THE LOWDOWN:
Vance Ehecatl was raised with every luxury he could imagine in a beautiful greenhouse within the powerful empire of Midnight. Vampires are the only guardians Vance has ever known since he was abandoned by his shapeshifter family as a baby quetzal, and he is grateful to them for generously providing for all of his needs. When an act of violence forces Vance from his sheltered home, he is startled to meet Malachi Obsidian, a fellow shapeshifter with conflicting ideas about Midnight and its leader, Mistress Jeshickah.
Malachi claims Vance is a bloodwitch, who Jeshickah and her trainers, Jaguar and Taro, are trying to control. Vance doesn’t know anything about the rare and destructive magic Malachi says he possesses, and he can’t believe Jeshickah would use it to hurt others. But when his friends begin falling ill, Vance starts to realize his perfect world may not be as flawless as it seems. Now Vance must decide who to trust-the vampires he’s always relied upon, or the shapeshifters who despise them.
FIRST IMPRESSION:
Yesterday, as Lady Brina worked on her latest masterpiece, she shared with me a myth she had recently learned about quetzals.
—ARC paperback edition
SNAPSHOT:
In 1803, fourteen-year-old Vance, an exotic bird shapeshifter, narrates this tale set in the heart of the empire Midnight—a world ruled by immortal vampires, protecting the loyal and making examples of those who cross them.
While Vance is a sweet kid clearly trying to understand his place in the world, his voice is generic. He often lacks agency, moving plot forward through his many mistakes and blind devotion to the vampires. He serves more as a witness to others’ actions when needed, or to avoid seeing interactions to maintain the mystery for readers. He would have made a better secondary character with the more interesting Malachi Obsidian at the helm.
Beyond Vance, his on-again off-again ally Malachi, and the Mistress of Midnight Jeshickah, the secondary cast feels like filler—which is peculiar, considering the limited plot and character development of such a slim volume. Several characters are discussed as being important, but then forgotten for the rest of the tale.
The shapeshifer societies are unique, adding a tone of magic to the world—especially as each breed comes with their own magical powers. Of course, being a shapeshifter (or a witch) also allows characters to avoid the worst of the slave trade, ending up as pampered pets instead of fodder like the humans.
On the bright side, readers of the first series, the Kiesha’ra, will enjoy seeing the royal Cobriana line still kicking around and the Shardae avians, though their princess currently sports a new slave name and resides in Midnight as a vampire’s pet. Like most cameos, they are fleeting.
The uncomfortably abrupt finale will certainly confound readers when a new character is introduced to reverses the plot mere pages from the end. The deus ex machina conveniently justifies her actions (making Vance and Malachi’s efforts a waste), reveals behind-the-scenes drama the shifters were oblivious to, and promptly leaves. If this had been a stand-alone series, unhindered by pre-established present day canon, a satisfying ending where the protagonists succeeded could have led to an interesting state of turmoil for Midnight—and excitement and tension for the audience.
Appropriate for ages 12+. Mild language, fantasy violence, off-screen suicide, fantasy-world slavery. No alcohol or drug use, no sexual situations.
Deals with loyalty, family, death and disease, identity, subjective truth, and finding your place in the world.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
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Love shapeshifter, witch, or vampire stories
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Are a fan of the Den of Shadows or Kiesha’ra series
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Enjoy complex world building
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Have been looking for a paranormal historical series
THE ESSENTIALS:
YA Historical Fantasy
Hardcover & Ebook, 288 pages
Publishing May 13th, 2014 by Delacorte Press (ISBN0385743033)
http://www.randomhouse.com/book/220528/bloodwitch
(Review copy provided by Krista Vitola at Delacorte Press.)
