Sightwitch: A Tale of the Witchlands Hardcover – Illustrated, February 13, 2018

LOVE THIS BOOK! I am SO glad Susan wrote this little book into the series. In 200+ pages, she expanded the world of the Witchlands like BOOM! I have so many more questions, my brain is exploding with theories; everything I thought I knew about this series just collided with a whole new realm of possibilities! This is an amazing feeling. This is why Fantasy is my favorite genre - this feeling right here!THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ! After Windwitch. I know it says #0.5 like it should be read first, but read it AFTER Windwitch. Susan said it was a good lead into Bloodwitch, and I can see why! Just do yourself a favor and read the whole series.I love Ryber's POV, and her life before Truthwitch. And, now, knowing all of this about her makes me see Truthwitch in a whole new light. I also greatly loved seeing Kullen from the perspective of his Heart-Thread, instead of Safi and Merik's. I can see a lot of Lirael in Ryber, so I think lovers of Garth Nix's Lirael will love this addition to the series!

Sightwitch is such a great addition to the Witchlands series and makes me want to re-read the first two books. This novella is essentially book 2.5 in the series, giving us the backstory of Ryber and Kullen in the form of journal entries and other documents. I really loved it. Ryber and Kullen are somewhat mysterious side characters in the other books and I loved getting to know them (especially Ryber) better.As it turns out, Ryber was raised in a secretive cloister as a Sightwitch and we get to see her journal entries from childhood and adolescence growing up as with the Sightwitch sisters, all the way through how she encounters Kullen for the first time. This is side by side with journal entries from a pivotal Sightwitch who lived thousands of years prior. The thing that was really interesting to me was that the Ryber we meet here is very controlled, very careful, all about the rules, and maybe afraid of a lot of things. In the other books, she always struck me as this free-spirit bad-ass, so it was fascinating to see her character arc over the course of the story with a lot of insight into why she is the way she is.We also get a good bit of Witchlands history here (fascinating!) and some setup for Bloodwitch, the next book. I don't want to say too much else because spoilers! But suffice to say, I adored it, loved the format, and am now itching to re-read the first two books with new eyes. Very excited to see where this series goes.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Susan Dennards Witchlands series. She's one of those instabuy authors for me, which meant I pre-ordered Sightwitch so fast. I didn't regret it one bit, either.Sightwitch is a refreshing change from the main Witchlands series. Set prior to Truthwitch but best read after Windwitch, it is not a novel so much as a series of journal entries from the main character, Ryber Fortiza (and others...). The illustrations add a charming element to the highly personal feeling of the journal entries, and I loved it.Really, what I loved most was Ryber.Seriously, I ADORED her. There's something about the stickler-for-the-rules-rebel-for-love character that brings me so much joy, and Ryber is that to a T, not to mention I'm over the moon to see a minor character from the core series fleshed out in full.Ryber is incredible. Really, she is. She's so dedicated to the Goddess, so hard-working and hopeful even when it hurts to hope. Not to mention that even when she takes matters into her own hands (and oh boy, does she ever have to!), she sticks to her principles. And yet, she grows, too. She learns flexibility, she learns to reconsider. There are new angles to her world, and she comes to find that those new angles matter. There's not just one way to do things, not really.I also really loved the slow unveiling of the Witchlands history. As someone who loves good worldbuilding, especially when a world's history begins to figure prominently in its present, this book was a treat. The journal entries that are not from Ryber's point of view are written by a major figure in Witchlands history, and they illuminate SO MUCH about the world and the forces that shaped it. Even better for me, relentless plot theorist in residence, they open as many questions as they answer, threading their way into the core series one by one.I actually wrote down a list of theories because of how clever those journals are. Really, I did. And holy smokes, do I hope I'm right.But with all good things, there are drawbacks. I took away a star for the middle portion of the book. It dragged a little here, entering what was a trial-by-trial dungeon crawl. Now, I play D&D. Currently, I'm my group's DM, and that means I get dungeons. And I love them. But the dungeoneering felt a little drab and lacking in atmosphere save for in the key beats, and a convincing, exciting dungeon probably should not feel generic between its important scenes.The other iffy part was the character encountered during that dungeon stretch. Do I love him? Yes. He's charming in a dazed, awkward way, and I'm excited once again to see more of him outside of his role in the core series. Did I love his interactions with Ryber, though? Not a lot, because they felt very stilted to me, plus it set a very different tone for his relationship with Ryber than what exists in Truthwitch and beyond. The disconnect threw me for a loop, especially since there's a year between Sightwitch and Truthwitch filled with interactions the reader can only guess at while trying to understand the shift in the nature of their relationship.I was also disappointed that this character is set to have such a critical role going forward, but he spent so much of Sightwitch as a walking question mark, even to himself. I suppose this is because the Witchlands books will answer these questions in time, but until then, he feels as if he walked on-set and was simply written in even though no one really knew why he was there to begin with. He's just not grounded in the story in a satisfactory way.Ultimately, though, I loved Sightwitch. It functions so well as a series companion novella, providing that enticing extra content without being a required read to understand the rest of the series, and its use of journal entries rather than the 3rd person narration of the core series was an excellent way to set it apart as a unique addition.

I loved Truthwitch and Windwitch so I expected to like it, but I’m always a little iffy going into a prequel because I’m always worried I won’t feel the same connection to the characters. Well that was NOT an issue! I was absolutely sucked into this book, and it was a whirlwind of a ride in the best of ways. I wasn’t sure what to expect (other than I’d like it because I like the author’s style), but it exceeded my expectations. I fell in love with Ryber and the other characters, my only negative comment is that oh man did I want more when I finished it :-) Surprisingly this might be my favorite book yet.

I read this book in one evening. I could NOT put it down, which is pretty much what happens whenever I read one of Susan's books.One of the (many, many) things I love about the Witchlands series is the worldbuilding, and Sightwitch swept me up in the world of the Sighwitch Sisters and did not let go. Seriously, I'm still thinking about all the little details even now. It was beautifully done, so effortless. I am in awe.Ryber's journey was so emotional for me; Susan always has that way of getting you attached to a character from the very first page, and she did it again with the cast of Sightwitch. My favourite character was a new voice, and without giving anything away, one of the most important voices in the Witchlands story to come!Much like her Threadwitches, Susan ties the threads of so many pieces together in this book in a way that leaves me bouncing in my seat for the next installment. Sightwitch is a beautiful, heartwrenching addition to the Witchlands series that is not to be missed!

Sightwitch is presented as a companion piece to the main series of the witchlands books, however, it is more of book 2.5. Isuelt and Safi the main psir fron the series are not present in this book but dont let that put you off.The main character here is Ryber the sightwitch, from Merik's crew in the Truthwitvh, as she is working to becoming a sightwitch. The story also included Eridysi as she writes her famed journel mentioned through out the series. Told from these two characters some much lore and understanding is added to the magic of the work.The book is written like a journel with note and puzzels that make the characters come alive. I read this book just in time for book 3 bloodwitch's release and recommend anyone who enjoys the series to pick it up. Each book in the series just keeps getting better and better.

I enjoyed this fun exploration of the Witchlands, with Rybers character coming across strongly in her diary entries, and the diagrams are great (though a physical copy is probably better formatted than my kindle one!)

Ordered this for my girlfriend, and was disappointed to receive a copy in the post with really poor quality binding. The pages were all uneven, which irritates me as a fan of a proper book! Another reviewer had this issue, so seems like it could be a bad batch of books...

Great storytelling. The journal structure was a little confusing at times, but I loved seeing Ryber's backstory, as well as meeting the Sightwitches. I love the complexity of the Witchlands and can't wait to see what impact the events of Sightwitch will have in the rest of the series.