ARC 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.

I received this ARC from a local indie bookstore on Independent Bookstore Day, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Virginia Boecker brings us a fresh new tale in the world of Paranormal YA! The Witch Hunter was set in the 1800s, which is already making way for a different kind of read with all the modern day worlds or dystopian ones, and it's not at all a Salem Witch Trials kind of read, though there are witches and executions. Add to that a group of witch hunters, revenants, ghosts, and those bloody pirates, you get more than what you expect with this read!

Elizabeth is a witch hunter, one of the best really after her best friend Caleb. These two have been friends for years and have been through everything together. So naturally, Elizabeth developed an unrequited crush on him. But her life gets turned upside down when she finds herself accused of witchcraft for possessing a pouch of herbs on her person. Basically, if you sneeze wrong in this world, you're called out as a witch and sentenced to die. Which is what happens to Elizabeth.

Days go by, and then suddenly one night, Nicholas, the most wanted wizard in the country comes to break her out. There's a prophecy in place that basically told him he needed her help and so begins Elizabeth's tremulous journey.

I liked that Elizabeth was a hard character to like in the beginning. For years, she's hunted witches and brought them to their deaths and now she finds herself at the mercy of a bunch of witches and wizards--that's basically what the male witch is called. Elizabeth has no personal grudge against witches either. Just that witchcraft is against the law and she's a witch hunter, so being where she is at is hard for her. But yet, she learns a lot more than she thought she would.

Nicholas needs Elizabeth's help in breaking a curse that was placed over him. He will die otherwise, and before long Elizabeth finds herself starting to care for the group that's taken her in. They aren't all friendly at first, Fifer, another young witch and student of Nicholas's is the most stingy. She hates Elizabeth on principal. Then there's George who seems to be a man of mystery. I have a few inklings of his character, but we don't get to dive into his secrets much. But he was definitely a great source of comedic relief. Then there's John, the healer, who is basically your all around nice guy. He's easily liked! And then one of my most favorite characters is one we meet later on, Schuyler, a revenant. He can be one scary dude at times, but he is hilarious! I love his and Fifer's bantering. There's definitely something between those two and I can't wait for more details later on!

I really enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I liked watching Elizabeth's character grow. I liked seeing the other characters involved with her. There's a lot of character development in this book I'd say and I loved that! That is one of my favorite things about reading! Other tiny little pieces of the story that had me grinning from ear to ear for no real reason were the epic showdown at the end was to take place at a party, its date? My birthday! You know, just some 200 years earlier! And then prior to learning that date, Elizabeth received 32 stitches from an injury and as you might know, 32 is my favorite number! LOL!

There was romance in this one as well. As I mentioned, Elizabeth has harbored a crush on her best friend Caleb for years, but I never really grew to like Caleb. He was kind and such, but he seemed full of himself at times. I didn't care for him at all really, but I admired the friendship he had with Elizabeth for so long. Then there's another guy who catches Elizabeth's eye. I've mentioned him already, but I won't say who it is. I must say, I was definitely more down with that romance instead! 

This book was well paced, not fast, not too slow. It was a mix of just right! There's plenty of secrets and other events going on that lead us to the epic conclusion. And there were plenty of surprises in that realm too! This is definitely a series I will be continuing, for it was a breath of fresh air in some ways and I am pretty much too hooked to give it up!

The Witch Hunter was a marvelous tale with a unique setting! The characters were pretty much spot on for perfection, in that they weren't at all perfect, but yet they grow! I truly loved and loved to hate them all! This read was fun and enjoyable!



Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


The Witch Hunter releases June 2, 2015