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A review by monetp
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
3.0
3.5 stars
"THAT NIGHT, IMMANUELLE dreamed of beasts: a girl with a gaping mouth and the yellowed teeth of a coyote; a woman with moth wings who howled at the rising..." ~ [b:The Year of the Witching|49789629|The Year of the Witching|Alexis Henderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576699031l/49789629._SY75_.jpg|72550738]
This is the ideal spooky fall read! It's great for fans of horror who still want to be able to sleep at night. Alexis Henderson's writing reminded me of classical horror and fantasy authors such as [a:Edgar Allan Poe|4624490|Edgar Allan Poe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1454522972p2/4624490.jpg] and [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550251468p2/13388.jpg] due to her elegant prose. This story is so gripping, so unexpected, that I couldn't put it down! Every scene in the Darkwood gave me goosebumps.
While the story was fun and entertaining, I really couldn't connect with the character of Immanuelle. I kinda wanted her to see her practice more magic and seek out Vera earlier in the book. Since witchcraft is spoken about so often, I wish more spells were cast! I half expected Immanuelle to become a witch by the end of the book. There's a lot of buildup to magic and mystery, which I love, but sometimes the suspense went nowhere. Like, we got one scene with Vera? For a character that was supposed to be so important, I thought this was strange. This is one of those books where I would've loved it more if the plot was more straightforward and fast-paced. The pacing was a little slow at times, especially in the beginning. I didn't really care about the town at all because they were so cruel, so I didn't so much explanation of its origins. Overall I'm glad to have expanded my horizons to read more horroresque books, and I'm grateful that this one wasn't overtly violent or sexual.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Crows roosted in the branches of the oaks and birches in the nearby forest, though they sang no songs. The silence was as thick as the morning’s fog, and it was broken only by the sound of Immanuelle’s lullaby, which echoed through the foothills and distant fields like a dirge."
"Immanuelle was a strong reader. As a matter of fact, reading was one of the few things she felt she was truly good at, one of the few things she prided herself on."
"'Nonsense,' the shopkeeper spoke around the stem of his pipe. 'There’s a book for everyone. There must be something that catches your eye.'"
"Her hands trembled as she accepted the woman’s gift. The book was heavy, and strangely warm to the touch, as though blood flowed through its binding. As she grasped it, Immanuelle felt no fear at the presence of the women, no shame at their nakedness. The strangest sensation settled over her. It was a kind of unmooring, as if her soul wasn’t bound to her body anymore."
"Maybe because you’re a bad, creed-breaking heir who has a taste for such ideas."
"Either they left the forest together, or not at all."
"THAT NIGHT, IMMANUELLE dreamed of beasts: a girl with a gaping mouth and the yellowed teeth of a coyote; a woman with moth wings who howled at the rising..." ~ [b:The Year of the Witching|49789629|The Year of the Witching|Alexis Henderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1576699031l/49789629._SY75_.jpg|72550738]
This is the ideal spooky fall read! It's great for fans of horror who still want to be able to sleep at night. Alexis Henderson's writing reminded me of classical horror and fantasy authors such as [a:Edgar Allan Poe|4624490|Edgar Allan Poe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1454522972p2/4624490.jpg] and [a:Shirley Jackson|13388|Shirley Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1550251468p2/13388.jpg] due to her elegant prose. This story is so gripping, so unexpected, that I couldn't put it down! Every scene in the Darkwood gave me goosebumps.
While the story was fun and entertaining, I really couldn't connect with the character of Immanuelle. I kinda wanted her to see her practice more magic and seek out Vera earlier in the book. Since witchcraft is spoken about so often, I wish more spells were cast! I half expected Immanuelle to become a witch by the end of the book. There's a lot of buildup to magic and mystery, which I love, but sometimes the suspense went nowhere. Like, we got one scene with Vera? For a character that was supposed to be so important, I thought this was strange. This is one of those books where I would've loved it more if the plot was more straightforward and fast-paced. The pacing was a little slow at times, especially in the beginning. I didn't really care about the town at all because they were so cruel, so I didn't so much explanation of its origins. Overall I'm glad to have expanded my horizons to read more horroresque books, and I'm grateful that this one wasn't overtly violent or sexual.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Crows roosted in the branches of the oaks and birches in the nearby forest, though they sang no songs. The silence was as thick as the morning’s fog, and it was broken only by the sound of Immanuelle’s lullaby, which echoed through the foothills and distant fields like a dirge."
"Immanuelle was a strong reader. As a matter of fact, reading was one of the few things she felt she was truly good at, one of the few things she prided herself on."
"'Nonsense,' the shopkeeper spoke around the stem of his pipe. 'There’s a book for everyone. There must be something that catches your eye.'"
"Her hands trembled as she accepted the woman’s gift. The book was heavy, and strangely warm to the touch, as though blood flowed through its binding. As she grasped it, Immanuelle felt no fear at the presence of the women, no shame at their nakedness. The strangest sensation settled over her. It was a kind of unmooring, as if her soul wasn’t bound to her body anymore."
"Maybe because you’re a bad, creed-breaking heir who has a taste for such ideas."
"Either they left the forest together, or not at all."