If you like atypical fantasy (non-arthurian worlds! 🙌) and unique magic powers, you will enjoy this novel by Nadine Brandes. Her creativity is impressive, both in her worldbuilding and characters: she weaves in Dutch culture and ideas into her setting, and each of her main characters (one male, one female) have unique abilities. Myrthe’s “power” is that her tears grant wishes, an ability she was born with. Really, really cool. Well, sort of. (I can’t say much more without spoiling it, BUT it totes has The Lost Dreamer*** vibes.) Baastian, Wishtress’s male lead, can stop time and travel backwards in it (if I understood correctly).
This is the second book of Brandes that I’ve delved into, but like the first (Fawkes), I didn’t finish Wishtress. The biggest issue I had as a Picky reader (with a capital P 🙈) was that I didn’t connect with either protagonist; I didn’t care enough about their story to continue reading. I'm looking for the hook to make me invest my time in the first pages, if not the first chapter. This book just didn't have one for me. I also thought the characters were slightly dull: the MMC didn’t veer much from his stoic/near-emotionless facade, and the FMC’s storyline seemed to drag.
I DNF’d (Did not finish) it about halfway through (pg 126).
While unique and interesting, the world/setting of Wishtress seemed a bit disjointed; my brain kept hopping back and forth between medieval countryside/serfdom and a dutch backdrop. It didn’t blend together, in my opinion, and prevented me from getting completely immersed, so I think the worldbuilding could’ve used another round of work. However, maybe your brain will thread it together seamlessly where mine didn’t! Many readers have enjoyed it, so maybe you will too.
For creativity and general fantasy awesomeness, though, I give it three stars.
*** The Lost Dreamer is Lizz Huerta’s debut novel, a Mesoamerican/Aztec mythical fantasy.
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