The Witch of Whispervale by R. A. Salvatore

TL;DR: Darker and more tense than the first book, but with a great payoff.
Source: Netgalley and a purchase for myself! Thank you to Saga and Me!

Plot: This one circles back to Keri, and her seeking life over death.
Characters: Many of these were characters we met in the original DemonWars books but with new aspects and scars.
Setting: Primarily in a small hamlet so this almost felt cozy before we returned to the sea.
Fantasy: I love R.A. Salvatore’s fantasy. It’s the quintessential fantasy to me.

Thoughts:

The Witch of Whispervale is the sequel to Pinquickle’s Folly from last year. This series follows some 30 years after the events of the DemonWars Saga. The world is looking for peace after the wars, and a treaties have been tentatively holding that peace in place. Unfortunately as we find in Folly, the treaties are quickly being forgotten and ignored. Witch of Whispervale follows yet another character, a returning one from the DemonWars books, as she tries her hardest to find and make a peaceful life for herself.

This book was heavy and darker than the first. Keri is our primary character as she works hard to find and make a home where she can leave her old identity behind, along with the death and war she has known for so long. Unfortunately the golden tide of the Xoconai soon comes to her small village and breaks her family she’s made apart. I appreciated this for so much. The mental health struggles of Keri are clear, and we also see old friends step up to try to help her with those struggles. We see her become not just an angry and powerful woman, but a woman who wants peace and a mother who wants revenge.

This one is darker, I actually had to put it down on several occasions because a few scenes got me. But it’s also ramping up what is clearly going to be the huge conflict and it’s not going to be peaceful. Salvatore has a great way with magic and building tension and it’s clear here (even if the side characters aren’t perfect). I loved this though it took me forever. I really recommend continuing if you enjoyed Pinquickle’s Folly – but be prepared!