A review by olulelule
The Near Witch by V.E. Schwab

emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

After a failed attempt of trying to get through The Darker Shade of Magic series (I dropped it after the first 50 pages in the second book) I wanted to give the author another chance and I’m glad I did.

V.S Schwab excels when they let the story exist. TDSOM’s worldbuilding was so overly troublesome that it was uninteresting. Going into The Near Witch, you understand that there’s a fairy tale aspect to the narrative. We don’t need to question the lore more than what we are told. Witches exist and they speak to the earth and the moor and live for hundreds of years and we accept it and wait for the next part of the story.

Don’t expect an in depth character arch if you’re looking for that. The characters do go through conflict, but there isn’t much growth or change in their ways (
besides cole
). I didn’t mind all that much, as once again, if you understood this was more fairy tale than a typical fantasy book you’d have a better time reading it. The romance was pretty thin but cute! Kinda wish the main story was 50 pages longer just so we could have a bit more fleshing out.

Loved the witch sisters and the description of the town and the way magic is explained and talked about. The writing was pretty and if you’re looking for an easy read, this is the book! 
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