The Year of the Witching Book Review
Hey bookworms! Today I'm going to review a spooky, witchy read that's perfect for this time of year! Let's get into it!
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson is described as a "feminist fantasy set in a puritanical society". In my words, it's like Coven meets Handmaid's Tale. Our main character is Immanuelle, who is an outcast in this world because of the sins of her mother and father, who have been dead since Immanuelle's birth. Immanuelle doesn't fit into the highly religious and patriarchal society of Bethel, but she does try to be holy, read her Scriptures, and follow the rules. In the religion of Bethel, the Father is God and rules over everything. The Dark Mother is Lilith and she is pure evil and darkness. Her haven is the Darkwoods, a forest in Bethel that is forbidden to everyone to go in. People who venture into the Darkwoods never make it out alive.
That is, until one day Immanuelle sets foot into the Darkwoods chasing one of her goats. There she accidentally sets forth the curses and plagues that beset Bethel. From there, she begins to discover her past, who she truly is, and how to stop the plagues.
I thought this book was so well written and the perfect read for a dark, spooky night. I loved Immanuelle's character and her fight between good and evil, being herself and being like everyone else. Her discovery that not everyone is purely good or purely evil was a profound one, which stayed with me. The side characters were all well fleshed out, my favorite side character being Ezra, the Prophet's son and Immanuelle's friend. The ending was extraordinary and just how I wanted it to end. It's set up for a possible sequel but I'm not sure if that's in the plans or not.
I gave this 4 stars! A thrilling read, great writing and descriptive imagery, a wonderful main character, and a spooky setting.
Alette
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