Julia Unbound

Witch's Child #3

by Catherine Egan

In this heart-pounding conclusion to the Witch's Child trilogy, Catherine Egan's masterful world-building and fiercely flawed heroine will thrill fans of Graceling and Six of Crows.

Julia has been ensnared in so many different webs, it's hard to see how she'll ever break free. She must do Casimir's bidding in order to save the life of her brother. She must work against Casimir to save the lives of most everyone else she knows.

Casimir demands that Julia use her vanishing skills to act as a spy at court and ensure that a malleable prince is installed on the throne of Frayne. But Julia is secretly acting as a double agent, passing information to the revolutionaries and witches who want a rebel princess to rule.

Beyond these deadly entanglements, Julia is also desperately seeking the truth about herself: How is it she can vanish? Is she some form of monster? Is her life her own?

With every move she makes, Julia finds herself tangled ever tighter. Should she try to save her country? Her brother? A beloved child? Can she even save herself?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Teen, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Supernatural

Unknown Binding

First published June 19, 2018

About the author

My superpowers: forward momentum, list-making, simultaneously holding two opposing opinions
My weaknesses: overthinking, excessive list-making, simultaneously holding two opposing opinions
My allies: My made-for-walking-in black boots, Mick, the English Language
My enemies: decaf, low blood sugar, the passage of time
My mission: the coexistence of ambivalence and joy.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish more people knew about this series. It is so criminally underrated.

The author is such a good writer.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Did you ever think art could be like a weapon? As powerful as or even more powerful than a gun or a sword?"

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4

*Thoughts*

Julia Unbound is the third and final installment in author Catherine Egan's Witch's Child trilogy. The story picks up shortly after the end of Julia Defiant. Julia has been cornered like a wet cat by Casimir, a Xianren immortal who wants the remaining piece of the Book of Disruption. A piece that was hidden away by Julia in a place he has no access to. In order to save her brother Benedek, Julia agrees to be a spy and to be implanted with a parasite which will slowly make its way to her brain, and make her pliable to anything that Casimir asks her to do.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

[Liz at Midnight Bloom Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Witch's Child trilogy comes to an exhilarating finish with Julia Unbound. Casimir is still searching for Theo, determined to claim the last third of the Book of Disruption. Julia has temporarily hidden Theo at Ragg Rock, just beyond the Xianren's reach, but it won't stop him for long. Threatening her brother Dek's life, Casimir has implanted a nuyi into Julia's arm, and now she has just over a week until she loses her free will and he can control her.

As if that wasn't enough, Zara and the not-actually-executed Lady Laroche are planning a rebellion in Frayne against the dying King Zey and Agoston Horthy, his powerful prime minister. It's because of Horthy's terrible influence that witches have been hunted and drowned for decades. Everyone seems to have their own agenda... and everyone wants a piece of Julia. Using her exceptional ability to vanish, Julia must act the part of double agent, keeping an eye on Horthy and passing information to both Casimir and the witches.

Julia Unbound was stressful to read! But like in a good way? As you can see, there was A LOT happening in this book. Spying. Rebellion. A race against time. The threat of discovery. Allies you weren't entirely sure you could trust. I don't know how Julia kept it all together without falling apart, but she did her best. She stayed focused, kept her convictions, and when there wasn't much choice, she tried to pick the lesser of two evils. I really admired Julia's strength and tenacity in Julia Unbound, and it reminded me just how much she's changed and grown since the first book.

I think the best surprise about this series has been the unlikely friendship that's developed between Julia and Pia. When we first met Pia in Julia Vanishes, she was the scary henchwoman of Casimir. In Julia Defiant, Pia unexpectedly saved Julia from harm, and we learned about her tragic, heart-breaking past. She still worked for Casimir, yes, but she didn't seem like such a villain anymore. In Julia Unbound, we saw another side of Pia yet again; she was defiant and willing to side with her friend.

I feel like the witches of Frayne still didn't quite get the vengeance they absolutely deserved, but I was more than satisfied with how Julia Unbound concluded. As long as Julia and her loved ones could make it through calamity safe and together, then I was happy was for her. I've absolutely enjoyed reading the Witch's Child trilogy, with all its wonder and suspense, detailed world-building, and intriguing cast of characters. I can't wait to read whatever Catherine Egan writes next!

** I received a finished copy from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. **

[Courts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Unbound is the third book in The Witch's Child series and I have not yet read the previous two. I've never jumped to a final book in a trilogy before so it was a little bit of an experiment - would I be able to connect to the characters without that backstory? Would I even understand what was going on?

To start off with, the book has a nice map of Spira City, where most of the action takes place, and a cast of characters and places. I love a book with a map. (I probably could even have gone for another map of the greater world, because characters' adventures in far off places are mentioned quite often). I relied on both of those quite often at the beginning to help me understand.

A very simple explanation of the plot is that there are parasites like from Stargate and The Faculty that are controlled by a queen and the main character, Julia, makes a deal to save the life of her brother: she will accept one of these parasites and spy for a world-destroying villain. In addition to this, there's a dying king, a contested crown, burgeoning revolution from multiple sides, persecuted and very angry witches, immortal beings, ancient body swappers, a shadow world, political intrigue, spies, and a dragon. There's honestly so much packed in here I read the entire thing in less than two days because I couldn't stop, I had to find out more.

Julia is a real stand out protagonist. She's strong and vulnerable, brave, upstanding, terrified, everything a teenage girl with an exploitable power to vanish and an immortal bad guy's will-bending parasite making its way slowly to her brain. She tries to do the right thing, while trying to save her free will and her brother's life, but every character has their own machinations and motivations. I even found the min-romance with the cute, pure contender for the crown Luca to be sweet. He's way out of his depth and I was oddly charmed by him, but appreciative that sex and romance were only a very small portion of the story.

I particularly liked Pia, a broken and mechanical assassin controlled by the villain, Casimir; her interactions and growing relationship with Julia were developed really well, each coming to respect and care for each other despite the roles they play at Casimir's will.

So, overall, despite a little confusion at the beginning, Julia Unbound was a fun, compulsive read full of adventure.

[Letanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia hat Theo sicher vor Casimir versteckt, zumindest hofft sie das. Dafür erpresst Casimir jetzt mit dem Leben ihres Bruders Dek, sie soll für ihn in Spira am Hofe des Königs spionieren. Dabei kommt Julia ihre Gabe zugute und rettet sie immer wieder aus brenzlichen Situationen.

Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um den 3. und letzten Teil der Schattendiebin-Reihe. Die Handlung ist sehr komplex und verworren. Das hier ist kein Buch, das man mal eben so zwischendurch liest. Außerdem ist es mit über 500 Seiten wirklich recht dick und manche Kapitel sind auch recht kurz, was ich sehr ungewöhnlich fand. Wie immer habe ich am Anfang etwas gebraucht, um mich in der Handlung zurecht zu finden, aber glücklicherweise gibt es am Ende des Buches ein Verzeichnis mit allen wichtigen Personen, sonst hätte ich mich nicht zurecht gefunden.

Julia hat sich im Laufe der Reihe sehr verändert, von der einfachen Diebin ist sie mittlerweile in die Rolle der Spionin geschlüpft, zwar nicht freiwillig, aber doch recht erfolgreich. Es passieren viele Dinge, es geht um die Intrigen am Hofe des Königs, um die Revolution und um den kleinen Theo, den Julia in Sicherheit gebracht hat. Alle Parteien, sei es nun die Hexen oder die Menschen, sind nur auf ihren eigenen Vorteil aus. Zwischen die Fronten gerät Julia, die eigentlich nur ihren Bruder und Theo retten will.

Endlich wird auch das Geheimnis um Julias besondere Fähigkeit gelüftet und auch sonst werden am Ende alle Fragen beantwortet. Romantik gibt es nur am Rande, wobei ich nach dem 2. Teil eigentlich andere Entwicklungen erwartet hatte. Insgesamt spielt Romantik in dieser Reihe eine sehr kleine Rolle.

Mir hat auch der 3. Teil wieder sehr gut gefallen, wobei ich aber gestehen muss, dass sich die Handlung in der Mitte etwas zieht. Von mir gibt es auch dieses Mal die volle Punktzahl.

[Feey_Clowchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saga coup de cœur ❤️ L'une de mes préférées. Julia, sa bande et l'univers vont beaucoup me manquer

[zeilen.vertraeumt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es war leider einfach nicht mein Buch bzw. meine Buchreihe...


Zur Geschichte:

Auch dieser Teil schließt wieder nahtlos an seinen Vorgänger an, was den Wiedereinstieg erleichtert.

Leider konnte mich aber auch der finale Band der Reihe nicht richtig fesseln und mitreißen. Es war einfach nicht mein Buch, womit ich betonen möchte, dass es an mir lag und nicht an der Geschichte!

Denn die Handlung ist durchaus spannend. Es gibt viele überraschende Enthüllungen, unerwartete Entwicklungen und actionreiche Szenen. Das Finale ist energiegeladen und packend und viele Geheimnisse werden gelüftet. Dazwischen gibt es immer wieder mal ein paar Passagen, die sich etwas in die Länge zogen, aber ich denke, wenn einen die Geschichte richtig von sich eingenommen hat, werden diese nicht der Rede wert sein. Allerdings wird die Geschichte immer komplexer und verworrener, weswegen man aufmerksam und konzentriert lesen sollte. Es ist kein Buch, das man ebenso mal zwischendurch lesen kann.

Die Geschichte dreht sich um Hexenmagie, Geheimnisse, Lügen, Intrigen und Machtspiele, was eigentlich genau meinen Geschmack trifft, nur hier ist der Funke leider nie richtig übergesprungen, was wohl vordergründig an meinem schwierigen Verhältnis zu den Charakteren liegt.

Das Worldbuilding fand ich von Anfang an sehr vielversprechend und das hat sich auch im dritten Teil nicht mehr geändert. Die Welt ist interessant und faszinierend. Catherine Egan hat mit viel Phantasie eine originelle magische Welt erschaffen.

Ein weiterer Aspekt, der mich persönlich sehr gestört hat, war die fehlende Romantik. Es gibt keine richtige Liebesgeschichte, die sich über die gesamte Reihe hinweg entwickelt, da Julia's Love Interest permanent wechselt. Es gibt zwar "romantische Momente", aber denen mangelt es meiner Meinung nach stark an Gefühl und emotionaler Tiefe. Sie konnten mich nicht berühren. Es kamen keine Emotionen bei mir an.


Zu den Charakteren:

Die Geschichte wird wieder aus Julia's Sicht in der Ich-Perspektive erzählt. Eine gute Innensicht kam daraus meines Erachtens trotzdem nicht zustande.

Mit den Charakteren hatte ich leider vom ersten bis zum dritten Band massive Schwierigkeiten, da mir niemand von ihnen sympathisch war. Sie blieben alle recht blass und undurchsichtig, sodass ich keinen von ihnen näher kennenlernen, geschweige denn mich mit ihm*ihr identifizieren konnte.


Zum Schreibstil:

Das Buch lässt sich trotz der Komplexität seiner Handlung gut lesen. Die Kulisse wird anschaulich und bildlich beschrieben. Allerdings mangelt es dem Schreibstil meiner Meinung nach stark an Gefühl und Humor.


Weitere Anmerkungen:

In diesem Buch gibt es zusätzlich zur Unterteilung in Kapitel erstmals eine Gliederung in einzelne Teile, die mit Zitaten bzw. kurzen Einspielern versehen waren. An sich eine schöne Idee, bloß konnte ich in diesem Fall keinen Mehrwert darin erkennen.


Fazit:

Objektiv betrachtet würde ich das Finale der Geschichte als spannend und packend bezeichnen, jedoch konnte mich die gesamte Reihe leider nicht fesseln und mitreißen. Mir hat es erheblich an Romantik und Gefühl gefehlt und mit den Charakteren wurde ich leider auch nicht warm. Da diese Buchreihe aber viel positive Resonanz erhalten hat, kann ich euch nur empfehlen, euch ein eigenes Bild davon zu machen.

Es war einfach nicht mein Buch, weswegen ich mich einer Sternebewertung entziehe und nur so meine Gedanken zum Buch mit euch teilen möchte. Die angegebenen 3 Sterne entsprechen folglich nicht meiner Wertung! Man muss nun einmal welche eintragen, um eine Rezension schreiben zu dürfen...

[halia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, pia was the most interesting character.

[The Library Ladies · Rating 4 out of 5]

(originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com )

I have thoroughly enjoyed this very under-the-radar fantasy series. I knew very little about the book when I picked up the first one, but was quickly taken in by its unique world and a truly strong and complicated main character. The second book then impressed me even more by proving that not all YA series must rely on a “one true pairing!” romance as the emotional core of its story. The stakes were left higher than ever, so I was anxious to discover how things would be wrapped up in this, the third and final book. And I couldn’t be more pleased!

Back in Frayne, several weeks after the events of “Julia Defiant,” finds Julia up against a literal countdown to disaster. Not only is her beloved brother in the grips of the nefarious Casimir, but the political upheaval between the dying King and his cohort of witch hunters and the witches themselves seems to be coming to a head. And at the center of it all, a small child who has been left in Julia’s care and who holds the most powerful magic of all within him. A tangled web has been spun around her like a noose, and it’s slowly tightening.

This book did everything you want to see in a trilogy. Most especially, it took the strengths that had been established in the first two books and seemed to almost perfect them, all while wrapping up a complicated story and resolving the character conflicts that had been left over.

Throughout the series, I’ve liked the complicated world that has been built. Here, the conflict has expanded out to a city-wide, even nation-wide, level as the witches have finally found a rally point in a new heir to the throne who will look with a more friendly eye on their kind and hopefully reduce the persecution they have been living through during the past several decades. But Julia and co. are quick discover that no cause is perfect and that methods can matter just as much as the lofty goals behind them. Through this lens, the story explores topics such as domestic terrorism and political balance. Those who start out as heroes are questioned and those who have been presented as nothing more than villains are given expanded histories. This all leads to delicious conflicts that Julia must navigate. Her extraordinary power makes her a valuable ally to all groups involved, but she is beholden to no one and must come to her own decisions and walk her own path.

I’ve loved Julia as a character from the beginning, and this book really solidifies her as a unique heroine. As I mentioned in my review of the second book, I’ve really appreciated the author’s approach that has allowed non-romantic relationships to come to the forefront as the driving emotional force behind Julia’s choices. Rather than a “one true love,” Julia fights for her brother and the small boy under her care. She also fights for herself. She knows the power she possesses is rare and valuable to those around her. She knows that others will likely try to use her and manipulate her into aligning herself with their own pet causes. But Julia is her own woman.

We get to learn much more about Julia’s own history and abilities. Questions were raised in the second book that serve as a central plot point here. And the answers were surprising and satisfying. She also forms a brief, new romantic relationship. But like the ones that came before, she sees these relationships for what they are: meaningful, but not THE MEANING. There is a particular line that comes in the story where another independent woman, when asked if she needs help before setting out on a mission, responds with “You would only slow me down.” Julia takes this short phrase to heart, setting it as a goal: to be a strong woman who is simply slowed down by others, free to choose her own paths and complete her own goals. It was a refreshing new take on a YA heroine, and I loved her use of this phrase as a personal mantra.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book and series. My one complaint, perhaps, is that events are quickly wrapped up in the end. But even that flaw barely registered in my general enjoyment of the book as a whole. As I’ve said, this book has flown mostly under the radar, and it’s such a shame! In a genre that is flooded by novels that often follow fairly tried and true (and increasingly predictable) paths with tried and true (and increasingly predictable) heroines, this series stands alone as presenting something different. Read these books! Read them now!

Rating 9: An excellent finale to an excellent series!

[Pippin]

As far as climactic battles for the fates of nations go, this final installment's take on the idea is wanting. The almost mythic stakes built up by books one and two, Julia Vanishes and Julia Defiant, respectively, deflate under the burden of Julia Unbound's heavy lifting in the more mortal realm: amidst chapters of tense discussions by candlelight, secret identity reveals, and furtive glances across ballrooms, there is little space for a world-ending cataclysm, even though this book's predecessors seemed to be roaring for one.

But all is not lost: Catherine Egan's best-honed sensibilities are generally more intimate than the scale of her mythology might intone, and she is wise to confine the big fight to so few chapters––even if it feels as though it's over too soon. That small sacrifice is what allows the rest to shine. What Egan really excels at exists in close quarters; in characters at odds circling each other, leaving the reader to wonder who will break first.

As a series opener, Julia Vanishes works so well precisely because it mostly keeps the legendary stuff for the last few chapters. For the rest of our page time, we're following Julia, a thief-for-hire with the ability to seep into the very edge of the visible world, as she takes on a false identity, and gleans the secrets of a mysterious cast of characters, in the relative isolation of a single wealthy household. In this setting, victories unfold on a scene-to-scene, person-to-person basis, and we're coaxed away from the big picture by the tantalizing moment at hand. Once that final, scope-expanding card is played, however, the book has to rush to keep up. Though it feels clumsy at the end of book one, book two has adjusted beautifully, and Egan manages to expand the world by taking us to a new place while at the same time keeping things decidedly personal, and focusing on shifting loyalties instead of marching legions.

Julia Unbound, in returning to the twisted streets of Spira City we see in Julia Vanishes, manages to recapture some of book one's magic, but not all, occasionally losing those ever-important threads in distant, mythic dramas that come at the expense of our current, unfolding one. Luckily, the trilogy as a whole, and this volume in particular, is so rich with well-rendered supporting characters that there's always some development, regardless of its narrative weight, that's tugging you to the edge of your seat.

A brilliant secondary cast was one of the strongest pillars holding up Julia Vanishes, but in Unbound, Egan manages to stack a small auditorium of eccentrics onto an already busy plate, and does it beautifully.

Without this extra addition, the trilogy is still a thoughtful and intriguing work of fantasy: its scholarly bent makes for a fresh approach to worldbuilding, its writing-based magic system is a fascinating take on witches, and for all the encroaching its mythology does, it is extremely thorough. All things considered, however, it's the ensemble that makes this one stand out.

We have a not-quite villain on Julia's side who resorts to magical extremes, courtiers of varying honesty and hidden motivations, old friends who can't be trusted with the truth, new ones whose naïveté prohibits them from acknowledging it, a coven with unknown allegiances, a shrewd princess, a heartbroken scholar (or two!). Just a glimpse at each of these characters suggests an unwritten novel––with even the briefest familiarity, Egan grants them each a defining conflict, and a distinctive set of traits, both of which are key to juggling large casts. In fact, Julia Unbound is almost a masterclass in them.

Ultimately, the book's redeeming qualities are numerous enough that its underwhelming climax more-or-less passes under the radar. Pair this with a faithful end that still has some of our characters in conflict with one another, owing to their opposing and not-magically-disappearing goals, and it can overcome slipping on what is ostensibly every finale's most important task. I, for one, will forgive it gladly.

[Heather-Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my full review here

Julia Unbound is the third and final book in the Witch's Child series; and it is probably my favourite of the three. This review will contain a few spoilers as it is the third book in the series.

Julia Unbound is a fast-paced, action filled book that I couldn't put down. I loved the suspense of not knowing if Julia would not only save her brother, but also if she would save herself. After two fantastic books, you might not think the series could get any better, but Catherine Egan did a wonderful job and Julia Unbound ended up being my favourite in the series.

I'm sad to see the series and Julia's story end, but I'm excited to see what Catherine Egan comes up with next.

[Jill booksandescape · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review.

Julia Unbound by Catherine Egan is the third and final book in The Witch's Child trilogy. In this finale, Julia must bound herself to Casimir to save her brother. She has ten days to save both her brother and herself before she is permanently bound to Casimir. During this time, Julia does Casimir's bidding, but she also helps her friends on the other side, including by protecting Theo, and discovering more about what Julia is herself.

This book was definitely my favorite from the series. It's a big book, but such a fast read. I'm going to miss going on adventures with Julia.

[C.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: The author is a friend of mine. Also, I don't usually enjoy distopian novels or ones narrated in the first person but this book drew me in, especially since I read all three at once, rereading the first one before the other two.

A very satisfying ending to a heart-racing conclusion. All the twists and turns pay off in the end. I couldn't put the book down and had to buy it for my Kindle because it was taking too long to get to the library!

[Marilyn Skowron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Discovery of Identity

Julia finds herself fighting Casimer's hold over her, spying both for and against various factions, trying to save the lives of those she loves, and finding out the true identities and motives of all involved, including herself. This final book in the series has so many twists and turns regarding who is good and who is evil that the reader will be as confused as Juia is until the final resolution.

[pennyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great ending to the Witch's Child trilogy. The writing is good, loved the characters, filled with magic, humor and suspense, just a really great story. There is a lot going on in the last book, and toward the end I wondered how she would wrap up all the detail, but she did it brilliantly.Highly recommend, can't believe these books have so few reviews on Goodreads.

[Elizabeth SomebodysSomething · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO. Good. An emotionally satisfying ending that makes sense. Neat ties and connections revealed. Loose ends snipped. I wish this series was a million books long. The trilogy ends perfectly, but there are so many stories I'd like to explore. Really, truly excellent.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So "Witch's Child" ended up being a little like The Killer's Cousin; the title applies to more than one character. This was a great conclusion to Julia's story.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion to an unusual fantasy/sf novel for teens about a world where witches write their spells, are persecuted by the government, focusing on the daughter of a witch has turned thief, spy and revolutionary.

[Maureen Ulrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in Egan’s Witch’s Child trilogy is a whirling, tumultuous conclusion to Julia’s adventures. Or is it? Love the pace, the creativity, the danger, and most of all Julia. This is a series for all fantasy fanatics!

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Other than the main character every single character in this book is so annoying. If I was Julia I would have killed them all just to be free of all their feelings and opinions and other nonsense.
Also the part where she has sex with a virgin and is disappointed by his poor performance made me LOL. That's the author sliding some real life truth into her book.

[Pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great end to a really enjoyable series! Longer review to come.

[Shawnee Hayward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, complete ending for an interesting series. Sometimes, all you need is three books for a good, well-rounded story.

[S.Q. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

[Amebers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is seriously under hyped! So so SO good!!! Julia is one of the best female main characters I have ever read!

[Elien Shadeslayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a perfect series, but the longer this book went on, the more I liked it. I love the ending, very fitting of the story and not underwhelming, which I find a lot of endings to be lately.

[Mareike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Der beste der drei Bände
Allerdings am Ende doch recht schnell ...

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

Ich liebe diese Reihe und es tut mir so weh, dass sie so wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt. 😭definitiv eine der besten Fantasy-Reihen, die ich seit langem gelesen habe.

[Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ist spannend aber leider sehr verwirrend zwischendurch

[Noémie · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai ADORÉ ce dernier tome !! Triste de quitter cet univers et ses personnages mais très contente de m'être relancée dans la lecture de cette trilogie !