To Drown a Witch is perfect for fans of witch X witch hunter stories. It’s a story about unlikely and maybe ill advised allies. In a twisty story, To Drown a Witch never lets its guard down. Keep reading this book review of To Drown a Witch for my full thoughts.
Summary
In Orlonea, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield magic with a single thought.
So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned—and no one will be safe until she’s killed.
Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.
As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light—secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Orlonea itself.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
To Drown a Witch is all about how we can be unwilling allies. It’s about girls sacrificed in the name of purity, of the idea that if they aren’t the Witch, they’re guilty enough to die. To Drown a Witch takes place in a witch hunt. A hunt for the guilty party at all costs. And, not going to lie, I was rooting for the Witch from the beginning. While the ending of To Drown a Witch was certainly a high point for me, the twists were a bit predictable especially for the Witch x Witch Hunter vibes. That’s not a deal breaker for me, but I also didn’t end up loving either Toran or Nes. I certainly liked Nes better, mostly because she doesn’t literally work for the ones looking for the Witch, but I also didn’t love them together?
The romance and connection felt very quick especially since they were supposed to be enemies. To Drown a Witch has so much promise especially with the ending elements – no spoilers obviously – but as soon as I felt like we were closer to moments of character development, I feel like To Drown a Witch backed away a bit. I wanted there to be more depth, more dwelling in these moments of uncertainty, and the ending was….open ended to say the least. I wanted to love To Drown a Witch more, but I think that it just needed a bit more depth in some elements.
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