![]() ![]() Ren never really faces the dangers of resistance, or even, existence, while those "others" whom she befriends must. While master race rhetoric in fantasy novels can provide a dystopic mirror for readers, the shallow ways Ren contends with this rhetoric becomes questionable. As I was reading, I kept asking myself how many times can we tell the story of "conservative superior race heroine leaves sheltered background, sees the world, experiences diversity, and becomes emblematic of THE RESISTANCE" while also recognizing the need for diverse books, especially in Young Adult literature. However, while Forest clearly attempts to insert a dialogue about prejudice and confronting both stereotypes and institutionalized narratives of dominance, this proves to be a weakness, rather than strength, of the novel. In addition to a rich fantasy tapestry, the plot is layered with political intrigue and developed secondary characters with auxiliary stories that will be sure to captivate readers through subsequent books in the series. ![]() There she hovers between the world of dominance where she grew up, and suddenly living alongside those she was raised to think of as inferior. In The Black Witch, Laurie Forest introduces her readers to an immersive fantasy world where protagonist, Ren, is forced out of her sheltered life and into the far more diverse landscape of her school, Verpax University. A story about finding the courage to trust those you've been taught to hate and fear. ![]()
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