A thoroughly engrossing story of darkness, devilry, witchcraft, and the unparalleled horror of being an outsider and a woman living in Puritan society in colonial Connecticut.

Our protagonist Abitha is trying her best to keep it all together on a poor patch of land away from town with a meek but well-meaning husband Edward who is often pushed around by his elder brother Wallace. She cares for her husband, but money and resources are tight, and when a sudden series of disturbing events suddenly places Abitha into a nightmare scenario she is pushed and hounded until she makes several decisions driven by desperation that leads her down a dark path of self-discovery that will shake her community to its core.

An incredible book, an easy recommendation, and clearly an author to watch going forward for any new readers who like the novel.

Well what a surprise this book was. I hate horror. I've recently read a few horror books, and I stand by the fact I hate that genre. Part of the reason I hate that genre, is probably because the really good ones stick with you, and this one very much does.

I think as a world we can mostly generally agree the Puritans were awful - insular, paranoid, zealots, who hated anything they didn't know, hated nature and the woods (which is impossible in you know, the woods of the colonies). This book hits every single thing I wanted a book to hit written about this era - and the more I thought about it the more I wondered if everything about living in this time period is a horror, so it makes total sense to write one.

This is a perfect book about what happens if the devil is real, what happens when a woman stands up for herself and comes into her own - all wrapped up in a really lovely, well written story. Don't make any mistakes - this book is dark and harsh, but there are moments of light -but not for the faint of heart or squeamish.

Slewfoot by Brom is a tale of Puritans, witchcraft and devils! Abitha is doing her best to fit into Puritan America, but when her husband dies, she is determined to keep the farm out of the hands of his evil brother. A near impossible task, she is aided by Mother Earth and Samson (the devil), which sends the local village into a tizzy.
This is not my usual trope within the horror genre, but I enjoyed this book - it is a slow burn but has excellent pacing. The characters are well developed, and Abitha is a fantastic protagonist. The ending is fantastic! I had an e-ARC but am very interested in seeing the hard copy of the novel as it features Brom's artwork. This is the perfect autumn/Halloween read!
Thank you to Tor Nightfire & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for review.

Do you get emotional when you read? I always think it's a sign of a really good book when you have an extreme visceral reaction.

I loved this book but it also made me furious. Body shaking, needing to put the book down and calm the fuck down furious.

Coming from a long line of cunning women, Abitha is struggling to fit into Puritan society. Sutton Village isn't receptive to newcomers, especially when they're an outspoken woman who peddles simple charms and remedies. The devils works.

The move from England to the States was hard. Her new husband Edward is king, but shy, and easily bullied by his older brother Wallace.

When Edward dies suddenly Abitha is left alone. Working as hard as she can to pay off a debt of Wallace's making. Abitha is struggling. That's when she meets Father.

But who is Father? Demon or angel? Slayer or maker? Will he help save Abitha or bring her to ruin?

A beautiful story of magic and revenge, of fear and friendship.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for an ARC. I need to get myself a physical copy to see the beautiful illustrations.

This book was so good! I'm a huge Stephen King fan so am not new to the horror genre. This is my first Brom book but I will definitely be looking into more books by this author.

Abitha is a spirited English woman who was recently wed to Puritan male in the New World. After being widowed, Abitha must find a way to survive on her own. She encounters a devilish creature who unexpectedly helps her. Is this creature the Devil aka Slewfoot? And if so, what is this connection Abitha has to this creature? In true Puritan fashion, the town charges Abitha as a witch.

While I loathed the way Abitha was treated and was infuriated by how the town reacted to her, I loved how she was able to stand up for herself. Well, as best as a woman could in those patriarchal days. Brom painted the perfect picture of Abitha's experience and I felt the writing was phenomenal. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for devilishly witchy read for the fall/Halloween season!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy!

Wow! This is my first Brom and I can easily say I’m hooked. I need more of his stories *insert huge heart eyes*

Abitha is trying her best to fit into her new world, sold off by her father and wedded to a stranger. Living in a Puritan society, it’s hard for her to keep her mouth shut, around the judgmental . It’s hard for her to be religious around those. So she questions and challenges the life she’s in. When she becomes widowed, she turns to Devil, or Slewfoot as the villagers call him.

This was a creepy tale of witchcraft and worship! I love the writing and the character of Abitha is greatly explore and opened wide. Imagine the world at that time. Living among pious people and being a strong headed, opinionated women. The art was also wonderfully wicked!

If you’re looking for a creepy witchcraft read for the spooky season, pick this one up… you won’t be disappointed!!!

Don't mess with Abitha Williams..or her cat. Through NetGalley, I was able to begin reading this [book] before it's debut in exchange for my honest review. Who doesn’t love a good, witchy book? One laced with just the right amount of suspense, bloodshed, and fervor? This is not the average puritan/witch trial book. It's more than that. It has everything I love in a witch novel, woven together into a unique story from a few different perspectives, while adding a new spin to a familiar story. The pace of the book is just right for a paranormal historical fiction. In the beginning, we learn about our main protagonist, Abitha, who has been living in Puritan America [dreadful!] for a few years as a young bride sent from her homeland of England. She's spunky, sharp tongued, witty, and everything a ‘good’ puritan woman is not, which can only mean trouble is afoot for dear Abitha. The story unfolds as Abitha discovers more about herself and where exactly she fits into this world while learning that things are not so simple as the puritan way of life seems to be. Abitha's story follows grief, love and heartbreak, vengeance and redemption and an understanding of the magic within ones self. I absolutely loved this book! It's not just a book to be read when the season is right. It is a spooky thrill to be enjoyed year round. And when old Slewfoot comes knocking at your door, will you run and hide, or will you meet the devil head on?

On the origin of this book, Brom is quoted saying “It was while watching a documentary on the Salem witch trials that I kept thinking, Now what would it be like if those accused of witchcraft were really witches, if the Devil was their ally, what havoc would ensue? And the tale of Slewfoot was born.” 

Slewfoot is a dark, tale that takes place in 1666 New England, in a small Puritan village. An ancient malevolent force awakens in the haunting woods and the villagers are fearful of what awaits them. Abitha comes from a long line of cunning folk and bewitchery herself. When her husband mysteriously disappears, and she is left with the task of saving their land by farming and selling corn. The task is too much for a single person, especially a slight woman. Just as she is giving up, her body and soul worn down to just a sliver of its former self, she sees a figure who is a half-human and half-horned beast. She becomes enamored with the man-beast and since his true identity is unknown, she names him Samson. Who is Samson? Is he a protector or slayer? Is he virtuous or monstrous? Is he the devil himself?

Slewfoot is an extraordinary tale about a unusual partnership and a demon trying to find his self. It’s a Story based on history and fact of witchcraft, misogyny, paganism, and religious zeal.

Slewfoot is written with amazing talent and craft, and kept me spellbound until the end. Read this, savor every word to see how a story is truly crafted.

Tor publishing’s new horror division, Nightfire, publishes wonderful books and stories of horror and fantasy. They understand what horror should be and only brings what truly embraces that genre.

Thanks to @Netgalley and Tor Nightfire publishing for the chance to read this in exchange of my honest and unbiased opinion

I loved everything about this story!

Abatha is a woman living in Puritan New England in 1666. She was sent by her father to marry a man in the colonies, and is struggling to fit in among the extremely conservative population. Meanwhile, in the woods, a spirit awakens. He doesn’t remember who he is, but the wildfolk call him Father, slayer, and protector. He encounters Abatha, and from early on in the book, their stories cannot be detangled. When Abatha’s world is fairly shattered early on in the story, she is tough and determined to persevere. Will Slewfoot help or harm?

This beautiful book follows Abatha’s journey as she strives to stand on her own two feet and Slewfoot’s path of self discovery as he learns where he fits in both pagan and Christian worlds. A bit dark fantasy, and a bit fairy tale, there is no lack of bloodshed when Abatha and Slewfoot’s paths clash with the Puritan village.

This book was completely, utterly delightful, and I adored it! I loved Brom’s handling of Slewfoot and a complex and multi-dimensional character who is torn between parts of himself. I found Abatha’s character to be an absolute inspiration and I was rooting for her hard the whole way through. I found many of the village characters absolutely loathesome and insufferable. Some might find the oppressive conservatism of the village folk to be a bit heavy-handed, but I found it worked well within the context of a dark fantasy novel.

With that in mind, if you’re on the fence about reading this book, know that it’s a fantasy take on Puritan New England, rather than a historical representation. There are ghosts and magic and talking critters, and we visit more than one dimension of time. It’s a little bit fairy tale, and a little bit inspired by historical events. I found it dark and delicious, and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That said, this is a book that has found its place on my favorites list, and I’ll be purchasing a copy for myself. I cannot wait to give an audio version a listen!

Having read LOST GODS a few years ago, I became a fan of Brom. When I saw the cover of this one I knew I had to have it. I was not disappointed!

Abitha was sold off by her drunk father in London, to a husband, (Edward), in Puritanical Connecticut. She begins her life on her new husband's farm and grows to truly love him. Unfortunately, her husband's brother is part owner of the farm, and he's deep in debt. Before she knows it, her brother-in-law is attempting to steal their land and the nosy Puritanical neighbors are all up in their business. It's almost too much for Abitha to take. One day, Edward wanders into the woods and Abitha's life changes forever. Widowed now, will she be able to hold on to her farm? Will her evil brother-in-law work with the uptight townsfolk to oust her? You'll have to read this to find out!

I very much enjoyed the style of storytelling here, it was almost like a fairy tale. I'm trying to explain without spoiling anything, so bear with me. I felt like some of the characters could have used a bit more of a back story for me to be fully invested in them. Sky and Forest, to mention two.

That said, Abitha has to be one of my favorite characters in all of literature. She was so well defined, I never found myself second guessing her decisions. She, being put into a terrible situation by her father, decides to make the best of it and then follows through on that, under the most ghastly conditions. She holds the memory of her mother dear, and Abitha never forgets what her mother told her as a young girl. But Abitha is also strong-willed and headstrong, and she's certainly a lot of woman for the prudish ladies in town to handle. That's what I loved most about her.

Samson was a confusing character for me, which I guess isn't surprising, because he was confused himself. As the tale progressed though, things became more clear, and I began to like and pity Samson at the same time. I love characters that are conflicted because otherwise where's the story? Samson and Abitha both grew as characters and I felt differently about them both at the end of the tale than I did at the beginning. That's always a sign of great writing in my book, and that's what's in THIS book.

Overall, I enjoyed this tale and Brom has impressed me once again. I read an e-ARC of this story, so I cannot yet speak to Brom's artwork. A paper copy is on the way though, and once I see it, I reserve the right to update this review accordingly. As of right now, based on the story alone, I highly recommend SLEWFOOOT: A TALE OF BEWITCHERY. Let Brom bewitch YOU!

*Thanks to NetGalley/Tor/Nightfire for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is

Slewfoot was basically a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials but with an actual Devil. I get what this story was trying to do, but honestly it just didn’t thrill me

Thank you for letting me read this ahead of my preorder!

Themes:
*puritans
*witch trials
*gore
*princess mononoke themes i swearrr
*gore
*and more ~


I don't normally read historical fiction but this went beyond my expectations. Bron wrote this so well , i was getting angry just as Abitha did and my god there was so much to be mad about. It's in a puritan society, she has a mentally different husband that doesn't fight his older brother taking advantage of him but in the end, he did what he could, more than Puritans would with Abitha. Then samson came along, everything was magical. Abitha was revenge style girl and i loved it. There was some lulls in the book but the details and the gore was written so well. Definitely recommend!

I wanted to love this book. I loved everything about the description and the story idea really intrigued me. I just for the life of me did not get into the book. I will say I do want to try to start it again in all fairness.

Dark Fantasy with a little Historical Fiction and Horror mixed in! Or is it a Dark Historical Fiction with Horror and Fantasy or Horror with the others? Whatever way you mix it, this is a dark and spooky story. Not for the faint of heart with the level of evil and gore present. If it were only about non-human monsters.

Abitha is a mail-order bride, sold by her father to a puritan man in the new colony in 1666. Fortunately, the husband is not the horrible man I expected, but there are plenty of those in the community, namely his brother. Garrett sets off a chain of events after the death of Abitha's husband that mirror the Salem witch trials. Concurrently, there is a strange presence that Abitha encounters who helps her against Garrett's wiles, but what is he exactly? He is a strange man-goat, but seems to be kind and helpful to Abitha, which does not seem devilish, at least to her understanding. When Abitha's life is on the brink, and Samson the man-goat figure finally understands who he really is, the story explodes in a cacophony of magic, revenge, and blood.

This was a real departure for me personally. I don't often read horror or fantasy, and definitely not this dark. I was very taken in my Abitha's story and began to feel the drive for revenge of the wrongs done to her. I was more on the fence with Samson. I couldn't figure out what part he would eventually play, though I could guess, and when it came together I wasn't surprised.

The themes were interesting here, at least that which I could catch. It seemed a real flip on the idea that the Puritan's were these pious folk who only came to the new world to freely practice their religion, but instead simply sought a place to more rigorously practice their severe patriarchal power plays. Not sure I would disagree there. I did find it helpful that this story did show this umbrella grouping did not include everyone (as most do not). Another fascinating idea that I am still processing is the idea that the "devil" or whatever is not all evil. There were a lot of blending of myths and religious imagery that would take a deeper conversation to unwrap, but it was intriguing. The conclusion leaves me wondering. I don't want to say exactly as it would be a spoiler, but there is a question left of what is good and what is evil.

Ultimately, I think this story was not for me. It was a too dark for my tastes and I'm left with a bit of a discontent. That said, if you like this genre, I think it will be a great story, especially nearing Halloween. It was told with tension building and deep character development with an astoundingly vivid atmosphere. It is not a thriller/horror, but a deeper dive into the good vs. evil idea which was more than I expected. I think my only real critique is that there did seem to be a LOT of repetition of the name of satan, devil, etc. I was briefly reminded of Dana Carvey's churchlady on SNL which lauded me a bit of needed levity!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Unfortunately, my copy did not include the illustrations.

This is the first book by Brom that I have read, but it will not be the last. Slewfoot is a fast paced story that includes mystery, fantasy, romance, and, of course, horror. The pacing and plot are great and the characters are believable and sympathetic.

My favorite line from the book: They want and witch and a witch they shall have.

If you are a fan of colonial history, witchcraft, and revenge, then this book is for you.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/53856842?report_event=true&survey=1

<i>ARC acquired by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

<b>“A tale of bewitchery.”</b>

<i>Slewfoot</i> is a story about your typical witch hunt, taking place in Connecticut in 1666. Abitha Williams is an English woman newly sold and married off by her father to a Puritan man in the New World. This was the first book by Brom from me and I am so glad that I did. His writing style is very atmospheric, and I felt like I was living Abitha’s journey with her.

After her husband mysteriously dies, Abitha must face the hardships of being a widow in a Puritan society where women are scorned and hated. I won’t lie, some parts of this book were physically painful to read and kept me on the edge of my seat. Abitha is such a strong character who is just to find her place in a world ruled by corrupt men.

Then we meet Slewfoot, a forest spirit, newly awakened by his children, the Wildfolk. Forest, Sky, and Creek were such interesting side characters that added so much entertainment as well as frustration to the story. Slewfoot does not remember who he is or was before he put into his slumber. The Wildfolk try to guide him in a certain direction without actually telling him who he is. We follow Slewfoot as he attempts to figure out his place in the world, and his internal war he has with himself on whether or not he is good or evil.

These two characters meet and interact in the best possible way. I loved the relationship between these two as they grow as individuals. Then the way they work together at the end is truly magical. I can’t wait to read more by this author and get my hands on a physical copy to see the beautiful artwork.

<b>“If it is a devil you seek, then it is a devil you shall have!”</b>

I've never read a Brom book before, but this was a fascinating introduction to his work. It's a bit longer than I would have preferred and so it dragged--or was somewhat slow--during portions, which made it more difficult to get through than I'd hoped. However, overall it was engaging and sufficiently disturbing to make it a great Fall read.

“If it is a devil you seek, then it is a devil you shall have!”

Brom tells this bewitching story about an Englishwoman named Abitha, she is betrothed to a man called Edward and finds herself living in a Puritan colony. Tragedy strikes quickly as she becomes a widow under suspicious circumstances. Soon her brother in law makes life difficult for Abitha and she’s in a battle whilst trying to figure out her own true identity. Not far from her, Slewfoot, an ancient has been awoken to reclaim his role as the bringer of death to this world however he too is struggling to find his own truth. Here begins their dark story of finding themselves and understanding the world around them.

Where to begin with this novel. There were so many things I loved about this book. Firstly the strong character of Abitha. She is a bad ass woman, fighting the fight whilst trying to stay true to herself. Her story felt harrowing and giving the timeline in which it’s set, I really felt for what she was going through. Then there is Slewfoot. An ancient who doesn’t quite remember who he is and is trying to find himself. Is he necessarily the villain in this story? I loved his character and although he is suppose to be who he is depicted as, I couldn’t help sympathising for him the way I did Abitha.

The moment I heard about this book I knew I wanted to read it straight away. I love Brom’s storytelling, he has blended horror, historical fiction and dark fantasy turning it into a beautiful story.

Many thanks to @tornightfire and @netgalley for a copy of the book. I know I will be buying one too because as well as it being a great story, @geraldbrom artwork is always beautiful 😍

This was spectacularly boring. The MC, Abitha, is a troublesome woman living in a Puritan society and this narrative gets old very fast - too much telling and not enough showing. The brother-in-law, an antagonist, is annoying at best. In fact, all the characters, including Abitha, are annoying. There’s a lot of repetition and I found myself struggling to stay interested. Slewfoot was intriguing, but alas, not enough to make this an enjoyable read.

I picked up Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery off Netgalley on a whim, and I am SO happy that I did! Slewfoot is a dark historical fantasy set in a Puritan village during the heights of the witch trials. After her husband dies unexpectedly, independent Abitha is determined to make her own way. When a magical spirit, Samson, decides to help her and peoplein the village start to die, the religious town comes to one conclusion: witchcraft. And Abitha is the main suspect. If you like films like The Witch or are interested in the witch trials, I can’t recommend Slewfoot enough.
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I love horror that plays with the idea of religion and subverts the ideas of good and evil. Slewfoot does that and more with a well-rounded story and compelling characters. And to top it all off, there’s a Beauty and the Beast-esque vibe to this bewitching tale. As Abitha and Samson work together to find themselves, their journey unfurls in beautiful, magical moments surrounded by horrifying violence. Brom crafts both with enchanting imagery and compulsive style. I basically read this in a day because I just found myself coming back to it continuously.
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It’s a story unlike anything I’ve ever read before. And while it may seem slow to start, it slowly but surely works its way toward a climactic ending you love to devour! Even better, I was genuinely creeped out while reading this