Book Review / The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

Published:     1st September 2015
Publisher:  Hodder & Stoughton
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, The Witch Hunter
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

What I liked about this book...

I love a good witchy book and I knew as soon as saw the title to this one that I had to read it!  What I like the most was the world building.  You have this world where there is a king, a person who controls the law of the land, the witch hunters who carry out one of the rules and you have the people who live in this world.  I liked how the structure was put together and I could tell that there was something not quite right but could not put my finger on it straight away.   I loved following Elizabeth as she goes from witch hunter to trying to disguise the fact that she is a witch hunter, discovering what she discovers along the way.  I have a feeling that there are a lot more secrets lurking in this world yet to be discovered and I cannot wait to discover them!

The two characters that really stood out to me were Nicholas Perevil and Blackwell.  Blackwell is the character who controls the law of the land and controls the witch hunters and is portrayed as a dark character.  Nicholas is a wizard who Elizabeth tries to help.  He is portrayed as the 'good guy'.  I get the feeling there is a lot of history with these characters left to discover. 

What I was not fond of with this book...
This was quite an easy read for me, meaning there was nothing to complicated to get my head around.  What I would have loved to have seen was a bit more depth into the world, a bit more description of the surroundings and what was happening.  But that said, I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to read the next one in the series although there may be a long wait for that lol!

 (From Goodreads)

Virginia Boecker recently spent four years in London obsessing over English medieval history, which formed the basis of her debut novel, The Witch Hunter. She now lives in the Bay Area, California with her husband and spends her days writing, reading, running, and chasing around her two children and a dog named George.

In addition to English kings, nine-day queens, and Protestant princesses, her other obsessions include The Smiths, art museums, champagne, and Chapstick. You can visit Virginia online at virginiaboecker.com or on Twitter @virgboecker.