Customer Reviews

Witch

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

WARRIOR AND WITCH is the stunning sequel to DOPPELGANGER. If one hasn't read DOPPELGANGER, be forewarned that the very plot of WARRIOR AND WITCH is a spoiler for DOPPELGANGER....

Mirei's merger of her Hunter and witch halves, previously named Mirage and Miryo, has caused a great rift in the witch community. Some, such as the Void Ray Prime Satomi, proclaim Mirei as the future when all doppelgangers and witches can be reunited as one whole person rather than the witch killing the doppelganger in order to control her magic. Others, however, see Mirei's very existence as an abomination and are willing to sacrifice all to destroy her. Mirei's strength in her newly found magic will be tested as war erupts within the witch community.

Marie Brennan proves once again that she is a master at weaving a compelling story. WARRIOR AND WITCH is a thought-provoking fantasy tale populated with characters who are neither wholly good nor evil but are instead placed in tough situations in which there are no easy answers. The philosophical debate over the splitting of the two halves of the soul also explodes in this sequel but the storyline is not bogged down in this but rather enhanced by it. The action and the metaphysical aspects are cleverly interwoven and unfold gradually through Ms. Brennan's beautiful prose.

WARRIOR AND WITCH is not completely a stand alone novel. While Marie Brennan does an excellent job at describing all that the reader needs to know in this sequel, one cannot truly appreciate the split within the witches without having experienced the struggles documented in DOPPELGANGER. A very helpful glossary is included at the back of the book that assists with keeping the multitude of characters and the various ruling titles of the witches straight as it could be overwhelming otherwise.

WARRIOR AND WITCH demonstrates the heart of what good fantasy truly is meant to be. Surpassing even her superb DOPPELGANGER in ingenuity, Marie Brennan shows what a gift she has. This reviewer is already eagerly anticipating what next adventure Ms. Brennan has in store for her readers. WARRIOR AND WITCH is highly recommended and easily one of the best fantasy novels published this year!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

I've been waiting for this one ever since I read Brennan's first book, Doppelganger, and it was worth the wait.

Sequels aren't easy to write, but Brennan did a wonderful job. Everything in Warrior & Witch flows out of the events of Doppelganger. The main character, Mirei, has overturned centuries of tradition and religious belief, discovered a new kind of magic, and begun a revolution in how witches and doppelgangers are raised. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about these changes.

W&W sees the witches of Starfall turning against themselves, with Mirei racing to rescue the other doppelgangers from those who would destroy them as abominations. But not all of those doppelgangers are so eager to be rescued, or to lose their individuality. We also learn more about the witches' culture, including the nature of the mysterious Cousins. Mirei explores the limits of Void magic, as well as the duality of her newly-merged self.

One of the things that most impresses me about Brennan's writing is her honesty. She has created a fascinating world, and she refuses to shy away from some of the uglier implications of that world. In her first book, the ritual murder of (soulless) infants was a natural outgrowth of the religious beliefs and magical rules of that world. In book two, she continues to write with that same courage. Some terrible things happen, not because the author wants to get an easy, knee-jerk reaction from the readers, but because they must happen. Because the characters in this world are desperate, and it's not just the "evil" characters who sometimes cross the line. Life is rarely as simple as black and white, and Brennan does a masterful job of capturing that messy complexity. I love her characters, both for their courage and for their flaws.

There were one or two moments where I was thrown out of the book. A plot thread that seems to disappear for more than half the book before popping up again ... a bit of foreshadowing that felt a little too heavy-handed for me ... but I'm picking nits here. Brennan's first book was good. This one's even better.

Sadly, I'm told there are no immediate plans for a third book in the series. But on the bright side, I've also heard the author is hard at work on a different project. I can't wait to read it!

I loved the first book in this series and this one I found even more enjoyable. It was one of those books that you just can't put down because you have to know what happens next. The mythology and the world that Brennan has created consumed me during the time I was reading it. However, the ending left me wondering if a chapter or two hadn't gone missing. There's this great build-up to this war that is about to happen and the first physical attack has just happened. And then the next chapter (the epilogue) states more or less that it's over and it's almost as if it never happened at all. I found it not only to be a little confusing, but wondered if the author just lost steam towards the end. But I think my greatest suspicion is that some chapters got dropped from the final printing, because that's exactly how it read. I even went back to look at page numbers to make sure I hadn't accidentally missed any pages during my reading.

But I still give it four stars, because up to that point, it was a great read. I don't typically enjoy fantasy, but this series held my interest.

It's the type of book that you can't wait to get to the end of to see what happens, but then when you do you're a bit bummed because, well, you've reached the end of the book. I really enjoyed both Warrior & Witch and would highly recommend both books.

You'd think it'd be difficulty reading about a character that was once two people but is now one person and retain both minds, but it was actually not confusing at all. I don't even know if I can explain it properly, but I'll try, its not that Mirie has two voices speaking in her head but that she retains both women memories and histories.

Miryo and Mirage at the end of Doppelganger had successfully found a way to become one person again, immediately becoming the only witch who could achieve void magic and although in the end it seemed everything turned out OK Warrior and Witch shows the consequences of both females' actions. As the synopsis says not everyone agrees that Mirie should live or that the tradition of killing doppelganger children should be discontinued and this results in the division of The Primes which almost instantly results in a war.

Warrior and Witch really showed the different inner struggles of the human mind and the test of loyalty and bonds. This series has an excellent balance of plot and character development and these are the stories I love the most.

If Doppelganger made me interested in the world Marie Brennan created then this book really made me fall in love with it. By the end I was wishing for another book not caring who it was about as long as it took place in the same world. So much more was revealed in this sequel and I can't help but wonder what else there is to find out.

I gave Warrior a 5 star rating, I give Witch a 5 star rating too. My comments on Witch are much the same as I gave for Warrior. I liked the story line. I can not and will not complain about the story line - I thought it was wonderful, I rally enjoyed the book whether totally original or not it was a good read and one I enjoyed.
While the honorific titles were confusing and one must often wonder if the reader is pronouncing the names correctly - it is often such as thus with fantasy type stories. YOU just have to get through it and enjoy the story and not let that become a detractor. Now, maintain that correct grammar doesn't always make for the most readable story. My example again is the use of "former and latter" and the use of "foci" instead of the less correct but more readable "focuses." True, grammatically correct, but to me as a reader they break up the smooth flow of the story. From a personal standpoint I have always found the use of "former and latter" and also "foci" irksome to hear and to read. Nevertheless I got through the story and at the end I can honestly say that it was a good story and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy stories. Good job, Ms. Brennan. I look forward to reading MIDNIGHT NEVER COME.
Review by Mark Grant, Author of Blood of Scotland.

This book was really good. The first book, Warrior, started a little slow, but once it got going, the story and action was non-stop and it continued with the sequel. Great story, fast paced, intriguing and unique story. Get it! :) Can't wait to see the movie, hope they make one.

The second book in the doppelganger series. This book is just as enthralling as the first. The story line has changed somewhat with the arrival of Mirei, but the same basic story writing that got me to love the first one still exists. This book has some good ups and downs with some twists that you won't see coming. Brennan does a great job of describing the landscape in a way that you can picture it and create the book in your mind. Awesome sci-fi story that's not your average witch story. Wonderful break from the "everyday" witch stories.

If you're a fan of Marie Brennan's "Warrior," you'll want to read the sequel, "Witch." Marie Brennan has definitely established herself as an author to watch.

"Witch" picks up pretty soon after the conclusion of "Warrior." Mirei is trying to figure out how she fits into the established traditions of Starfall, as she is a new type of witch that her fellow witches have never encountered before. While some witches find Mirei to be the leader in a new era of witches, others feel threatened by Mirei's obvious break with tradition and break away from Starfall in an attempt to keep the old ways. War between the two witch factions threatens to break out, as Mirei attempts to find other doppelgangers and bring them to safety.

Like "Warrior," "Witch" starts out strong and doesn't let up. There's still some action in this book, but I found the characterization of some of the main players to be the book's strongest point. One of the more complex characters, Satomi, was fascinating. And it was nice to have the multiple viewpoints (Mirei, Satomi, Eclipse) instead of the single (so to speak) viewpoint of the first book.

I also liked that the author chose to expand more on the Cousins society, one of the big mysteries from the first book. But just when she was ramping up to do that, I thought she sort of introduced that thread... and then left it hanging. For far too long. By the time she reintroduced that plot point, it seemed sort of thrown in and rushed. I also found myself wishing she had gone more in depth about it. For example, there's a point where the head Cousin explains what their mysterious words are when the initiation goes wrong. But they don't really explain it... they say a bunch of gibberish and don't know quite what it means. I found myself reading the "Cousin phrases" and thinking they were maybe a prophecy or something. It was kind of disappointing, as a reader, to think it was important and then find out that it really had no relevance to the story. So I think she could have done a much better part with what was an intriguing aspect of the world she built.

But still, "Witch" is a quick read and a solid ending to the duology. A must read if you're into action and fantasy novels.

The war continues in Witch. Mirage and Miryo are now aware of each other as well as the fact that only one of them can live. There's presently one problem...neither Mirage or Miryo are willing to kill each other. Now what will they do as there can be no more than one witch. It is not possible to have both Mirage and Miryo living as the longer they both live the stronger their magic will get and then the magic will be too strong for Miryo or Mirage to control. Mirage decides to take a gamble and try something with her and Miryo. What happens next will change for everyone involved. Also it seems that Mirage was not the only one to have a doppelganger; as time passes more and more doppelgangers start appearing.

I was glad to see that Mirage and Miryo were developing a really close relationship with each other as well as individual personalities. The journey that began in Warrior has really progressed with much more excitement in Witch. What took place between the pages of Witch kept me captivated till the very end. Marie Brennan knows how to bring readers into her world of mystery, mayhem, magic, and adventure. I can't wait to see what else Ms. Brennan comes up with next.