Page Count: 368
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 21, 2020
Genre(s): Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal
Amazon // Indie Bound // Barnes & Noble //
April 15 - April 21
Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads synopsis:
A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.
In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.
~ ~ ~
TW/CW: rape, assault, sexual assault of a minor, racism, self-harm (used for magic and spiritual rituals), blood, gore, described violence, bigotry, racism, & classicism |
If you guys know me, and my reading choices -- you've probably picked up that I hardly read horror, mystery, or thrillers. It's a rare occurrence and when I do read them, I like them to be primarily fantasy-based. That's my cup of tea.
When I first saw this book promoted by some of my favorite bookish creators, I had to check it out for myself.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson (Audiobook Excerpt)
The Year of the Witching is a haunting, atmospheric story full of intense themes that can inspire so many influential conversations and discussions about misogyny, bigotry, love, religion, racism, spirituality, revenge and hatred, and what it means to be a woman in a misogynistic society. This book was so intense at moments. There were many moments that could be called predictable, but I'm honestly not mad about that. This book was set up and plotted incredibly well. The writing was impeccable and I didn't want to put this book down. I was completely hooked within the first moments of listening and reading.
I've always loved stories that play with religion and the dynamics that come from warped and cult-like followings. You can usually find me researching cults and watching mini-documentaries from survivors that escaped from cults. If you're also one who is interested in those topics, I think you'd really like this book.
I also really loved the witch elements and the magic that came from those aspects of the story. It really added another layer of creativity and intensity to the story
I fully expected gorier horror elements, but was so delighted to find this book to be more fantastical. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely gory and horrifying at times, but it had much more magic than I anticipated. The darkness that progressively came to the forefront of the story is always present in the novel. It was so enthralling and -- ahh! -- the writing was just so fantastic. I cannot gush about it nearly enough.
This book was so excellent. I think that it was more of a fantasy novel than a horror novel, but that didn't stop me from completely devouring the story. I think this will be a new favorite for so many readers and I can't wait for this book and the author to gain more traction in the reading community. I can't wait to push this book into the hands of my friends.
If you enjoyed:
• Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (for the horror & darker elements)
• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (for the atmospheric vibes and magical elements)
• The Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab (for the addicting, magical, and dark elements)
• The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty (for the magic & atmosphere!)
• Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (for the religious aspects & witchy bits)
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (for the feminism! and dark aspects)
(These are just my connections for the way I read the book and how I interpreted it. These recommendations do not encompass all connecting recommendations. I’m not as well versed in the horror genre or the sub-genres. I can count on my fingers how many horror novels I’ve read. I’m sure there are more recommendations out there too!)
If you enjoy ___ you will enjoy The Year of the Witching!
• Narratives about trauma
• Cults
• Stories based on radicalized religions & the discussions that can come from those settings
• Feminism!
• Witches — the spooky, dark kind
• The Salem Witch Trials
(Again, this doesn’t even fully begin to cover all the elements I loved or that you could possibly love.)
Let's discuss in the comments! If you decide to pick this story up, please let me know what you think of it in the comments as well!
Happy reading!
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~
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