Title: The Year of the WitchingAuthor: Alexis Henderson
Series: Bethel #1
First Published: July 21, 2020
Publisher: Ace
Pages: 368
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Feminist Fiction, Horror, Supernatural
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library
Rating:
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.
Get the Book: AmazonReview
The town of Bethel is a nightmare of fundamentalist religious abuse. The town and it’s people are deeply religious and led by patriarchs that exploit women under the cover of faith. Those that don’t comply with the word of the father are burned at the stake and accused of witchcraft. This book is everything I’ve ever wanted in a witchy book and it has lived rent-free in my mind for the last year. I was hooked as soon as I started reading and couldn’t put the book down.
I enjoyed the historical setting in this novel and the hints at world-building throughout the book. The pace slowed down later in the book once the romance started. The romance made the book feel like a young adult novel at times, but the romance is not the focus of the and so I didn’t mind it too much. I’m waiting on the eventual sequel and will happily re-read the book when that is eventually published.
Quote
“Good people don’t bow their heads and bite their tongues while other good people suffer. Good people are not complicit.”
Content Warnings
View Spoiler »About the Author
About Alexis Henderson
Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. When she doesn’t have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. Currently, Alexis resides in the sun-soaked marshland of Charleston, South Carolina.
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