Witch Finder
Title: Witch Finder (Witch Finder #1)
Author: Ruth Warburton
Series: Witch Finder
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books
Publication Date: January 2 2014
Source: Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon, The Book Depository
Goodreads Summary: London. 1880. In the
slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation
into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to
hunting and killing witches.
Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.
Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.
My Thoughts
Content: Although there was some swearing in this book, the only thing that really bothered me was the intense detail of animal cruelty, and human cruelty.
Plot: The plot of this story was good, but I felt like it had two endings. At one point the story slowed down and pretty much wrapped itself up, and I expected it to end. It didn't, it kept going. There was another rising action, climax and falling action, and then the book actually ended. So that was a little weird. Otherwise I felt like it really moved along well, and had a very interesting storyline.
Plot: The plot of this story was good, but I felt like it had two endings. At one point the story slowed down and pretty much wrapped itself up, and I expected it to end. It didn't, it kept going. There was another rising action, climax and falling action, and then the book actually ended. So that was a little weird. Otherwise I felt like it really moved along well, and had a very interesting storyline.
********WARNING SPOILERS********
Character Growth: So, I must admit I really didn't expect the characters to go through much growth, maybe a little but not a lot. Well, I'm happy to say that I was wrong.
Luke: At the beginning of the story Luke is completely gung-ho about killing witches, he wishes to get revenge on the man who killed his parents. When he picks Rosa's name he treats her only as an assignment that he must finish in order to get what he really wants. Upon meeting Rosa he sees her as a rich spoiled witch capable of evil, and probably using it too. Then he gets to know her. He learns just how drastically different her life is from what he thought it was. And then he falls in love with her, of course. But I thought it was interesting that the moment he realizes he really loves her is as he's fulfilling his mission. And then of course his act of real love is when he runs into the burning building even though he knows he's probably going to die, in order to save Rosa.
Rosa: Rosa's life is terrible. Her brother is a jerk and an abuser, her mother cares for nothing but getting money, and Sebastian is a horrible person. Then Luke comes along. He's just there. Always. He doesn't pressure her to do anything. One of my favorite scenes was after Sebastian killed his dog. I love how for that one moment Rosa isn't a witch, and Luke isn't a witch hunter, they're just people. I also loved how Luke thought only of comforting her, I think that that really showed how Luke wasn't meant to be a witch killer. Instead of killing her when she was most vulnerable, he helped her get back up. Rosa's first act of real love isn't when she decides to let Luke keep his memories in the barn, or even when she takes his memories away so that Sebastian won't kill him, her first act of real love is when she leaves Sebastian's factory, even though he has forbidden her to do so. And then when she used the last bit of her strength to save them both as they fell really showed the power of love. Rosa had been totally weak only moments before, but just seconds after seeing Luke she was able to perform a feat of great magic in order to save his life.
Overall: Yeah, I liked this book. Sure, there were some parts that I didn't like. I didn't like how everyone except Luke and Cassie treated Rosa like dirt and wanted her only for what she could do. She was just a tool or object. Mama and her brother saw her as a way to get back their wealth. Sebastian saw her as a trophy wife, and someone he could use for his own pleasures in the bedroom.
I thought the scenes in the factory were very interesting. It made sense that the workers were enchanted so that they would produce the maximum amount of matches, without ever thinking about themselves. I really liked that Luke tried to help them all escape. That once again showed the compassion and love that Luke has, and how in the end his love is his greatest weapon.
Oh, and the fact that Sebastian's dad was the black witch??!!! HOLY CRAP did not see that coming. Yeah, I liked that twist, because I really hate Sebastian, and whoever made him and his mom how they are. It makes sense that his father was off his rocker.
I thought the scenes in the factory were very interesting. It made sense that the workers were enchanted so that they would produce the maximum amount of matches, without ever thinking about themselves. I really liked that Luke tried to help them all escape. That once again showed the compassion and love that Luke has, and how in the end his love is his greatest weapon.
Oh, and the fact that Sebastian's dad was the black witch??!!! HOLY CRAP did not see that coming. Yeah, I liked that twist, because I really hate Sebastian, and whoever made him and his mom how they are. It makes sense that his father was off his rocker.
Rating:
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