Truthwitch

Blech.
It should have just billed itself as fantasy romance because I've read fantasy romance with less romance in it than this book. (And, really, to have a decent romance, you need decent characters to start with.)
Full review to come on my blog.

Sometimes you come across a book that sounds like everything you ever wanted. A book that sounds so perfect for you that you'd swear the author had you in mind when they wrote it. And the book is perfect and wonderful and exactly everything that makes you love a story.

And then there's books like this one.

Truthwitch sounded great. A fantasy story about two girls that are best friends. A unique sounding magic system. And, okay, those were the big things. But it didn't take me long to realize this wasn't the book for me. At all.

The two girls, Safi and Isult, I really didn't like. Safi is the hotheaded one, the sort of girl that never works for me. She never thinks about anything before reacting and she has an unbelievably short temper, with none of the usual qualities that might make me forgive it. And Isult is the sort that always has a tight reign on her emotions - and is in fact, the exact opposite of Safi. I barely tolerated her.

The friendship was a nice idea - especially considering they are so different - but I don't really see that it's the focus of the book. Not like I kept hearing that it was. (No. That was the romance. The totally unpleasant, personally hated, romance. Enjoy.) But, really, I didn't feel that the girls were friends willing to die for the other. Maybe because that's what I was constantly told and the more the creator has to reaffirm a relationship, the less I buy into it. (This book isn't the first to do this to me. I've come across some stories, well loved for the friendship that I could barely see the friendship from.)

And then we have Merik. The male version of Safi. The young man that, as soon as he and Safi met, I knew what the romance - that I was assured was only minor - would be coming from. And, honestly, if this was a minor romance I'd love to know what is a major romance. (Actually, no, I wouldn't.) These are the type of romances I hate: constant bickering and fighting and oh, yeah, btw, they are totally digging each other. (Right from the very start because their ‘romance' hardly changes from the moment they first meet each other to the very end of the book.)

As long as he stayed angry, he wouldn't have to think about the shape of her mouth. The weight of her hips pressing into his.

Blerg.

Seriously, I keep hearing people say that the romance isn't the focus of this book and all I have to say is that I'd hate to read a book where they consider romance the focus. (Because I kept feeling like I was being bashed over the head with the romance. I'd read four pages and have to stop because the romance was everywhere and it was angering me. Greatly.)

So, beyond the romance thinly veiled behind a friendship, the plot is barebones and the world building...actually, the world building reminds me very, very strongly of another book that I've been unable to place. Nothing new or original here, which I could have forgiven had I liked the characters. I didn't. (No, that's a lie. I liked Aeduan. He was fun.)

The book starts off well enough, or maybe I was just holding out hope, but by the halfway point I should have just stopped. Because it just gets worse and worse.

(Originally posted on my blog: pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com)