Book Review: The Witch Hunter Series by Virginia Boecker

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker 

Release Date: June 2nd, 2015

Read: July 20th, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Series: The Witch Hunter, #1

Format: ARC, 363 pages

Source: Gift from Joyousreads

Description from GoodReads:

   Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

   Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

   But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker

Release Date: June 14th, 2016

Read: July 21st, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Series: The Witch Hunter, #2

Format: ARC, 368 pages

Source: BEA 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

   Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves.

Review:

Contains Minor Spoilers:

   Damnation.
   I heard about The Witch Hunter way back in 2014 when the ARCs were just beginning to be distributed. I had originally planned on picking up a hardcover when it released, having not received an ARC, but time past and I just never got around to doing it. It wasn't until BEA 2016 that I really got the push to find myself a copy, and that's because I had received a ARC of it's sequel The King Slayer. Returning home, picking up a copy was one of the first things I wanted to do. But as luck would have it, my friend Joy from Joyousreads had an ARC that she was giving away, so I grabbed it! Then in one whole shot, I binged both books.
   The Witch Hunter was fabulous, I couldn't put it down for even a minute once I started. The writing was fast paced, the characters had so much going on with them, and the action was non stop, I couldn't get enough. I only had one problem when it came to it, and that was that I wish that Virginia Boecker had thrown in some more Witch hunting action rather than just the one case they had to deal with. I would have loved to see more of Elizabeth doing her job.
   There wasn't a huge cliffhanger when finishing The Witch Hunter, but I was still anxious to start The King Slayer right away.
   I knew the series was to be a duology, but throughout The King Slayer, I couldn't help but feel like it should have been a build up for a third novel. To be honest, because I continuously felt this way throughout the book, I felt like the ending of the novel was sort of weak. The build up was there throughout the whole thing, then within a snap of the fingers the battle had ended. I was disappointed.
   Finally, I adored John and Elizabeth together in the second book, until the stigma turned him into a dick. I understood it's importance, but I really wish it didn't happen, I would have loved to see more romantic scenes between the two.
   The Witch Hunter duology was a beautifully written series, that has definitely become a favourite of mine. I can't wait to see what Boecker has in store for us next!

   P.S I gave my sister the two books to binge after me, and she wouldn't stop screaming at me, that she hated me. That means they were great right? HA!

Overall Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear."- The Witch Hunter

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Hunters, Magic, Rebellions, A bit of Historical Fiction