Review: Slaying Alven by Jordan Elizabeth

Synopsis

In 1600, Alven took revenge on her neglectful family through the dark arts. Her village burned her as a witch, but she immortalized herself as a Wittewijven, the Dutch spirit of a healer, and sought the English god who’d taught her his evil magic. He created a world for her, but she had to populate it by kidnapping people from Earth.

Death haunts the living.

When Alven tried to take Tanneke Van Nuys in the twenty-first century, her father died before her eyes. Since that night, Tanneke has not spoken a word. Now at fifteen, her family travels back to her great-aunt’s house in Albany. The last time she was there, she met the Wittewijven. Although determined to face the spirit to regain her voice, Tanneke doesn’t expect to lose the rest of her family.

Revenge taints the blood.

Alven scatters Tanneke’s sisters and stepfather across her world. Tanneke can’t just free them. She has to kill Alven, but to get to her she must defeat the English god and decide if she can trust Alven's enchanted daughter. It is time to regain her voice and master the dark arts in order to slay the Wittewijven.

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Review

Oh wow, this is such an intense story and absolutely a page-turner. I loved how we got to read it from so many characters' POV but it didn't affect the flow of the story at all. It's well-paced and every character is enjoyable. Seriously, if you love fantasy then this book is a must-read.

Tanneke witnessed her father's murder and she hasn't spoken since. Her sisters Femmitie and Sitske both love her but they also think that she is a little weird. It can't be helped, though. They have all been affected by their father's death. Their mother married an amazing person and now they have a dad who loves them. Slowly the family is recovering from the tragedy. That's when their mother decides to visit their great-aunt. The woman who raised girls' father and was a family to them still. But there is so much they don't know about their paternal side of the family. There are mysteries lurking in their great-aunt's house and soon the whole family will be facing a peril they might not be able to overcome...

The story starts with a mystery and there are so many twists and turns along the way that there is no chance of being bored. I love the references to myths and the author has done a great job at keeping it all original. It's a very interesting story. There is the magic, mysterious book, a family torn by tragedy, hints to the past and let's not forget romance. Basically, a lot is going on in this novel and it will keep you entertained.