I confess that it was cover love at first sight when I first heard about Wishtress... And while I don't read YA fantasy often anymore, I decided to give this story a go anyway both because I loved the sound of the blurb and because I had a great time reading one of the author's other titles a few years ago (Romanov). I guess I should have investigated further, because I didn't realize that this book was actually Christian fiction and that religion would play such a big role in the plot. Even so, this wasn't the only reason why this story failed to hit the mark for me.

First of all, I do have to say that I still love the sound of the premise and the idea behind the high fantasy world and its magic. Do I wish the worldbuilding would have been more elaborate? Absolutely. But the magic with its Talents and Banes was great fun to read about. What I didn't realize before I started reading (and something that would probably would have stopped me from doing so), is that Wishtress is actually Christian fiction. Nothing wrong with that, but it's never my cup of tea and while things were subtle in the beginning, things sure escalated towards the end.

I found the story to be very black and white, with the whole good versus evil references in the Talents and Banes as well as the characters. I was also surprised just by how easily a lot of characters seem to switch between both sides in such a short timeframe... It made me doubt their credibility. And for a character driven story, the main characters felt rather flat and cliche; basically your basic heroine and hero you see in a lot of YA fantasy stories. Myrthe especially bothered me considerably with her lack of spine (initially) and abrupt change once she truly understands her talent... The constant repetition of her wanting to sacrifice herself became quite annoying as well. Bastiaan's character lacked dept for me, and everything surrounding both main characters felt a little too convenient. True, I did like Runt as a character, but I saw the 'twist' involving his character come from a mile away... And again, it was just too convenient to be plausible.

I also had issues with the romance, and I almost wish there wouldn't have been any at all. The connection between Myrthe and Bastiaan felt too much like instalove, and I didn't feel their chemistry at all. It went from awkward to 'I would die for you' in a flash, and it just didn't feel credible. To makes things worse, there is also a love triangle vibe included; another pet peeve I could have done without. I also wondered about the use of random Dutch AND German words in the text... I'm guessing it was used to give the story a more exotic feel, but why the two different languages instead of sticking with one? I'm not sure why it bothered me that much, but I wasn't a fan of how the words were incorporated. As a philologist, I normally love it when a story includes a different language, but in this case it might just alienate readers from the story instead. Then again, I could be wrong... I do understand both Dutch and German, which made the words stick out more for me (and their use more awkward).

All in all, I can conclude that sadly Wishtress wasn't a right fit for me. The premise sounded fantastic, but there were multiple elements in the story I ended up having issues with. Some of these are highly personal and I do know a lot of people seem to love this story, so if you like Christian fiction and YA fantasy with a magical touch, Wishtress might just be a good fit for you.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I cannot put into words how free I feel having finally finished this book. I've seen the last nine days pushing to get. it. done. so that I could move on and read something else, and I've finally accomplished that feat. I lost interest about, oh, I don't know, 10% in. At the latest. I wish I had remembered that the other book I read by this author (Fawkes) was one I was also impatient to be done with--I wouldn't have requested this one.

The story sounded interesting, but I wasn't a fan of the execution. The writing felt very juvenile in narration, character interaction, dialogue, and events. I got the impression that the intent was to be epic, but it fell very flat for me and instead came across as trying too hard. In addition, the story just dragged on f o r e v e r. It could have ended at about 80% and been, well, not infinitely better. But perhaps not as drawn out. Although the whole book pretty much failed for me, everything after that point felt like an attempt to increase the page count. If I pulled every seasoning out of my cabinet and added them to tonight's dinner, I think it would be an apt comparison to this book--"I'll add a little of this, a little of that, maybe some of this . . . " More doesn't always make things better. In this case, it definitely didn't.

There's a lot of convenience, too. It was obvious the author wanted things to go a certain way, and so she would add in some little tidbit that she had failed to mention previously but would impact the story and make it go where she wanted it to. It felt very contrived rather than flowing naturally. Let me provide one really good example (from the beginning of the book). At twelve years old, Myrthe is kneeling by her parents' deathbed; they have the pox, which they caught from her. For the first time in her life, she cries. And she makes a wish (not knowing it will come true): that her mother had never known her and that the illness would end. So what happens? Her father dies, and her mother forgets who she was. My question is this: What 12-year-old would ever wish those things? What person would? I believe the most natural wish would be, "I wish you would get better." Am I wrong? No, I'm not. Now imagine a whole book full of stuff like that, and you've got this book.

I hope that now, after spending the last several days wishing I could read something else, I will remember not to request anything by this author in the future. To clarify: She's not writing anything objectionable, which I appreciate. I cannot say anything negative about this book in terms of content; however, I also cannot say anything positive about it beyond its good intentions and interesting idea.


Note: I can't recall anything bad.

This is my first Nadine Brandes story. I’ve heard so many good things about her books, so I was excited to give Wishtress a chance. At first, I was very intrigued by the story and the characters and I was very curious about what was going to happen, but as I kept reading, I felt like I wasn’t being sucked into the story like I wanted. I also realized that I didn’t really like any of the characters. As the story progressed, I began to like Bastiaan and Runt, but they weren’t enough to keep my complete interest. I also felt like there was a lot of telling versus showing in the story. In the end, sadly, Wishtress just didn’t work for me.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

When I saw the summary of this book on NetGalley, I did not realize it was Christian literature. The publisher should have been a clue, but it wasn’t. That’s my error.
While that’s not always a problem for me, this novel did have a particular Christian theme running through it that was obvious and I did not enjoy it as much as I would have if it had less parallels.

My star rating and review are based entirely on my opinion alone. The Christian themes are so heavily woven into this novel that it is impossible to ignore them. Thus, my opinion is partially based on that theme.

The first 10% was interesting because I was getting acquainted with the world, with the characters and getting a sense of the plot. (Good news: there is one!) It has multiple POV’s but I found it easy to follow and quite helpful to get a well-rounded version of the story.

The next 60% of the book I was bored and reading because I so rarely DNF. The quest felt like it took a long time and it could have been condensed or written with a faster pace.

The last 20% was finally (mostly) exciting. I definitely wanted to see what would happen. Unfortunately, this is where the heavy Christian themes appeared and I didn’t enjoy how it was woven into the story.

The basic premise was very interesting to me: a girl is born with the unique talent to grant a single wish per tear. She’s used and abused and finally lashes out. She messes shit up and must fix it. Enter quest with obligatory love interest.

That’s totally a book for me. I didn’t even mind that she was whiny or the Insta-love. It felt inevitable. She was mistreated. She was seventeen. She hadn’t known anything but guilt and sorrow and twisted loyalty. She’s been treated as a commodity forever and now she sort of believes it too. (Does this count as a trope yet?)

It pulled me in with a nice pace. Myrthe met interesting side characters. She bonded with her cousin. (Anouk was my favourite character.) Things felt kind of hopeless except if she travelled to the Well. So she tried.

After that, it becomes all about grace and compassion and the omniscient and all-powerful Well solving everything by not solving anything because everyone finds grace in their hearts.

While bad things happen to the “good guys”, all those bad things are also solved by the Well because the “good guys” have chosen to resist temptation. They win because they’ve chosen the right side. Against all odds. A little too conveniently. And, most importantly, defying death and curses from “the bad guys”, who get their just desserts.

It’s too easy even if there is a well plotted story arc. Yes, the characters grow. Sort of. They grow by choosing grace and realizing they’ve been selfish all along. They grow by choosing to serve (even if they don’t have to do so in the book). The “bad guys” choose power and to be selfish.

I found that far too black and white and the story lost integrity … for me. This type of story may work for other readers; particularly if you are a parent who wants to encourage or restrict a child to Christian literature. Unequivocally labelling one side good vs. evil feels too childish, too preachy and too flat for this non-religious adult. Combined with the very obvious Christian undertones, I wasn’t into it. It felt sterilized. As soon as the book crossed the climax, it became obvious. No further twists were surprising. I knew exactly where we were headed. (This also may be due to the fact that this is young adult.)

I can see a lot of readers enjoying this. I didn’t. I liked the concept. I liked the world-building and the magic system. I even enjoyed some of the characters. 3.5* rounded down.

This was a beautiful book that had me captivated from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the threading and weaving of the dual POV as they created an amazing tapestry of secrets, history, and a strong plot. Nadine didn't shy away from hard topics but faced them with grace and mercy in honest ways. It was very moving.

Nadine Brandes is an author where I either love or dislike her books, there’s no middle ground. I loved Fawkes, but Romanov was almost a DNF. So I didn’t have the highest expectations going into Wishtress. But I was positively surprised how quickly I got into the story, and caring about the main characters Myrthe and Bastiaan. Not to mention all the wonderful supportive characters. So I really thought it could be a new favorite, to begin with… But unfortunately the last 150 something pages just felt so drawn out. It was like living in a groundhog day situation that never seemed to be resolved. It moved forward, something dramatic happened, someone got hurt or separated and everything seemed even more bleak. Repeat like three more times. I just got tired after a while and I just wanted the story to end. I lost my interest in the story. It was further fueled by the bad guy characters, who were almost caricatures of evil, and physically abusive… It just became unsettling over time, and they sounded like a broken record instead of having any depth to them.
In the end, the good things about the book unfortunately couldn’t really beat out the bad aspects of the book as even the best characters can’t beat a boring and repetitive plot.

*Actual rating is 3.5 stars*

Prepare yourself to be crushed emotionally!
Another wonderful book by Nadine Brandes with her typical enchanting writing style.
The talent of the Wishtress is a powerful, yet unpredictable and dangerous thing in the wrong hands. A single tear from a Wishtress can grant anything…but every time it comes with a price.
That's the hard lesson Myrthe learns from a young age, and later in life a granted wish leads to deadly consequences. The next tear that drops from her eyes will be her last.
On a quest to find a way and remove her curse, the fate meets her with Bastiaan, with his powerful talent to stop time with a snap of his fingers.
Both holding secrets of their own, they have to venture to the Well of talents. But this time not only to save themselves, but to save the whole kingdom.
Magical and emotional story told from multiple POV's.
Every character story is beautifully developed and intertwined with the others to form a broader view of the events and the world around them.
I have to say that my personal favorites were Runt and Anouk because of their resilience, wit and big hearts.
It's needless to say that the cover is exquisite, like the story itself.

*Thank you Thomas Nelson - Fiction and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.*

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes was one of my most anticipated 2022 releases, and after finishing it, it took me a little while to gather my thoughts coherently enough to sit down and write a review. It really wasn't entirely what I was expecting, but in a way that was a good thing as the story definitely kept me intrigued, and I especially loved the parallels to the Christian walk of faith, and overcoming temptations and struggles to follow who we know we should be following (Jesus).

Told in the dual POV's of Myrthe and Baastian, the reader is treated to a whirlwind fantastical story that showcases the extreme lengths some will go to for ultimate greed and power. Myrthe was born with the "wishtress" talent, but she's spent her entire life being taken advantage of by the only one who knows she has it. Baastian was granted his "timesnap" talent as young man, and has relied on it ever since to try and bring about the change he desires to see in the world. When the current king is murdered, and his son's desire for political power involves unethical and inhumane choices, Myrthe and Baastian end up joining together for a pilgrimage to the well of talents to try and put a stop to the new king's orders. However, the well is more powerful and complicated than either could have ever even imagined, and the answer is not as easy as they initially believed.

With fantastic world building, and a complex magical system, Wishtress was a book that easily pulled me into its complex intricacies, and I read the majority of it in only a couple of reading sessions. I ended up preferring the secondary characters to the main ones, as I really loved Anouk and Runt, but the story overall was one that held my attention, and felt original from a lot of the other young adult fantasy novels I've read.

My only complaints would be that I didn't really care for either Myrthe or Baastian as main characters, and I would have liked a little more development and growth to be seen in both of them by the end. I thought their romance was incredibly insta lovey, and it didn't seem believable how fast the feelings grew between them with everything they'd been keeping from each other, and how few interactions they'd truly had within the story. I also really enjoyed the majority of the magical system, but a couple of the components concerning Baastian's talent were kind of confusing, and didn't make sense to me how they jumped from one point to the other.

Lastly, I was a little confused by the ending. This is clearly labeled as a stand alone, and yet to me, the ending came across like it was setting up for the next book. Not sure if this was the author trying to leave things to the imagination of the reader, or if there will be eventual plans for a second book.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Overall a wonderful fantasy story with great allegories to the Christian faith, complex world building and a brilliant magical system. I'd recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of clean young adult fantasy, and fantasy novels with a bit of a more complex magical system.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

“Relief and freedom came in acknowledging and accepting our brokenness. It was okay to be broken as long as we didn’t build a home in it.”
I loved this quote from this book.
So many of us feel broken, worthless, or used.
In this enchanting tale, the two main characters are striving to find hope and peace, in a world where they are looked upon as flawed and have been used by others for their own purposes.
Myrthe was used all of her life, for her tears. She was the Wishtress and could grant wishes with her tears. Bastiaan had a talent to stop time and was just trying to help the King see the value of letting anyone have a chance to get a “talent.”
Things go terribly wrong and both characters go on a long journey to correct it before one of them dies.
This story had beautiful word pictures and left me with tons of feelings.
It's a magical story about relationships, friendships, love, and finding worth. It's also a story about righting wrongs and conquering evil.
There were some profound moments where I found myself holding my breath because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. As a reader, I was captivated by all the fantasy. An author who can create a wonderful world that captures your mind and takes you on a journey into the unknown is an author I will read more from.
Nadine Brandes is such an author.
If you want to get lost in a magical world that will make your heart pound and you find it hard to breathe, then this is the book for you. I must warn you, once you start, you might not want to put it down until you finish the whole book!
I was given this book by the publisher which did not influence my review in any way, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wishtress is a really cool storyline! The story is well paced and the the plot is unique. It's a fantastic fantasy novel with awesome characters.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read Wishtress.

Overall enjoyed this book and the reading experience. I liked the imagery and the magic (talents and banes) but I wish there had been more character development and world building in this book. I also didn’t care for the relationship that much (I pictured Bas really old because he’s 107? and she’s 17?) and it was a bit of insta-love which is a trope I’m not into. But I thought this was a quick read that many YA fantasy readers will enjoy.

It’s appropriate for a book about tears that I shed so many while reading this book: ugly tears, happy tears, overwhelmed by the beauty of the story tears. The symbolism of this story was so powerful that sometimes I had set it aside and just absorb it all. I’ve read several of the author’s books and loved them, but this is on a whole level of writing. It’s definitely going to be one of my top books for 2022.

Oh my goodness! I don't even know where to begin! What an absolute masterpiece! I loved this story so much! That's not really a surprise though. I've enjoyed every single one of Nadine Brandes' books, but this one might be my favorite one so far. It was such a powerful, poignant, and beautiful read.

I liked Myrthe. She made some really poor choices and didn't always think through the possible consequences of her actions, but she always meant well. Even though she faced some pretty tough circumstances, she was tenderhearted and compassionate. It was heartbreaking that most people didn't really see her, but only what she could do for them. I really felt for her. The journey she goes on from the beginning of the story to the end, the way that she grows, was inspiring to see.

Bastiaan was an all-around great guy. Yes, he made mistakes. Big ones. Disastrous ones. But he was such a steadfast, loyal, and kind guy. He was always wanting the best for everyone. Trying to right all the wrongs of the world. It was a tall order, but he faced it all with such a big heart. And I loved seeing his relationship with Runt. It was such a genuine thing, and it was obvious that he cared a great deal for the little guy.

This was not a predictable read by any means. It took turns that I never would've guessed. And that ending? I'm still processing, but the more I think about it, the more perfect it feels. I imagine I'll be contemplating it for a while yet. If you're a fan of fantasy, I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's one of the best I've read this year.

I received an early copy of this book via Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

The acknowledgements at the end of the story begin very aptly. She says “To every reader who just turned the last page and either hates me, loves me, or vacillates between the two . . . .” I was definitely the one who vacillated, at least for a few minutes after I turned the final page. Now I’ve settled back to loving Ms. Brandes.
I confess, I’m pretty selective when I pick up YA fantasy. I have a couple authors that I automatically gravitate to and a couple more that I’m curious to try. But that’s about it. Ever since I had the pleasure of reading her Out Of Time series, I just grab anything from Nadine Brandes. I’ve been hearing about this book for quite a while, via newsletters and social media, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting the chance to read it! I have to confess, after waiting so long, it was starting to niggle, this question of whether or not it would live up to the hype. So I got it, but then, I waited. I just couldn’t bring myself to start it. But with a happy sigh, I can say without a doubt that it did live up to it all!
Wishes, Talents, Curses, Banes, stopping time, betrayal, love . . . so many things, all contained in one story! There was a lot and I was definitely kept on my toes. It seemed the end of every chapter just made me want to read that much faster. Or I’d fall asleep dreaming of what on Earth could happen next??? And the ending! Yes, it was worth it. It couldn’t have ended any other way. As much as I might have been tempted to send Ms. Brandes a cranky letter about how my heart can’t handle such things, it really was the right ending for the story. And after her other books, should I really expect an ending that doesn’t leave me feeling like that? And no, I’m not going to tell you and spoil anything. You must find out for yourself.
Overall: If you’re asking the question, the answer is YES! READ IT! Go now! Don’t wait, like I did. Dive in and run along the road to the Well (or have more self control than I did and walk slowly, savoring every page)!

*My thanks to the publisher for my advanced copy of this book! I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wishtress is a story about when a talent goes wrong. When a blessing become curse. Wish small words from Germany and Dutch I almost think this is based on folktales. I love the writing style, it is gripping my attention since first chapter narration. The plot it self is interesting and intriguing. I love the world building and I wish more development. The characters still feel generic and need extra depth, the romance feel instan and I need extra scene to make it believed. This story not offer something new but still enjoyable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas NelsonOh . Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another knock your socks off read by the talented Ms. Brandes, and one I could not wait to get my hands on.
Once again, the characters that she creates have the ability to move you in such a beautiful way. Each one of them you vividly feel such passion towards, the good ones you will adore and the villain’s you will want to beat senseless. Her magical imagery transports you inside the novel as if you are actually cinematically on the side lines.
Brandes word building is immersive and her mixture of using Dutch and German can be viewed as an educational experience.
The story is about a girl named Myrthe, who has the ability to grant wishes with her tears. However, upon granting a wish one day, her wish goes wrong and causes her wish to go haywire. Myrthe ends up cursing herself, which now means that if a single tear should ever fall, she will die.
Myrthe hears of a well that can break the curse and goes in search of it. Upon this search, she meets a man named Bastian. However, Bastian is on a mission from the King to find this “Wishtress” and dispose of her.
In all, there are too many people trying to find Myrthe or the well for their own selfish gains. Either for a wish, to kill her, or the well to be healed of a curse they need broken. Theirs Sven, Anouk, Runt, The King, Coraline and I cannot remember who else at the moment. But Bastian, Myrthe and Runt are the characters I ended up cheering and rooting for the most.
Bastian turns out to be someone I actually turned out liking in the end. Him being able to recognize his faults and start to realize his own albitites was great to see.
The romance between Myrthe and Bastian is also extremely sweet and innocent, very coy and awkward. More than a bit syrupy as young love sometimes is.
The ending of the book I can actually say I did not see coming at all, not even if it slapped me in the face. LOL
Brandes totally blew me out of the water with that one.
LITERALLY GOBSMACKED!
Was anyone else blown away? Or was I the only fool taken aback by the ending, and just missed something?
Either way, FANTASTIC JOB!!!
A REAL HUMDINGER!
2022’S FINEST!
#LISTOPIA
BRANDES NEVER FAILS TO DELIVER!
Thank you NetGalley/Nadine Brandes/Thomas Nelson—Fiction for this eARC for my honest opinion

A solidly okay book, didn't hate it but didn't love it either. I still finished the book though and became more invested the further I got in the story.

I enjoyed the premise as it felt really novel and fun. I loved the intricacies of the magic "Talents and Banes" system. I did enjoy Myrthe's character I got to know her more, same with Bastiaan. I loved Runt from the beginning though. He was the only character that felt fully developed and interesting from the start.

The world-building was a bit lacklustre, with not a great amount of description or detail in the characters or surroundings. The characters also felt a little flat. Sometimes a character would leave the story suddenly without reappearing or would randomly return without a lot of information as to how they found the group. This is in reference to characters like Myrthe's grandma and mom. (Don't want to add spoilers for context but if you read this, you know.)

There were some plot points that weren't predictable like Anouk's character arc, which was something I really enjoyed. Some other parts were a little predictable or rushed but that felt really organic.

Overall it was a fun idea and a solid read. I wanted to know how it finished and what happened to the characters. The book got better as I continued to read, I wasn't overly invested until I was more than 60% through the book, however. There was an intriguing magic system and some interesting characters. Could have done with some more world-building and build-up to plot points. The ending was fairly open-ended which some people may hate but I felt it fitting for the story and to be a good way to finish it off. The ending is very open to interpretation.

This could be classified in several genres: teen/young adult, fantasy, romance, Christian.

Myrthe is a young woman who has been gifted since birth as a rare Wishtress, possessing a magic which can grant wishes from her tears. But she has been cursed by a witch (who has received a bane/curse from the Nightwell, the antithesis of the Well of Talents which gifts magical abilities), and the next tear she sheds will kill her.

Bastiian is a young man who can stop time. He believes that the Well should be made available to all and tries to convince the king/government of this. He vows to take Myrthe to the Well of Talents to try and undo the curse.

This is a good vs. evil tale with parallels to the free will of Christianity and God’s grace and love. There are issues of self-worth, guilt, and trust as well as a sweet romance and a few villains.

I felt that the author did a very good job of weaving the allegory together, and I enjoyed the story very much.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I've read other books by Brandes and enjoyed them, so I had high hopes for this one. However, it fell a bit flat for me.

I felt the worldbuilding was lacking, and I had a hard time understanding what was going on at times. The ending was "meh." Perhaps that's because there will be a sequel, but I'm not sure. The pacing was off, with some parts feeling rushed and others dragging.

I liked that the romance wasn't overpowering, and the characters, in general, were well-developed, albeit a bit "average" and not necessarily memorable. If the story had been told from a different perspective (such as Runt), I may have enjoyed it more.

This was probably the darkest book I've read in 2022 so far. I kept reading the book feeling hopeful and hopeless at the same time for these characters. Lies, deaths, betrayals. All those things in sake of a wish. This book shows the lenghts that greed can go and how it destroys you in a horrible way. Still, I couldn't put it down, Myrthe and Bastiaan were worth it. Absolute masterpiece. My thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.