The Shadow Wand (The Black Witch Chronicles #3)

UGH! I have loved this author’s previous works in this series – the world building, the characters, the setting – all winners. But this book left me deflated. There is a lot of new information and characters being introduced and when I got to 60% I knew that this book would not tie up the series. Overall, it’s a let down. Elloren is a lead character that spends much of the time doubting herself and her strength – completely opposite of how she acted in the previous book. All her inner strength seems to have faded away and been replaced with crippling fear. She goes through A LOT and with some new allies, but nothing kicks in until the very end, where you’re left thinking, “Seriously? That’s it?” It’s a real let down to the readership to have to wait almost two years to find out the rest of the story, with no guarantee that readers won’t have to wait another few years to find out the end. I was hoping it would be like THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY, by Katherine Arden, that has a beautiful and satisfying ending. Instead, it’s more like A COURT OF THORN OF ROSES, by Sarah J. Maas, where readers are left hanging and disappointed they don’t know the outcome of their favorite characters. It’s an easy way to sell more books, but a disappointment to fans. My excitement is gone. Like other reviewers I’m not sure I’ll purchase any further installments. Needless to say, it was a frustrating and disappointing read.

Am I still reading The Black Witch Chronicles? Because I could swear this book in no way seems connected to the previous two books and I say this because I really wish it was the case. This series which I have loved with all my heart since the first book has, for the first time, disappointed me tremendously.

Lets start with Elloren. For the first two books, which are each 600+ page reads, I supported Elloren. I was here for her in learning how to have faith in herself, develop a backbone, navigate her way through her feelings regarding romance, racism, so on and so forth. With all the time that has passed, youd think by the third book wed see a bit more development in her character. Elloren is just as weak minded as previous reads. She has not grown much if at all. She always shocked, apologetic, or feeling sorry for herself but can never seem to find a way to better herself or her situation. How do you end the second book with her being stalwart in being ready to save the world but then beginning of third book comes, and were back at square one with her uselessness?

We see the relationship develop between Yvan and Elloren with the first two reads and it was a fantastical journey. Although Lukas is an interesting character, him and Elloren never developed an actual relationship, especially not one where shed completely shove off Yvan so she could shag Lukas. Honestly, they both declared their undying love for each other one book, then the next, she takes the word of a messenger sent by Vogel about Yvans death and wastes no time taking another man to bed. Elloren and Lukas were not authentic. Elloren and Lukas did not have enough time to develop. The feelings they declared they had for each other are laughable at best. Quite honestly, I feel sick for Yvan. Elloren wasnt angry enough. If she loved him as much as the first two books led me to believe, she would have travelled there herself just to make sure. She would have found a way to verify that information.

I will not be buying the next book as soon as it is available. I will make sure to read reviews before I purchase it. I bought this one the same day it came out and finished it the next day, thanks to skimming a better half of the book due to it being way too long with nothing happening. If youre a fan of a good, well written story that is consistent and concise, whether you like Lukas or Yvan, this is not for you.

**The Shadow Wand is book 3 of The Black Witch series by Laurie Forest, a riveting fantasy series ABOUT PREJUDICE AND RACIAL HATE WARS in a fantasy fae-magic-witch drenched fantasy setting, featuring potentially world-ending dark leadership and powers.

I inhale Book 3, The Shadow Wand.

Deep breath.
I close the book.
And I scream.

I literally scream from the rise of energy and emotion.
I scream from the intense knuckle-bludgeoning ride.
I scream from release of hopes for this series, from surprise at plot twists, from power finally being claimed, taken as is birthright.

Wow wow wow WOW!!!
Holy Ancient gods, all!
Holy Ge’o, Holy planet!
Holy existence of all that ever can be Holy!!

The Black Witch female hero-rising in The Shadow Wand installation is looking for her full empowerment to set the world right and eliminate racism and injustice upon Earthia. This is a story for the ages.

This book is MUST READ FULL STARS highest rating all the way, written with soul-churning emotion and rising arcs of character and crescendo of event and urgency.

Book 3 launches during the most jaw-dropping of real world times, a book about Earthia-world race war
launching during a real Earth race war (the George Floyd murder being the ignition for righting injustices of prejudice in the US) and world pandemic, blurring reality over and over.

IN SUMMARY, READ THIS.

Feel the rising power of standing up to racism.
Feel the tides turn to aid those facing the Right Way, the Way of Compassion, the Way of Equality.
Feel the alignment of Nature standing for what is right.
Feel the Planet rising in response to unity (and to Environmental Care).
Feel the power we all need right now:
Feel the power of a coming Great Leader, one born on the side of the oppressor instead moving to the side of aiding the oppressed, The Black Witch (she has green shimmering skin fyi).

Read this book to feel the unity of that, the power of the universe streaming through you when you stand for what is right and stand for anti-racism.

And enjoy the hell out of the fantasy powers and abilities and settings and magic and types of beings and rich character portrayals that frame this glorious ride.

This is one ginormous E-ticket magical rune-stamped wand emblazoned ride, and it will take you as high and as low as your emotions can stretch. And it will leave you feeling hope, hope the evil can finally be stamped out, justice that is still in the offing in this series since there are two more installments coming.

For those who have read the series thus far, you have to mostly wait a tiny bit for your favorite characters to take center stage again: there are new character introductions from the start, but it’s not too much, if one is the tiniest bit patient to see beloved characters appear. Other epic series have woven far more. You will remember these new beings as their stories are also heart pounding and memorable. They fill roles needed as these lands are far-flung.

These new introductions are written not as info dump but as micro stories that are written so well that one is left with emotion overflowing in only a glorious chapter, and the next and next, done with immediate reeling in and tapestry weaving. I immediately felt the knot rising in my throat from sorrow for what is unfolding for these new characters. That sort of reel-you-in-fast writing is hard to do! And yet Ms. Forest has done it so well.

In the reading:
I highly recommend a refresh on the entire series before reading this installment.
READ WAND FASTED JUST PRIOR TO THIS INSTALLMENT.
IMMEDIATELY OPEN THE SHADOW WAND *AFTER* CLOSING WAND FASTED.

Chapter one will have you in gut wrenching torment IF you have just read Wand Fasted.

THE SERIES ORDER:
Read (or reread) in the following order:
The Black Witch
The Iron Flower
Light Mage
Wand Fasted
And AFTER closing Wand Fasted **IMMEDIATELY** read chapter one of The Shadow Wand.

(AUDIO: Julia Whelan is back for the voiced narration, and she is MASTER in this telling! I HIGHLY recommend the audio, on Audible and Scribd, though I haven’t heard it yet, she reins supreme in the voice acting for The Black Witch book 1 and The Iron Flower book 2, so her telling of book 3 is a given.)

Enter the land of The Black Witch and you will not want to leave!

First of all, this series was one that I completely stumbled across on Amazon recently and decided to give it a try. Three books later, read in record time, simply shows how great they really are. I was completely thrown into this world – the description, character building, and story telling is amazing and firmly had me hooked from the very beginning! I have throughly enjoyed reading the journey of the Black Witch so far and I can’t wait for the next book, so I can find out what happens ( I hope I don’t have to wait too long…!) Thank you Laurie for writing such an enjoyable series and providing me with an excellent read, you are definitely one to follow and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book…

For anybody looking for a new YA book series that you simply won’t be able to put down, then this is for you…..

I really enjoy this series. Because the main characters have all split up in this book, there is a lot less happening as the author tries to give us an idea of where everyone has ended up since the last book. Everyone just seems to be settling into their places for most of the book, not too much happens but it’s still a really enjoyable read. There’s too many characters to catch up with for much to happen. Then, in the last few pages, something huge happens and you’re left with this cliffhanger. Hence the loss of one of five stars for me. I finished reading this yesterday and I’m still anxious over the ending. I’m so disappointed that the fourth book is nearly a year away.

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