Book Review #15: Thalgor’s Witch by Nancy Holland

Hello Dear Reader!

This book review is on a romance fantasy book that is something I’ve never really encountered before. It revolves around a young witch named Erwyn, whose objective is to take the young girl with her named Felyn to the Wise Witches to know more about the girl’s curse. Unfortunately for her, she is found by a strong leader of a band named Thalgor, and the dangerous thing about this man is that he has witch blood flowing through him. While this doesn’t mean he can use magic as witches can, this still makes him a force to be reckoned with. Erwyen and Thalgor get off on the wrong foot, but her forced capture eventually blossoms into a romance.

But before I get into that, here’s the back-cover summary!

In a land of perpetual war and wandering, warrior Thalgor not only leads his people in battle, but keeps the hope alive that somebody his displaced tribe can rebuild the kingdom that was lost to the treachery between witches and men. When he captures a beautiful witch, he knows he cannot trust her. But to succeed in his quest to find a new home and prevail over his enemies, he also knows he needs her.

Erwyn might be a slave and feared for her powers and precognition, but she doesn’t cower when confronted by the feared warrior. Nor does she act as expected. Thalgor’s kindness confuses her. His flashes of humor confound her. And the reaction he ignites in her body creates a longing that she cannot deny.

Neither anticipated falling in love. The stakes are high, but when Thalgor is mortally wounded, Erwyn realizes she must accept help from an unlikely source to save him. 

Time for the review!

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Thalgor’s Witch revolves around a small cast of characters that I believe are really well-developed. Main female protagonist Erwyn is a headstrong witch who deeply values her family and stays true to herself no matter the circumstances. Her main love interest Thalgor is an amazing warrior who is also a fantastic leader and a man who has a big heart and also treasures the people he loves. The supporting characters are also super well-rounded, and each one has their own distinct voice and personality.

Though it has its subplots, the main story is about Erwyn and Thalgor and their romantic relationship, and I have to say it was both pretty sweet and really frustrating at the same time. When they do eventually get together, it’s clear they’re in the honeymoon phase that most if not all relationships experience at its very early stages. Unfortunately for them, since she’s a witch and witches aren’t seen in a great light in this world—they’re very much hated—their honeymoon phase lasts for only a few days since most of the people in Thalgor’s camp are wary about him being in a relationship with her. Like any real relationship, Erwyn and Thalgor’s has its big ups and downs. These downs usually revolve around Erwyn being a witch, which played a big part in me being on Erwyn’s side in pretty much all of their arguments.

Long story short, their relationship is probably one of the most realistic I’ve ever read in a fantasy book, and I really enjoyed seeing it develop overall.

Thalgor’s Witch unfortunately doesn’t have an official name for the world it takes place in, so trying to figure out if the world was fictional or took place in the real world sometime in the past was a bit difficult. The only named place that was mentioned was where the Wise Witches lived, which was in the north right by the sea. In my opinion, it wasn’t that big of a deal since it didn’t impact the story that much, especially since the story was mostly centered around the camp and nowhere else, but a country name would’ve added a bit more depth to the world.

There is only one big criticism I have about the book, and that is it can feel a bit dull in some parts. Some scenes and summaries between time-skips dragged a bit for me personally, and there were a few times where I felt tempted to skim over a paragraph or two. There was also one part of Thalgor and Erwyn’s romance that I thought came out of the blue and was rushed, but that’s just my opinion. I also wish I got to learn a little bit more about the little girl, but I’m guessing the author saved her story for the next book of this series, Felyn’s Curse.

So, Thalgor’s Witch rating:

8/10, would definitely recommend! Just be wary of some steamy scenes. While it’s not really explicit, it is the most explicit I’ve personally read. So, if you’re a younger reader, you might want to veer away or skip over them if you do want to read this book. Also, if you are into something that’s more slow-paced in general, this is the read for you!

That’s all for this book review! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I really do think you should give this book a chance.

Thanks for reading!