The Witch who Trades with Death - Review
Link to the author's (C. M. Alongi) personal website
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (22)
- Length (4 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: All witches must serve the cruel and immortal Emperor Yamueto. But after four years of terror and abuse, Khana not only kills one of his favorite courtiers with her magic, but also discovers the secret of his power and immortality: he’s been making deals with Death. And now, so is she.
Armed with magic that she doesn’t fully understand, Khana flees the empire and stumbles into a small mountain town filled with fierce warriors that ostracize her for being a witch, despite using her abilities to heal their sick and injured. There, her magic and courage are put to the test as she is forced to stop running and fight back against the emperor that wants her dead.
But every deal she makes with Death takes another piece of her soul. And there’s only so much Khana can give before she turns into the very monster she’s trying to destroy.
Review: With no communication, a friend gifted this book to me a few days after I'd decided that I was going to read it. That means that there's something about the blurb that is both appealing to me, and signals to others that I'd like this book? Both my and my friend's gut ended up being correct, because despite the shaky start I enjoyed this book. Many plot points in the book felt telegraphed, and often followed common tropes, but I still found myself glued to the book. I was constantly cheering for the Poison Dart Frogs, and loved reading some of the positive interactions. It was fun to see the Ghuran mindset too, albeit not-so-fun when it came to "outsiders". The book got me to make some big goofy smile multiple times. The book won't be going down on any list of my favourites, but it was a solid read that firmly captured my attention, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a stand-alone fantasy novel who isn't turned off by the blurb.