Wishtress

Young Adult Fantasy by Nadine Brandes

3/3 stars

Rating: PG-13 for violence, some mature themes

Summary:

She didn’t ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. But when a granted wish goes wrong, she is cursed: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She must travel to the Well of Talents to break the curse before it can claim her life–and before the king’s militairen find her. To survive the journey, Myrthe must harden her heart to keep herself from shedding even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan’s powerful–and rare–talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king wants him to find the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan’s no fool who obeys without question. He gains Myrthe’s trust by helping her on her quest, but whether he turns her in depends on the answers he gets, or if his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart compromise him.

Spoiler-Free Review:

I fell in love with Nadine Brandes’s book Fawkes, but wasn’t quite as impressed with Romanov, so I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up Wishtress, I just knew it was worth a try.

This book is fantastic!!! I would have finished sooner, but had to keep interrupting myself with stupid adult responsibilities.

The plot twists and turns, sometimes predictably, but not always. The characters practically jump off the page. And, yes, Runt is my favorite.

While I was initially annoyed by the classic “misunderstanding leads to pointless argument” tropes, Brandes’s characters are so human that it felt more natural and less like a cheap way to amp up tension.

The theme of the book (I know, ugh, themes. How boring. But it’s my review, I can do what I want.) The theme offered a unique perspective on the realities of good vs. evil. I promised to keep this spoiler-free so I won’t get specific, but it left me thinking. It’s going to be a awhile before I get this book out of my head.