Brennan, Marie: Warrior and Witch
Warrior and Witch***
Writer: Marie Brennan
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 420
I bought this book shortly after finishing Doppelganger, but I never got around to reading it right away. I think it was timing: holidays, grad school, and all that jazz. So the book sat on my shelf, sadly forgotten, until Brennan released a new title (completely unrelated to this particular universe), and I thought it unfair to read the NEW book when I hadn't bothered with this one yet, even though their only relation is the author.
It's funny: I just refreshed my memory of Doppelganger by reading my original review, and I have to say, the flaws of that book are pretty much non-existent in this one, which is a good thing, and reinforces my suspicion that these two books deserve to be read back-to-back.
The premise: when a witch is born, a doppelganger is created. In order for that witch to achieve her full powers, the doppelganger MUST be killed, or the witch's magic will spin out of control and kill them both. Only Mirei has found a way out of this bloody tradition, and not everyone is so accepting of the change of rules. The witching community has divided, one side determined to embrace Mirei and her new magic, and the other side determined to destroy not only Mirei, but all the other doppelgangers as well. Mirei must protect these girls while trying to help mend the rift between the two camps, and stay alive in the process. Because her new magic is killing her.
Spoilers ahead.
I'm not kidding: all my nitpicks were fixed. Now that Mirage and Miryo are merged, Mirei is a new person with two peoples' lives and memories, which changes her relationship to Eclipse, and his feelings for her. Their friendship felt far more believable in this book, and while there's absolutely NO romance in this book, the hint of its potential was there, and that made me a happy devil. Also, no discord with characterization this time. Mirei is a whole character, interacting as one woman in two worlds that used to be completely separate, but not any more.
And better still, the plot has far more tension and is far more streamlined. There is an obvious conflict and threat, so the pages turn much faster. I knew what was at stake, I knew what the climax might involve, and I never felt the solution to the conflicts was a hopeless one, even though I didn't know what that solution might be.
And the religion felt FAR more grounded this time. I don't know if it's because I read book one, but I'm not inclined to put TOO much stock in that, since it's been over a YEAR since I've read it and I'd forgotten a LOT of details. Plus, while reading DID refresh my memory, I feel that Brennan handled everything much better this go around, and because a good portion of the book was dedicated to questioning tradition and finding answers, the reader got the inside scoop. And there was little of that praying-out-loud gibberish (no offense, it just didn't work for me in prose), and THAT really helped.
I'd forgotten how complex the world-building really was, and I found myself impressed. Setting, meh. I should mention that when it comes to actual physical detail, I pretty much had to fill in the blanks myself, which distanced me a bit from the book. But the world-building was solid, and frankly, at least for this book, that's what counted.
What else is there to say? Yay for book two being stronger, more streamlined. Yes, it's got flaws (too many minor character names that I kept getting confused over), but it's got some nice twist and turns and surprises, and it makes for a very enjoyable read. I know Brennan has said in her website that she's always meant for this to be a duology, but I can see how she could milk more out of this world, perhaps with a new cast of characters. The religion, magic, and world-building is almost too rich not to.
My Rating
Worth the Cash: I have to say, this duology is satisfying on the whole. Solid world-building with an interesting twist to magic that kept my attention through out. The language bordered on more of a casual, modern tone, but that was fine, and where as I had trouble with that in Doppelganger, I didn't with Warrior and Witch. The tension and conflict in this book was solid, and the overall premise (when a witch is born, a doppelganger is created, and the witch must kill the doppelganger in order to achieve her powers) is simply awesome. Well worth the read, provided you don't mind the casual language. And I will add that I feel these books are best read back-to-back. Doppelganger stands on its own, but really, these two books make up a whole, and it's important to read them in order to get the whole story.
*** = For whatever reason, the publishing company has re-released this dulogy (which strikes me as silly since you can STILL BUY the original editions online and in stores). Doppelganger is now titled Warrior and Warrior and Witch is now simply titled Witch. Confused? Yeah, I was too. But know there's only TWO BOOKS, not four, so don't let the new titles and covers confuse you.
Next Up:
Book: The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon AND Bitterwood by James Maxey
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