Truthwitch: A Fantastic Take on Magic

In my previous blog, I discussed Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. After finishing the excellent read, I started another fantasy novel which was recommended to me by Mariam Vaid, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. Published in 2016, this book is the first in the Witchlands series. Truthwitch is a story about the adventures of two young girls who are best friends, Safiya and Iseult. The two live in a world full of magic, and their country is currently going through a time of high tensions and bordering on war. As I read the book, many components of the book stand out to me, but my favorite aspect of this book is the way it portrays the concept of magic.

Many books, movies, and television shows include magic in their fictional worlds. Sabrina, The Teenage Witch follows a girl who can make things appear from the tip of her finger. She can create potions to make magic happen. Her family members are witches and wizards as well, and they perform magic in the same manner. A similar concept of spontaneous generation and magic in the form of concoctions or spells appears in the Harry Potter series as well. This particular concept of magic is the most common one across media, and if one says “I wish magic existed,” this traditional depiction is often what comes to mind.

However, in Truthwitch, the idea of magic is very different. When I learned about how magic worked in this world, I was surprised at the refreshing originality of the concept. In the world of this novel, magic does not take a material form that can be performed by anyone, each person is born with a specific type of magic. There are Bloodwitches, who can hunt one down based off of their scent. There are Threadwitches, which is Iseult’s type. These witches are able to literally see threads connecting people that show how their lives are connected (best friends have threads that connect them, as do mortal enemies). There is the Truthwitch, the origin of the book’s title. Safiya is a Truthwitch, and she is able to discern whether one is telling the truth, or if they are lying. There are many many different types of witches in this world, each with their own unique power.

I not only think this magical concept is interesting, I also think the author did a good job of showing the ways it impacts the characters and storyline. An interesting magical character is Aeduan, who has been sent to hunt Safiya and Iseult. He is a Bloodwitch, and keeps them on their toes as he searches for them with his tracking abilities. He is very determined to find them, increasing the suspense. The author voices his inner thoughts by saying, “Oh, the Bloodwitch named Aeduan was no longer bored. No longer bored at all. And now he had work to do” (Dennard). The ongoing danger of being hunted by a Bloodwitch adds to the intensity of the plot, and the situation is made possible by the element of magic. If Aeduan was a non-magical bounty hunter, he would be a problem, but his physical ability to track the girls’ scents as a Bloodwitch takes it the next level. Aeduan is lethal. The supernatural element steps up the intensity of the story.

So far, I think this book is an excellent part of the fantasy genre. Its original characters and enchanting world is a good break from stress and monotonous routines. I would encourage anyone wanting to explore a new fantastical world to read Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.

-Florence Lin