Disclaimer : I plan on doing a book review for this on Pop-Culturalist if I get approved for the full book on NetGalley.

I loved this sampler chapters and Susan Dennard wrote another hit! I’ve been a huge fan of hers for awhile and this makes me SO freaking excited! I intend on reviewing this on Pop-Culturalist.com if I get approved so I won’t share my thoughts on here but just know that it was really good!

Ok this review is for a very long excerpt that is currently as I type available on Netgalley. I like many others adore this magical world that the author has created but reading this twenty something chapter sample was probably a really bad idea because I'm now desperate for more ! Our two favourite heroines are still separate at the start but you just know they will fight. As for fighting if you wish to see how a mistress of the tides can work with one who controls iron then prepare to be thoroughly jumping up and down with fists pumping in the air . Don't worry the author also gives other insights and if you thought you knew who was the bad guy then think again because sometimes even a pretty guy can have you fooled ! Yep everything I wanted is here and release date cannot come quickly enough. As usual the artwork is beautiful and I'm so hyped to finally add this to my bookshelf.
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
P.S. I don't remember ever giving a book sample a five before so that shows how much I enjoyed this

Ahhhh I can’t believe I did that to myself. I knew I should have waited until closer to June to read this chapter sample, but I just couldn’t wait.
After the ending of Bloodwitch, I just had to tease myself! This was a fairly long tease though so I was impressed.
Iseult and Aeduan are my favorite characters, but you seriously can’t go wrong with any of them. All the character development over the series and then the sneak peak here get me so hyped up. I love it! And we got a few answers we were waiting for plus a little more what the actual heck is going to happen!
I swear my review for the full book will be a lot less vague. 😜
I do find the beginning of all the books in the series a little on the slow side, but this one intrigued me so much! I am so so excited to get to the last half where the real meat and potatoes always come in!! I never want this ride to end! I’ll just be over here stewing away while I impatiently wait.

I'd like to preface this review by mentioning that I have been a longtime fan of Susan Dennard and have interacted with her and the Witchlands community online (I gained access to this NetGalley through the Witchlands Discord), so I am certainly not free of bias. However, all of the elements that made me enjoy Susan Dennard's writing in the first place are on display here, and I don't think that it is bias alone that makes me say that this excerpt was a thrilling glimpse into the book to come. Ms. Dennard's lyrical writing style is at its finest here - every sentence is beautifully crafted. She carefully plants the seeds for reveals in ways that have a large payoff, not least because she respects the intelligence of the reader and doesn't feel the need to spell everything out.

Still, as much as I enjoyed the above elements, I believe the character dynamics were my favorite part of the excerpt. The characters in the Witchlands series have always been (in my humble opinion) their strongest element (pun not intended). The three-dimensionality of the characters, the fascinating relationship dynamics, and the way they develop and grow as people are what drew me to this series more than anything else. I was pleased to see that it was still the case in this book. It was easy to see that all of the characters had changed since the last book, and I enjoyed seeing the trajectory of their character development. I particularly enjoyed Vivia's development - while she has never been one of my favorite characters, I was pleased to see the direction the book took for her.

As for areas of improvement, in full honesty I can't see many. The flashbacks were slightly confusing (especially since they weren't in chronological order), but I understand that it was probably the most efficient way of conveying the necessary information and reveals. I also noticed a continuity error (Leopold and Safi are mentioned as having been 10 at the same time, whereas in Truthwitch it was established that he was 3 years older than her). I also would also like to have seen more of Iseult, Safi, and Aeduan although that's mostly my personal preference (since those are my favorite three POVs in order). However, these are relatively minor things that don't detract from the enjoyment of the book. I would highly recommend this series to any fan of fantasy!

This extended chapter sampler gets me all sorts of hyped up for Witchshadow! I am so ready to dig into Isuelt's story and see what is to come.

I am so incredibly excited to read the rest of this book. From this chapter sampler, it seems like it will not only live up to but surpass the brilliance of the previous books in the series.

WHY IS THIS NOT THE FULL BOOK?? I nearly cried when I got to the end of the excerpt and now have no idea how to wait until June to read the rest of this! I am so ready for Iseult's story!

An invigorating start to this highly anticipated book - full of intrigue over what has happened in between it and Bloodwitch and many questions about how the issues will be solved, and what the cost of doing so will be.

Susan Dennard continues to amaze with the fifth installment of the Witchlands series. This extended chapter sampler provides some answers to questions readers have been asking since the first book in the series, and continues to keep readers engaged and enthralled. Iseult is wrestling with her self-identity as it changes with each encounter with her enemies, though at her heart, she is staying true to herself by trying to protect her thread-family. Susan continues to use multiple point of views flawlessly, each character's voice distinct and adding to the world's history and political landscape. The plot moves along at a quick pace, as each character's motives act as the main driving force behind the action. If the chapter sampler gives the slightest indication of what to expect for the rest of the book, readers are in for quite a wild ride.