Emmanuel is a biracial young woman in a puritanical cult in which her mother dared run off with the black son of a hereditary witch family instead of marrying the cult leader to become just one of his many lives. Emmanuel uncovers the truth of her power and heritage while coming into her own. Her encounters with the coven of witches who she is bound to by her mother’s rage are frighteningly vivid. I hope there’s a sequel.

The Year of the Witching was a bit of a disappointment for me. I expected a much darker, scarier book than what I read. This novel read very YA to me. There were some creepier moments, but overall, I was a bit bored with the characters and the plot. Immanuelle was a bit dull, to be honest. The other supporting characters such as Ezra, the prophet’s heir and Immanuelle 's love interest, were equally uninteresting and very flat. Like other reviewers have said, the world building seemed a bit black and white. Overall, this book was a letdown for me and left me more bored than spooked. Unfortunately, this was not the witchy, feminist book I was looking forward to.

When I heard the author describe this book as being inspired by the Salem witch trials, I was immediately intrigued. I loved that this was set in a made up world but was largely reminiscent of a historical religious society. I thought this book was quite creepy at points with graphic gory descriptions and would work great for horror lovers like myself. The imagery and aesthetic is captured so well by the cover and I couldn't help picturing scenes from the horror movie Witch while reading. I found the plot engaging but I was never fully invested in the characters and the stakes. The ending took a bit of a weird turn for me but I really enjoyed the overall message I got from the book. I would definitely read more from this author in the future!

4.5/5 - 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. Immanuelle 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 Immanuelle and this world in the future.


Thanks to Ace Books for providing a digital copy of the book for my review via NetGalley!

{The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson}

“Good people do not bite their tongues while other good people suffer. Good people are not complicit.”

Here’s to all of the girls that have suffered under the hands of those who wore the skin of good men. To those who were given choices of surrender or shame. To the girls who suffered from the prayers of their fathers. Prayers that begged them to muzzle their minds and cage their power so that the supremacy of patriarchy may continue to benefit their selfish hunger, forevermore, amen.

This is a story that turns that prayer to ashes.

This stunning, feminist fantasy debut, follows a young woman living in a puritanical society, who accidentally discovers the deep powers of the Darkwood, just beyond the borders of home. The Year of the Witching was thoughtful, propulsive, and astonishingly smart. A horrifically gory exploration on segregation, the patriarchy, and women’s rights. An examination of identity and what it means to belong - of taking power into one's own hands and turning fear into competence, strength, and goodness.

If I had to give the story some constructive feedback, I’d say that I think it could have been a bit longer. I would have loved to see more 3-dimensional side characters, more relationship history and development. I also think that the writing wasn’t it’s absolute strongest feature - at times the dialogue was a bit clunky. All this to say - it was still a fantastic story and did not deter my enjoyment.

Creepy, ruminative, and delightfully savage, this is a story I will not soon forget. I will be reading whatever Henderson throws at us.

“I have seen the beasts of the wood. I have seen the spirits that lurk between the trees and swam with the demons of the deep water. I have watched the dead walk on human feet, kept company with the cursed and the crucified, the predators and their prey. I have known the night and I hace called it my friend.”

Thank you @berklypub for sending me my copy. This one was a wicked treat.

I know my words won't do justice to my feelings about this book. But all I have are words, so here's my attempt:

On the surface, this story is about a religious community's determination to remain pure in God's eyes, while keeping the dark forces of witchcraft banished to the dangerous woods surrounding them.

At its heart, this story is about the oppression of women, racism, power and control wielded by the elite, the fine line between a religion and a cult, and the way superstition and fear trigger aggression.

This is a beautifully written, complex, heartbreaking story that ultimately finds hope in rebellion.

If you reach deep and lay bare humanity's worst traits over the past few centuries, you'll see them reflected in this story. Most disturbing is how easily we can form parallels between this historical fiction community and our current society. Our demons, literal or figurative, only grow more powerful when we allow them to linger in the shadows. Maybe we can all learn something from Immanuelle.

Honestly, from the first couple of pages, I was hooked on The Year of the Witching. It's not your average book about witches with more of a Salem witches vibe than a modern witches vibe. However, don't think that the puritanical church is the same as the one in real life. There are some similarities, but what Alexis Henderson shares with us here is a completely different world with a completely different set of rules. Most definitely the kind of book you want to pick up for Halloween, but you'll walk away from it with some bigger themes and story.

Well, I already mentioned that I really liked this book. It definitely has a horror vibe to it, but nothing is too gorey or overkill to make you want to put the book down. Aside from the way Immanuelle <strong>bursts</strong> onto the scene in the prologue, I will say this story is more subtle than I imagined. I was expecting the horror components to be very in your face, but they were actually not so bad. However, you still have to be careful for a lot of bloody scenes, sacrifice, blood magic, myths coming to life, and other parts that make this more a dark fantasy than a horror story.

Immanuelle was probably my favorite character. Of course, she's the main character but that's not why I found her so intriguing. What was great about her is her mental and emotional states throughout the novel. She wasn't running into the fire to save everyone right away. She was a little shy and a little guarded right in the beginning. You can almost say she hid herself away because of her upbringing and her family. As the story progressed, you see her go from this timid girl who does her best to abide by the rules of the Prophet to a bad ass woman who makes a very difficult decision at the end of the novel. It was truly awesome to watch her growth, see her struggle, and gain that power she has at the end. This was most definitely the heroine's journey story.

One of the major components of this novel is this puritanical village run by a man known as The Prophet. It was interesting to see his abuse of power and how he used that to his advantage. I think what intrigued me about The Prophet was how easy it was for him to assume the position of power, use it very much to his advantage, and still have people following him. The puritanical village and church were definitely parts that felt very true to reality. While this isn't based on any religion that exists in real life, it felt like it did. It felt like this could have been some small town in the middle of the United States. I think that's what the most frightening part of this novel was.

It was also really interesting to see how Alexis Henderson use different races in her book. The puritanical village is mostly white while folks on the Outskirts of the village are darker skinned. Immanuelle is bi-racial and you can tell from the little things she experiences it's an existence she wished she didn't have. From wanting hair like her best friend, Leah, to feeling less like a burden to her grandmother and grandfather, Immaneulle's race and sex definitely play huge roles in the novel. I was pleasantly surprised and so happy when she finally took claim to herself, found her father's side of the family, and felt welcomed in a way she never felt in the church. I thought it brought an interesting dynamic to Immaneulle and her family especially at a crucial point towards the end.

However, I wanted there to be more Ezra. I wanted more Vera. I wanted to know more about the folks living on the Outskirts. I wanted to see more of the world outside of Bethel. I also felt like the story moved way too quickly. I don't know if that's a bias because I've been reading so many slow burns this month, but I wanted there to be more time spent with Vera. I wanted to understand Ezra a little bit better. It moved quite quickly and as much as I loved a fast paced novel like this one, I wanted it to slow down just to make the great parts of this novel shine a bit more and give Immanuelle that realistic heroine's journey. I think she's definitely gone through some real trials throughout the novel, but there were a few moments that felt too easy and quickly moved on to the next thing.

Overall, this was a quick and spooky read good for anyone who loves the pace of a YA fantasy novel and a good amount of gore. While I wish it slowed down a bit and let the other characters in the book develop including Immanuelle's family, it was definitely the kind of read I love. It was fast paced. It had a really lovable main character and it had an interesting world that felt super close to the real one.

The Year of the Witching is about a young woman coming to realize who she is and what she believes in. Her struggle to overcome societal pressures challenge not only her identity but also who she wants to be. A wonderful addition to fantasy novels and women empowerment.

I wanted to love this book, but it fell short for me. The story felt confusing and muddled to me, especially how it ended. This might be personal bias also, but I was rooting for the witches and felt that they were more like monsters & their characters weren't as developed as I would have liked.

Overall it was a pretty fast paced and engaging story. It was easy to root for Immanuelle and to develop a fondness for Ezra. I would have liked the epilogue to be longer & further into the future, but perhaps the author is aiming for another book in the series.

The Handmaid's Tale goes to Salem in this dark, fantasy horror about a puritanical society beset with rumors of witchcraft and disappearances in the nearby Darkwood forest. I absolutely devoured this - the only thing keeping me from doing it in one sitting being sleep, eating, and work. The new perspective of historical without really knowing the time period nor the official religion is very unique and I loved the tie-ins with real witchcraft deities. Definitely in my top reads for 2020!

This. Has. Everything.

Alexis Henderson did an amazing job with this book! It's very obvious what she based the religion on, but at the same time, she made it her own. This is what I feel made the religion of Bethel work so well and feel so real to me, the reader. The final section, Slaughter, had me on the edge of my seat. The whole book is written so well, but this last part especially played like a movie. I could picture all of it and let me just say that it was a wild ride from start to finish. I also really loved the way Immanuelle's reflections on faith, sin, and atonement were written. This was done so well and never came across as didactic. Alexis Henderson is going on my list of author's I like for sure.

Very suspenseful and dark in ways that I think horror fans will appreciate. Takes familiar tropes and refreshes them for a terrifying effect.

this is one of these cases where the book is good but not as good as my expectation was for it.

starting off with the positives: the vibes are IMMACULATE my dudes. this is salem (tv series) in book form and for that I am grateful. the author did such an amazing job at crafting the most creepy setting I’ve ever read; both with the witch infested spooky forest and the extremist puritan cult our MC lived in. I’m not a reader of horror but with my minimal expertise this is a great YA horror.

I also really loved the fact that the witches were actually evil. most witchy stories use this as a “misconception” so it was actually pretty interesting to see actual creepy af witches who make me shake every time they came on the page (which unfortunately was not very many times :( )

now unfortunately I did have quite a bit of negatives with this.

first, it was hard to read. admittedly, I’m not sure if this is a ~me~ thing or not but it was very dense and info-dumpy to me. reading this felt like I was walking through a muddy field and my destination was pretty disappointing.

I also never cared for our main character. she never really knew herself (albeit that was a part of the plot kind of?) and I found myself annoyed by how loyal she was to this shitty town who never gave her an ounce of kindness.

I think my main gripe with this was it just? wasn’t witchy enough?? our MC is trying to stop this plague and I felt like the magic/curse/witchcraft was never explained as much as I wanted save from a few sigils. as mentioned earlier, we didn’t even get to see the badass scary witches a whole lot in the story. our MC doesn’t use the dark powers the synopsis promises until the very end and it was extremely anticlimactic.

aside from this, there was also multiple plot holes. mainly I couldn’t understand how this woman who was ostracized by her parents (one of whom was a witch & tried to kill the prophet) and constantly looked down upon by the whole city was able to walk out of the witch infested woods covered in blood (multiple times) without, ya know, getting accused of witchcraft?? I mean maybe this puritan cult was very lenient I guess...

I know it sounds like I had a lot of issues with this book (I did) but I still think it 10000% has merit. this genuinely was so creepy and filled to the brim with aesthetic vibes. it also got VERY dark at times in its subject matter so I appreciate when I book GOES there. I think this is the perfect read for october, especially if you’re looking for some evil witches.

Our podcast, Genre Junkies, will air an episode review going live this week for further details.

We had the pleasure to not only read this excellent book, but to talk to the author herself, Alexis Henderson. This was one of our most anticipated titles of the year and it did not disappoint.

Henderson has crafted a harrowing and intriguing world where we as the audience go on a journey with the lead characters to discuss feminism, social justice, black lives, religion, dogma, and sexuality. All under a beautiful veil of horror, dark fantasy, and speculative fiction.

This world is a bloody and brutal one where society is oppressed and anything “other” is feared and reviled. We follow Immanuelle as she navigates her homeland and tries to make sense of this lost place and her part in it.

An absolutely stellar debut from an author we cannot wait to read more of. I hope she continues to write in this niche genre she has made for herself as it is absolutely equal parts addictive, empowering and terrifying.

I loved this so much. The historic, puritanical setting was so atmospheric that the story played out like a movie in my mind. I really liked Immanuelle and instantly sympathised with her and the other women living in this strict society where their actions are heavily dictated and controlled. I adored Alexis Henderson’s writing style and her descriptions of these plagues were terrifying but so immersive. This was a perfect feminist take on the Gothic horror of witchcraft and I’m so excited to see what else Alexis Henderson comes out with in the future.

The Year of the Witching has been on my to read list ever since it was first revealed and I honestly couldn't put this book down. The book follows Immanuelle and her life in a very strict, rigid, and religious village as she tries to follow the Prophet's ways of life even though she is seen as outsider because she is the product of her mother's affair with someone from the Outskirts. Immanuelle begins to feel drawn to the Darkwood - the place where her mother sought refuge after fleeing the community. Witches, including the Dark Mother herself, are said to live in the Darkwood after being exiled during the Holy War. Immanuelle must contend with her desires to explore the Darkwood while her town also falls victim to plagues that threaten the entire community and Immanuelle believes she is the only one who is able to stop the curse.

This book was phenomenal - it was well-written with a fast paced plot and a well developed and strong main character. The atmosphere of the town and the Darkwood, including the world-building will immediately draw in readers and keep them reading until the end. This book takes the horror genre and adds in commentary on feminism and the patriarchal society Immanuelle lives in that may not seem so foreign to readers. I would recommend this book to not only horror fans but those looking for literary fiction that just happens to be gory and terrifying. I thought everything about this book worked - the writing especially, but the horror elements were well done. There were some pretty gruesome occurrences described in detail but they contrasted nicely with a sweet romance and a hope for a happy ending for some of these characters and perhaps an unhappy ending for others.

Short Version: The Year of the Witching drew me in immediately, and I really enjoyed determined Immanuelle, her story, and that she developed as a character but still felt like the same person by the end—just one whose experiences had drawn a deeper part of herself to the surface. Although I did have some issues with the ending, it's no small feat that this book kept me turning the pages in the year 2020, and I look forward to reading more of Alexis Henderson's future work (including the sequel scheduled for next year!).

7.5/10 Review at Fantasy Cafe (Long Version):
http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2020/08/review-of-the-year-of-the-witching-by-alexis-henderson/

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A darkly haunting story exploring devotion, witchcraft, and a woman’s place within it all.

THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. In Henderson’s debut, the author gives her readers a chilling and atmospheric horror novel infused with feminist ideals.

There are so many things I loved about this book, but I have to say that it was the writing and how the author constructed the story which kept me the most engaged. It was almost effortless how we are brought into Immanuelle’s world. There is an eerie frankness in the way Bethel, the Prophet, and the Holy Protocol are introduced and evolve. Honestly, it is both disturbing and enthralling all at the same time.

When I first sat down to read this book, I didn’t know what I would get. By the time I was halfway through, I was savoring every moment as I anxiously flipped the pages to find out what was next. Finally, when I closed the book, I was able to reflect on the power behind a tale such as this. By entertaining her readers with the occult, zealots, and family histories, Henderson also managed to shine a light on the mistreatment and oppression of these women without preaching or exploiting the issue.

On its most basic level, THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING is about good versus evil. It takes the worst of humanity and exposes the underbelly of society. Yet, it also shows strength, hope, and love. If you are a fan of THE HANDMAID’S TALE or anything by M. Night Shyamalan, pick up this book. It is truly amazing.

THIS. BOOK. You want a witchy read? This book. You want to read a book about women navigating a patriarchal society? This book. You want a cult-y read set in a dark wood while you burn the midnight candle? Hmm, let me think--THIS BOOK.

Well, as a debut novel I think it was pretty effective. In the end it didn't blow me a way but it was, I thought, a pretty original story, especially when it came to the world building. The love story between Immanuelle and Ezra fell a bit flat for me, and in the end I think we could have seen more character development from just about every character in the book. I'm not sure why we're supposed to believe Immanuelle is so determined to not react to her circumstances with rage, anger, and violence - she's always doing the "right" thing by attempting to save the people of Bethel. While admirable, I'm not sure I was sold on what motivates this. The storyline became a bit predictable and I would have liked to have seen our protagonist show a little more common sense (obviously Martha was going to rat her out for trying to leave Bethel, among other moments). Overall I think the world building was great and a few of the creepier scenes (mainly in the forest) were very effective. A really stellar concept that I think could have benefited from stricter editing. Also, I'm seeing this mainly marketed as an Adult Fiction title and personally this read more like YA to me, which I know will not appeal to the adult readers here at my library. This might do better in a YA collection in my opinion. Obviously it's quite dark and violent at times, but for older teens I think that would be okay. I have a hard enough time selling my adult patrons on fantasy and it really needs to be stellar writing and truly geared towards adults and I just don't think this book had either of those things, so I probably won't be purchasing for my library. However, if our Teen Librarian was interested I would encourage her to purchase it for older teens, just making sure she knows about the graphic nature of much of the gore as well as the themes of sexual assault.