The Year of the Witching
This is quite dark, and I think it would be perfect for fall/Halloween reading lists. I picked it up because I was intrigued by the "puritanical" society and because I've not read very many witch stories. My mother didn't allow me to engage with anything with witches in/on it when I was growing up, so you can see why this one might appeal to me as an adult. I grew up in a very conservative and religious household and would consider my childhood church fundamentalist. The way this society is set
...up with The Prophet being the ultra-revered religious and civic leader with total power over everyone in the town of Bethel, especially the women...I mean, I feel certain parts of this story deeply. In a lot of ways, I feel SEEN.
So anyway, this story definitely has a creep factor. The witches that live in the forbidden Darkwood forest are terrifying and incredibly powerful. There's this sense of dread that hangs over you while you're reading, and I found that both delicious and a little bit scary. Emmanuelle is a great character that carries a lot of weight and baggage in this story, and I really had no idea how things would end up. There are these wonderful nods to Salem and other places of long ago with the pyres and fires, and the patriarchal cult-like society totally gave me the creeps. It reminded me a lot of The Scarlet Letter and M. Night Shyamalan's movie The Village.
One thing I particular that I loved is that there is 100% a historical feel to the story in terms of clothing and lack of amenities, but I sometimes think these religious/cult-type stories give me a contemporary vibe too. This is certainly the case here and I was excited to hear the author mention on a podcast interview that there may be more stories featuring Emmanuelle and this world in the future.
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Guest 6 months ago
This was the second book I’ve read this year after 8 or so years of not reading.I missed how different worlds would just form around me as I fell deeper into stories. The first book I read couldn’t do that for me and it made me think that feeling was gone forever.
But then I found this book. I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. The way the author phrased every line, single paragraph had feeling behind it. It was as though it was Emmanuelle herself telling a story to her grandchildren (hopefully Ezra’s grandpa
Guest 2 years ago
Book was incomplete when downloaded, it's good with a great concept but I feel the author doesn't really do it justice. There wasn't enough background, not true world building, no substantial character depth, the scary bits were only just creepy, no real depth, no true insight. It had the potential to be amazing, but missed the mark with, not a bad read, but not a great one either.
Guest 3 years ago
I could not stop reading this book normally i get bored eventully when i read but this book kept me on this site . I love this amamzing site and the books in it
Ciry 3 years ago
A fun book for light reading if you're looking for something a little spooky. I wish the author had taken this farther. There was so much more I wanted to know about the town's history, the women who became the witches, and how magic worked in that world. Sadly, the end came too quickly for me, with the witches relegated to simply being evil in the end. The book kept me engaged though, so if you're looking for a creepy easy read I'd recommend this.
Guest 3 years ago
A good riveting read in the night! The story kept me engrossed; I love the female lead and male support character, and how the story resonates with issues that we're dealing with today like patriarchal social systems, religious oppression, race, female discrimination, poverty, and family issues. I'm lookin forward to other works from this author.
Guest 3 years ago
I loved this book so much and i think it should be made into a movie or tv show i give this book a 10 out of 10 i dont see how anyone could give it a negative review unless their trolls
Guest 4 years ago
I found the book enticing could not stop reading. It left you wanting more as you turned the pages. I found it wasn't still spelled binding enough for you to find as scary and thrilling in places but it still made you want to read on to find out what was going to happen and what happens at the end of the book.
Guest 4 years ago
The second book from Page One book subscription, and so delighted with it! Without any background knowledge, I went into the book expecting a Salem witch and the Puritans book, but it wasn't, and I love it so much more! I don't know what to say that would do this book justice - so go read it.
Guest 4 years ago
===“True evil...wore the skin of good men.”
While I can appreciate the tone and allegory of the story, I ultimately found it very generic. It is not horror in the slightest, and I found the main character lacked any personality. I was really hoping for a dark, witch novel but was found with a typical “men hunting witches” story. There was so much potential for a scary ready but she didn’t take it to that level.
Guest 4 years ago
A very low 3 stars, almost only gave it 2 and almost did not finish the audiobook. I found the narrator very irritating - voice breathy, sometimes with oddly placed pauses, often completely lacking emotion. Maybe I would have liked the story without the irritating narration, but I don't think so. I didn't really find any of the characters sympathetic, nor was there much original about the storyline.Write Review:
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