The Black Witch by Laurie Forest is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series that deals with prejudices, inequality and more.
Elloren Gardner has lived a sheltered life with her two brothers and her uncle on the edge of Gardneria. She grows herbs, plays the violin and wants nothing more than to be their small town’s apothecary. She has no magic whatsoever, even though her grandmother was the most powerful witch in all of Earthea.
When Elloren’s aunt shows up insisting that her 17 year old niece wand fast–a marriage ritual that bonds couples together with magic–Elloren’s uncle sends her to Verpax University to become a real apothecary. But university isn’t what she thought it would be.
Elves room with Gardnerians, Lupine and even the foul Icarals attend classes together and naive Elloren is unprepared for this world. She is also extremely unprepared for the prejudices she faces–Elloren is the spitting image of her grandmother and although that makes her a hero in the Gardnerian eyes, all the other races scorn and ridicule her.
Can Elloren survive in a school that doesn’t seem to want her? Can she resist her aunt’s terrible brand of persuasion? And what side will she choose when evil rears its head?
I should start this review by saying, read the reviews before you pick up this one. Know what you are getting yourself into because there seems to be a lot of competing views and controversy about this one.
The Black Witch is rife with controversy. Themes of racism, brutality, slavery, extreme prejudices, gender inequality, political upheaval… you name it and this book probably addresses it in some way. Even our main characters are extremely prejudice and do some really awful things before they realize what they are doing and how it makes others feel.
The first quarter, maybe even the first half of this book has many many cringe worthy moments. You will cringe. You will not feel good about reading what you are reading. But isn’t that the mark of a good book, when it gets you thinking and feeling to that extent? If you are looking for a light read, this one is not for you. I don’t know if the author meant to do this but I could see many parallels to today’s society and the social upheaval occurring in the book.
I actually really enjoyed this one. There is something about magical universities that I can’t resist. The characters felts like a group of misfits who were out to change the world–the best kind of misfits. Elloren wasn’t my favorite, especially with her wishy washy beginning but she does grow on you. You sort of know that she has to be the black witch, so you are waiting and waiting to see something that proves it… but I guess that is for another book.
No word on when the next book is going to be out, which is kind of a bummer. But it looks like there is a prequel if you are interested. This book makes you think, which is why I am going to give it 4 stars. Yes, it can be a harsh read but I think it was meant to be that way.
That’s all for now!
-M-