wouldn't Gib have just killed Solar instantly? Why wait four or so hours for her to die slowly if she had crucial information with her? If he killed so many people before, the gravedigger wouldn't have questioned it since he says himself he keeps himself to himself and didn't give much thought to the murders anyway.
Second point: I couldn't wrap my head around the Twin Killer spirit. It was an interesting theory, but I didn't understand why it was limited to people who have killed their twin only. It just seemed kind of random. It would have been okay if it were something to do with family or siblings, but the fact that it was only restricted to twins struck me as weird. I don't know if that's just me.
Third point: Every time Solar and the encampment faced adversaries, their attacks were always quickly managed, and the attacks didn't last long. Also, Grubber and the goblins follow them for so long, but how did they keep sight of them for so long if they could never catch them behind them? Also, wouldn't Loveday put a charm or magic around them to keep them concealed? It seemed like a world where any kind of magic was possible, so why didn't he do this and make their life easier?
Fourth point: "Being a rover is all I ever wanted." Is it really Solar? We never knew of this until that moment. Up until then, all we knew was that all she ever wanted was to learn magic and find her father. Motivations again are unclear.
Fifth point: As a reader, we can't help but feel frustrated at Solar's unlikely dismissal of all the warnings she received about Loveday. Also, how did the Lady find them again so easily? If they can be found that easily, why didn't Loveday put up more protective wards instead of resorting to the mundane efforts of leaving his trainees to keep watch? Seems useless and a missed opportunity for a great wizard like himself. Anyway, it is out of character for her not to pursue the warnings and her own suspicions just because of a few compliments and charm. Before she went into the tent, she was adamant about finding the truth, but Loveday says a few nice things, and that's all gone out the window- it's frustrating as a reader; a lot of the book could've been chopped if she had just mind raiding him there and then, deeming the rest of the book unecessary.
Sixth point: Sometimes the dialogue sounded a lot like the narrative-Greenshaw himself. The characters felt bland and sounded the same. Especially when Cal turned nicer, Oswald, Wyman and he, though they are said to be different, don't really have distinct personalities. And to be honest, a lot of the time I forgot about Oswald and Wyman's existence as they weren't that memorable as characters. Baymen and Binns had more of a personality! (Though even there, I couldn't form any real connection with the characters because the pacing was quite fast.) If you removed the dialogue tags, you wouldn't know who was speaking.
Seventh point: Cal's personality makes no sense. He hates his father and how they rose to power, and how he ran away from him to be rid of his father's cruel ways. But why then does he have no problem flaunting his riches or his house title? This backstory seems more fitting to Bear or Pingot, who are the nicest of the bunch, and the backstory for them would've been more plausible. I feel like Greenshaw just set in his mind that he wanted Solar to end up with Cal and forced it to be that way, which I didn't enjoy in the slightest. Even though, later on, Cal explains his hatred for her was not because she was a lowborn or a witch, it doesn't make sense why he would hide behind his title to hate her and speak so lowly and rudely to her. Because there, he is no better than his father or his title, and given his backstory, it seems unlikely he would act in this way.
Also, for someone who, a few chapters ago, hated Solar, for him to unravel his whole life story just because she saved them once in Ravensbridge makes no sense. This is the first proper conversation we see between them, and usually, you don't go dropping all your lore on someone you've just started to get to know or speak with properly. Especially when Cal hated her so much until they got to their second adventure.
Eight point: Which brings me to this point. Inevitably, the kiss Solar and Cal share doesn't sit right with me either. Besides Solar's obvious attraction to Cal, there aren't any real reasons or a connection for them to immediately after form a tight relationship or kiss in the first place. A kiss between her and Bear- oh, justice for Bear! (possibly the only character I felt anything for)- would have made a lot more sense, and therefore made the love triangle unnecessary. All the more, this string of events was very much predictable. From the moment I met Cal in the book, it was very clear and obvious to me she would end up with him, and it robs you of letting her explore her connection with Bear, and also, she didn't even explore a friendship with Cal either before leaping into the kiss. Bear has a genuine car for Solar, while all we know about Cal is that his hatred was drawn from jealousy. Which just brings you to question why he was even kissing Solar? Why was Solar kissing him? Someone she also hated equally. Initially, I knew this would be an enemies-to-lovers trope, and early on, reading their interactions, I thought it was being written well. However, the immediate switch from enemies to lovers with no space for friendship, like with Bear or Pingot, makes the whole thing dull. Their relationship was not exciting to me; there was no tension.
Ninth point: "Cal was kind, compassionate and thoughtful, when he wanted to be, and he was just beginning to let her see it."- gREenSHAW NO. This line has missed an opportunity! This would've made perfect sense in the middle of the book. But all the way at the end? Theo, no darling. After they kissed many times and very nearly led to something else, honey, it just doesn't make sense. At this point, she should already know of his kindness if she's allowing herself to kiss him, like him, and slowly fall in love.
Standalone comment: Solar's flying carpet? Where did that come from? (I know from the Lady from their second adventure, but I mean why a flying one? Again- way too conveneint.) Very much giving Aladdin.
Tenth point: While the plot twist would've been better if we weren't told of Loveday not to be trusted early on, it would've landed SO much better. I had already gathered way before the end that Loveday was no good, and he compelled her to go and get the book from the Queen's port. Also, why is there a Queen's port- where's the Queen?
So, in conclusion, to summarise. I thought this was a good read, a good debut novel. I read it really fast, and it was enjoyable. However, clearly there were many things that just didn't make sense to me, I couldn't connect to Greenshaw's characters, and they fell dull, and most of all, it was just too predictable- I had a feeling Solar's father was alive, of course he would be. This is why I couldn't give it more than three stars, though, Theo, got to hand it to you mate, your writing was captivating enough for me to finish the entire thing (unlike fucking Fourth Wing *shudder*), so having said all of this, I actually really look forward to your next book! I do recommend others to pick up this book and have a read.
Thanks again for the advance copy, despite all my comments, I did enjoy the book!
Meli xx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2025
Firstly, I want to thank T. T. Greenshaw for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It is my first one, and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book pre-release.
Now onto the book itself… I had really high hopes to start with. Solar is immediately an interesting and clearly feisty character. She puts herself on the line time and again to protect her unwell mother and younger brother, while she yearns for news about her missing father. Solar comes across super likeable and no-nonsense, which made me really root for her in the early chapters.
That being said, I felt like the narrative was rushed and didn’t make sense. There’s a clear sense of misogyny about Solar and her practicing magic which adds to the story, especially with half of the magical encampment to which she belongs being immediately prejudiced and hateful towards her. However, I felt that once the characters all eventually allied themselves to one another, nobody had a clear personality or voice - apart from maybe Bear, whose main personality trait is that he’s chivalrous.
We have some minor bad guys stalking Solar and the magical trainees throughout the book but they never really catch them or do anything to really endanger the trainees, which doesn’t make sense. Even the big “twist” was predictable and fell a bit flat. To me, it felt like there are too many antagonists in the book for any one plot point to really land, which is a shame because I think the world and the story has so much potential to be amazing. I would have loved to have some more in-depth world building and for the characters to be better fleshed out so we could really understand and love them.
Finally I found the dialogue to be difficult and clunky. It could have flowed better so make the story more immersive and hold the interest of the reader.
I don’t think this book was bad, it actually has a lot of promise and has begun to lay the foundations for its sequel, but it honestly didn’t blow me away.
Now onto the book itself… I had really high hopes to start with. Solar is immediately an interesting and clearly feisty character. She puts herself on the line time and again to protect her unwell mother and younger brother, while she yearns for news about her missing father. Solar comes across super likeable and no-nonsense, which made me really root for her in the early chapters.
That being said, I felt like the narrative was rushed and didn’t make sense. There’s a clear sense of misogyny about Solar and her practicing magic which adds to the story, especially with half of the magical encampment to which she belongs being immediately prejudiced and hateful towards her. However, I felt that once the characters all eventually allied themselves to one another, nobody had a clear personality or voice - apart from maybe Bear, whose main personality trait is that he’s chivalrous.
We have some minor bad guys stalking Solar and the magical trainees throughout the book but they never really catch them or do anything to really endanger the trainees, which doesn’t make sense. Even the big “twist” was predictable and fell a bit flat. To me, it felt like there are too many antagonists in the book for any one plot point to really land, which is a shame because I think the world and the story has so much potential to be amazing. I would have loved to have some more in-depth world building and for the characters to be better fleshed out so we could really understand and love them.
Finally I found the dialogue to be difficult and clunky. It could have flowed better so make the story more immersive and hold the interest of the reader.
I don’t think this book was bad, it actually has a lot of promise and has begun to lay the foundations for its sequel, but it honestly didn’t blow me away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2025
Witchcraft and Fury by T. T. Greenshaw is a delightful and engaging story of a young girl’s journey to become a witch in a land where witches are persecuted and only the aristocracy get to train in magic. Our main female character lives in poverty and desperately needs to learn the magic so that, ultimately, she can find her father. With many adventures along the way, some twists and turns, it kept me turning the pages.
These days, with a few more years behind me, I have to say that the naivety of the young troupe of trainee magicians was sometimes difficult until I remembered that at the beginning of the story, they are all only 17. Having said that, I do think that Solar, coming from the background that she does, would be a little more street-wise.
The world-building progresses at a steady pace, as does the magic system - you learn more and more as the book unfolds, which is great because it doesn’t become confusing.
I like the way the relationships develop between the characters, with friendship being a focal point, and a little romance along the way.
I feel this book would be an excellent introduction to the world of fantasy novels especially for a young adult audience. The evolution of the writing style is evident as the book progresses and I am interested to see where the author takes it.
These days, with a few more years behind me, I have to say that the naivety of the young troupe of trainee magicians was sometimes difficult until I remembered that at the beginning of the story, they are all only 17. Having said that, I do think that Solar, coming from the background that she does, would be a little more street-wise.
The world-building progresses at a steady pace, as does the magic system - you learn more and more as the book unfolds, which is great because it doesn’t become confusing.
I like the way the relationships develop between the characters, with friendship being a focal point, and a little romance along the way.
I feel this book would be an excellent introduction to the world of fantasy novels especially for a young adult audience. The evolution of the writing style is evident as the book progresses and I am interested to see where the author takes it.
August 1, 2025
This book was a fun easy to read fast paced YA fantasy book where we follow 17year old Solar, she is chosen by a renowned wizard to learn magic which is seen as taboo in this world as women who practice magic are prosecuted for doing so.
I did enjoy the characters I really thought Solar was kick ass (bit to stubborn at times) Pingot was one of my faves too, there's some great humour some really sweet found family moments that progress over the course of the story. For me the relationship between Cal and Solar was a bit odd and a little forced as it felt a bit rushed.
I cannot wait to see where this story goes!
Thank you so much to the Author for giving me an ARC after me finding it on tiktok
I did enjoy the characters I really thought Solar was kick ass (bit to stubborn at times) Pingot was one of my faves too, there's some great humour some really sweet found family moments that progress over the course of the story. For me the relationship between Cal and Solar was a bit odd and a little forced as it felt a bit rushed.
I cannot wait to see where this story goes!
Thank you so much to the Author for giving me an ARC after me finding it on tiktok
August 4, 2025
I had to brace myself not to read this book in one sitting.
Witchcraft & Fury is a YA fantasy and while I might not be the intended target (as a 36yo), I dived into the story really easily. To be honest, the first part (how we are introduced to our main character) reminded me of other books I have really enjoyed.
That being said, it felt like a few plotlines were "too easily solved" and I would have loved more world building.
I loved how each chapters began with bits of History, reminded me of the Empyrian.
I'd say that if you're used to reading this genre, you might guess what's gonna happen, but I still enjoyed my reading and I will gladly follow Solar into her next adventure.
Big thanks to the author for the ARC copy, it was my first ever and it was a really great experience.
Witchcraft & Fury is a YA fantasy and while I might not be the intended target (as a 36yo), I dived into the story really easily. To be honest, the first part (how we are introduced to our main character) reminded me of other books I have really enjoyed.
That being said, it felt like a few plotlines were "too easily solved" and I would have loved more world building.
I loved how each chapters began with bits of History, reminded me of the Empyrian.
I'd say that if you're used to reading this genre, you might guess what's gonna happen, but I still enjoyed my reading and I will gladly follow Solar into her next adventure.
Big thanks to the author for the ARC copy, it was my first ever and it was a really great experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2025
Thanks to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars.
A fast-paced, action packed fantasy, following Solar, the first girl in a hundred years to study magic.
This was an enjoyable read, featuring potions, sorcery, magical creatures and even a flying carpet.
I was never bored as we follow the various turns the story takes, and the adventures Solar and her fellow magic students embark on.
I found the dialogue to be overly expository at times, but it didn't stop me appreciating this high fantasy world and the characters.
A very solid debut novel.
3.75 stars.
A fast-paced, action packed fantasy, following Solar, the first girl in a hundred years to study magic.
This was an enjoyable read, featuring potions, sorcery, magical creatures and even a flying carpet.
I was never bored as we follow the various turns the story takes, and the adventures Solar and her fellow magic students embark on.
I found the dialogue to be overly expository at times, but it didn't stop me appreciating this high fantasy world and the characters.
A very solid debut novel.
August 7, 2025
4.5 This book was really good I thoroughly enjoyed it the plot was unique and the cast of characters had great personalities there was so much character growth and I enjoyed how they came together and had each others backs I cannot wait to read the next book in the series I really see this series doing well given the chance I’d highly recommend it I cannot wait to see where the characters go and where the story goes next I have high hopes for book 2 I need it asap
August 3, 2025
This book has everything you need for a good read, a strong female character, magic, monsters and twists.
This is definitely a YA fantasy story, the book can be predictable at times and the story is very easy to follow. The world building is limited but could absolutely be elaborated on in the next book which would really bring more to the story. I really hope T.T. Greenshaw does this! The magic system is easy to understand and there are some great snippets into the world at the beginning of each chapter.
I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC release of this book but it has not influenced my review at all. I am looking forward to the next addition of this series!
This is definitely a YA fantasy story, the book can be predictable at times and the story is very easy to follow. The world building is limited but could absolutely be elaborated on in the next book which would really bring more to the story. I really hope T.T. Greenshaw does this! The magic system is easy to understand and there are some great snippets into the world at the beginning of each chapter.
I was lucky enough to receive a digital ARC release of this book but it has not influenced my review at all. I am looking forward to the next addition of this series!
August 12, 2025
I rly liked this book (the character development 🤌🤌) I just think it ended at what should have been like a halfway point. Obviously it's much easier to publish as a debut author with a shorter book, I just didn't feel like it should've ended 😔 and the next book isn't even written yet 💔
July 28, 2025
Thank you to the author for providing me with an opportunity to be an ARC reader.
Well this book was a solid 4.5 - 5 stars for me.
The premise is quite simple, we follow the 17 year old Solar Carpenter, a low-class daughter of a carpenter, who is offered the opportunity to learn magic in a society, that is very class-heavy and quite sexist, especially when it comes to women practising magic.
She has her own motivations, why she accepts to go on the journey, which are honorable and selfish at the same time.
*The Characters*
I very much enjoyed the characters.
The main character Solar was flawed but interesting. She felt like a real person.I loved that she was not sitting on a moral high horse, looking down on everyone and refusing to take action and decisions. She felt her age, which I feel we dont see a lot.
I will gather the boys under one paragraph - I liked them. I feel they were more easy to tell apart before certain shifts and storypoints, but still, I liked the dynamics. I also liked that not everyone laid down adoringly before the main characters feet from the start. It ended up being a found family kind of feel with them and Solar.
The character that could have benefitted from having more development was Cal, even though I enjoyed his backstory. But i have full confidence all the main characters will be more fleshed out throughout the next book - I am assuming here, that there will be another booked based on how this one ends.
THE wizard, Solars mentor, saviour, lifter-upper. What can I say, he is cunning, good at what he does, smooth talking as you would expect an educated member or high society to be. I did quite enjoy his character development and the way his layers kept being peeled back to reveal his personal motives.
The master at arms was a classic, rough around the edges master of all weapons. Looks mean, acts mean, heart is probably at least 60% made of gold. He really grew on me.
*The Story*
The story I enjoyed a lot. I liked the pacing, I loved that it felt a bit episodic at times, it provided me with good points to take a break from reading, but the story still flowed nicely, with the pace being fast enough to keep it interesting. I can get bored easily at times, so I did appreciate that.
The story progressed alongside with worldbuilding and there wasn't an overwhelming amount of worldbuilding, where getting through it might turn into a chore. I prefer the type of worldbuilding this book had - its continuous, you dont need to have a notebook next to you to take notes and it is easy to udnerstand.
Im confident the worldbuilding will also continue in the next book.
And there are some things that I noted down for myself when reading the book:
- I liked the use of language in this book, it wasnt overly complicated, but I did learn a few new words. Also, I appreciate the characters did not talk like modern teenagers. That can bring me out of a book VERY fast, if rest of the vibe is sort of medieval fantasy land travelling on horses.
- I found the characters and the world to be believable and relatable, which is odd considering its a magical world.
- The story was original, with familiar elements, that played on my nostalgia for books/movies I had consumed when I was younger. It wasnt in a way, where I though oh this is being copied, but just very small details that felt familiar.
- At this point every book has tropes, we know that. But the tropes were done in a way where I didnt think of them as tropes and they didnt bother me. Well done.
Soooooooooooo
as a summary: this is a very good first book to get someone into the series and as long as the follow ups go a bit deeper into the world and characters, this will be a very good series.
Thank you once more to the author for the ARC copy, I very much enjoyed reading this book.
Well this book was a solid 4.5 - 5 stars for me.
The premise is quite simple, we follow the 17 year old Solar Carpenter, a low-class daughter of a carpenter, who is offered the opportunity to learn magic in a society, that is very class-heavy and quite sexist, especially when it comes to women practising magic.
She has her own motivations, why she accepts to go on the journey, which are honorable and selfish at the same time.
*The Characters*
I very much enjoyed the characters.
The main character Solar was flawed but interesting. She felt like a real person.I loved that she was not sitting on a moral high horse, looking down on everyone and refusing to take action and decisions. She felt her age, which I feel we dont see a lot.
I will gather the boys under one paragraph - I liked them. I feel they were more easy to tell apart before certain shifts and storypoints, but still, I liked the dynamics. I also liked that not everyone laid down adoringly before the main characters feet from the start. It ended up being a found family kind of feel with them and Solar.
The character that could have benefitted from having more development was Cal, even though I enjoyed his backstory. But i have full confidence all the main characters will be more fleshed out throughout the next book - I am assuming here, that there will be another booked based on how this one ends.
THE wizard, Solars mentor, saviour, lifter-upper. What can I say, he is cunning, good at what he does, smooth talking as you would expect an educated member or high society to be. I did quite enjoy his character development and the way his layers kept being peeled back to reveal his personal motives.
The master at arms was a classic, rough around the edges master of all weapons. Looks mean, acts mean, heart is probably at least 60% made of gold. He really grew on me.
*The Story*
The story I enjoyed a lot. I liked the pacing, I loved that it felt a bit episodic at times, it provided me with good points to take a break from reading, but the story still flowed nicely, with the pace being fast enough to keep it interesting. I can get bored easily at times, so I did appreciate that.
The story progressed alongside with worldbuilding and there wasn't an overwhelming amount of worldbuilding, where getting through it might turn into a chore. I prefer the type of worldbuilding this book had - its continuous, you dont need to have a notebook next to you to take notes and it is easy to udnerstand.
Im confident the worldbuilding will also continue in the next book.
And there are some things that I noted down for myself when reading the book:
- I liked the use of language in this book, it wasnt overly complicated, but I did learn a few new words. Also, I appreciate the characters did not talk like modern teenagers. That can bring me out of a book VERY fast, if rest of the vibe is sort of medieval fantasy land travelling on horses.
- I found the characters and the world to be believable and relatable, which is odd considering its a magical world.
- The story was original, with familiar elements, that played on my nostalgia for books/movies I had consumed when I was younger. It wasnt in a way, where I though oh this is being copied, but just very small details that felt familiar.
- At this point every book has tropes, we know that. But the tropes were done in a way where I didnt think of them as tropes and they didnt bother me. Well done.
Soooooooooooo
as a summary: this is a very good first book to get someone into the series and as long as the follow ups go a bit deeper into the world and characters, this will be a very good series.
Thank you once more to the author for the ARC copy, I very much enjoyed reading this book.
August 28, 2025
Thank you so much to T.T. Greenshaw for sending me an eARC of Witchcraft and Fury.
In a world dominated by male magicians, where witches are persecuted, young Solar Carpenter works to provide for her family after her father's disappearance. One day, she's found by a powerful magician and goes with him to train to be a witch, while surrounded by men and boys who don't wish her to master her magic. As she learns more about her abilities, she uncovers secrets and plots that could threaten to topple the entire kingdom of Ashwood.
I enjoyed this one; the premise was really cool, and the worldbuilding elements were fun, however the execution didn't quite hit for me. Solar is a really fun character to read about; she's fiesty and strong and you can tell that she's come from a life of hardship, which makes her feel very real. Her plight to become a witch in a world where witches are hunted and reviled was so interesting to read about. However, at some points especially earlier on in the book, I thought that she and the other trainees were younger than their ages of 17; I think the way that they read as quite young and naive made me think that, and I was a little shocked when I realised they were 17, but got more used to it as the story went on. While Solar was quite a well fleshed out character, I did find our supporting characters to be a little underdeveloped, and aside from Bear and Pingot, I wasn't really too attached to anyone else.
The world of Ashwood was quite well developed; I think I would have liked a bit more depth into the history of why women were banned from using magic, and just the history in general, but for an introductory YA fantasy book, I think it worked out well. The exploration of magic in the world was interesting, and had some unique elements that I've not read of before, such as the magical encampments. Again I think I'd have liked a little more depth in terms of magic system as well; we don't know much about who can use magic or what it entails, other than what Solar was taught by Loveday. I hope we get to go more in depth in future books when Solar learns more.
One thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the pacing; it was very fast and we seemed to jump between plot lines without giving much depth to the characters' emotions and thoughts, which I definitely would have preferred so I can gain a deeper understanding of each character individually. Also some big plot points were skipped over and then told to us after the fact, which isn't my favourite way of storytelling. The writing was really easy to read though; I flew through it and was kept entertained throughout.
Overall, I did enjoy this and think it has the potential to be an amazing YA fantasy series going forward. I'm excited to see what happens to our characters after that ending. I'd definitely recommend this for a younger audience looking for a way into fantasy.
In a world dominated by male magicians, where witches are persecuted, young Solar Carpenter works to provide for her family after her father's disappearance. One day, she's found by a powerful magician and goes with him to train to be a witch, while surrounded by men and boys who don't wish her to master her magic. As she learns more about her abilities, she uncovers secrets and plots that could threaten to topple the entire kingdom of Ashwood.
I enjoyed this one; the premise was really cool, and the worldbuilding elements were fun, however the execution didn't quite hit for me. Solar is a really fun character to read about; she's fiesty and strong and you can tell that she's come from a life of hardship, which makes her feel very real. Her plight to become a witch in a world where witches are hunted and reviled was so interesting to read about. However, at some points especially earlier on in the book, I thought that she and the other trainees were younger than their ages of 17; I think the way that they read as quite young and naive made me think that, and I was a little shocked when I realised they were 17, but got more used to it as the story went on. While Solar was quite a well fleshed out character, I did find our supporting characters to be a little underdeveloped, and aside from Bear and Pingot, I wasn't really too attached to anyone else.
The world of Ashwood was quite well developed; I think I would have liked a bit more depth into the history of why women were banned from using magic, and just the history in general, but for an introductory YA fantasy book, I think it worked out well. The exploration of magic in the world was interesting, and had some unique elements that I've not read of before, such as the magical encampments. Again I think I'd have liked a little more depth in terms of magic system as well; we don't know much about who can use magic or what it entails, other than what Solar was taught by Loveday. I hope we get to go more in depth in future books when Solar learns more.
One thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the pacing; it was very fast and we seemed to jump between plot lines without giving much depth to the characters' emotions and thoughts, which I definitely would have preferred so I can gain a deeper understanding of each character individually. Also some big plot points were skipped over and then told to us after the fact, which isn't my favourite way of storytelling. The writing was really easy to read though; I flew through it and was kept entertained throughout.
Overall, I did enjoy this and think it has the potential to be an amazing YA fantasy series going forward. I'm excited to see what happens to our characters after that ending. I'd definitely recommend this for a younger audience looking for a way into fantasy.
July 28, 2025
The very first thing I would like to do is to thank Theo Greenshaw for letting me be an ARC reader for this book, it was my first time ever getting to do that and I absolutely loved the excitement of getting to read Witchcraft and Fury.
I suppose the best place to start is how I felt about this book overall, and my honest opinion is that I loved it. I’m not saying it was perfect and there are a few comments that I will get into, but the overall feel and writing in the book hooked me and I devoured it.
There were aspects of the writing that I could see influences from Tolkien, Rick Riordan and a bit of J.K Rowling with some random Disney vibes…. I see you magic carpet! But this book strikes me as very much being part of the YA genre and I’m not sure if that’s why I felt some parts slightly over simplified or spelled out a bit too much while other chapters just seemed to steamroll past what could have been really good development opportunities for both plot and characters.
I feel like there is too much of a juxtaposition between the amazing wizard Loveday is renowned for being (Think Gandalf!), and the seemingly bumbling idiot (Think Gilderoy Lockhart!) who literally charges headfirst into every single trap set for them, leaving the apprentices, namely Solar to save the day. Considering he is the one to teach her about Azure Euphoria in the previous scene you’d think it might have been at the forefront of his mind walking into Ravensbridge.
Wasn’t really sure what to make of the Twin Killing spirit storyline…. Felt a bit Scooby-Doo like to me. The person we are looking for is dead and also killed his twin sister? The book just happens to have a spirit in it called a twin killing spirit… and why would that make them target people their own age regardless of twin status?
I also wanted more from the development from enemies to friends, ( and to lovers in the case of Cal) it felt a bit juvenile in places? Things seemed to progress really quickly from the initial prejudices and beliefs about women and magic to besties with not a whole lot of context in between. While I could see the potential romance with Cal from a mile away I definitely felt there was better development of the relationship with Bear (Forever Team Bear!).
Overall really enjoyed Theo’s writing, the style and use of language made this book really enjoyable without the slog of learning all about a new fantasy world which I often find tedious to begin with but worth it in the long run. A great debut novel and I look forward to the sequel!
I suppose the best place to start is how I felt about this book overall, and my honest opinion is that I loved it. I’m not saying it was perfect and there are a few comments that I will get into, but the overall feel and writing in the book hooked me and I devoured it.
There were aspects of the writing that I could see influences from Tolkien, Rick Riordan and a bit of J.K Rowling with some random Disney vibes…. I see you magic carpet! But this book strikes me as very much being part of the YA genre and I’m not sure if that’s why I felt some parts slightly over simplified or spelled out a bit too much while other chapters just seemed to steamroll past what could have been really good development opportunities for both plot and characters.
I feel like there is too much of a juxtaposition between the amazing wizard Loveday is renowned for being (Think Gandalf!), and the seemingly bumbling idiot (Think Gilderoy Lockhart!) who literally charges headfirst into every single trap set for them, leaving the apprentices, namely Solar to save the day. Considering he is the one to teach her about Azure Euphoria in the previous scene you’d think it might have been at the forefront of his mind walking into Ravensbridge.
Wasn’t really sure what to make of the Twin Killing spirit storyline…. Felt a bit Scooby-Doo like to me. The person we are looking for is dead and also killed his twin sister? The book just happens to have a spirit in it called a twin killing spirit… and why would that make them target people their own age regardless of twin status?
I also wanted more from the development from enemies to friends, ( and to lovers in the case of Cal) it felt a bit juvenile in places? Things seemed to progress really quickly from the initial prejudices and beliefs about women and magic to besties with not a whole lot of context in between. While I could see the potential romance with Cal from a mile away I definitely felt there was better development of the relationship with Bear (Forever Team Bear!).
Overall really enjoyed Theo’s writing, the style and use of language made this book really enjoyable without the slog of learning all about a new fantasy world which I often find tedious to begin with but worth it in the long run. A great debut novel and I look forward to the sequel!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2025
This YA epic fantasy is full of adventure and wholesome characters amongst which is a witty badass FMC you'll love.
RATING DETAILS
World building: 3.75/5
Magic system: 3.5/5
Story: 3.75/5
Characters: 3.75/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Prose, writing style & narration: 3/5 (Semi-omniscient narrator, past tense)
Vibes: 4/5
Total: 3.67
📚 Solar Carpenter relies on her witts, smart mouth and small crimes to feed her family as her mom's bedridden since her husband's disappearance.
After a couple of adventures and mishaps she is offered a spot in the magic encampment of the most famous magician of the kingdom. What a chance it is, girls and witches haven't been magically trained for 100 years. She'll accept the spot so that she can go find her father once she is a fully trained with her magical staff.
We'll follow her adventures throughout this magical training with plot twists and high stakes.
⚔️ This was an interesting story that I enjoyed diving into. I'll be pleased to follow Solar and her friends' adventures in book 2!
I didn't know it was more a YA book than an adult fantasy, which surprised me at first (I don't read the whole blurbs and tropes, instead I go off of vibes and the begining of the blurb 😁) and it took some getting used to. Still, it's a page turner and one you could read with your teenager kid, nephew, cousin (16+ I'd say) and discuss together.
🙏 Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read the ARC! It was a pleasure.
RATING DETAILS
World building: 3.75/5
Magic system: 3.5/5
Story: 3.75/5
Characters: 3.75/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Prose, writing style & narration: 3/5 (Semi-omniscient narrator, past tense)
Vibes: 4/5
Total: 3.67
📚 Solar Carpenter relies on her witts, smart mouth and small crimes to feed her family as her mom's bedridden since her husband's disappearance.
After a couple of adventures and mishaps she is offered a spot in the magic encampment of the most famous magician of the kingdom. What a chance it is, girls and witches haven't been magically trained for 100 years. She'll accept the spot so that she can go find her father once she is a fully trained with her magical staff.
We'll follow her adventures throughout this magical training with plot twists and high stakes.
⚔️ This was an interesting story that I enjoyed diving into. I'll be pleased to follow Solar and her friends' adventures in book 2!
I didn't know it was more a YA book than an adult fantasy, which surprised me at first (I don't read the whole blurbs and tropes, instead I go off of vibes and the begining of the blurb 😁) and it took some getting used to. Still, it's a page turner and one you could read with your teenager kid, nephew, cousin (16+ I'd say) and discuss together.
🙏 Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read the ARC! It was a pleasure.
August 20, 2025
⭐⭐⭐ - 3 stars
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
First of all, thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I stumbled across a Tiktok video of Theo presenting his debut fantasy novel about magic schools, found family, political intrigue, romance and a history-altering "first female in 100 years" to study magic. It appealed to me off the bat and I was excited to read this - his description almost sounding like a cross between Harry Potter and The Witcher!
Onto the review itself…
I found this an easy read and it is not a fantasy novel that keeps you going back to maps and character lists just to remind yourself who/what you're reading about. It is definitely young adult in style and this is reflected in the main character - Solar's - age at the beginning of the book. Solar is 17 when she is brought into a magical encampment to learn from the esteemed magician, Gaderian Loveday.
I was ready for more characters when we meet the other trainees in the magic camp - Bear, Pingot, Oswald and Wyman - but I do think the characterisation is quite surface level and I kept muddling the 4 boys up while reading, especially at the beginning. At this point we are also introduced to Loveday's apprentice - Cal - who is slightly older than the trainees at 19 and who despises Solar from the first introduction. I can smell an "enemies to lovers" trope a mile away and although I do normally enjoy this, I did feel that the character of Solar was still too young and naive and I would have preferred this first book to focus more on character and world building.
I found myself rolling my eyes a lot while reading - the 17 year old common girl with no magical knowledge or training saving the day, more than once, over one of the greatest magicians in the Kingdom?! Noooo - not again! This happens often in fantasy novels but I found it particularly jarring in this story and even I'm not too sure why!
I also found myself wondering about magical items that had been introduced and then just left on the cutting room floor - especially Solar's magical book that seems to have some sort of link with her. Why is she not more concerned and awed at that? She just carts it around with her, forgetting it's there. Also - Cal's dragonfly gift seems very cool but we never see that again either.
On the whole, I do think this is a very promising debut novel and I will be keeping an eye out for the 2nd installment next year. However, for me this is not in the same league as fantasy worlds and characters built by other established authors but if you are looking for a truly Y.A. story or would like to start reading fantasy and need an easy starter novel, Witchcraft & Fury could be for you.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
First of all, thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I stumbled across a Tiktok video of Theo presenting his debut fantasy novel about magic schools, found family, political intrigue, romance and a history-altering "first female in 100 years" to study magic. It appealed to me off the bat and I was excited to read this - his description almost sounding like a cross between Harry Potter and The Witcher!
Onto the review itself…
I found this an easy read and it is not a fantasy novel that keeps you going back to maps and character lists just to remind yourself who/what you're reading about. It is definitely young adult in style and this is reflected in the main character - Solar's - age at the beginning of the book. Solar is 17 when she is brought into a magical encampment to learn from the esteemed magician, Gaderian Loveday.
I was ready for more characters when we meet the other trainees in the magic camp - Bear, Pingot, Oswald and Wyman - but I do think the characterisation is quite surface level and I kept muddling the 4 boys up while reading, especially at the beginning. At this point we are also introduced to Loveday's apprentice - Cal - who is slightly older than the trainees at 19 and who despises Solar from the first introduction. I can smell an "enemies to lovers" trope a mile away and although I do normally enjoy this, I did feel that the character of Solar was still too young and naive and I would have preferred this first book to focus more on character and world building.
I found myself rolling my eyes a lot while reading - the 17 year old common girl with no magical knowledge or training saving the day, more than once, over one of the greatest magicians in the Kingdom?! Noooo - not again! This happens often in fantasy novels but I found it particularly jarring in this story and even I'm not too sure why!
I also found myself wondering about magical items that had been introduced and then just left on the cutting room floor - especially Solar's magical book that seems to have some sort of link with her. Why is she not more concerned and awed at that? She just carts it around with her, forgetting it's there. Also - Cal's dragonfly gift seems very cool but we never see that again either.
On the whole, I do think this is a very promising debut novel and I will be keeping an eye out for the 2nd installment next year. However, for me this is not in the same league as fantasy worlds and characters built by other established authors but if you are looking for a truly Y.A. story or would like to start reading fantasy and need an easy starter novel, Witchcraft & Fury could be for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
Thank you to Theo for the ARC physical copy *
Witchcraft and Fury by T. T. Greenshaw is an engaging story of a young girl's journey to become a witch in a world where witches are persecuted.....and only highborn males can study and use magic.
Our lead (Solar) lives in poverty and desperately wishes to find her father, who went missing during the war. With no way to realistically achieve this, Solar takes the chance to study magic with a renowned Wizard after a series of rather unfortunate events.
We read through self-discoveries, mystery, found family and even a little romance....as well as mistrust and a smidge of political intregue. I like the way the relationships develop between the characters, with friendship being a focal point.
The world-building moves at a steady pace, as does the magic system. You learn more and more as the book unfolds, which is appriciated because it doesn't become confusing or fall into any issues some high fantasy faces (this is a ya high fantasy story) The different missions the students go on very much make me think of The Witcher. Magical help needed in a town plauged by something, our party enters and after shenanigans discover what's causing it and manage to fix it. I'm very interested in the magic and monsters of this world so hopefully we experience more in later books.
The only issue I had whilst reading was concerning nievety. The students are only older teens, yes, and most are sheltered rich boys, but I do think that Solar, coming from the background that she does, would be a little more street-wise.
I feel this book is to be an excellent introduction to the world of fantasy novels for a young adult audience. With many adventures along the way, some twists and turns, it kept me turning the pages.
Witchcraft and Fury by T. T. Greenshaw is an engaging story of a young girl's journey to become a witch in a world where witches are persecuted.....and only highborn males can study and use magic.
Our lead (Solar) lives in poverty and desperately wishes to find her father, who went missing during the war. With no way to realistically achieve this, Solar takes the chance to study magic with a renowned Wizard after a series of rather unfortunate events.
We read through self-discoveries, mystery, found family and even a little romance....as well as mistrust and a smidge of political intregue. I like the way the relationships develop between the characters, with friendship being a focal point.
The world-building moves at a steady pace, as does the magic system. You learn more and more as the book unfolds, which is appriciated because it doesn't become confusing or fall into any issues some high fantasy faces (this is a ya high fantasy story) The different missions the students go on very much make me think of The Witcher. Magical help needed in a town plauged by something, our party enters and after shenanigans discover what's causing it and manage to fix it. I'm very interested in the magic and monsters of this world so hopefully we experience more in later books.
The only issue I had whilst reading was concerning nievety. The students are only older teens, yes, and most are sheltered rich boys, but I do think that Solar, coming from the background that she does, would be a little more street-wise.
I feel this book is to be an excellent introduction to the world of fantasy novels for a young adult audience. With many adventures along the way, some twists and turns, it kept me turning the pages.
August 16, 2025
I liked this book, it’s a little different for me especially the YA feel! I liked the world building at the beginning, although struggled to follow at first, I was able to really throw myself into Solars world, I would have liked more development between her and the love interest. I liked the way the story and plans were intricately laced from the beginning, but I feel the defeat happened too quickly. I’d have loved some more obstacles where im on the edge of my seat/scared to read on. However this story shows how sneaky some of the characters are, but again I feel like we were told too early on, I’d love to have been blindsided.
I like how much potential is in this series and how intricate the chess match solar and the gang will have to play now because who can they trust?!
Solar is going to be badass and I love the feminist message, she’s so pivotal in more witches learning magic in the future!
I also loved the found family feel with the other students, it was wholesome and I can’t wait to see how their story pans out!
I would have loved some POV’s especially as the plan/plot was starting to unravel at the end and I would have just liked more? Intrigued to see how this series pans out!
I like how much potential is in this series and how intricate the chess match solar and the gang will have to play now because who can they trust?!
Solar is going to be badass and I love the feminist message, she’s so pivotal in more witches learning magic in the future!
I also loved the found family feel with the other students, it was wholesome and I can’t wait to see how their story pans out!
I would have loved some POV’s especially as the plan/plot was starting to unravel at the end and I would have just liked more? Intrigued to see how this series pans out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2025
Thank you to T. T. Greenshaw and Love Book Tours for having me on the Witchcraft and Fury readalong.
We follow Solar, a low born girl who struggles to provide for her sick mother and younger brother after her father disappeared in the Kings War.
One day she happens upon a very powerful wizard who sees something in Solar. She has the potential to be a great witch and so he enlists her into his magical encampment to train alongside his other students.
Adventure ensues along the way but all the while a niggling feeling prays at Solar and whether she should be trusting of her new mentor.
A fun read, full of magic and adventure. It sort of gave Lord of the Rings vibes but the teen version. It has the found family trope which is one of my favourites.
I love how Solar and her classmates forge their friendships and grow not only magically but as people.
The fight scenes were pretty cool and the use of magic.
The overall story arc is a bit long winded; it felt like a few short stories along the way whilst we progressed to the main plot.
Overall I enjoyed this book and am very appreciative to have been selected for the readalong.
We follow Solar, a low born girl who struggles to provide for her sick mother and younger brother after her father disappeared in the Kings War.
One day she happens upon a very powerful wizard who sees something in Solar. She has the potential to be a great witch and so he enlists her into his magical encampment to train alongside his other students.
Adventure ensues along the way but all the while a niggling feeling prays at Solar and whether she should be trusting of her new mentor.
A fun read, full of magic and adventure. It sort of gave Lord of the Rings vibes but the teen version. It has the found family trope which is one of my favourites.
I love how Solar and her classmates forge their friendships and grow not only magically but as people.
The fight scenes were pretty cool and the use of magic.
The overall story arc is a bit long winded; it felt like a few short stories along the way whilst we progressed to the main plot.
Overall I enjoyed this book and am very appreciative to have been selected for the readalong.
July 29, 2025
I enjoyed the first instalment of this series. It was fast-paced, exciting, and full of adventure. It kept me intrigued throughout, and left me intrigued for the second book.
I would have perhaps liked some of the action to be slowed down and explored in more detail, a LOT happened and some parts of the story deserved more depth and complexity. I would have also liked a bit more world building in places (more explanation around the gods, map, and magic systems for example). At times it felt like we were presented with the answers straight away, rather than piecing things together ourselves or being suspended in mystery. However this is for a YA audience, so probably has that in mind.
Overall I liked the beginnings of this story, the characters and relationships. I’m eager to see how the series develops, including the romance that started to unfold. I also really enjoyed the excerpts at the start of each chapter - I feel like I learnt a lot about the world from these.
And thank you very much to the author for the ARC! 😊
I would have perhaps liked some of the action to be slowed down and explored in more detail, a LOT happened and some parts of the story deserved more depth and complexity. I would have also liked a bit more world building in places (more explanation around the gods, map, and magic systems for example). At times it felt like we were presented with the answers straight away, rather than piecing things together ourselves or being suspended in mystery. However this is for a YA audience, so probably has that in mind.
Overall I liked the beginnings of this story, the characters and relationships. I’m eager to see how the series develops, including the romance that started to unfold. I also really enjoyed the excerpts at the start of each chapter - I feel like I learnt a lot about the world from these.
And thank you very much to the author for the ARC! 😊
September 27, 2025
Thank you for the author & LBT for allowing me to tour this book.
Ah this one’s goooood! Took me a little to get into, but once it really started to get going, I was following along pretty easily. The lore was fascinating but quick at the same time with the writing being detailed but easily read.
I love a good adventure book, and this one did not disappoint! This follows the story of Solar as she learns how to wield her abilities whilst trying to live in a world where witches are prosecuted.
Solar is feisty, funny, badass, sometimes a little naive, remembers what/where she came from and gives the reader enough emotions to understand what she’s going through.
The author has gone to great lengths for this novel, from the story & lore, to even the cover which is beautiful, simple yet elegant 😍 it’s been an absolute pleasure to read Witchcraft and Fury 🫶🏻
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely, to all my younger (anyone really) fantasy lovers, this one’s for you 😍
Ah this one’s goooood! Took me a little to get into, but once it really started to get going, I was following along pretty easily. The lore was fascinating but quick at the same time with the writing being detailed but easily read.
I love a good adventure book, and this one did not disappoint! This follows the story of Solar as she learns how to wield her abilities whilst trying to live in a world where witches are prosecuted.
Solar is feisty, funny, badass, sometimes a little naive, remembers what/where she came from and gives the reader enough emotions to understand what she’s going through.
The author has gone to great lengths for this novel, from the story & lore, to even the cover which is beautiful, simple yet elegant 😍 it’s been an absolute pleasure to read Witchcraft and Fury 🫶🏻
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely, to all my younger (anyone really) fantasy lovers, this one’s for you 😍
July 22, 2025
If no one hears from me from now on, it’s because I’m officially holding my breath until I have Book 2 in my hands.
I devoured this story.
The characters were absolutely brilliant especially Solar. She’s a young, low-born girl who gets chosen to train in witchcraft in a world where magic is strictly reserved for highborn males. Watching her navigate a system that was never built for someone like her was gripping.
This is such a strong debut novel, and one I’m genuinely glad I picked up. The world is rich with magic, power struggles, and rebellion and once I started, I couldn’t stop.
If you’re into YA fantasy with medieval vibes, a strong female lead, and a plot that’s easy to follow but still keeps you hooked, this is the perfect pick for you. I’m already desperate for Book 2
Really well done on this book :)
September 30, 2025
Witchcraft and fury
When we meet Solar, she is a simple common person, stealing what she can to get by and help her family. She tries to avoid trouble at all costs but when she meets someone who helps her smuggle a secret magic book into town, little does she know how her life is about to change! For magic is only for the males, and well born ones at that, however, are things about to change as Solar begins her journey into the world of spells and training with the other magical trainees?
What follows is a magical story of witches, wizards, truth, lies and friendships forged never to be broken.
What an adventure this book is. The author really takes you on a journey from the first page to the last.
I can easily see this book being turned into a movie, or a TV series as each chapter felt like an episode to me. The detail is spot on, I could imagine everything in my minds eye, from the characters to the places they visit.
The character development is amazing, as the young trainees get to know each other, you will be right along side them, getting to know them too, feeling like a part of the encampment. There is a great depth to the characters and such growth throughout. You really will feel like you have been on this magical journey with them, through the highs and the lows.
This is a story of resilience, of standing up for what is right, there’s magic, there’s danger, there’s people you shouldn’t trust, but above all, there is friendship.
The ending is perfect, the story wrapped up nicely, but leaving a wonderful lead into further adventures.
So all in all, definitely pick it up and read it, but be warned, you won’t want to put it down!
When we meet Solar, she is a simple common person, stealing what she can to get by and help her family. She tries to avoid trouble at all costs but when she meets someone who helps her smuggle a secret magic book into town, little does she know how her life is about to change! For magic is only for the males, and well born ones at that, however, are things about to change as Solar begins her journey into the world of spells and training with the other magical trainees?
What follows is a magical story of witches, wizards, truth, lies and friendships forged never to be broken.
What an adventure this book is. The author really takes you on a journey from the first page to the last.
I can easily see this book being turned into a movie, or a TV series as each chapter felt like an episode to me. The detail is spot on, I could imagine everything in my minds eye, from the characters to the places they visit.
The character development is amazing, as the young trainees get to know each other, you will be right along side them, getting to know them too, feeling like a part of the encampment. There is a great depth to the characters and such growth throughout. You really will feel like you have been on this magical journey with them, through the highs and the lows.
This is a story of resilience, of standing up for what is right, there’s magic, there’s danger, there’s people you shouldn’t trust, but above all, there is friendship.
The ending is perfect, the story wrapped up nicely, but leaving a wonderful lead into further adventures.
So all in all, definitely pick it up and read it, but be warned, you won’t want to put it down!
July 30, 2025
first off, thank you so much to the author, Theo Greenshaw, for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. it really was an honour and i enjoyed it so much!
you guys, this book… the FEELINGS it had me feel! i was hooked at the start, and i had such a hard time putting it down. the plot is so well-driven, the writing is beautiful and the characters are deep and well-developed. this book had me GIGGLING and kicking my feet! its funny, smart, a bit dark and so emotional.
Solar is brave, fierce, kind and so smart. she isnt your typical 17-year old brat that does what she wants without care, Solar cares so deeply about her friends and the people around her and its so evident throughout the entire book. the way she puts herself in danger to protect her classmates, her leadership skills, is enthralling. she is beautifully described, you really feel like you get to know her and my heart cried with her several times. as did it for Cal, Bear, Oswald, Wyman and Pingot. what a gang, what a team. i loved them!
they defend each other, have each others backs and develop such a heartwarming friendship.
the story takes you on a rollercoaster in which you feel like youre holding on for dear life, losing your breath, before it goes around a steep curve and you are absolutely blown away by whats happening. i loved every second of the book and would HIGHLY recommend it to every fantasy-enthusiast out there. i cant wait for the second one to come out, hopefully then we get an even deeper dive into the stories of the boys!
•wield justice, honour the code•
you guys, this book… the FEELINGS it had me feel! i was hooked at the start, and i had such a hard time putting it down. the plot is so well-driven, the writing is beautiful and the characters are deep and well-developed. this book had me GIGGLING and kicking my feet! its funny, smart, a bit dark and so emotional.
Solar is brave, fierce, kind and so smart. she isnt your typical 17-year old brat that does what she wants without care, Solar cares so deeply about her friends and the people around her and its so evident throughout the entire book. the way she puts herself in danger to protect her classmates, her leadership skills, is enthralling. she is beautifully described, you really feel like you get to know her and my heart cried with her several times. as did it for Cal, Bear, Oswald, Wyman and Pingot. what a gang, what a team. i loved them!
they defend each other, have each others backs and develop such a heartwarming friendship.
the story takes you on a rollercoaster in which you feel like youre holding on for dear life, losing your breath, before it goes around a steep curve and you are absolutely blown away by whats happening. i loved every second of the book and would HIGHLY recommend it to every fantasy-enthusiast out there. i cant wait for the second one to come out, hopefully then we get an even deeper dive into the stories of the boys!
•wield justice, honour the code•
August 25, 2025
This debut novel by Greenshaw portrays tropes such as found family, slow burn romance, magic school, plot twists and much more. I enjoyed the journey that I went along in this book, which follows Solar the first female magic student in 100 years. She and fellow male students travel across the land with their magic instructor in search of different trials/tests. This was a good introduction to this world and was easy to follow. I feel that we were left with a nice cliffhanger which ultimately has left me wanting to find out what is next in store for this group of students. Highly recommend.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an advanced reader copy (ARC).
Thank you for the opportunity to read this as an advanced reader copy (ARC).
October 12, 2025
4.5 stars!
This was a great first book in the series and I am absolutely hooked.
The story follows Solar who is given an opportunity to leave her hometown to study magic...something that no woman has done for 100 years. He fellow novices do not appreciate a girl and a commoner of all things, having a place amongst them. Solar is going to have to prove her worth.
I really liked Solar and her fierce determination. She is also kind, loyal and protective even when others treat her badly. The boys grew on me and it was nice to see how the dynamics changed as Solar proved herself more than worthy of her place amongst them.
The world building was done well, I loved the imps and their obsessive eating and wielding of kitchen implements! The story is well written and I found it hard to put the book down. Books like this remind me of why I love fantasy so much.
I don't want to give much more away about the plot, but I am totally invested and need to know what happens next!
Huge thanks to the author and Love Books Tours for providing a copy of the book to review.
This was a great first book in the series and I am absolutely hooked.
The story follows Solar who is given an opportunity to leave her hometown to study magic...something that no woman has done for 100 years. He fellow novices do not appreciate a girl and a commoner of all things, having a place amongst them. Solar is going to have to prove her worth.
I really liked Solar and her fierce determination. She is also kind, loyal and protective even when others treat her badly. The boys grew on me and it was nice to see how the dynamics changed as Solar proved herself more than worthy of her place amongst them.
The world building was done well, I loved the imps and their obsessive eating and wielding of kitchen implements! The story is well written and I found it hard to put the book down. Books like this remind me of why I love fantasy so much.
I don't want to give much more away about the plot, but I am totally invested and need to know what happens next!
Huge thanks to the author and Love Books Tours for providing a copy of the book to review.
February 3, 2026
ARC read 🥰 Thank you to the author for allowing me to read the book before release!
I really liked Solar as a FMC, more so than a lot of FMCs I’ve read about. She was easy to connect with and I enjoyed her company, as well as the rest of the encampment.
Her relationship with the MMC felt slightly rushed and under developed at times but that may be a personal preference of timing in books that I have. I did enjoy the MMC himself and I felt that he had a lot of layers which made him interesting.
I thought there were moments throughout that kept me engaged and there were captivating parts throughout the whole book, and not just a build up to one at the end. It felt different to a lot of books.
I really liked Solar as a FMC, more so than a lot of FMCs I’ve read about. She was easy to connect with and I enjoyed her company, as well as the rest of the encampment.
Her relationship with the MMC felt slightly rushed and under developed at times but that may be a personal preference of timing in books that I have. I did enjoy the MMC himself and I felt that he had a lot of layers which made him interesting.
I thought there were moments throughout that kept me engaged and there were captivating parts throughout the whole book, and not just a build up to one at the end. It felt different to a lot of books.
September 29, 2025
This is a great YA fantasy book that had me hooked from the very beginning. I really liked Solars character and she showed such great resilience throughout. The premise of the story was original and I really liked the fact that Solar came from an ordinary background although so had faced struggles.
There were so many incredible moments throughout the book and I loved how the characters and their relationships are beginning to develope and I can't wait for the story to continue.
There were so many incredible moments throughout the book and I loved how the characters and their relationships are beginning to develope and I can't wait for the story to continue.
July 24, 2025
⭐️ 3.5 rounded up ⭐️
From the moment I saw this book featured witches, I was excited. I love reading fantasy books and anything with magic, and this certainly didn’t disappoint on that front. The setting gave me Assassin’s Blade vibes which made it all the more immersive.
The writing style was incredibly accessible. I flew through the entire book in one sitting. The FMC was a definite highlight. She’s strong-willed, assertive, and unapologetically herself, refusing to bow down to the men around her.
I also really enjoyed the bonds formed throughout the book, especially the friendships between Bear, Solar, and Pingot. These relationships added warmth and humor, even though I felt the character development could’ve dug a little deeper. There were also subtle hints of romance that were handled well and I’m excited to see how that develops in book two!
That said, there were a few elements that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The writing occasionally leaned more toward YA, which I understand is fitting for the target audience, but it did feel a little simplistic in places. I also would’ve liked more background on why witches were persecuted historically as it’s a big part of the worldbuilding, but not fully fleshed out. Some plot points, particularly involving Solar’s dad and her broader family history, felt rushed or underdeveloped.
Still, this was a strong debut and a promising start to a new fantasy series. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment.
Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to be part of the ARC team!
From the moment I saw this book featured witches, I was excited. I love reading fantasy books and anything with magic, and this certainly didn’t disappoint on that front. The setting gave me Assassin’s Blade vibes which made it all the more immersive.
The writing style was incredibly accessible. I flew through the entire book in one sitting. The FMC was a definite highlight. She’s strong-willed, assertive, and unapologetically herself, refusing to bow down to the men around her.
I also really enjoyed the bonds formed throughout the book, especially the friendships between Bear, Solar, and Pingot. These relationships added warmth and humor, even though I felt the character development could’ve dug a little deeper. There were also subtle hints of romance that were handled well and I’m excited to see how that develops in book two!
That said, there were a few elements that didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The writing occasionally leaned more toward YA, which I understand is fitting for the target audience, but it did feel a little simplistic in places. I also would’ve liked more background on why witches were persecuted historically as it’s a big part of the worldbuilding, but not fully fleshed out. Some plot points, particularly involving Solar’s dad and her broader family history, felt rushed or underdeveloped.
Still, this was a strong debut and a promising start to a new fantasy series. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next installment.
Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to be part of the ARC team!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews