Goodreads Summary
A gripping tale about loyalty, power, and the quest for freedom
Vance Ehecatl was raised with every luxury he could imagine in a beautiful greenhouse within the powerful empire of Midnight. Vampires are the only guardians Vance has ever known since he was abandoned by his shapeshifter family as a baby quetzal, and he is grateful to them for generously providing for all of his needs. When an act of violence forces Vance from his sheltered home, he is startled to meet Malachi Obsidian, a fellow shapeshifter with conflicting ideas about Midnight and its leader, Mistress Jeshickah.
Malachi claims Vance is a bloodwitch, who Jeshickah and her trainers, Jaguar and Taro, are trying to control. Vance doesn't know anything about the rare and destructive magic Malachi says he possesses, and he can't believe Jeshickah would use it to hurt others. But when his friends begin falling ill, Vance starts to realize his perfect world may not be as flawless as it seems. Now Vance must decide who to trust-the vampires he's always relied upon, or the shapeshifters who despise them.
Teen Review
Bloodwitch is a fantasy that will keep the reader on his/her seat. Vance, the main character is a fourteen year old shapeshifter who can change from human form to Quetzal. A Quetzal is a bird like creature that models for his master and is the keeper of the greenhouse where he lives. Vance's Mistress Jeshickah, is in charge of Midnight, the empire where they live.
In this fantasy world, there is another twist- the leaders of the town are all vampires. When Vance is forced to leave the safety of the greenhouse because of a tragedy, the story really starts to get interesting. At this point the author does a fantastic job of introducing new characters, with great detail that allows you to picture the characters even when some of them exist only in her imagination and would not appear in the real world.
The one thing I found difficult about the book was how strange the names where and how hard it was to follow at times. As the book goes on, the main character Vance learns things about himself that he never knew. He has to choose between the life he knew and a life of unknowns.
"I think we'll found out what you are together", Jaguar answered. "As it happens, I remember being your age, and am of the opinion that a young man's full potential is rarely obvious at this point in his life."
Teen Reviewer: Jillian
