BLURB:
A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.
Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a Society that prizes magical ability above all else.
When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is a treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.
As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of misfits…if only she can find the courage to trust those she’s been taught to hate and fear.
MY THOUGHTS:
“People see what they expect to see,” he says sharply. “Through a filter of their won hatred and prejudice”Just because everyone was keen on hating and abusing the Book doesn’t mean that I’ll do the same. I’m entitled to my own opinion. If I think,” Omg! Everyone hates this book for various reasons, so I won’t pick it up ever”, then it would look like I’m entrusting their views without knowing what it really means. Everyone has different views about things. They didn’t ask to not read the book. By expressing their views, people who believed them would exactly think what they thought about the book. If they hate it, they would expect others to hate it too. If someone doesn’t, then abusive comments will follow them everywhere. So here goes,
DAMN, THIS BOOK MADE ME REALIZE WHY I LOVE FANTASIES. For a particular period of time, I was reading contemporary novels so much that I forgot how much I love fantasies. A new world. New traditions, where you yearn to learn about the world because the reality sucks and you want to be sucked by a new world.
First, I would like to talk about the traits that critics call out on this book.
YES! THE WORLD IS BRUTAL. RACISM AND HOMOPHOBIA ARE THERE.
“We Gardnerians are a pure-blooded race, free from the stain of the heathen races that surround us. And my family line has the strongest, purest Mage blood of all. But I often worry. If that’s true, then why do I see these things?”A redeemed Malfoy?
RACE
NOUN: A group of sentient beings, particularly people, distinguished by common ancestry, heritage or characteristics.
Erthia, you can see different kind of people. You could see people with distinguishing features like pink/purple skinned, scales, wings and skin which shimmers in dark. Most commonly named races are Gardneria, Keltic, Urisik and Icarals. There are others too. Like Luptine, Fae, Elf, Wyvern and etc. Sometimes there would be a mix, as usual they’re called half-breeds.
When you take a world, it definitely has different kind of people. Here, they’re distinguished by their features from which we will know which race they’ve come from. Now, let us take an example. I’m brown. So if I go to another continent, people will try to guess where I came from. Because, I would look different.
People criticize if a book doesn’t have any different racial people. People would criticize even if different races are portrayed. If you said that people are not differentiated by their features in our world like this, then I would call the book as a crime showing racism to innocent minds.
You can’t say that. As everyone knows, it happens to be real in our world too. Even I had received some racial comments. They might have passed it casually or intentionally. That, I don’t know. At that time, it hurts. Now, I FUCKING DON’T CARE. The book doesn’t pull the stunt out of the blue. So you’re saying you would hate the book if they used the same theory which has happened in our world. DON’T TELL ME THAT THE BOOK TRIGGERS RASCISM WHEN RASCISM IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THERE IS NO NEED OF ANYTHING TO TRIGGER, WHEN IT IS ALREADY THERE. If some other books(I don’t want to name) portrayed it, you wouldn’t call out. But when a martyr happened to be in your hand, you would call out.
“The Mage Council…they throw people in prison who…”-The society made her like this. She was scared that they would throw his brother in a prison if anyone knows who he really is. Who would want to see their own brother in prison?
“I know, Ren.”
“You can’t be this way. You just can’t. You have to change.”
HOMOPHOBIA
NOUN: Fear, dislike or hatred of homosexuals.
Yes, Erthia gives cruel treatment to homosexuals yet people use sex slaves (seal-turned-to-female-when-in-land) is legal. It’s a fucked up society. I can’t argue on that. Hating the society is okay. But abusing the one who brought out this is absurd. Of course, I hate the society. Racial bastards and sexists are there. I want to slit their throats. Everyone needs to appreciate the author for bringing out the problems. It hurts our heart. It fucked up our thoughts. The thing is we are so engrossed in the story that we are screwing author for it. It’s sad and pathetic.
I have read books where homophobias were portrayed, and yet they would not call it out as bullshit. And once again, homophobias are in our society too. Tell me about it.
“The world is full of rumors, Mage Gardner. It is wise to seek out the truth of the matter.”THINGS I HATED:
1. People who bully others just because they have high powers. Superiority, my ass. Bullying others just because you think they are weaker than you.
2. Wandfast: A ceremony where thirteen year old girl will be fasted to a guy. I have seen these things in real life. I hate it real life and Erthia too.
3. A potential love interest of Elloren is so sick that I want to beat the shit out of him. He wants to dominate others. Do I need to mention his moto? Okay, then. It’s “Dominate or be dominated.” He is merciless.
4. Prejudice. Just with what others said, coming to a conclusion without knowing the real deal.
“Almost all of our powerful Mages are men, our magic passing more easily along male lines. This makes our men the rulers in the home and over the land."5. Women with great power are rare to see. They believe that can’t happen. But of course, everything changed when Black Witch came. HAHA!
THINGS I LIKED:
“I don’t even know how to do my hair. Or use makeup properly. Or…anything.”That feeling when you see someone who feels like the way you do.
Anyway, Elloren was ignorant. Not because she wants, it’s because she was made into. Her Uncle hides everything from her when he took her and her brothers under his roof when her parents died in the war. She was constantly told by him that she has been tested for magic and she doesn’t have a single bit of it. But we know the truth. From the very beginning.
She has been bullied, given talks about how disappointment she were just because she couldn’t be like her grandmother(magic), receiving manipulations from her aunt to wandfast. And yet she nudged the line that has been crossed for her. I learned the truth along with her.
I was suspicious at every one. I COULDN’T BELIEVE A SINGLE CHARACTER. And I liked the feeling how I glared at someone whenever they opened their mouth. You would never know who could be your ally unless you get down on that road. Resistance and the unexpected friendships are something that I could live with.
I was hurt.
I was shocked.
I was surprised.
I was angry.
I was disgusted.
I was in awe.
I was embarrassed.
I cringed.
I was evoked by every emotion. The story was brilliant and I couldn’t wait for its sequel.
OVERALL: Pick it up. And have your own view. A brutal world. You want to change everything there. Your views would be challenged. Give it a shot.
MY RATING: Exceeds Expectation
