The Year of the Witching

I was drawn to this book because of its beautiful cover and its timely October subject matter - a fantasy read with a puritanical witch hunt vibe. But I fear that my expectations were set too high. It's being touted as a good pick for fans of The Handmaid's Tale, but those are some really big shoes to fill and I don't think that is an accurate or fair comparison. 

When I started this book, I was excited because it pulled me right in but as the book progressed, around the one-third mark, things started to lag and get convoluted. But what surprised me the most is that the witches and the cursed Darkwood forest, which were wonderfully dark and sinister, play such a minor role in the story making this book not quite the dark adult horror I was expecting and much more of a Teen fantasy read (complete with insta-love romance. Argh!).

This debut author tackled some big themes - oppression of women, organized religion (with more of a cultish and strong misogynistic vibe), racism and polygamy. That's a whole lot of topics but unfortunately, they are handled superficially, and their inclusion often felt contrived.

I almost didn't finish this book a few times and perhaps I should have. But I held out hope that Henderson would pull a big twist out of the witch hat and knock my proverbial striped socks off. Sadly, with its lack of depth, choppy pacing and long-winded story telling, this was a miss for me. 

My Rating: 2 stars

Author: Alexis Henderson

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Pages: 368

Publisher: Ace

First Published: July 21, 2020

Opening Line: She was born breech, in the deep of night.

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.