Review is also on my blog.
Video coming tomorrow.

Some people say this book is overhyped. Others say it's a fabulous high fantasy. I'm thrilled to say that, after finally reading it, I'm on the latter team. :D

It was a crazy story of magic, friendship, and the hunter vs the hunted. There was so much action and suspense, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was perfectly balanced with sea travel and consequences of prior actions. I didn't have much time to read it at first, but I was engaged from the first page. Today I read the entire second half in a matter of hours. Sarah J. Maas's blurb on the cover is a perfect description.

I loved Safi; she's a new favorite character. She was extremely impulsive, and a brave, loyal friend and companion. She was a Truthwitch, able to tell truths from lies, and that gave her a definite advantage throughout the story. I also loved her snarky attitude and her quick retorts, both to people she found irritating and people against Iseult. She was ambitious and dedicated to anything she set her mind to, and I loved seeing how that and other things shaped her character throughout the story.

Iseult is also a new favorite. She was the calm one, the one that stopped to think things through and help Safi out of difficult situations. She was a Threadwitch, able to see emotions and bonds around everyone except herself and others with her skill, and it both helped and hurt her as the story progressed. She was also part of a tribe that few respected and even fewer liked, and faced insults and jabs regularly. I admired the way she stood up to all of it and didn't seem to let it get to her. I was really worried for her in the middle chunk of the book, and relieved everything worked out eventually.

Then there's the guys, Merik and Aeduan. The former was a Windwitch, able to assist with sailing and fly in short bursts, and the latter a Bloodwitch, able to smell and track other people's blood. Merik took some time to get used to, but I ended up loving him and giving him a spot on my list of favorite guys. Aeduan, though, I'm really not sure about. He was very well-written and I liked his character arc, but I didn't know what to think of him. For most of the book I wanted him to go away, and in the last quarter or so a love-hate relationship was born. I guess I'll have to read the sequel to figure it out. ;)

I loved the world Susan created. The magic system was rich, clear, and realistic, and the world itself was vibrant in every way: history, culture, people. It was very interesting to read about and adventure through, but also kind of terrifying. I love when authors can do that to readers - rope them into a fictional world as pages are turned. I have to say, though, that with the way things ended, I wouldn't want to live there...unless Noden's Gift was an option. :) (If you've read it, you'll get it.)

One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was the strong spotlight on friendship. Safi and Iseult had a deep, genuine bond, and they were each other's confidants, supporters, and best friend. It's become typical for girls in YA, no matter the genre, to be wary of each other or to only associate if something was wrong. In this book, it was the polar opposite and I loved it. The Threadsister bond they had was something I dream of, both to read about and personally experience. I could say the same about Merik and Kullen, who were Threadbrothers. The only difference between their bond and Safi and Iseult's was their gender; otherwise it seemed identical. So in this case, there were two heartwarmingly strong bonds with no romantic ties - kudos to Susan on that.

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was the lack of romance. Yes, you heard me right; a high fantasy with two strong friendships and no romances. Perfect, right? Yes, absolutely. The only hint of any romance was between Safi and Merik, and that was nearly nonexistent until the last chunk of the story. Instead they had a steadily growing platonic bond, with friendly teases and taunts exchanged, but their loyalties still exclusively elsewhere. Nonetheless, the possibility of more lies in the sequel, and of course, I ship them now. How could I be a hopeless romantic if I didn't? ;)

Then, there's the twists. Where do I start? This story was yet another that could be a second definition of the word "rollercoaster." I thought I knew what was going to happen, and I thought I knew who had what planned, but I didn't. If I guessed something, the complete opposite happened. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire second half, and I'm going to guess that's why I sped through it in a few hours. I mean, I didn't even notice pages turning or time ticking, I just had to know what was going to happen. So, again, kudos to Susan. :D

All in all, this book was everything I hoped for and more; a great start to my reading month and exactly what I needed after DNFing a book. I'm going to go look for fan art as I anxiously await the sequel. :)