Love and Witchcraft

I found The Winter Witch to be a nice light read. Which was great because that was what I was hoping for when I chose it.  Sometimes I feel like I (or we) get bogged down in these epic fantasy adventures, dystopian series and even the beloved classics. A light read can be a good imagination "palette cleanser" between heartier books. So, yippee and one point to The Winter Witch!

Now overall the story was good despite being predictable. I liked that we got to see the world and characters through Morgana and Cai's POV. I think if Brackston did it any other way the story would have been lacking and flat. However, I did noticed that several times during Cai's POV the tense was off. While it didn't discourage me from continuing, it did distract me enough that I paused and was withdrawn from the story. Sometimes it was easier to get back in to the story sometimes not. But with a little editing, I think his POV could have been a little smoother.

Throughout the course of the story, I was really hoping we would learn much more about Morgana's father. When the moment arrived, I honestly felt let down. He was obviously an important story catalyst: he left hence Morgana stopped speaking. Everything big that happens to her from this point on is directly related to her not being able to speak. And at the end we are still unsure was to why she suddenly stopped talking. Was it magic, stubbornness, her father ... don't know! For me this was a big loose end that could have had great potential.

What I did really enjoy was the love story. I will fully admit that sometimes I have the urge to loose myself in a hot, passionate bodice-ripper story, but the love comes slowly stories can be a nice change of pace. At the end of the story we know Morgana and Cai really love each other. And not only that, it is a love that is built on hardship, perseverance and trust. They made vows and stuck to them. Talk about a refreshing romance.