Great story with a very likable main character. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to any teens looking for a book to hold their interest

The first in a new breakout series! Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and the Witcher! Elizabeth is forced to reconsider everything she know when her whole world is turned upside down after the hunter becomes the hunted.

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

380 Pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 2, 2015

Fiction, Teens, Young Adult, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Witchcraft, Historical

Elizabeth Grey has been trained to be a Witch Hunter. As a child she was orphaned when the plague killed her parents. She traveled with her friend Caleb to the castle in the hopes of getting positions. Elizabeth worked as a maid until she was chosen and trained as a Witch Hunter. She is caught with healing herbs in her pocket and is arrested as a witch. When she is abandoned in jail by everyone including Caleb, she has lost all hope. Her escape comes at the hands of the most wanted wizard of all, Nicholas Perevil.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. This book is the classic good vs evil. If you like Harry Potter, you will enjoy this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Slight spoilers, but definitely TRIGGER WARNING below, rape is discussed, as it is what sparks a good chunk of the book.

I had to stop at 15%, because I couldn't read past when I realized that the reason the MC Elizabeth was failing at her job and kept screwing up was because she was trying to deal with the trauma of being raped, repeatedly, by the king. And then in order to avoid becoming pregnant with his child, she resorted to herbs to prevent pregnancy.

Unfortunately, in her world, magic was out-lawed, she was a witch hunter and herbal medicines were considered to be magic usage. She was caught with those herb on her and after she told her boss the reason WHY she had the herbs, she was declared a witch herself for possession of the herbs, COMPLETELY ignoring the fact that she had them so she wouldn't get pregnant from her being repeatedly raped.

I just can't with blaming the victim. It happens WAY too often, which is something we as a society are trying to correct, but I am just not willing to read about what happens next. This left such a bad taste in my mouth I can't read another word.

This is also something that I would have to think twice about before recommending it to any customers in our store, due to that part of the plot. I can see someone who went through something like that to be triggered badly and for those who are sensitive to this kind of thing to react like me and just put the book down.

This could get better, where she gets the help she needs, where the king is punished for his crimes, where the use of magic/herbal medicine is no longer out-lawed, but I just can't stomach reading on to find out.

I think with the way this year has gone, I really just need light and fluffy reads. I think there IS a place for a book like this, as long as the repeated rapes and attempts to prevent pregnancy weren't just used as a plot device and they were actually dealt with in a respectful manner, but right now, it is not something I can handle to see if it is dealt with well or not. I really couldn't handle it if it wasn't dealt with properly and I don't want to take that chance.

I did read other reviews to see if the rest of the book deals with this topic in a respectful way and I was kind of surprised that no one else really seemed to comment on it much? Did I read it wrong? But I don't think so, it is pretty clear in the first 15% and her confession to her boss about why she had the herbs. Maybe I'm being to sensitive?

Please don't let my sensitivity ruin this book for you or convince you not to read it, unless it is a topic that would not be a positive one for you. I didn't find it to be poorly written and the language, while modern, didn't throw me out of the book. I was actually impressed with the foreshadowing of the trauma that made Elizabeth, who was the best witch hunter in the kingdom, start to make mistakes and act "out of character".

That doesn't mean that her fellow hunter Caleb couldn't be a bit more mature and encourage her to be more mature when in the middle of an arrest, but he did care for her and helped her where he could.

I am interested in seeing how this all works out, but right now is not the best time for me. This is something I could see me coming back to in the future, but right now, it's a DNF.

Recommended if the rape plot is dealt with properly and if it won't upset the reader. What I read wasn't bad, but it just horrified me and I couldn't read on, not right now. Tentatively 2 stars. If the rape plot was just to move the plot along, one star. If dealt with properly, three or more. Since I don't know, two stars for now.

I enjoyed that this was a fast-paced YA novel, and I really liked being able to read about witches since it's not a very common thing to come across when reading. I had high expectations for this one, and while I did really enjoy the setting it didn't quite meet my expectations. I didn't connect with the main characters and I was left with a lot of questions at the end of the book that wasn't explained while reading. Hopefully, the next book will bring more excitement and more answers!

I unfortunately was not able to read this book. I was excited when ever I had chosen to download or pick this book up on Netgalley. However, time moves by so quickly and I never got to read it.

I requested this one back in the day as I had every intention of reading it. However, its been years and I still haven't gotten around to it and while I feel guilty at not reviewing a book I think that I need to admit to myself that I won't be reading this one anytime soon....if at all.

It wasn't bad! I really like the trope of someone who hates a certain type of person only to discover that they are that person themselves.

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Sadly, this book and I just didn't connect. Apparently I don't like witch stories, and did not finish this title. I will not be reviewing it.

DNF - Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one.

Sadly, this book and I just didn't connect. I set it aside. I will not be rating or reviewing this title. Thank you for the opportunity.

I really enjoyed this book about a young woman who learned to take control of her life and make her own choices even when they are difficult.

What a great, fast-paced read. Definitely something I can recommend to my teen readers looking for a new series.