THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING is creepy, atmospheric, and full of tension you can cut yourself on. I've been dying to read a mix of horror/thriller/occult and this just hit the spot.

What a spooky read! I’m so glad I got approved for this. Books like this at giving me the goth vibes I don’t get from other books!


I will definitely read more from this author

DNF p. 80

If you do enjoy reading horror or creepy books, please give this a try! What I read was so promising and I only wish I could handle reading the whole thing. I love witchy books but I am leery of horror and this one has unfortunately proven to be Too Creepy For Leigh. Even though I only read it during the daytime. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and that's the main reason I pushed myself to read as far as I did, even though I was basically trying to read with my hands covering my eyes. Is it actually that scary? I don’t know but Henderson is very effective when it comes to building dread. As much as I want to know what will happen to Immanuelle and the abusive cult she belongs to, I’ve got to quit before I start getting nightmares.

CW: heroine’s mother died giving birth to her, on-page labor and delivery, misogyny, racism, grandfather had a stroke, reference to miscarriages and stillbirth, death of ram, branding, Prophet’s wives have marks cut into the foreheads

Sometimes you read a book at the wrong time and a reread may be what the next best move is. I found this to be a decent read, but I was expecting a deeper feeling of eerieness with a high spook factor, and I didn't feel any of those things. While the story is solid enough, I wasn't held captive by what was going on. I want to reserve judgment because I think I want to read this one again and give it a second chance. I think my desire to read a super sinister spooky book got in the way of me absorbing this story.

This was nothing like I expected but in all the good ways! It reads very much like a YA novel written by a popular writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this story.

I devoured this novel in a matter of days!

I was particularly drawn to Henderson’s world-building. She excelled at creating a sort of alternate history Puritan town à la colonial New England and I’d image she was inspired by the Salem witch trials and perhaps the Bell Witch among other folk stories. The overbearing religious patriarchy is creepy and the twists on Christianity kept the story fresh. Moreover, the dark woods have actual witches, women spurned by Bethel. We learn that the society is ruled by laws, religious strictures, and gender expectations.

In this society, women are the ones that suffer when things go wrong in the city. Women have to face marriage at young ages and bigamy is acceptable. Many times throughout the story I was outraged at what women endured but what made it even more anger-inducing was the fact that all of this was drawn from history and the world that surrounds us.

Immanuelle’s birth and mixed race background set her a part as an outsider and it gives her a unique perspective on the society. One of my only qualms about this novel is that we, the reader, get thrown into her life and we’re told her life has been hard and that she’s an outsider but it was mostly told to us rather than shown to us. This is often a hang up I have with books. I want to be show situations so that I can feel for the character. When I’m told things it adds a layer to the story and I feel more removed from it.

Despite this hang up, I was enthralled with the dark and creepy world built by Henderson and I was invested in finding out more about the darkness that overshadowed the town. I think is a solid debut and I will definitely be on the look out for other novels by the author!

5 STARS

A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

.
.
.

If The Handmaids Tale and and the Salem Witch Trails had a baby, you would have THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING (I say that never having actually read the Handmaids Tale...but I know enough to think it's an apt comparison.) Wow, just wow! What a STUNNING debut novel.

Within a couple chapters I was completely immersed in the world of Bethel, the Holy Protocols and the forbidden Darkwood. The land of Bethel suffers from many dark afflictions: classicism, racism and a complete lack of separation of Church and State. Entirely male dominated, women and girls are are married off to men years or decades their elder and plural marriages are the norm. Oh, and those accused of witchcraft, heresy or impure virtue are burned at the stake. You know...the usual. As Immanuelle begins to learn about the grim truths of Bethel's history, she realizes that not everything is as it seems - and if Bethel has any hope of changing, she will have to be the catalyst.

Although THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING works fabulously as a stand alone, there was enough world building done that I wonder about the possibility of a sequel...(Please?!?)

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC! THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING is out now.

I'm feeling all kinds of ways about this book. I'm just gonna high light the stuff I liked and hated. You can go read the blurb or another review if you want to know more of what the actual book is about.

Liked list:
Witches!! Some of my very favorite things.

These witches aren't the kind that just want a boyfriend either. These are some dark heifers.

It's very readable. I liked the storyline and I actually liked the main characters. It's set in a secluded village that you are not allowed to leave.
But our girl of course wanders into the dark forbidden forest.


Where she meets guess what?? Witches!!! Okay so I just love witches. Let's move on.

She gets her dead mother's journal from one of those witches and learns that her little town is in for a hot mess. She starts kinda poking around and realizes that she might have to be the one to save the town. I do not know if I would bother because to be honest...the town is full of turds and a crazy ass preacher man.

This stuff was all my cup of tea.

Then the stuff I didn't like.


I know. I bitch about politics in books all the time. I really try and pick books that are not filled with them. I mean damn. The last few years have been shit. Especially this year. I just want to read to fill my mind with fluff. If you can tell I'm not out to be the smartest fart in town and I'm not looking to change that award winning status.

Anyways, I went with a three. It's a good book. I ain't hating.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

A well-written, engrossing horror-fantasy tale that challenges patriarchal violence. Henderson is a fantastic writer, and I appreciated her unique, fantasy take towards themes of witchcraft, women's autonomy, fundamentalism, racism, patriarchy, et cetera. The world-building is vividly wrought, and there were definitely moments where I found myself getting quite scared! Immanuelle is a great lead, with a resilient spirit and heart. She holds true to her values throughout and I loved following her journey. The romance is also incredibly well-done; while there is definite chemistry between Immanuelle and Ezra, their relationship progresses believably and without forsaking either's values or identity. It's so refreshing to see a YA relationship built on trust and respect, especially in the paranormal/fantasy genre!

While I would definitely read more books about Immanuelle and Bethel, I do like that this was a standalone novel; the story ended in a good place and all the characters' arcs were complete. Definitely a title that will appeal to many of my patrons, including adults. Looking forward to more from this author!

Set in the world of a puritanical religion. Ruled by the Prophet, no one may question the strict, fundamentalist religion. Anyone who fails to fall in line is branded a witch. Immanuelle, the daughter of a dark-skinned man from the Outskirts and a witch. Imannuelle’s father was burned at the stake and her mother fled to the Darkwood. This is a dark fantasy, that focuses on her rejection because she is bi-racial and female. She fights against the darkness of her society and tries to prevent the spread of the plagues. As she works, she encounters the jealous attention of the prophet. If you liked The Handmaid’s Tale this book will appeal to you. It’s a very dark fantasy with appeal to young adults as well.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of The Year of the Witching by, Alexis Henderson!! This book took me by surprise! Although it is a debut by the author, never once did I feel like this was a debut book. Alexis’s writing was just so beautiful and I loved the story of Immanuelle and her finding her power within. This was definitely a darker YA fantasy/horror. There are some gory scenes and some scenes were a bit scary! I absolutely loved the witches of the dark wood and what they stood for. I am a practicing witch and reading stories like this, especially one’s with a folklore aspect is just so beautiful to me. This book has been exactly what my little witch heart has been looking for. I give it a 4/5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this! A dark story with a resilient main character, tearing down the patriarchy. I thought this was a super fresh and interesting story. My only critique is that I thought all the relationships were underdeveloped.

4.5 stars. I have never been so creeped out by a book AND kept reading.

Immanuelle, our orphaned protagonist being raised by her grandparents, is a biracial young woman growing up in a community run by patriarchal prophets and their apostles. It is also bordered by the Darkwood, an evil place haunted by actual witchy apparitions/powers.

There's a love interest, and a touch about same-sex relationships, but this is definitely NOT a romance. It's kind of a toss-up as to whether the community of humans, or the woods, are more evil and destructive. Immanuelle is called upon to either make things worse, or... perhaps, to heal the divisions among the people.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put it down. Highly recommended.

I’m always up for a good witchy read so I couldn’t resist picking up a copy of The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson. That gorgeous cover promises an atmospheric read with hints of the supernatural, and I knew from the moment I opened the book and saw it was divided in parts labeled Blood, Blight, Darkness, and Slaughter that I was in for a wild ride, and boy does this book deliver! The story follows a young woman named Immanuelle Moore, who was labeled as cursed from the moment of her birth, because her mother was unmarried. Raised by her grandparents after her mother ran off, Immanuelle has spent her entire life trying to live up to the religious ideals of her community and prove that she is not a curse or a threat. One night, however, Immanuelle finds herself inexplicably drawn to a forbidden place called the Darkwood and it is there that everything changes. She encounters witches there and they present her with her mother’s diary.

When people in her community start falling ill soon after, Immanuelle fears she has unleashed something awful and turns to her mother’s diary for some insight. The more Immanuelle reads, the more she questions everything she has ever known about her mother, her own life, and the Puritanical, cult-like ways of her community. I adored Immanuelle because she was so smart, so resourceful and resilient, and because she wasn’t afraid to challenge and question authority, especially if she feels that the authority figures are abusing their power. I also loved how determined she was to save the people of her community even though they weren’t always as nice to her as they could have been because of her “cursed” status. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m just going to say that for me, The Year of the Witching reads like a mashup of Margaret Atwood’s popular dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a play about the Salem Witch Trials. It’s an atmospheric witchy read filled with secrets, lies, and curses, and whose vivid supernatural imagery will keep you glued to its pages.

Review for ARC from NetGalley— some spoilers here

I read this book in the new NetGalley app, and there seems to be some issues with the doubling of pages before the end of a chapter, so that was a bit weird.

Summary: Basically a creepy “prophet” gets to have a harem, and the women who try to break free end up in the Darkwood, home of the witches.

All in all, the story was decent. I want to know what happens in the aftermath of the climax of the story beyond the epilogue.

Also, I wish the witches weren’t the evil ones in the story, that trope is old. And I feel like more could have been done with them, having a better reason for what they do, why they exist, and maybe a better explanation of magic in the world as well.

Salem meets The Handmaids Tale in The Year of the Witching. That pitch was pretty spot on and this was exactly the type of horror I love. It has creepy, gothic vibes and uses horror as a way of taking on misogyny, religious abuse, domestic violence, homphobia, and racism, among others. The story begins with blood and only gets bloodier.

Immanuelle is a young woman born into a deeply puritanical polygamist society where suspected witches are burned at the stake and girls are blamed for the sins of the men who prey on them. Immanuelle is the love-child of a daughter from a well-respected family and a Black man from the Outskirts (they are considered the lowest in society, dark because of generational sin). Her father was burned at the pyre for his sin, her mother for her witchcraft, and Immanuelle lives with the weight of expectation. At 17 she still has not bled with her period for the first time, while her best friend is becoming yet another young wife to their elderly Prophet.

What's interesting about this book is that while there are plenty of traditional horror elements (creepy witches in a dark wood, ritual sacrifice, Biblical plagues, etc.), the deepest horrors are the dark secrets we uncover of domestic violence, pedophilia, abuse of power, and the burdens placed on the backs of women and girls for the sins of men. One thing to note- I really appreciated the fact that while there is a great deal of violence against girls and women, the worst of it is never graphically depicted on page for shock or entertainment value. There is plenty of graphic violence, but not sexual violence and not domestic violence. That said, those acts of abuse hang heavy throughout the book, allowing the reader to feel the weight and horror of them without it being fetishized.

I think this book is brilliant in the way it handles the nuances of anger and revenge. On the one hand, we see the need for justice and the validity of female anger and desire for revenge. On the other hand, we see how it can twist and damage the bearer of that anger if it's allowed to fester into bitterness and single-mindedness. There's this delineation between bringing the truth to light and seeking justice, versus destroying everything in your path regardless of guilt. Honestly I'm amazed that this is a debut novel because it's so well done and I look forward to reading more from this author. It's atmospheric, disturbing, smart, and empowering all at once. I would definitely recommend this one if you can deal with the content. I received an advance copy of this book for review from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOOOO GOOD. Sorry, didn’t mean to yell at you, but it was. I just posted about this one on Tuesday, but I thought I’d add a little more.

Bethel is a god fearing city, lead by the Prophet. They believe in sacrificial ceremonies, the Holy Scriptures, its an honor to be chosen as a Prophets wife (Handmaids Tale vibes!) and burning those accused of witchcraft. The Darkwood surrounds this city. But stay out! There’s evil lurking there. :::darting eyes::: 😳

When plagues are unleashed upon the city Immanuelle knows it’s up to her to stop them and save the innocent people in her town.

Ooooo I loved all the witchy ways of this book. The magical Darkwood. The creepy vibes. The cultish attitudes. I don’t know which part was scarier, the witches or the holy Prophet! This debut authors writing was elegant and seriously nothing I’ve read lately even compares. I just can’t get over it. I just can’t even.

If you want the ultimate escape from reality- read this amazing book. I wish I was more of an eloquent writer but you guys get the picture.

Thanks again to @berkleypub for this advanced digital copy! Also to @lexish for writing such an amazing story!

The Year of the Witching was my most anticipated read this year. Puritanical cultists and witches? Right up my alley, and this book exceeded my expectations by a mile.

The book is suffocatingly atmospheric—it's wonderful. Henderson's rich prose makes this an impossible to put down story. The third person perspective is always a plus, and here it is done so well. The pacing is tactful and effective, first giving the impression of a slow burn horror with hints of uneasiness before building enough momentum for a breakneck final act to cement the weight of Immanuelle's journey.

Immanuelle is inviting to readers from the jump. She seems to be at arm's length from everyone, her friends, family, and even the readers at first via the third person. The strength of her voice breaks that barrier easily. Her determination makes her wildly likeable, and also probably an earth sign.

I was happy to be on this ride with Immanuelle. Highly recommend it. 5 stars.

In Shelf Awareness for Readers: The Year of the Witching is a dark, feminist fantasy debut that imagines a different kind of ending for those persecuted for their differences.

Bethel is, in many ways, reminiscent of 1600s New England: rife with a puritanical religious fervor, dominated by power-hungry men and full of myths of witches and dark magic. Except the witches in Bethel's history are very real, and their blood runs deep in the veins of Immanuelle, the orphaned daughter of a madwoman and her heathen lover, burned in a pyre to purge his soul--and the community of Bethel--of evil. That magic is called up by Immanuelle's accidental foray into the forbidden Darkwood that borders Bethel. The young woman is at first terrified, then repentant and, then, as she comes to understand more and more of Bethel's history, furious. Her anger erupts over what her parents were put through, the corruption simmering just below the surface of all of Bethel's neat and orderly rules, the burden placed on the shoulders of women and girls for centuries in the name of purity and divinity.

This transition, from penance to fury, drives the heart of The Year of the Witching, as Alexis Henderson deftly turns the tropes of historical witch hunts on their heads. Though the worldbuilding here is a bit uneven at first, once established, The Year of the Witching proves a compelling and haunting story of magic and power, and what it looks like when one girl finds both within herself. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Discover: In this dark, feminist novel, a young woman discovers her own power and uses it to bring down the patriarchal society that has treated her--and others like her--poorly for so long.

BOOK REPORT for The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

Cover Story: Windows to the Soul
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Paranormal Puritanical
Bonus Factor: Witches
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful Grownups
Relationship Status: Scarred but not Scared

Cover Story: Windows to the Soul
This is a really beautiful cover, in a spooky way. But every time I look at it, it's not long before I'm sucked in by the young woman's eyes. Talk about captivating!

The Deal:
Imannuelle Moore has lived the entirety of her 16 years according to the rules of her very puritanical, very patriarchal society, keeping her head down and staying out of trouble. She knows she's on thin ice as it is, as the illegitimate daughter of a frowned-upon union. But the Darkwood, the forest surrounding her community, the forest supposedly haunted by witches, calls to her—and Immanuelle isn't sure she can resist the call …

BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
On the one hand, Immanuelle is great. She's skirted the rules of her society as much as possible without raising suspicion, doing things like learning to read and learning to swim, both of which women in the community of Bethel aren't supposed to do. She's curious and stubborn, and probably the only young woman in her town who I'd have anything in common with. I'd love to cause secret trouble with her.

On the other hand, being Immanuelle's friend would mean that I lived in Bethel, and that is 100%, completely, absolutely not OK with me. I'd probably never make it to 16; although I'm a rule follower, there are some rules that I couldn't help myself from breaking.

Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Immanuelle doesn't really think about the men of her town as marriage prospects, given her mixed race and her status as the daughter of an outsider and member of a disgraced family. But when a certain young man of high rank starts giving her the eye, she's not exactly jumping to push him away. (How she can see any of the men in her town as worthy of her, however, is unclear to me.)

Talky Talk: Paranormal Puritanical
The Year of the Witching is not an easy read. It's an ultimately hopeful story with a strong feminist bent, but the route it walks to get there is filled with the worst kind of themes, from a Prophet who rules with an iron fist and "serves" the community, yet has multiple wives and lives the life of a king, to blatant racism and classism and sexism. The history of the community is mired with the death of innocents, most of them women. Bethel is a terrifying place. And that's before we get into the supernatural aspects, the witches who were killed generations ago and have since haunted the Darkwood. This is the kind of book that, were it actually supernatural, would drip with some sort of unnatural black ooze and cause you to have sensually spooky nightmares if you kept it in your bedroom. Henderson nailed it.

Bonus Factor: Witches
The witches in The Year of the Witching are creepy as eff. Lilith has a stag skull for a head, because hers was cut off at her death and replaced with said skull. Delilah crawls out of water like the girl from The Ring. And the Lovers—Jael and Mercy—are basically walking corpses, with joints that go the wrong way and sores and gore spilling out of open wounds. They're horrifying, and yet … I appreciate how their ugliness is not their own fault; the people of Bethel who killed them all those many ages ago destroyed any sense of humanity they had.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful Grownups
The Prophet, the leader of Bethel, is so, so gross and the worst kind of religious leader. He has like 10 wives, and would likely keep taking more if he could. He preys on children and is a total lecher. He wants the community to worship him, in the guise of worshiping the Father (their god). He takes and takes and takes, without ever really giving back, although he sure acts like he gives everything to the community. THE WORST.

Relationship Status: Scarred but not Scared
Our date was much different than I expected, Book, and I ended the night peeking through my fingers with hands over my eyes. You surprised and shocked me, and I'm not sure I liked it. But I'd be willing to give us a go. Just don't expect me to get down on my knees in prayer to the Father or give up reading, 'cause I'm not gonna do it.