If you love historical fantasy, then you have to check out The Witch Haven and The Witch Hunt. And this time they’re traveling across the ocean to see if they can finish what they started. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Months after the devastating battle between the Sons of St. Druon and the witches of Haxahaven, Frances has built a quiet, safe life for herself, teaching young witches and tending the garden within the walls of Haxahaven Academy. But one thing nags; her magic has begun to act strangely. When an opportunity to visit Paris arises, Frances jumps at the chance to go, longing for adventure and seeking answers about her own power.
Once she and her classmates Maxine and Lena reach the vibrant streets of France, Frances learns that the spell she used to speak to her dead brother has had terrible consequences—the veil between the living and the dead has been torn by her recklessness, and a group of magicians are using the rift for their own gain at a horrifying cost.
To right this wrong, and save lives and her own magical powers, Frances must hunt down answers in the parlors of Parisian secret societies, the halls of the Louvre, and the tunnels of the catacombs. Her only choice is to team up with the person she swore she’d never trust again, risking further betrayal and her own life in the process.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Witch Hunt manages to be both thoughtful and action packed all at once. I was entirely immersed in the story, if they can fix the storm of dominos they let out. But at the same time, I loved how The Witch Hunt asks if people can really change. It’s a testament to what happens after the ‘ending’. To the ways in which there’s a sense of loneliness in our magic, but also joy in the community. However, I loved how grounded The Witch Hunt is on friendship and how Frances isn’t alone. Even when she might want to be?
The Witch Hunt has a bit of heists, glittering Paris lights, and puzzles. We can be afraid of love, of being hurt, of trust disappearing. But in The Witch Hunt nothing is ever as simple as it seems in this game of the price is right. Our best intentions can go astray and we can underestimate how much we’d sacrifice for love. While there is a sense of action, danger, and tension, there are also moments of joy. And Peyton Smith examines what we twist love into and what sacrifices and costs we enact for what we think is love. What we think shows devotion.
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Thematically, The Witch Hunt shines. To know that there can be glimmers and glitter within a covering of shadows. Not going to lie, that ending had be upset and screaming (a bit in anger), but I will forgive the book because thematically I think it had interesting conversations about the true meaning of love. So if you loved the first, this is a must read! Find The Witch Hunt on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.