Check Out Exclusive Art from Susan Dennard’s Illustrated Witchlands Novella Sightwitch
Kicking off with Truthwitch in 2016, Susan Dennard’s epic Witchlands series has captivated readers with its complex heroines and fascinating magic system. Next month marks the release of companion graphic novel Sightwitch, which breaks form to tell Sightwitch Ryber’s story in a whole new way. Dennard’s story on how the book came to be is below—but first, an exclusive piece of art from the new book!
When Sightless Sightwitch Sisters face questions, they turn to taro cards to seek guidance from Sirmaya, the sleeping Goddess, to guide them toward their answers. They must draw three cards: one for their question, one for the action they must take, and one for their future. These cards are drawn by Sister Eridysi, who doesn’t yet know the significant fate lying ahead of her.
And here’s Dennard on her new book’s origin story…
Sightwitch (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Witchlands Series)
Hardcover
$15.29
$16.99
Sightwitch (B&N Exclusive Edition) (Witchlands Series)
Hardcover
$15.29
$16.99
For anyone who has read my books—from my debut Something Strange & Deadly series, set in 1876 Philadelphia, to my ongoing Witchlands series—it should come as no surprise that I love worldbuilding. Go big or go home is basically my storytelling motto, and in Sightwitch, I really got to take that passion to a new level.
Fun fact: I first tried to write Sightwitch almost four years ago, in the spring of 2014. I had just turned in Truthwitch to my editor, and my plan was to write a prequel novella I could self-publish prior to the Truthwitch release. I wanted a story that would not only build up hype for the series but would also lay some key worldbuilding groundwork.
Alas, this plan was not to be, for the story simply would not come. I spent months and months hammering out soulless first drafts and hitting story walls at every turn. The simple truth was that, although I had this underground convent world fully built, I did not yet have Ryber’s voice—and without connecting to a character’s voice, I simply cannot write a good tale.
Eventually, I threw in the towel, and that was that.
Fast forward three years, to early 2017, and my editor was like, “Hey, remember that thing you tried to write? Any chance you’d be willing to try again?” Now, I’ll admit, I was super wary since I had struggled so much the first time around, so I told her, “I will try, but no promises.”
Ha! I needn’t have worried. When I sat down to write, the story erupted. Not in third person, like the rest of the series, but in first person. Ryber wanted to tell her story in journal entries! And sketches! And all sorts of other documents taken from the world around her. Oh, it was so much fun to write! And so unexpected (for me!) to deviate from the way the rest of the series had been told.
What made the writing even more gratifying, though, was how much this format allowed me to dig deeper into the world. While I thought I had fully developed this underground convent of Sightwitch sisters and its vast archive of memories, this format actually showed me how much richer—how much more unique—I could make it all. It allowed me to pull from all different times and places across the Witchlands in ways that expanded the story and will enhance the reader’s experience.
Now, I am so excited for readers to dive into Ryber’s story and explore this new angle of the Witchlands. Though the story is technically a companion tale, it has huge effects on the main series as a whole and sets up a lot of what’s to come in the next book, Bloodwitch. Plus, I hid so many easter eggs throughout that I just know fans will have a blast finding them.
Go big or go home, am I right?
Sightwitch hits shelves February 13, and is available for preorder now.
For anyone who has read my books—from my debut Something Strange & Deadly series, set in 1876 Philadelphia, to my ongoing Witchlands series—it should come as no surprise that I love worldbuilding. Go big or go home is basically my storytelling motto, and in Sightwitch, I really got to take that passion to a new level.
Fun fact: I first tried to write Sightwitch almost four years ago, in the spring of 2014. I had just turned in Truthwitch to my editor, and my plan was to write a prequel novella I could self-publish prior to the Truthwitch release. I wanted a story that would not only build up hype for the series but would also lay some key worldbuilding groundwork.
Alas, this plan was not to be, for the story simply would not come. I spent months and months hammering out soulless first drafts and hitting story walls at every turn. The simple truth was that, although I had this underground convent world fully built, I did not yet have Ryber’s voice—and without connecting to a character’s voice, I simply cannot write a good tale.
Eventually, I threw in the towel, and that was that.
Fast forward three years, to early 2017, and my editor was like, “Hey, remember that thing you tried to write? Any chance you’d be willing to try again?” Now, I’ll admit, I was super wary since I had struggled so much the first time around, so I told her, “I will try, but no promises.”
Ha! I needn’t have worried. When I sat down to write, the story erupted. Not in third person, like the rest of the series, but in first person. Ryber wanted to tell her story in journal entries! And sketches! And all sorts of other documents taken from the world around her. Oh, it was so much fun to write! And so unexpected (for me!) to deviate from the way the rest of the series had been told.
What made the writing even more gratifying, though, was how much this format allowed me to dig deeper into the world. While I thought I had fully developed this underground convent of Sightwitch sisters and its vast archive of memories, this format actually showed me how much richer—how much more unique—I could make it all. It allowed me to pull from all different times and places across the Witchlands in ways that expanded the story and will enhance the reader’s experience.
Now, I am so excited for readers to dive into Ryber’s story and explore this new angle of the Witchlands. Though the story is technically a companion tale, it has huge effects on the main series as a whole and sets up a lot of what’s to come in the next book, Bloodwitch. Plus, I hid so many easter eggs throughout that I just know fans will have a blast finding them.
Go big or go home, am I right?
Sightwitch hits shelves February 13, and is available for preorder now.