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 … 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.
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This is a beautiful, powerful, important book, and I hugely recommend it.
A haunting, unique read I couldn’t put down — a story that cuts to the heart.
I can’t remember who recommended this to me, but I’m paying it forward. Handmaid’s Tale a few generations forward? With witches.
Dark and beautiful.
This book showed so much promise in the beginning. Unfortunately, it devolved into overwritten dribble that eventually turned into a play-by-play “Super Bowl” event with each chapter of rising action.
The good side is the first half was a decent read, although still overwritten and stuffed with filler. The novel could have been 250 pages and a better reading experience had the author not forced unnecessary, mundane scenes on us.
For me, this read like a typical YA book with junk publishing formula and dead structure. I didn’t even realize this was a YA novel until I was 40% in. That’s my fault for not checking.
A thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power, I loved this book. It takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist.
The Year of the Witching is a dark wood ready to swallow you whole with its tense stakes and beguiling prose. Henderson takes witchcraft to its very depths, unraveling the horrific nightmares of bone-deep ideology and devastating oppression.
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I love stories on Witches and this one didn’t disappoint. There are some things I would have liked to have explained more, a bit more flushed. This book blends horror, a paranormal dark, twisty witchy tale in a dystopian world.
The character Immanuelle is thoughtful, caring, and headstrong. I enjoyed following her journey to knowing who she was and why things were happening to her. She received a journal from the witches of the woods. Through this journal, Immanuelle learns more about her mother. Then she travels outside of Bethel to learn about her father. Her maternal grandfather felt like he was always encouraging her. I think it is because of his regrets on what happened to her mother. Her maternal grandmother, well, she felt as though it was Immanuelle’s father’s fault. She was a well written and rounded character.
Ezra I was not too fond of. I felt he was a little flat and disconnected. The side characters such as Immanuelle’s grandparents and the prophet were more rounded than Ezra. Like Ezra, I also felt the witches could have been rounded more. There was potential to show their nature, and even though we got it towards the end, I think their background and character arc could have strung out better.
Alexis Henderson takes her readers to Bethel. Bethel is a dystopian world blended with real-world themes like racism, oppression, power and religion. In Bethel, the religious society lead by the Prophet takes rule. He can take on as many wives as they want and punish whoever stands in his way, even his own heir. When this was first described, I automatically thought of this as some kind of cult. The Prophet’s wives were protected unless proved to be adulteress or unpure before marriage, and once married, they could not to leave the compound. Bethel’s citizens could not leave outside the border unless given permission by the Prophet. The Prophet uses fear, cruelty and religion to gain power and control over the people. The setting is haunting, beautiful and creepy. It adds a deliciously bleak and eerie feel to the story with the danger that lurks in the Darkwoods. The Darkwoods for me was like the Wall on Game of Thrones.
This book took me a while to get into. It was not slow by any means, but maybe there was too much. I think maybe a little more world and character building will make this book wonderful. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read dystopian, dark fantasy, and suspense horror.
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The Year of the Witching Earns 5/5 Woodland Sanctuaries…Compelling Drama!
Alexis Henderson has penned an epic tale in her Bethel series riddled with darkness, secrets, and revelations that had me enthralled and engaged from the first chapter to the last with vivid description, diverse characters, insightful quotes to begin each chapter, and a fascinating world. It is an intense, but compelling, drama about Immanuelle, a young woman whose true nature, family, revenge, and resolve are challenged. The epic tale is rich with a variety of characters, deep class division, and an all-controlling religious sect that bordered disturbing, and although it was a complex tale, I found it easy to follow. Excellent!
*If your squeamish about menstrual blood and naked witchery, don’t read this book.*
Immanuelle Moore’s mother placed a curse on her at her birth to destroy the people of Bethel for betraying her and killing her lover, Immanuelle’s father. At 17 years old, Immanuelle still had not menstrated. After following a sound into the Dark Wood one night, she is led into a lake by witches where she suddenly gets her first menstruel cycle and bleeds into the water triggering the curse.
In a race against time, Immanuelle and the prophets somewhat rebellious son Ezra, set out to break the curse and save the people of Bethel (even though they don’t deserve it).
The only likeable characters are Immanuelle and Ezra. I believe that is by design because the “flock” of the commune are so deeply flawed and the whole reason Immanuelles mother placed a curse to begin with. The “Prophet” will make you mad and disgusted with his rhetoric and actions but again, that is by design. Just like Immanuelle, Ezra is an anomaly among the followers and instantly likeable. He thinks for himself and disagrees with the teachings of his father and is disgusted by his behavior. He wants to bring positive changes and peace to Bethel when he succeeds his father as prophet. I liked seeing his relationship with Immanuelle bloom and her confidence in herself and independent thinking grow.
The Year of the Witching is a stark reminder of how people can be so easily manipulated and lead astray. To be whipped into a frenzy and turn on their own family members by the word of a single person, and the dangers of blindly following a deeply flawed religious fanatic.
This historical paranormal is definitely an adults-only book in my opinion, due to its graphic nature and cult-like themes. Overall it’s not a bad book but I didn’t love it either. If you like complex paranormal historical plots and witchy themes, you will probably enjoy this book. Happy reading!
A haunting story, The Year of The Witching brings to mind the puritanical times of Salem and its witch trials. This dark, gothic tale is an enticing story with wonderful characters. The rebellious Immanuelle, a strong young woman who is looked down upon because of her mother’s history, is wanting to better the puritanical society Bethel. The prophet, a spokesman for the Father, is abusing his power and controls his congregation with an iron will, demanding submission and devotion from all. When Immanuelle ventures into the forbidden Darkwoods and the plagues fall upon Bethel, she will be joined by Ezra, the prophet’s son to end the curse that holds strong over their lands. A dark story emerges from the first page, one that is difficult to put down. It was an entertaining read.
The Year of the Witching
BY Alexis Henderson
What an amazing and engrossing read I loved!
Set in a dystopian world of Bethel, Alexis Henderson delivers an intriguing and addictive read full of twisty paranormal and supernatural read with themes like racism, power and religious oppression underneath this dark and terrifying read. Henderson definitely wrote amazing characters and the world building incredible. I truly enjoyed this puritan witch fantasy novel and glad to have read this with a group buddy read for the wonderful and thoughtful discussions. Such a fun read to pick up! Don’t miss this if you enjoy powerful witches, cults, revenge and of course family secrets.
I adored this book! A dark feminist fantasy novel with bite to it. Read if you love witches/witchcraft, want to dismantle the patriarchy, and love a strong heroine. This book was creepy enough to be fun, atmospheric enough to suit the fall mood, and full of vivid imagery and precise story-telling.
I loved this cover from the very first moment I set eyes on it, before I even knew what the book was about. It was on my wish list and my TBR far too long. Some friends decided to read this for a Halloween challenge and I joined in. I’m not sure what I was expecting but somehow this wasn’t it. I would say this borders on dark fantasy. It wasn’t bad, I devoured it in 3 days but something was just missing.
The Year of Witching centers around Immanuelle. She lives with her grandparents in a very, very patriarchal village (Bethel). Her mother, Miriam, had an affair and then tried to kill the leader of the village, The Prophet. She then fleas into the forbidden Darkwoods that surrounds Bethel. The woods are said to be haunted by 4 powerful witches. Miriam emerges 9 months later to give birth to Immanelle, then she dies.
One night, Immanuelle ventures into the Darkwoods and is given her mother’s journal. Not long after this, strange plagues start sweeping through Bethel. Immanuelle is convinced that only she can stop them. You’ll have to read the book to find out why and if she is successful.
The patriarchy is very heavy handed in this book. It’s really messed up and we certainly get the point. I liked all the characters and despised the villains. The story was good but it just left like it was missing that spark that would make me love it. For this being Alexis Henderson’s first novel, she did a great job.
I would like to thank my buddies over at Horror Aficionados for reading this with me.
When I first started this one, I thought a bait and switch was pulled on me. I wanted all the witchiness, and it felt more like The Handmaid’s Tale BUT the witchiness definitely comes so shame on my for my impatience.
In the town of Bethel, the Prophet rules all and everyone must follow in line to keep themselves free of sin. Immanuelle Moore lives with her disgraced family on the edge of town. Immanuelle’s mother was expected to be the join the wives of the Prophet but she fell in love with a Black man from the outskirts. Immanuelle is the product of her mother’s sin; the bastard mixed race child from an illegal affair. Now Immanuelle must live with the shame, and the Moore family has been stripped of all of their titles and lands following her mother’s affair.
For the most part, Immanuelle tries to abide by the rules of the Prophet, but she finds herself drawn into the forbidden Darkwood with the Prophet’s son, Ezra. The Darkwood is rumored to be the home of witches and pagans. However, in the Darkwood, the witches give Immanuelle a journal that once belonged to her mother. Now Immanuelle is determined to learn about her history…even if it means bringing about the apocalypse.
So The Year of the Witching is very much a Puritan esque type fantasy. Women are seen and not heard. As soon as they’ve had their first menstrual cycle, the are ready to be married off to men that are sometimes 3x their age. I had so much anger and fury for these men…especially the Prophet. And while the themes of the patriarchal society are strong with this one, the author beautifully ties in discussions about racism, bigotry, and power dynamics.
I was really impressed with all of the characters. Not only were they all well developed but each of their storylines were integral to the plot. As someone who is also of a mixed race heritage with a white mother and Black father, I immediately gravitated towards Immanuelle. She is fierce, unyielding, determined, and loyal to her friends and loved ones. I also really loved both Ezra, the Prophet’s son, and Leah, Immanuelle’s best friend. Both of them showed how complicated religious cult life is and how they can still find a way to defy the confines that they were placed in.
Now when it comes to witches, I think this is where Henderson really had some fun. You definitely got the women and children who were wrongly accused of witchcraft and burned at the pyre for it. BUT, there are also the magical revenge seeking witches in this one that had a coven with a revenge list that no one wanted to be on. They were dark and downright frightening, and I loved every minute of it.
There is so much to this book that it’s really difficult to unpack it all in this review. Honestly, if you love religious cults, curses, revenge, and family secrets then pick up this book. It is deliciously dark and worth your time!
Thank you to Ace Books for my review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
I rated this 4 stars on the strength of its descriptive writing, which was beautiful and often chilling. I loved diving into Immanuelle’s tightly bound world. The story is kicked off by the supernatural pull of the woods, driving Immanuelle to go to a heretical place full of witches and general creepiness. It just keeps getting better from there. And the Prophet’s Haven is just about as frightening as the woods, if not more.
What was missing for me was the wrap-up after the climax. It left me wanting more, especially after days of page-turning, fabulous storytelling, and seemed to be setting up for a sequel (is that happening?). I closed the book with no idea of what happened to some of the characters. Frustrating! But if there’s more coming, all will be well. And I will definitely read it.
The Year of the Witching is an intriguing read. It kept my attention from beginning to end. It’s religion and witchcraft based with a bit of action and hints of a romance. I enjoyed it. I loved watching the characters come into there own and embrace themselves. I definitely recommend it and look forward to reading more books by this author.
Copy provided by publisher through Edelweiss
A masterfully eerie, feminist story that binds itself to the reader’s mind and won’t let go.
Grips you by the throat from the very first page and refuses to let go. Gothic, dark, and utterly enthralling, this is a world I wanted to sink into and never leave. I adored this book.
A dark, dramatic tale of oppression and rebellion, ideology and morality, with a complicated, appealing protagonist caught in a Handmaid’s Tale nightmare.
Creepy, compelling, and compulsively readable… blends the terror of the supernatural with the all-too-recognizable human evils of power and dogma.