This epic sapphic fantasy absolutely captivated me. The pages flew by. The Witch Who Chases the Sun is a story about love, sacrifice, and war. Keep reading this book review of The Witch Who Chases the Sun for my full thoughts.
Summary
The war between Aixauh and Inabri ended. The heroes have won, what now?
A decade after the war that resulted in the death of someone important to them both, the Aixauhan Alchemist Cai-Li Ying seeks out to rekindle their relationship with her estranged lover, the Inabrian Oracle, Anne Barberry.
However, a lot has changed in the past decade. Anne barricades herself in the Castle on a hill where her family‘s dark secrets lie. Chely has gained the reputation of being the Blood Hawk, who dabbles in dark magic, much to Anne’s disgust. Rumors has it that Anne herself is responsible for the disappearance of visitors who went to the Castle.
Other things are happening as the two witches reunite. Old ghosts come back to haunt them. People they know from the war come and go. Scars left by the war does not easily fade. Are they truly each other‘s salvation, or are they doomed to repeat the past that tore them apart?
This is a story about grief, loss, generational trauma and cycle of war.
Sometimes, true love is not the answer.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Witch Who Chases the Sun is multi-faceted. It begins as this story about exes and second chances. And then it becomes this story about grief, the trauma of war, and the cycle of violence. With memories of the past, The Witch Who Chases the Sun dredges up the betrayals and mistakes. But it also asks us how we make sense of our own past, the legacies we try to shed, and the people we try to become. In this world, what does being ‘post-war’ mean? How does one end a war and continue surviving? The scars continue to ache and the world wants to move on.
The Witch Who Chases the Sun explores the cost of doing the right thing. And it’s easier to believe we are the monster than the savior. How do we begin to atone for what wrongs our family, our country, our ancestors have committed? But if we never even try, then we become worse than they are. When does this cycle of revenge and violence end? And when is it warranted? If we continue to rain retribution, what is the role of forgiveness, of ending the snake eating its own tail? It explores the scale of war, but also grief. There’s often no happy ending for heroes, but what would it be like to snatch at something similar?
The Witch Who Chases the Sun is powerful and moving, while also being grounded in characters. I loved being immersed in this world and the balance of the micro and macro was excellent! Find The Witch Who Chases the Sun on Goodreads, Storygraph.