Witchsign

released OUT NOW! 464 pages | Hardback/ebook Author den Patrick Publisher HarperVoyager

Years after the Solmindre Empire killed the last dragon, the arcane is suppressed across the continent of Vinterkveld, even in the territories not yet brought under the control of the Emperor’s iron fist. Steiner and Kjellrunn live close to poverty with their father, fearing the moment when the Empire will conduct its yearly invigilation to discover any child bearing the Witchsign. Steiner is a straightforward young man, working for his father in the smithy. Kjell though, with her love of the old ways and crow feathers, is a different story, and the Empire doesn’t take kindly to different...

While Witchsign isn’t always the most original story, it is a solid YA tale. Both main characters are truly likeable, and the secondary characters are as intriguing as they are occasionally detestable. Not as dark as it could be, Witchsign treads a fine line between portraying a hopelessly oppressive regime and a world where two teens can fight to save those they love, and does so admirably well.

The pacing feels a little jerky, shifting from crescendos of action to moments that are almost too quiet, but the climax pulls you along at speed. The world building alone will keep you reading as the story teases out details about Vinterkveld; unravelling mysteries and revealing new ones as Steiner and Kjell find that the world they knew was a lie, shrouding terrible truths. Bridie Roman