The Wishtress eARC Review

She didn’t ask to be the Wishtress.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

–GoodReads

My Review

I don’t know what I thought this book was going to be about, but I was thoroughly invested as I enjoy Brandes’s books a lot and as part of her street team I was able to get an eARC for this. You may be wondering why I back posted this review and the answer for that is simple; I sat down three times to write this and all my words left me lol.

This was a very interesting premise and I immediately connected with our Wishtress. She had a traumatic start to her gift; tears grant wishes when you are the Wishtress and it can be a dangerous gift. Unfortunately her grandmother is not the coddling type she doesn’t seem to particularly care for her very much outside of her role as Wishtress which she demands Myrthe keep secret that she will take care of everything.

And so Grandmother does.

Myrthe has little cause to celebrate her life past the tragedies that set her powers in motion but she does have her beloved cousin who is her only true friend and the boy she is sure she loves.

The boy who leaves to go to the Well where people can have Talents bestowed upon them if they pass the trials, and he refuses to take Myrthe with him. Myrthe already has her Talent but she wants her freedom and after a startling turn of events which end in her cursed, she finds she’ll have to take her own path to do it. If Myrthe doesn’t, the next tear she sheds will kill her.

Along the way, Myrthe meets Bastiaan and he will take her to the Well…if she gives him a wish. His gift can help them along the way, as with a snap of his fingers he can stop time.

If the curse is broken Myrthe has nothing to fear in granting that request but he’s not the only one who wants a wish and it’s a race against time.

In the background of all this is the political turmoil in wake of the King’s death. His son takes the throne and is as obsessed with the Well as others; everyone wants a Talent but the trials are rarely completed in success. Enter another source of power…but is it as much a ‘gift’ to have a power from this other source?

There’s fantastic pacing, great tension between Myrthe and Bastiaan and awesome side cast of characters.

This book got to me, I won’t lie, I felt so sorry for Myrthe at times but also I loved her tenacity. Not to mention the world building is brilliant and the characters all intriguing. I would love to see another story set in this world but if not, I will have to be satisfied with rereading Wishtress.

Why didn’t this get 4 full stars or higher? [I always round up on GR unless I give reason otherwise] It’s because I wanted more growth from Myrthe and wanted to maybe take more time with her and her personal journey but it was a super enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to Nadine Brandes and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5/5 huge cups of coffee from me!