Tuesday Teen Review: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Elizabeth is a Witch Hunter. Any and all witchcraft is illegal, according to the Thirteenth Tablet. After a mysterious magical plague ravaged Anglia years ago, orphaned Elizabeth is distrustful of those with magic. And she was raised and trained by the Inquisitor, Lord Blackwell, to be one of the most skilled Witch Hunters.

But, when Elizabeth slips up and finds herself on the wrong end of the burning pyre, the last person she would expect comes to her rescue. Nicholas Pereveil, the most wanted wizard in Anglia. Now Elizabeth must make a choice of loyalty. Who can she trust?

The Witch Hunter is a fast-paced fantasy. The world building leaves a lot to be desired, but the style of this fantasy is more character and plot driven than an immersive epic-style fantasy. This allowed the plot to move forward quickly. In some ways, perhaps too quickly, as the time-frame of the story seemingly takes place over an entire year. It certainly did not feel like that much time had passed based on the plot movement.

The characters move beyond just Elizabeth and her love interest, John. The secondary characters were enjoyable to read about, and easy to root for. But perhaps as a result of the desire to flesh out the secondary characters, the romance between Elizabeth and John just wasn't realistic, and fell flat. There weren't any scenes in the book that would indicate they were making a connection or falling in love. 

If you enjoy a quick read that is action-packed, I would recommend The Witch Hunter. If you are looking for an immersive fantasy world, this book is probably not going to be for you. Second that for the romance. Readers who enjoyed Divergent and Red Queen will more than likely enjoy this book and will look forward to the sequel.

~Stephanie Chadwick, Teen Librarian