Myrthe has become the new Wishtress after her parents’ deaths, and spends years suffering under her grandmother’s dominating will. Longing for escape and the knowledge she needs to understand her Talent, Myrthe reveals her secret with a raw wish that freezes the vital canals of her homeland. When a Bane bearer curses her to die with her next wish, Myrthe must find her way to the legendary Well of Talents—her only hope for wisdom, life, and freedom. In Nadine Brandes’s Wishtress, tears grant wishes and curses lurk in the darkest corners of the heart. Questions of guilt, morality, and choices bubble as heroes search for justice and truth. Plot twists keep the story flowing, and readers will enjoy the story’s many fractured and fallible characters.

Best for: Teens and adults who like fantasy with dark problems and clever solutions, fans of Leigh Bardugo.

Discern: Discussions of abuse, murder, sexual assault, and violence; some violence with blood; a source of power has certain parallels with Deity, but without specifics; someone claims to be the voice of a demonic power source.