This is the fourth book in the Black Witch series by Laurie Forest, its fifth and final book being released a few months ago. My relationship with this series is interesting. I picked up the first book with hesitancy – and then it skyrocketed to one of my favourite books of all time. I hadn’t been so excited for a series in so long. Then the second book, The Iron Flower, was perhaps even better. I think the first two books are Top 10ers or Top 5ers for my favourite of all time. Then the third book, The Shadow Wand, was a thing…and it was one of the most disappointing and tiresome books I’d ever read. It’s taken me literally years to go back to this series after that.
But I finally have returned to Erthia, and even though this book took me a long time to read, and I took a break in the middle…I in the end loved it.
It took three books, but Elloren Gardner has been outed to the entire world as the prophesized Black Witch. And we’re in the middle of an all-out war between the Western and Eastern realms, with tyrannical overlord Marcus Vogel chopping down his foes with ease thanks to his newly claimed Shadow Wand. Elloren was able to escape his clutches, with a portal created by Lukas Grey, a young man she was betrothed to a long time ago, who she didn’t want. She was forced to go back to Gardneria and to him in order to stay safe, and she thought the love of her life, Yvan Guryel, was dead. It also took a long time for her to get over him, and she never really did, but Lukas revealed he has been part of the rebellion against Vogel, and proved himself to be a truly great guy.
Well, now Lukas is captured and Elloren is on her own. The best she can hope for is to try and find her friends and family somewhere in the Eastern Realm that’s under attack. She also sensed Yvan’s power when she teleported…so maybe he’s actually still alive?
I felt the last book couldn’t justify its 660-paged length, but this one actually is able to. It doesn’t start with Elloren; it starts with side characters and what they’re up to, most notably Elloren’s brother Trystan and his love interest Vothendrile. And the gradual romance between Trystan and Vothe blossoms like a rose, among many other lovable characters. But it’s this romance that’s the highlight of this book, a slow-burn of an LGBT romance that is one of the most immensely satisfying I’ve read in a long time. Trystan and Vothe are Nick-and-Charlie, Mei-and-Gabu or Alek-and-Ethan levels of shipping. I encourage you to look these ships up if you don’t know about them.
There were two things that really dragged the third book down; one, Yvan’s abrupt death, which felt way too fake to be real, and, lo and behold, after everything, it is what I expected. Well, we’re pretty pretty sure it is at first. Two, an overlong romance between Lukas as a new love interest. Then we get this entry, and it explains what happened for the first of those two things, and it’s logical. I still felt the third book could’ve done something better, but it created a positive for The Demon Tide. And also, a few things happen in this book that actually really made me appreciate the prior romance. I wrote in my review of The Shadow Wand that it felt like it was written by a different author who didn’t care about the other installments. Now I can see what Laurie Forest was going for. The Shadow Wand had to muddle so The Demon Tide could rise, giving me a new slight respect for The Shadow Wand I never expected.
The fight scenes are exciting, so good that this could’ve been the final instalment and I would’ve been satisfied. The conflicts between conflicting religions, especially at a time of war and genocide, have always been a highlight in the Black Witch books, showcasing a magical world of grief, hatred and heartache. There’s bigotry everywhere, and it’s really effectively written. There’s a point where everything pauses for a night so we can be with individual characters during a celebration, and it is welcome. The relationships between Elloren and her friends and family are complex, humane and never once feel fake. There’s just so much I admire about this big high fantasy. It’s too bad it sometimes slows down. It admittedly took a while to get through.
In the end, here’s how I’d put it: the first two Black Witch books are some of my most favourite of all time, and even if I need a breather before Book 5 because this book takes its time a little more with the various points of view and very rich details, it is so enjoyable, romantic, mature, honest, beautiful, exciting and progressive, that it reaffirms this series as one of the best I’ve ever read.
If this were the end, I’d be fine. But onto The Dryad Storm! I know reviews haven’t been the kindest, but, hope it’s good!!!
My rating: 4 and a half stars out of 5
William J. McGinn 
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