Scott Reads It!

Witchstruck is everything you'd expect from a book about a witch in a Tudor Court. There's secret paramours, court politics, magic, intrigue and tons of historical context. Witchstruck definitely delivers an exciting novel with a historical backdrop. I'm pretty impressed with Lamb's debut for the most part and it's definitely worth reading. 

 

      For me, the best comparison I can make regarding Witchstruck is "Grave Mercy meets Anne Rice." Readers will get all of the historical, court politics they loved in Robin LaFevers' YA novel along with the peculiar, magical happenings of Rice's novels. The difference between the two aforementioned authors and Lamb is that I didn't really fall in love with Witchstruck or it's characters. Yes, I enjoyed Witchstruck and it's characters were fairly interesting, but it's just not a book that will stick in my mind.

 

       I really felt like I understood the urgency of being a witch in such a dangerous time. Lamb really conveys well the high-stakes, tense feeling that any moment Meg will be found out and hell will break loose. I really wanted to see more of Meg's magical abilities and I felt that the author really didn't take advantage of the situation. There wasn't nearly enough magic enough in this book and I really could feel its absence. You would a novel about witches wouldn't suffer from this kind of a problem?  I understand that Lamb wanted to include historical events and romance, but I just couldn't believe that this book didn't have enough magic to satisfy me. The magic I did end up reading was extremely interesting and that made the absence even more noticeable.

 

        The relationship Meg had with Alejandro de Castillo really mirrored Ismae and Duval's relationship in Grave Mercy. That isn't a bad thing per se, but the whole romance really felt like a deja vu to me and I couldn't shake off this feeling. I know it isn't Lamb's fault at all, but I just couldn't gloat over a relationship when it just felt so eerily similar to another literary couple. The romance in Witchstruck didn't really have as much depth as I would have liked.

 

        I kept waiting for that moment in Witchstruck when Meg would finally surprise me with her strength. Meg is a witch so why does she need Castillo's help so often? I really didn't like how she seemed to rely on Castillo so often especially when the Spanish is supposed to be England's enemy. Why does Meg seem to shake off the idea that Castillo is the enemy so easily? Not to mention the fact that he's training to be a priest, that plot line didn't blend with the romance at all. The whole priest affair seemed to have been disregarded so easily and it never was dealt with in a proper manner. 

 

         Witchstruck isn't the best witch novel by any stretch, but it was pretty enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'd like to continue the series at this point, but I am not ruling out the possibility at the moment. Witchstruck really adds nothing new to the paranormal or historical fiction genres, but it's worth reading. For those looking for a quick, light read, Witchstruck will fit your criteria perfectly!