The River Witch

The River Witch #1

by Helena Rookwood

The Kingdom of Faerie has been sleeping for centuries, through the ages of iron and metal and glass. But now technology has failed, the digital world is over and, finally, something has disturbed the fae from slumber…

Or should I say someone?

Tabitha didn’t mean to start it all. She didn’t know what it was that she interrupted when she stumbled across the ritual in the woods. But that night everyone felt something shift, when she unleashed a force so powerful that it echoed across worlds…

Now the little folk have begun wreaking havoc, something old and terrible has woken up in the river, and a mysterious thief has come looking for Tabitha.

Forced to leave her village in search of the fabled Iron City, home to the only humans who still have any memory of the fae, Tabitha’s only guide to this strange new world is A Compendium of Faerie, a book of fairytales left to her by her mother.

Will a simple book of stories be enough to defend Tabitha against this new world of magic?

The River Witch is the first in a new fairytale-inspired fantasy series set in post-technology Britain.

Genres: Fantasy, Witches, Fae, Young Adult, Paranormal, Fairies, Young Adult Fantasy

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2017

Reviews

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute easy read about how Tab comes into her powers while waking up the fae. So far, I am skeptical about Lysander and I hope he turns around his morals. I'm also curious about why the pendant that Tab has is so important to the fae and to the Iron City.

Continuing on to the second book in the series.

[Marie Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free e-book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I liked this book a lot! It is a fast paced book with action and adventure. It has a young girl with confusing and stunning powers; mischievous and evil fae; a cunning and charming assassin thief; and a shadowy, nefarious, and powerful secret organization. All of these intriguing elements take place in a far (or near?) future Bretan (Britain), as follows what appears to be catastrophic event that renders technology obsolete and harkens an age reminiscent of medieval times and practices. An evil that was thought contained is now awake, and it is up to our young protagonist to find answers about this enemy and her own frightening powers.

I am looking forward to reading more about Tabitha, Lysander, and their journies to understand the far and their changing world.

[Hannah (Hannah, Fully) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone who's spoken to me in late December 2018 (yes, yes, it's 2020 and this review is up a year and some months later shhh) will know I've been having loads of awful reading luck, and I'm sorry to say The River Witch is a book that fell into that bad reading hole.

Like all books, I enter a book hoping that I will enjoy the book at the very least, if not adding it to my favorites. Helena Rookwood's novel is an interesting premise with the faerie world colliding with the mortal world after Tabitha stumbles across a ritual. The River Witch sounds like adventure and magic with a little faerie mischief mixed in.

But despite the sounds of adventure, magic and mischief, The River Witch disappointed me greatly, and I called it quits at 33% through. While some of the aspects were interesting, there were more negatives than positives for me. Much of the first 8 chapters that I managed to get through is an info dump that is full of description. There's maybe 2% of dialogue included on top of what feels like awkward writing. There's the occasional action, but then we go back into description mode and eventually, I lost interest in The River Witch entirely.

This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.

[Periwinkle Wisteria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow such a nice cover. It literally lured me to grab the book. The title is charming. But this story didn't turn out to be something I guessed. Rather, this story is unique and more beautiful. A fantasy series set in post technology Britain seemed really appealing to me. The characters have been so well designed that they seem real. I loved the character of Tabitha. The suspense element kept me glued to the story till the end. This story is about Tabitha's journey in a new world of magic with only a book of fairytales to guide her. The story has a steady pace which makes it more gripping.

Overall I must say this has really been a wonderful read for me. Loved it!

[Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Helena Rookwood for giving me this book to review.

The River Witch is a very enjoyable fantasy novel set in the distant future. It is fast paced and an easy read but it was a bit slow to start and find its story. It has adventure and a story full of mystery which I hope we discover more about in future books. It has a hint of upcoming romance but it could also develop into a good friendship and I am looking forward to finding out.

Tabitha is naïve as she trusts everyone and wants a life full of adventure and magic like the stories her mother told her. Lysander is my favourite as he is conflicted and, unlike Tabitha, mysterious as we do not know much about his past and what his real motives are. I also liked the water sprites Ani, Corida and Bellat as they were childish, excitable and impulsive.

This book is the start of a 13-book series and I am looking forward to reading them, especially the next book The Iron Court. I would recommend The River Witch to those who like the sound of a fantasy novel set in the unique setting of future Britain.

This and my other reviews can be found at Amethyst Bookwyrm

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
In a dystopian society where technology has long since failed, and humanity has gone back to a more simplistic lifestyle. However, Tabitha, a girl with a strong connection to the water is somehow also connected to the long lost fae.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished The River Witch and here is my review!

I really liked the concept of the story – post- technology Britain turned magical with faeries awakened and wrecking havoc. Yup, my cup of tea. I also liked Rookwood’s style of writing and found it flowed very well!

Side characters are EVERYTHING. Honestly. I mean, the main character can’t always be the star of the show and I liked Tabitha but I found the interaction between Tabitha and the water sprites to be very entertaining! I loved that they produced a different dynamic to the story and they were quirky and funny.

The magical realm has just been woken up and since this is book one of a series of thirteen there is a slower introduction to the magic and the fae that are now in the realm. As Tabitha moves through the plot you are introduced to more characters and shown more examples of magic that is to come. It’s setting up the story for the bigger picture and I think I like that better than having everything thrown at me all at once! I really liked what she did with the molding of old fairytales into this fantasy world and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next!

Tabitha is the female main character, a river witch is what the water sprites call her and Lysander is the male main character. There is definitely something being set up between Tabitha and Lysander whether it be friendship or romance I am liking how they interact with one another.

The only thing I really want to critique is that it didn’t always keep my attention. I liked the story well enough but I found myself easily taking a break and not picking it back up for a day or so. I was trying to pinpoint what it was exactly, maybe not enough passion between the two main characters and not necessarily romantic passion but just passion in their character. I know it definitely improved as the story went on because the last 10 or so chapters I flew through. It was just the beginning that I needed more warming up to.

Yes! I would recommend to anyone who likes tales of the fae and fantasy! I would rate the book around PG – 13. There is no crude language or sexually explicit content. Perfect for pre-teens and up!

If you're interested in more of my reviews please visit: www.paperdreamsblog.com

[Casey Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you for allowing me to read this an ARC for review.

I enjoyed reading this story, it had many interesting twists and was outside of the box for most of the story.
First, I'm going to talk about what was difficult to get around with this story. One reason I believe that I didn't fall in love with this book was because it was presented to be as a YA book, and I don't necessarily agree with that. I would probably recommend this for tweens, but then again there were parts that got gruesome and were more YA appropriate. For example, mostly when the fea were involved in the story there was blood, death or trickery involved, making me think that these descriptions could be considered YA. Next I had a hard time figuring out what the main characters age was. Sometimes she seemed more mature and maybe around 18-19, but then when I read her thought process it made me think she was around 12-13. For example, when Tabitha was using magic with the fea she didn't seem as upset or distraught by the event that transpired as a 12-13 year old would be, but then she was so unbelievable trusting of everyone, which made me think 12-13.
Now I want to talk about what I enjoyed about this story, I absolutely loved Lysander, he was my favorite voice throughout the story. I really would have loved to hear more from him. He was my favorite character, and whether it was the mystery or because he had an amazing name and cool powers I was sold. Also I think that this story is a great idea, the setting is a few hundred, or thousand, years in the future, and fea have come back because the industrial era and technological era has ended. I think that is a great concept and many stories could come from this. The way the fea were described were interesting as well and different than other interpretations I have read about. Lastly, I enjoyed that, even though Tabitha is alive in a different time era than our own, we can still relate to her because of her grief and compassion.
Over all this was a good story to past the time and I would enjoy reading the rest of the series.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of potential. Tabitha is at the epicenter of faerie waking up, and is sent away because of it. Did she cause the awakening? What lies ahead for her? She goes on an adventure just like she's read about in so many books, but she doesn't have a proper sidekick until she stumbles upon three water sprites. The sprites help her with almost everything, but she doesn't know how to survive the winter until Lysander comes around and teaches her how. Their relationship is complicated: why does he feel so protective of her, is there a budding romance, will this be a friendship? I look forward to exploring that relationship. Additionally, I'm interested to see what else may have awakened in this book. There are so many questions I want answered, and I wish that even a few of them would have been answered in this novel.

Now, on to some of the cons. I found the overall plot to be a bit flat. Tabitha spent a lot of time traveling where she didn't utilize her resources in the compendium of faerie, nor did she ask any of the pertinent questions to her faerie friends. Lastly, I am a stickler for typos and blatant mistakes and I found myself thinking "wait, what?" because during the big fight scene the sprites are names Ani, Corida, and Bellida instead of Ani, Corida, and Bellat (like they were the other 28 chapters of the book). I feel like this is a pretty huge oversight and something that should have been noted in the editing process.

[Michelle L Winkler · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not for me.

Disclaimer: I did not finish it. I reached pg 62. I also just noticed this is an older version of the book. Apparently it was republished in Kindle format in 2019, where my version is from 2017. It's possible some things I mention are changed in the newer edition.

I really wanted to like this book. The title and synopsis sounded interesting; a distant future Earth and mystery involving faeries, what’s not to like? Unfortunately, the writing style bogged me down too much.

Out of the first 44 pages only 16 had any dialogue at all. This seemed to be mainly because so much of what could have been conversation was either description, exposition, or internal dialogue. In other words all "tell" and no "show". Much of it was also long rambling sentences which should have been broken into various lengths. It took several paragraphs to describe what could have taken a few sentences. I had to re-read sentences often and found my mind wandering.

I think the premise is interesting and characters had potential. Perhaps with more experience the author's style will improve. This book is the first in a long series and later installments have higher reviews, so hopefully this is the case.

It’s also possible that The River Witch is simply written in a style that I’m not used to. If you like lots of description and exposition then you may enjoy this book. I will probably give another try to get through it down the road, and if I do I will update my review. Unfortunately, for now I have to give it a low star.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book catches on right where the hagstone left off and we meet Tabitha, Madeleine's daughter living with her grandmother and also having a great affinity with the sea. She wears the hagstone her mother left for her around her neck having no idea what this means. She seems to have been responsible somehow for the waking of the realm of faerie and they seem to be following in her stead. She has left her small village by the river to search for the Iron Court, the country her mother came from on her Nana's advice when the river became too dangerous. On her travels she encounters numerous events she has no explanation for even when blamed for their occurrence. She is befriended by 3 sprites who pretend to look out for her but are at times cruel to her too. Then she meets Lysander, a thief from the Iron Court sent to steal and if necessary kill Tabitha to get her hagstone but she never finds this out as he befriends her too and when he realises that he can hear the trees - hamadryads talking to him same as Tabitha hears the river he decides to protect her and help her stay as far away from the Iron Court as possible without telling her. But who is the girl in the mountains? Such a great adventure, an easy and pleasant read which leaves you wanting more as the mystery grows!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

First things first, the cover is gorgeous! I’m always interested to read books relating to fae. This particular one was a solid start to a new series, but not amazing. I found the first 30% pretty slow and boring but it definitely picked up after that. I also did not love Tabitha as a character. I prefer my females a bit more feisty. I did love her three sprite companions though and the fact that the fae in the book were not necessarily nice beings. I would have liked to see a few more mentioned but I’m sure there’s plenty of time for that in future books. I also enjoyed the setting of post technology Britain. I would have liked to have seen more of that, she spent most of the book walking along a river.

I’ll probably pick up the second book in the series at some point as I’d like to see how the story progresses.

[Marissa Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What was it, exactly? That made it seem as if this girl wasn't contained within herself, but that her soul seemed to have leaked out into the land around her? Or perhaps it was rather that the land had seeped into her?”

The River Witch by Helena Rookwood is an engaging, delightful story, and a promising start to the River Witch series. Tabitha, the daughter of the mysterious Madeleine, possesses The Hagstone, a keepsake from her mother. With the fae coming to life after centuries of slumbering, Tabitha is sent from her village to find protection from the creatures who can look innocent, but are anything but. At the same time, the Iron Court covets the Hagstone and will stop at nothing to get it. With beautiful, descriptive writing and an exciting plot, The River Witch is a page turner that showcases Rookwood's detailed imagination and appealing writing style.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I didn’t have any expectations about this book and I was hooked from the beginning. I read this book in one sitting. The book follows Tabitha, a young girl who lives with her grandmother as both of her parents are dead, and Lysander, a renowned thief from the Iron Court. Lysander is aware of who Tabitha is before they even meet. Tabitha grows up spending time with her local river as if it is the only friend she will ever have. Her grandmother has kept secrets from her as she’s grown up but when faeries begin appearing in the village, she has no other option but to send Tabitha on her own to find more about who she is and what role she’s going to play in this new world. I can’t wait to read more about Tabitha and Lysander’s adventures!

[TF · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, that cover drew me in! Then the plot, of magic and secrets and faeries, was a definite must-read for me. I'm glad I got the ARC, even though it had some formatting issues, that didn't really distract me from the story itself.

This follows a young woman named Tabitha, who is so attuned to the river near their home. Then strange events led her to seek answers elsewhere, and on her travels she meets unlikely companions. This is a world-building book, and the language is descriptive of the settings and post-technology era. I also like that the characters are somewhat realistic, with flaws, and (thank goodness!) NO love-at-first-sight trope.

I also read the prequel and will be reviewing it separately. Can't wait for the next books!

[Petalpants · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for the completely shallow reason that the cover was super pretty and it would look really nice on my shelf. Also I liked the title. Well, go shallow me because I really enjoyed it! The main characters are engaging from the offset. I always wanted to know more about them and their past. The descriptions were vivid and extremely enjoyable. I particularly loved the lavish attention given to descriptions of the river and Tabitha's connection to it.

The only flaw I would say is that the book is a little slow in places. I would have liked to end this book with a bit more knowledge on Tabitha's mum or the hagstone. I understand that the author has books planned in this verse but I would have preferred a slightly quicker pace of exposition.

[Kelsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow. I don't know where to begin with this book. I was engrossed from page 1. My mind is still reeling from the ending. The story was completely unlike any others I've read about the Fae. I liked that this book ended conclusively but also with a lot of questions to be answered in the rest of the series. I have a pet peeve of books that end on a cliff hanger just to lead into the sequel, but I felt the Helena closed one chapter of Tabitha and Lysander's story quite nicely while leading into the next. I can't wait to get my hands on book 2!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally enchanted! the author plans to make this a 13 book series and I must say that if I'd had more in the series, I would have read them right away. The author has carefully researched the literature on Faerie, magic and related history. While this is not a genre I usually choose, I was totally entranced. She so cleverly incorporated twists and turns I never expected. Her characters are well developed and intriguing. I was given this book with no requirement to review it. I had read an unpublished Prequel and thought it might be interesting, I promise you, I will be reading each of the rest of the series as soon as available. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

[Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much the start of a story rather than a full one, but I enjoyed it.

Tabitha is just trying to do the right thing, makes all the right decisions, and yet she still gets thoroughly shat upon. I love it. She's practical but anxious and a little bit dippy and I found it easy to like and relate to her. I also really loved her interactions with the sprites, and I hope we get more to their story. You're not given much information about the world in general but Tab's a village girl and frankly fences puzzled her (she's seriously so precious), so I can't wait to learn more as she does.

[Linz The Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really hard for me to get into. I liked the premise and the different fae creatures that show up. I wanted to see what happened with the quest, but mostly I just found Tabitha annoying and whiny. She did not make a good character for me. The main thing that bumped this from two stars to three stars was that I finished the River Witch and immediately read The Hagstone. There's a lot of background information in the prequel that helped me like The River Witch more.

For my complete review checkout: https://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/...

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finishing this series will be a challenge. Story line seems a little flat and I am indifferent about our characters. Very cookie cutter all the way around with no depth or pull to get emotionally invested. I guess I am frustrated as I have not read anything lately that pulls me in and makes me appreciate the writing style, world building, character development, and fantasy that I expect when reading. Maybe its just me... maybe its the writers... but I seem to have hit a rut in finding something that sells its world as just that a new place to be transported to rather than the cookie cutter, YA subdivision where all the houses and books look the same.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded up for my review (I would have given it 3.5 stars). I liked the fae mystery in itself and enjoyed the characters progression. I also liked the twist the end provided. What I didn't enjoy was that when I got done, I didn't really feel like I wanted to get book two. This means that I made no real connection to the characters and that distance keeps me from wanting to continue with this series when there are so many other books out there that I haven't read yet. Perhaps it would develop over time, but unless I find myself with nothing else to read, I won't be pursuing book two anytime soon.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 70something.

It’s not bad, just not my jam. Super YA with no clear character age (10? 14? 18? Honestly, she could be any of those.) making it difficult to identify with the character. Very naive, gullible and trusting of strangers, somehow surviving a weeks-long trek through the wilderness alone with a meagre pack of food.

To be fair, books featuring long monotonous journeys are one of my least faves— even Tolkien’s LOTR is boring to me, though I love the Hobbit.

Not terrible, with decent writing and only minor editing issues (and not overly many of those), just didn’t snag me. Final rating: meh.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review*

I immensely enjoyed this novel. This is the story of a young woman named Tabitha who is sent on a journey to the Iron City when the fae return. Along the way Tabitha must decide who she can trust and she learns about the magic that now surrounds her.

I found this novel very intriguing. I loved the magic, the fae, and the connection with the elements and nature. I can't wait to continue to read about the adventures of Tabitha and Lysander.

[T.J. Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing premise - technology has failed, and the world seems a simpler place, until Tabitha triggers unknown magic and the fey return - and they’re not to be trusted! We follow the two main characters, Tabitha and Lysander, as they travel through this new landscape. Tabitha is trying to find her mother’s people, and Lysander needs something she has.
There’s a lovely lyrical quality to the writing, and I love the descriptions of the landscape. My one criticism is that it moves too slowly, but I’m interested to see how the story will evolve and what will happen to the two leads.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

😁😁 received a free copy in exchange for a honest review 😁😁

Thankyou Helena for sending me a copy of this book I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

A world post technology with magic and creatures that everyone believes are figments of the imagination before they start awakening and wrecking havoc is wonderful.

I love books with the fae in it, and this one doesn't disappoint. I can't wait to read more and find out more about Lysander and Tab's powers.

[BreAnna Lackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to be able to give this book 4 stars. But sadly, I can only allot it 3. The premise of this series is great, the unique story is great. But I felt like this book could have been more, it ended before it really got going. I'm really hoping the second one adds more meat to the story. Also, the story tell was a bit choppy in places, like there was a struggle for flow. All in all though, I like the story, and I will continue on to book 2.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A witches in trubble

Helena Rookwood has written a passionate telling of one future in a land where mankind has lost i'ts world of steel and iron .No computers, no skyscrapers, this future has turned to the past, a world found in fairy tails of Witches, sprites, fairys, and more. A world where a friendship forms while a witch and a man struggle to survive. A captivating and emotional journey. Kat

[Fiorela · Rating 2 out of 5]

The river witch had a great premise, but sadly it wasn't so great, Tabitha was a pain in the ass, super-duper naive for being an 18 yo girl, bordering on being stupid, probably because she had lived all her life in a tiny village, but still, so all her journey to Iron Court was painful to read.
On the other hand, Lysander was a pretty interesting character, he was the light in Tabitha's life literally.
This book is intriguing enough for me to keep reading.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the prequel and looked forward to reading this. But ten chapters in, it feels like nothing has really happened. Almost like with the Lord of the Rings with the slow pace of examining the landscape… What happened in ten chapters, at a proper pace, could have happened in two. So much inner reflection, anger, silly choices – and scenes from others’ POV – just doesn’t pull me in or keeps me interested.

I like the premise, but not the execution.

DNF 42%
DNF series