Not just another witchy novel, Weyward is a stunning debut about female power, male control and breaking free of societal constraints.
In 2019, we have Kate who is running from an abusive partner. Her great-aunt, Violet, a celebrated entomologist, has secretly left her Weyward Cottage, tucked in a small Cumbrian village. In 1942, we have Violet's story. And 400 years prior, in 1619, we have Altha Weyward, accused and on trial for witchcraft. The parallels in each voice are stunning and intricately woven together.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-arc.*

Source: DRC via NetGalley (St. Martin’s Press) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: March 7, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

This book kept popping up in “most anticipated” lists, plus I always enjoy a story about women using their magic to escape oppression/abuse.

What is this book about?

This book is about generations of women who have survived abuse embraced their connection with nature as a weapon against those who would harm them or their children. It is a magical story, and the women of the Weyward line would be considered witches in the traditional sense. In this book their magic manifests through their connection to animals and insects.

What is notable about this story?

I am so used to magic being about the elements or about special powers (mind reading, flying, etc) that it was interesting to read a book that involved animals to this degree. The herbs and poultices that the Weyward women used were things anyone could use, but their ability to talk to and command animals seemed fresh and new to me. I wish I had been able to read more of this before I had to stop.

Was anything not so great?

I made it to the 50% mark in this book before I had to stop. Prior to this point the rape and abuse was described briefly and in the past tense. At the midway mark there is a drugged rape scene involving the middle Weyward woman Violet (Kate’s great-aunt) when she was 16 years old that was so detailed in its description that I could not read past it. Nothing in the second half of the book could possibly be worth having to read through that scene, and I already knew that eventually the present day Weyward woman (Kate) would have to fend off her abusive boyfriend Simon somehow. This rape scene was just the beginning of things getting worse and…I’m sorry but I just don’t have the stomach for it. If you are a victim of physical or verbal abuse in your relationships or have ever been the victim of sexual abuse or rape specifically, consider this a trigger warning for this book. It’s a minefield.

What’s the verdict?

Three stars on Goodreads and a DNF from me. Emilia Hart is an excellent writer, I raced through this book until I hit the aforementioned brick wall and had to put it down. This book might be to your taste, and you should read other reviews to see if you’d like to give it a try. For me though, it’s just too much pain and I can’t shoulder any more, especially in my leisure activities. I’m sorry.

“We never thought of ourselves as witches…for this was a word invented by men. A word that brings power to those who speak it, not those it describes.”

Intricately woven story of 3 women spanning across several generations. These women are bonded with a deep connection to nature. As they learn of their secret legacy they decide how to harness their strength with the power to heal and to destroy.

This debut novel has beautiful atmospheric writing, such that you feel the environment is a separate character. It gives the women confidence. The history is interesting. I especially loved the explanation of the “weyward” name and how the women owned it.

It took awhile for me to really delve into the book. The 3 POV chapters felt disconnected for awhile, more like 3 short novels, than one book. But once the book got going, the connections were clear and the book shined with female empowerment.

Note, there are many triggers in the book like rape, abuse, and abortion.

If you have the opportunity, the audiobook was a great listen. Especially with the music at the beginning and end to set the mood. Oh… and the cover is gorgeous!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

“This wildness inside gives us our name. It was men who marked us…”weyward” they would call us when we would not submit….But we learned to wear the name with pride.”

Title: Weyward
Author: Emilia Hart
Genre: Historical, Women's, Fantasy

Weyward is a name that is associated with things unsaid. But this name is powerful and needs to be hidden. Is it the name of a place, a person, or a thing?

Set in three different timelines, Weyward is the story of Altha, Violet, and Kate. The timelines are different, but the women have a common thread. These women are trying to protect themselves and someone they love. The story is simple, but there are many different layers and nuances to the lives of these women. Especially Altha. I wanted to stay in her life and was really sad that I didn't get to read her whole story. The women in the book are courageous and have an affinity to the nature that I loved to read about.

An experimental genre mix of historical, contemporary, and fantasy Weyward checks a lot of boxes. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this book.

CW: domestic abuse, sexual assault, graphic loss of a child, death, and grief.

‘I had nature in my heart, she said. Like she did, and her mother before her. There was something about us – the Weyward women – that bonded us more tightly with the natural world. We can feel it, she said, the same way we feel rage, sorrow or joy.’

Not sure how these things are decided, but apparently, there was a “Witchy Fiction is de rigueur” memo, and I am HERE. FOR. IT.

This one was particularly well done.

It’s difficult enough to write ONE good story, let alone THREE.

And yet, here we are.

The story was Magical Realism at its finest.

The characters were complex and, for the most part, likeable.

The storyline was engaging and (Alva’s verdict aside) weirdly believable.

The settings were so vivid I could practically smell them.

I loved that there was zero focus on men. This was a story of women, for women, by women.

Any fan of Alix E. Harrow, Cherie Dimaline, or Laurie Albenese will love this one.

9.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this stunning ARC.

Weyward was an engrossing story featuring three women in three different centuries. It’s a terrific mix of historical fiction, women’s fiction (although I personally hate that term) and magical realism. The story mostly takes place in Cumbria, England and the three women are: Altha, 1619; Violet, 1942; and Kate, 2019.

All three women are connected (of course, because this is fiction, after all!). Altha has learned the healing arts from her mother. She lives in a time where many women were accused of witchcraft and she is accused after a man is trampled by his own livestock. Violet is a daughter of the landed gentry and is overly sheltered by her father. She longs for the freedom and broad education her younger brother has been given. Kate is under the thumb of an abusive man, but manages to make her escape and winds up in the Weyward cottage which she recently inherited from her great-aunt. I found their stories equally compelling, which is not often the case with dual (or in this case, triple) timeline stories. All three women have an unusually strong connection with the natural world, especially birds and insects.

A shout-out to the designer who created the magnificent book cover!

Weyward should come with a pile of trigger warnings. Nearly all the men in this book are just awful. They are extremely patriarchal and cruel, no matter what century they live in. Warnings should include: rape (including rape of a minor), gaslighting, domestic violence, abortion, stillbirth, and several more.

Given the above, it may seem strange to say that I really enjoyed this book, but I found it compelling and would recommend it highly.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook has three distinct narrators who all do a wonderful job: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley and Nell Barlow. I love it when audiobooks have more than one narrator.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars.

A well-written witchy debut told in three weaving timelines. A good page-turner of a read with good atmosphere and interesting characters. A highly feminist novel with some good historical content.

The witchy content was perfect, focusing on nature and the resources available for healing. If there was any portion of the book I would have specifically enjoyed seeing more of it would have been these particular endeavors.

The characters are strong and resolute, though they do start off somewhat weak. I very much enjoyed following their character arcs and watching them break free of the bonds they were being held in. They were all clever, smart, and resourceful women with good hearts and lots of determination.

The three storylines are very well timed and woven together. There is a lot of talent to this writing and the construction of the novel. It does not read like a debut and shows intense promise for future novels from Emilia Hart. She will be one to watch.

Three women, connected by blood and by powers that belong to the women in their family, live in three different centuries. And they use their powers to say "No f'ing way" to men who would like to subjugate them.

It was fun and drew me in. The characters weren't particularly rich, but there was some nice poetic writing about the natural world. I listened to this book and very much enjoyed the reader.

Amazing story, amazing science. I loved how the stories came together with their connected gift. A completely engaging story, I really loved the writing style and the tale itself. A real world mingled with magic. Strength feminism, nature and family.

It's not easy to write a time traveling novel, giving equal voice to each of the characters, and not putting modern emotions/thought in their words. As the story progresses, we get to know Altha, Violet and Kate, and their unique stories, and how their shared descendancy offers gifts and curses alike. It's an interesting tale of how life for women has changed when they have trauma in their life, and the choices available to them. An interesting page turner, you will love!

Three women, five centuries, and secrets that bind them all.

This was a powerful story about women, mothers, daughters and the bond that connects us all. There was some light magic to it, but it didn’t overpower the story and it still seemed realistic. There were three storylines going on, but I enjoyed each one. I love how they tied together at the end.

“They do not frighten me. After all, I am a Weyward, and wild inside.”

Weyward comes out 3/7.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

This is a situation of "this is me, not the book"... I had a hard time with some of the triggers here and honestly I thought that I could stomach it but I had to put it down. Like I said, I'm sure the book is great if I look at all the other reviews but I'm a sensitive person.

Weyward is the debut novel by Emilia Hart. And it's remarkable debut! Atmospheric, with a triple timeline, triple POV mix of historical and women's fiction with magical realism.

In 2019, Kate escapes an abusive relationship and heads for Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great Aunt Violet, an eccentric entomologist. She will uncover a secret about the women in her family there. A secret dating back to 1619, when local authorities tried her ancestor Altha Weyward was tried for witchcraft.

Well-written and gripping, each timeline stands on its own yet weaves together its parallel themes. Difficult topics are not shied away from as a stark look is taken at a few issues, including the mistreatment of women across the centuries. I rooted for each woman as she found strength and power, particularly her magical power and connection to nature. The characters are likable and well-developed, the imagery is vivid, and the setting is stunning. And I am in love with the cover of this one!
I was impressed with this debut and look forward to what Hart writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

This is an excellent read, weaving the stories of three generations of women into a heartfelt, empowering tale. The three women, Altha (1600s), Violet (1940s) and Kate (2019) are all women dominated and controlled by men, but who find their strength both within themselves and through the power of female relationships. Each woman deals with similar situations (trigger warning of abuse in all three timelines) and the parallels are done very well. I enjoyed the magical realism elements and the focus on the connections and power in the natural world in each plotline and how they were tied together. I also liked the inclusion of the witch trials of the 1600s in the novel - these trials were used as a way in which to disempower and isolate women.

The story is told in Altha’s, Violet’s and Kate’s viewpoint and all are equally compelling. The novel starts off very strong with Altha on trial for witchcraft and continues on just as strongly throughout in Violet’s and Kate’s timelines. The characters are all likeable and the writing is very descriptive without detracting from the flow of the story. I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

I happened to be painting my son’s room a dark, lush, forest green, as I listened to Weyward. It felt immersive in the weirdest way. Weyward follows three women in three different timelines, Althea during the witch trials, Violet during WWII, and Kate during present day. Each woman faces unthinkable heaviness and betrayal in their lives. These women are viewed as odd by the world around them due to unique gifts, and each have been at the mercy of men who prey on their circumstances to attempt to tamper them. Each woman is of the Weyward family line. As their stories converge, this becomes a book about magic, the power of your family line, and female strength. Each of these characters had full backstories and I was immersed in all of them. This book is the perfect novel if you love witches, but be warned this is less fantasy magic, and more natural/healing magic.

I simply loved everything about it and could not stop listening or turn the pages of my e-reader faster.

Loved this book - I always enjoy books with multiple story lines intertwined between past and present. From Altha, on trial for witchcraft, to Violet, struggling to learn the truth about her mother and their connection to the Weyward women, and finally to Kate, hiding away from an abusive boyfriend. As we follow each woman's discovery of her powerful connection with nature and magic and the world around her, we also see their discovery of the Weyward legacy and what it means to each of them. Fantastic.

In Weyward we follow three generations of women from the same family line. I loved the way all three timelines and generations of women were all connected. Each POV was entirely separate and compelling in its own right. It is beautifully written and completely sucked me in from the first page. All three women were real, and flawed, and did what they felt was needed to survive the situations they found themselves in.

Thank you to Emelia Hart, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a digital copy of Weyward.

Weyward is a beautifully written story of generations of women from the Weyward line and their magic. It focuses on 3 women, from 1619, 1942 and 2019. The journey through the different points of view from each character in their time period as we see them struggle with their relationships, losses and learning of their own magic is spellbinding. I began taking notes because I was afraid I would forget who was who and details in each century, but I did not need them. The author was able to weave the stories in a way that flowed so easily and it wasn't overcomplex with secondary characters. I found myself thinking about these characters when I was doing other things. You really get drawn into the book and care for each woman and the obstacles in front of them.

I highly recommend this book. The Stories are beautiful, the history is interesting and the authors ability to write in first person point of view is incredible.

Slow start, but the book is so good. I love books with multiple timelines and this one is perfect.. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!

A multigenerational story that skips generations and spans hundreds of years connecting one family of women as they fight to survive the multitude injustices committed against them by men, and learn to claim the gift they are born with. Set in the English countryside in the 1600s 1940s and 2019 I could feel like I was there in each time. Unfortunately the things that happen to them still happen to women everywhere in different ways and as women we still have to stand up and save our sisters from these fates.