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Witchy Eye #2
Witchy Winter
Sarah Calhoun paid a hard price for her entry onto the stage of the Empire’s politics, but she survived. Now she rides north into the Ohio and her father’s kingdom, Cahokia. To win the Serpent Throne, she’ll have to defeat seven other candidates, win over the kingdom’s regent, and learn the will of a hidden goddess—while mastering her people’s inscrutable ways and watching her own back.
In New Orleans, a new and unorthodox priest arises to plague the chevalier and embody the curse of the murdered Bishop Ukwu. He battles the chevalier’s ordinary forces as well as a troop of Old World mamelukes for control of the city and the mouth of the great Mississippi River. Dodging between these rival titans, a crew of Catalan pirates—whose captain was once a close associate of Mad Hannah Penn—grapples with the chevalier over the fate of one of their mates.
Meanwhile, a failed ceremony and a sick infant send the Anishinaabe hunter Ma’iingan on a journey across the Empire to Cavalier Johnsland, to a troubled foster child named Nathaniel. Ma’iingan is promised that Nathaniel is a mighty healer and can save his imperiled baby, but first Nathaniel—a pale young man with a twisted ear who hears the voices of unseen beings—must himself be rescued, from oppression, imprisonment, and madness.
In New Orleans, a new and unorthodox priest arises to plague the chevalier and embody the curse of the murdered Bishop Ukwu. He battles the chevalier’s ordinary forces as well as a troop of Old World mamelukes for control of the city and the mouth of the great Mississippi River. Dodging between these rival titans, a crew of Catalan pirates—whose captain was once a close associate of Mad Hannah Penn—grapples with the chevalier over the fate of one of their mates.
Meanwhile, a failed ceremony and a sick infant send the Anishinaabe hunter Ma’iingan on a journey across the Empire to Cavalier Johnsland, to a troubled foster child named Nathaniel. Ma’iingan is promised that Nathaniel is a mighty healer and can save his imperiled baby, but first Nathaniel—a pale young man with a twisted ear who hears the voices of unseen beings—must himself be rescued, from oppression, imprisonment, and madness.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published April 3, 2018
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303 people want to read
About the author
D.J. Butler
85 books266 followersD.J. Butler (Dave) is a novelist living in the Rocky Mountain west. His training is in law, and he worked as a securities lawyer at a major international firm and inhouse at two multinational semiconductor manufacturers before taking up writing fiction. He is a lover of language and languages, a guitarist and self-recorder, and a serious reader. He is married to a powerful and clever novelist and together they have three devious children.
Dave is published by Baen, Knopf, and WordFire Press. He writes adventure fiction for all ages. He writes for young readers under the name Dave Butler: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Read about D.J. Butler’s writing projects at http://davidjohnbutler.com.
Dave is published by Baen, Knopf, and WordFire Press. He writes adventure fiction for all ages. He writes for young readers under the name Dave Butler: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Read about D.J. Butler’s writing projects at http://davidjohnbutler.com.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 19, 2020
Too. Many. Narrators. The first book had seven, and this one added TEN MORE. And ONLY subtracted two narrators from the previous one. So this one alternated between FIFTEEN points of view! It was hard to care about the new characters, especially as you were rotated through several narrators before coming back to any specific one. This also made the book harder to follow. By the time I got back to a character, I'd forgotten what happened and had to totally reorient myself.
The bones of the story are good, but it didn't feel very cohesive. I'd start getting into it, then the book would abruptly switch scenes and would lose all momentum. It's a shame because it's a great premise--magic and sorcery and all religions have some truth to them--but it could do with more thorough editing.
And there might actually be more than 15 narrators, I've had to go back and change this review twice because I remembered more of them.
Also, it's a little gruesome. Doesn't make for the best before-bed reading, but that's on me.
I want to finish the series, I just hope to goodness there are fewer narrators in there next one, or at least no new ones. (Okay, there's obviously going to be one more, due to the sibling thing, but no one else can offer a point of view!)
The bones of the story are good, but it didn't feel very cohesive. I'd start getting into it, then the book would abruptly switch scenes and would lose all momentum. It's a shame because it's a great premise--magic and sorcery and all religions have some truth to them--but it could do with more thorough editing.
And there might actually be more than 15 narrators, I've had to go back and change this review twice because I remembered more of them.
Also, it's a little gruesome. Doesn't make for the best before-bed reading, but that's on me.
I want to finish the series, I just hope to goodness there are fewer narrators in there next one, or at least no new ones. (Okay, there's obviously going to be one more, due to the sibling thing, but no one else can offer a point of view!)
August 15, 2018
Beasts find redemption, a queen seeks a throne, and lady pirates care for others
I read the first book in this series, 'Witchy Eye', last year, but the occasion for reading this book was its' selection as a finalist in the 'Best Alternate History Novel' category for the 2018 Dragon Award. This review is extended and expanded in my blog, Papa Pat Rambles.
Sarah lives in a world of magic and monsters, somewhere around 1830 or so in a decidedly NON-united states. In book one of the series, 'Witchy Eye', she discovers that she has the power to see magical/spiritual forces at play, and that she is the presumptive heiress to an unclaimed throne. In this follow-up, she further develops her powers, and develops alliances and enemies as she moves to take her rightful inheritance.
In addition, we follow the stories of the other two members of her triplet birth. She has a sister who is being raised by a pirate queen, and a brother who is the ward of a member of royalty who has sunk into an alcoholic stupor.
The emperor of this conglomeration is a jerk. He kills anyone who might even suggest that he is not all-powerful, and as he is the unacknowledged uncle to the triplets, he wants them dead. And if that requires devastation and death? Well, he doesn't much care for the little people anyway.
It's RARE that you will find world-building as well done as this. Butler has taken many historical characters, and twisted them, so that their influence in this magical world that includes Beast-folk, can be traced back to what the historical person MIGHT have done under these circumstances.
An excellent candidate to win the award.
I read the first book in this series, 'Witchy Eye', last year, but the occasion for reading this book was its' selection as a finalist in the 'Best Alternate History Novel' category for the 2018 Dragon Award. This review is extended and expanded in my blog, Papa Pat Rambles.
Sarah lives in a world of magic and monsters, somewhere around 1830 or so in a decidedly NON-united states. In book one of the series, 'Witchy Eye', she discovers that she has the power to see magical/spiritual forces at play, and that she is the presumptive heiress to an unclaimed throne. In this follow-up, she further develops her powers, and develops alliances and enemies as she moves to take her rightful inheritance.
In addition, we follow the stories of the other two members of her triplet birth. She has a sister who is being raised by a pirate queen, and a brother who is the ward of a member of royalty who has sunk into an alcoholic stupor.
The emperor of this conglomeration is a jerk. He kills anyone who might even suggest that he is not all-powerful, and as he is the unacknowledged uncle to the triplets, he wants them dead. And if that requires devastation and death? Well, he doesn't much care for the little people anyway.
It's RARE that you will find world-building as well done as this. Butler has taken many historical characters, and twisted them, so that their influence in this magical world that includes Beast-folk, can be traced back to what the historical person MIGHT have done under these circumstances.
An excellent candidate to win the award.
April 30, 2018
(cross-posted on Amazon)
"Tour de force" is not a phrase I use lightly, after more than 60 years of reading, but it applies to "Witchy Winter". I thought that "Witchy Eye", its predecessor, was excellent and inventive -- and it is -- but 'Winter' pulls together a staggering amount of sources, background knowledge, and concepts to build an alternate-history world that echoes our own and yet is totally its own thing.
Also, it's a hell of a good story with great characters.
Like "Eye", "Winter" demands thought, attention, and mental flexibility from its readers, but the payoff is top-notch. Most alt-history/fantasy modifies a few things and then plays the fun "what if?" games of resulting changes. Butler, by contrast, has created a vast cosmology that flows into a myriad of consequences that interact and conflict with each other on levels ranging from individuals to outside of time and space -- and all this set within the confines of the eastern half of North American in the early 19th century.
Though my hardback comes in at nearly 600 pages, I read "Winter" in the space of a long weekend, was sad to see it come to an end, and was even sadder at the thought of the wait until the 3rd novel comes out.
But wait I will. In the meantime, I think I need an acorn or three to put on the knick-knack shelf in my office.
"Tour de force" is not a phrase I use lightly, after more than 60 years of reading, but it applies to "Witchy Winter". I thought that "Witchy Eye", its predecessor, was excellent and inventive -- and it is -- but 'Winter' pulls together a staggering amount of sources, background knowledge, and concepts to build an alternate-history world that echoes our own and yet is totally its own thing.
Also, it's a hell of a good story with great characters.
Like "Eye", "Winter" demands thought, attention, and mental flexibility from its readers, but the payoff is top-notch. Most alt-history/fantasy modifies a few things and then plays the fun "what if?" games of resulting changes. Butler, by contrast, has created a vast cosmology that flows into a myriad of consequences that interact and conflict with each other on levels ranging from individuals to outside of time and space -- and all this set within the confines of the eastern half of North American in the early 19th century.
Though my hardback comes in at nearly 600 pages, I read "Winter" in the space of a long weekend, was sad to see it come to an end, and was even sadder at the thought of the wait until the 3rd novel comes out.
But wait I will. In the meantime, I think I need an acorn or three to put on the knick-knack shelf in my office.
September 23, 2019
We live in a remarkable era where exceptional books appear within the fantasy genre and it's many sub-genre's at a rate which borders on alarming.
From the intricate lattice-work of magical systems which comprise The Wheel of Time, to the organized and absorbing worlds of Mistborn and Codex Alera, our cup runneth over with mystical adventure.
While each of those mentioned above (and the many others not mentioned above) are remarkable, they and their ilk approach magic as a rigid system akin to science. Each of the practitioners within those worlds are bound by rules and operating procedures which provide a framework upon which to build their world. Often times, this point is driven home by having the various witches and warlocks segregated by their magical abilities. Harry Potter and The Magicians are both exceptional examples of this idea in action.
With Witchy Winter, David Butler asks that you leave your minutia at the door and does his level best to rekindle within you a sense of wonder.
Do you remember the first time you saw the night sky in its full glory? Stood on a hill or with a telescope as the sheer enormity of the heavens covered you with a trillion pinpricks of light? There, in that moment, you realized that you're just one person on a rock hurtling through a cosmos which is so fantastically large that we can barely comprehend it?
That is the wonder of which I speak.
David Butler's second entry into the Witchy Eye series takes a vast tapestry of stars and weaves them together with careful magicks and slowly mounting tension. Action is the thread which binds all of his characters fates together, but when your heart is not pounding you're left to bask in the vast and rich world that has been built.
And the magic is... well, magic.
It doesn't often make sense in the quasi-scientific way of most other magical series. You're given only a few hard limits of what is and what isn't possible, yet it never feels lazy or contrived. Everything happens in a way which never brings you outside of the story, but at the same time you're always left with that same sense of scale which dominated your first glimpse of the heavens.
Fantastical worlds-within-worlds are built once more from a love of song and language, and their purpose is to tell a story full of guile and mischief and heroism and damnation and salvation.
As the story builds and the magic ebbs and flows, I was constantly staring up at the heavens painted above me. Not since the awesome works of David Eddings have I been shown what would really happen in a world full of powers which can temporarily raise humanity to the divine, and then drive that divinity low like the hammer upon the anvil.
The wonder I felt was something I hadn't realized I'd lost until I found it again. As the turned pages became completed chapters and I eventually reached The End, all I could think was that I had been invited to sit once more under the stars, with only my wits and my faith to guide me as the heavens shone down upon me in all their mysterious power and glory.
I invite you to sit down with Witchy Winter as I did, so that you too may experience a rekindling of the wonder our ancestors once knew.
From the intricate lattice-work of magical systems which comprise The Wheel of Time, to the organized and absorbing worlds of Mistborn and Codex Alera, our cup runneth over with mystical adventure.
While each of those mentioned above (and the many others not mentioned above) are remarkable, they and their ilk approach magic as a rigid system akin to science. Each of the practitioners within those worlds are bound by rules and operating procedures which provide a framework upon which to build their world. Often times, this point is driven home by having the various witches and warlocks segregated by their magical abilities. Harry Potter and The Magicians are both exceptional examples of this idea in action.
With Witchy Winter, David Butler asks that you leave your minutia at the door and does his level best to rekindle within you a sense of wonder.
Do you remember the first time you saw the night sky in its full glory? Stood on a hill or with a telescope as the sheer enormity of the heavens covered you with a trillion pinpricks of light? There, in that moment, you realized that you're just one person on a rock hurtling through a cosmos which is so fantastically large that we can barely comprehend it?
That is the wonder of which I speak.
David Butler's second entry into the Witchy Eye series takes a vast tapestry of stars and weaves them together with careful magicks and slowly mounting tension. Action is the thread which binds all of his characters fates together, but when your heart is not pounding you're left to bask in the vast and rich world that has been built.
And the magic is... well, magic.
It doesn't often make sense in the quasi-scientific way of most other magical series. You're given only a few hard limits of what is and what isn't possible, yet it never feels lazy or contrived. Everything happens in a way which never brings you outside of the story, but at the same time you're always left with that same sense of scale which dominated your first glimpse of the heavens.
Fantastical worlds-within-worlds are built once more from a love of song and language, and their purpose is to tell a story full of guile and mischief and heroism and damnation and salvation.
As the story builds and the magic ebbs and flows, I was constantly staring up at the heavens painted above me. Not since the awesome works of David Eddings have I been shown what would really happen in a world full of powers which can temporarily raise humanity to the divine, and then drive that divinity low like the hammer upon the anvil.
The wonder I felt was something I hadn't realized I'd lost until I found it again. As the turned pages became completed chapters and I eventually reached The End, all I could think was that I had been invited to sit once more under the stars, with only my wits and my faith to guide me as the heavens shone down upon me in all their mysterious power and glory.
I invite you to sit down with Witchy Winter as I did, so that you too may experience a rekindling of the wonder our ancestors once knew.
Read
October 29, 2018I got as far as fifty pages and decided this was not for me. The premise was promising but the execution excrutiating. The best part was the map on the back of the cover showing seven (presumably) native territories akin to the Iroquois Nations.
August 10, 2019
DJ Butler’s (Q and A) second installment in the Witchy Eye Series, Witchy Winter has protagonist Sarah Calhoun continuing her journey where she left off from the end of the first installment in the series, Witchy Eye. If you have not read Witchy Eye, I suggest you don’t read any further. There aren’t spoilers for Witchy Winter in this review. By default, there will be spoilers for Witchy Eye.
DJ Butler Interview and Full Review (Spoilers for Witchy Eye only) On NovelLives.Com
DJ Butler Interview and Full Review (Spoilers for Witchy Eye only) On NovelLives.Com
December 22, 2020
The only thing that kept this book from being perfect for me was the huge amount of story lines. I thought the New Orleans ones got shortchanged in the last third of the book.
Loved the Mamelukes, and Ma’iingan's sense of humor.
Loved the Mamelukes, and Ma’iingan's sense of humor.
July 28, 2018
Gorgeous book. Great story!!!
April 19, 2018
A twisted parallel history book written with a magical quill; parts 'Alvin Maker & Vampire earth!" A history that should of been....
February 20, 2025
On the plus side, I really liked the descriptions of magic in this book. Especially journey through the spirit realm. Or the funeral scene in New Orleans. All the magic scenes, and those two in particular, did a great job of drawing you into this otherworldly yet familiar world.
Also, the continued unveiling of the fantasy Americana setting was very interesting. The book continues its exploration of New Orleans, the Ohio River valley and the rest of the New World along with continued hints at the state of Europe. Similar to the first book, the familiar names in this alternate history make the world uncanny and fascinating to ponder.
On the downside though, the plot dragged a lot. Mostly because there's too many PoV's. I didn't count but often enough a character's PoV section would end on a cliffhanger but by the time the narrative got back to them I'd have lost all suspense for what was going on.
I did enjoy the mamelukes in New Orleans story line for the setting and the interesting plot, I liked Ma'iingan's story line for his sense of humor and the interesting interactions with the spirit world and I liked Luman Walters' sections for it's inclusion of the folkloric magic that I've been enjoying.
But most of the storylines were very slow paced without hint of where they were going. Most of them did eventually unveil the point but for a lot of the book it didn't feel like the book was going anywhere.
And, unfortunately, Sarah and company were one of the more boring plot threads in here. That and I don't particularly like Sarah's sense of entitlement made me dislike those sections of the book.
That being said, between the worldbuilding and what is unveiled about the nature of the world at the end of this book did hook me to keep reading.
Also, the continued unveiling of the fantasy Americana setting was very interesting. The book continues its exploration of New Orleans, the Ohio River valley and the rest of the New World along with continued hints at the state of Europe. Similar to the first book, the familiar names in this alternate history make the world uncanny and fascinating to ponder.
On the downside though, the plot dragged a lot. Mostly because there's too many PoV's. I didn't count but often enough a character's PoV section would end on a cliffhanger but by the time the narrative got back to them I'd have lost all suspense for what was going on.
I did enjoy the mamelukes in New Orleans story line for the setting and the interesting plot, I liked Ma'iingan's story line for his sense of humor and the interesting interactions with the spirit world and I liked Luman Walters' sections for it's inclusion of the folkloric magic that I've been enjoying.
But most of the storylines were very slow paced without hint of where they were going. Most of them did eventually unveil the point but for a lot of the book it didn't feel like the book was going anywhere.
And, unfortunately, Sarah and company were one of the more boring plot threads in here. That and I don't particularly like Sarah's sense of entitlement made me dislike those sections of the book.
That being said, between the worldbuilding and what is unveiled about the nature of the world at the end of this book did hook me to keep reading.
August 23, 2018
In most respects Witchy Winter is an excellent follow-on to Witchy Eye, but the book suffers from having too many POV's and switching between them too often. If the author had just stuck to one POV per chapter, that would've been a dramatic improvement. As it is, the story seems to meander for the first 3/4ths and it fails to develop anything like central plotline. Partially, this is because it is a middle book and the author is trying to build up a lot of disparate plots that will come together later, but I feel like it could've been better if the book had found a focus. As it is, it took far longer to read this book than it should've as I simply didn't feel any real pull to keep reading. I enjoyed it whenever I did read it, but there was nothing about the plot that made me think "I have to know what happens next," so I kept putting it down after a chapter or so and it took me four months to get through a book that should've taken a weekend. The writing is still very good and Butler's world-building is both fascinating and quite deep and his characters feel very genuine and generally authentic to the period.
April 20, 2022
Witchy Eye succeeded largely on the strength and diversity of the author's knowledge of folklore. This is no less impressive in that respect, but perhaps Butler goes for too much of a good thing. Viewpoint characters proliferate (I stopped counting at twelve or so), and while we get an even broader look at the frontier than in book #1, the story gets too diffuse to follow comfortably. I don't need the author to hold my hand through the events of the plot, but I do need to be given a reason to care about the people involved, and in this case too many new folks are being thrown at me for me to invest fully in any of them, and too little time is spent with the initial set of characters of whom I've had a chance to grow fond.
The author does do a good job of getting (almost) everybody together on the same stage at the end and having them interact in some unanticipated ways. And it bears repeating: this one of the richest story universes going.
The author does do a good job of getting (almost) everybody together on the same stage at the end and having them interact in some unanticipated ways. And it bears repeating: this one of the richest story universes going.
May 23, 2018
D. J. Butler returns to his lush nineteenth century America, Witchy Eye (paper) with an American Empire established by William Penn and based in Philadelphia. It’s a Witchy Winter (hard from Baen) as Sara and friends ride to the kingdom of Cahokia knowing that she is the heir. Unfortunately That choice is up to the Serpent Goddess, a real goddess. Nathaniel, her twin brother, has his own travails until his witchy ear is released. But an indian, Ma’iingan, has come to rescue him so that he can cure his new baby. There are other claimants to the throne; Beastmen attacking human settlements; a New Orleans rich in Vodoo nmagic,;and even a few zombies. There’s more coming is this exciting series. Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
October 3, 2025
Overall a good second book in the series.
What works.
1. The world building is still interesting and keep growing in a way that make sense from the first novel
2. I was a bit worried about the bad son becoming the bishop of New Orleans. But he becomes a very interesting character. More on him in a bit
3. Spirit world is an interesting place and fun to spend time in. It seem both dangerous and fruitful
What works less well.
1. Cast of the first book is often fighting for space in this book. If you wanted more of Sarah, Cal, Lee and rest of the company you aren't going to get as much and what they they do is fairly limited til the end.
2. I have not read the Third book in the series but I have no idea what is going on with some of these side plots. The died New Orleans bishops good son who hanging out with the beastkind. Might matter might not but in the context of this book it matters little
3. New Orleans also doesn't matter very much in this book. Really fun characters and conflicts but feels like a large page count for minor conflict.
4. Penn and Franklin are almost cartoon villians. I'm not sure if you could make them more silly unless they went full Statler and Waldorf.
I like the book and story but some of the side stories could and should have been cut down in order to move the main story forward more.
What works.
1. The world building is still interesting and keep growing in a way that make sense from the first novel
2. I was a bit worried about the bad son becoming the bishop of New Orleans. But he becomes a very interesting character. More on him in a bit
3. Spirit world is an interesting place and fun to spend time in. It seem both dangerous and fruitful
What works less well.
1. Cast of the first book is often fighting for space in this book. If you wanted more of Sarah, Cal, Lee and rest of the company you aren't going to get as much and what they they do is fairly limited til the end.
2. I have not read the Third book in the series but I have no idea what is going on with some of these side plots. The died New Orleans bishops good son who hanging out with the beastkind. Might matter might not but in the context of this book it matters little
3. New Orleans also doesn't matter very much in this book. Really fun characters and conflicts but feels like a large page count for minor conflict.
4. Penn and Franklin are almost cartoon villians. I'm not sure if you could make them more silly unless they went full Statler and Waldorf.
I like the book and story but some of the side stories could and should have been cut down in order to move the main story forward more.
August 28, 2018
Witchy Winter by D.J. Butler is a grand sequel to Witchy Eye.
Witchy Winter is a historical urban fantasy written for adult readers. This is due more to its complexity than in the material presented. Some will shy away because it touches on murder and other ravages humans do to each other. None of these are presented in detail, but they are present. Personally, I think they built on the story to give depth without unneeded levels of description.
I enjoyed Witchy Winter, as mentioned, and already anticipating what comes next.
For complete review https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
Witchy Winter is a historical urban fantasy written for adult readers. This is due more to its complexity than in the material presented. Some will shy away because it touches on murder and other ravages humans do to each other. None of these are presented in detail, but they are present. Personally, I think they built on the story to give depth without unneeded levels of description.
I enjoyed Witchy Winter, as mentioned, and already anticipating what comes next.
For complete review https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
September 8, 2020
Second in the alt-history series, this book follows on the story from the first book. Sarah, along with her followers, seeks to be crowned queen in Cahokia. In New Orleans, the Bishop of New Orleans, an ex-criminal, seeks revenge using voodoo against the Chevalier, who ordered his father killed . In Johnsland, Nathaniel, Sarah's brother, hears voices in his head, and thinks he is mad. An Indian, who needs him as a healer for his sick son, kidnaps him, and reveals the spiritual world, allowing him to become the healer he needs to be. All these threads are gathered together to combine into one awesome fantasy tale.
August 27, 2024
Wow. This book only has 31 reviews. It deserves more attention than that. This is a continuation from immediately after the first book ended. If I have one complaint, it's that it took a little too long for Sarah to show up. I really like the alternate history setting of this series. I enjoyed getting to know a couple more parts of Sarah's family and learning more about how the magic works. It seems like everyone who has magic kinda has their own way of doing it. Everyone's magic is individual to them. The characters are pretty good. I think I actually liked Etienne in this book, and he's supposed to be a bad guy. I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd book.
December 29, 2023
I enjoyed book 1 so much I bought the second but my big mistake was not reading it close enough to the first one. I forgot some of the details and was a little confused at the beginning. Then I got kind of bored partway through (what are they doing in that city anyway??? I don't get it) and took a break....So I felt removed from what was happening and couldn't keep track of all the different details.
At this point although I am drawn to the story and the world I probably won't try to jump back into it.
At this point although I am drawn to the story and the world I probably won't try to jump back into it.
May 16, 2018
A web of magic, music, politics, folklore and alternate history. A rightful queen seeks her throne with other forces align for and against her. Think Daniel Boone meets Game of Thrones with a touch of otherworldly creatures. There is some great world building going on in this book along with clearly defined rules for magic based on American Folklore. Manley Wade Wellman's Silver John would feel right at home in this world.
May 15, 2021
While the story was at points gripping, the plot jumped around far too much to keep me engaged for any long period of time. Throughout the book no less than 12 different story lines developed and we're concluded. If you like that kind of thing, then this book is for you, if not the first installment is still worth a read.
September 22, 2024
The introduction of many new POV characters got me worried first, but overall ‘Witchy Winter’ was an improvement over ‘Witchy Eye’ and made me more hooked on the story thanks to the increased level of complexity.
November 8, 2018
Total awesome book! I loved this book! It mixes cultures, magic, and history in an amazing blend!
August 16, 2024
witchy war book 2
a good but deeply odd mix history and craft work with a distinctly back woods Appalachian flair vary good work
a good but deeply odd mix history and craft work with a distinctly back woods Appalachian flair vary good work
September 26, 2019
Witchy Winter picks up shortly after the events of Witchy Eye. If you are going to get into this series, you really should start with Eye rather than Winter.
While Winter does continue the story of Sarah and her, it expands the plot to include several other people. While overall this is a positive for the book, as you get to see more of the Butler's magical early 1800s United States, there were one or two of the subplots that I felt didn't really have much of an impact on this book in general. I understand that this being the second book in a series that not all the story line are going to resolved here, but some felt like a bit too much set-up with out enough payoff. Undoubtedly these will pay off in later books...but for now a few of the dangling threads were less than satisfactory.
That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the book. Butler has done an amazing job of world building here, and as I mentioned before, and expanded cast of characters means that we get to see much of more the world than we did in Witchy Eye. Along with this are Butler' fun little folk songs that he throws in here and there you really get a feel for this land, it's history, and it's heroes, villains, and rulers.
All told, I enjoyed Witchy Winter, and chances are that if you liked Witchy Eye you'll also this return trip to Butler's well put together world.
While Winter does continue the story of Sarah and her, it expands the plot to include several other people. While overall this is a positive for the book, as you get to see more of the Butler's magical early 1800s United States, there were one or two of the subplots that I felt didn't really have much of an impact on this book in general. I understand that this being the second book in a series that not all the story line are going to resolved here, but some felt like a bit too much set-up with out enough payoff. Undoubtedly these will pay off in later books...but for now a few of the dangling threads were less than satisfactory.
That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the book. Butler has done an amazing job of world building here, and as I mentioned before, and expanded cast of characters means that we get to see much of more the world than we did in Witchy Eye. Along with this are Butler' fun little folk songs that he throws in here and there you really get a feel for this land, it's history, and it's heroes, villains, and rulers.
All told, I enjoyed Witchy Winter, and chances are that if you liked Witchy Eye you'll also this return trip to Butler's well put together world.
July 28, 2020
A Mad Dash
Whereas Witchy Eye slowly introduced the reader to the wild and weird delight that is Butler's magical reimagining of Jacksonian America, Witchy Winter goes full tilt from the jump and never slows down. The pacing is superbly done and the widened cast of characters opens up the world in wonderful ways while never losing sight of the original cast. Butler weaves an exciting and painful tale for the heroes and no one escapes entirely unharmed - be it physical, emotionally, or spiritually.
Beyond the wonderful action and intricate world building, one of the highlights of this series is the magical system that both the heroes and villains call upon. The introduction of Lumen Walters, would-be wizard and dabbler in every arcane tradition he can get his hands on, serves as a relatable yet flawed guide to Butlerian magic, which is weird and earthy and wonderful.
Whereas Witchy Eye slowly introduced the reader to the wild and weird delight that is Butler's magical reimagining of Jacksonian America, Witchy Winter goes full tilt from the jump and never slows down. The pacing is superbly done and the widened cast of characters opens up the world in wonderful ways while never losing sight of the original cast. Butler weaves an exciting and painful tale for the heroes and no one escapes entirely unharmed - be it physical, emotionally, or spiritually.
Beyond the wonderful action and intricate world building, one of the highlights of this series is the magical system that both the heroes and villains call upon. The introduction of Lumen Walters, would-be wizard and dabbler in every arcane tradition he can get his hands on, serves as a relatable yet flawed guide to Butlerian magic, which is weird and earthy and wonderful.
February 4, 2022
FINALLY finished. Man alive, this is not for the casual reader. It seems like everything going on in the story has three different connotations and meanings to it, and if you don't have context for all the references and goings-on of the world Butler has built, you probably won't be able to track all the story threads. So caveat lector, your mileage will vary on this series.
I'm excited to see how the third one ties up the main story.
I'm excited to see how the third one ties up the main story.
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