I first read a sample from Kindle and once I was quickly done with the free snippet, I went back to my other book but I couldn’t get this one out of my mind. I ended up purchasing the Kindle version and read it in a day and a half. It’s one of those stories where you feel the burn of the fires and looks up from reading to see if the characters are sitting beside you because it’s SO real.

Alexis writes magic and her words not only flow easily but are sewn together with an invisible string that leads your eyes from chapter to chapter, not wanting to ever put it down too soon.

I felt a kinship with Immanuelle as I imagine many women and girls do. Her strength as a character is something we all want to see within ourselves or at least believe it possible!

I give this one 5 stars and can’t wait for more from Alexis Henderson!

This read was absolutely fantastic! It had the perfect blend of mystery, horror, and drama that kept the pace moving along quickly and made sure I was invested from start to finish. A well-crafted world, relatable characters, and Henderson's smooth writing style were the icing on the cake.

If you think the premise for this book sounds like your cup of tea, you won't be disappointed. There is plenty of creepy religious shit, creepy old world shit, and creepy witchy shit within these pages. I won't lie- there were several times when I almost felt the need to put this aside when reading in the dark at night. If I hadn't been so eager to find out what happens next, I probably would have. (looking at you, scenes in the woods at night!)

In addition to being a thoroughly entertaining read, Henderson also tackles themes of racism, religious tyranny, and feminism. While these themes are constantly present and in the forefront of this novel, they never feel heavy-handed or forced. Henderson's writing is effective and tactful in a way that many other writers should envy.

Another great skill of Henderson's is the way she crafts relationships. She describes small gestures and unique quirks that exist in an interaction between two people that feels so intimate and true to life. She lets the reader glean the nuances of a relationship by watching them interact rather than telling the reader too much about them. It's beautifully done and serves this story especially well.

And the structure? The way it's crafted around the plagues? Absolutely chef's kiss

I don't want to say more for fear of spoiling, but this is truly a gem not to be missed. It's dark and suspenseful, while also being heartfelt and warm. The drama is intense, the romance is sweet, and the "oh shit" moments are plentiful. I can't believe I took so long to get around to this read, but now I can't wait to A) recommend it wherever I can and B) see what Henderson writes next.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing/Ace for a post-publication review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Year of the Witching is one of my favorite book of 2020. This dark and twisty book got me nerving until the very last page. Not gonna lie, the books is utterly amazing! Full Review is up on my Bookstagram.

I loved this book from the very beginning. It grabbed my attention from the first page and held it the entire time. I wished there was more of it!

I was intrigued as soon as I saw this, and while the story was interesting, the pacing was a little slow for my tastes but overall, I did enjoy it!

I loved The Year of the Witching so much I had to purchase two different beautiful copies of it! The gothic atmosphere was perfect as well as the conflict between the main protagonists. I look forward to reading more by Alexis Henderson.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: Powerful

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 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.

When I first looked over the synopsis for this novel, I was intrigued, especially given the title and the idea of how the author would delve into witches. As my interests lay in that area, I’m always curious to find out if witches will be presented accurately, or if writers will fall into the trap of writing them as evil. While some of the presentation falls into some of those stereotypes, in other ways, this is not at all what I expected and the story ends up being powerful and profoundly engaging.

One of the reasons for the story being unexpected is that it is far less a story of witches and far more about a young woman on the hero’s journey to embrace her own strength and power to create change and overcome the evils that truly exist, that of man and his desire for power and control, to keep women bound by pain and suffering and to rule by using faith to control others.

While most of the novel uses the framework of a Christian style worship, including references to the Father and with men in power, there are also references to the Mother and it is the woman who is the protagonist of the novel, discovering the truth and her own power to bring about change. While I’m not fond of the proto-Christian setting personally, I found the author’s use of that framework to be integral to the character development and the plot. It also made the main character, Emmanuelle, sympathetic and engaging. Without the backdrop of the faithful, her plight and journey would not be anywhere near as important and her fight would lack meaning. It is her desire for the truth and to fight back that makes her such an interesting and compelling character.

One of the other reasons that I found Emmanuelle interesting is that she is part Bethel and part outsider, a race that is described with curly hair and dark skin. While not explicitly stating that the character is Black, the use of a person of color gives us a strong diversity and counterpoint to the blond and white characters of Bethel. It does stretch into the boundary of presenting that diversity as other but since those stereotypes and racism are part of the story’s point, I found it utilized well to make that point.

All of the characters are well written. They are none of them painted as simple, all of them three dimensional including the antagonist, the leader of the church. All of the characters are those that make choices, for good or ill, trying to do what they think are best or what will gain them power but none are presented as flat or just evil. I truly appreciated such well rounded characters along with a hero’s journey that is taken by a woman of color discovering her own power.

The only slight fault I found was that the magic, while utilized well in the plot and had some points well thought out, was at times more shallow and I would have liked more of an in depth look of how the magic is created in the world. I also would have liked more about the Mother and if all those who follow her have the dark practices that are portrayed by the witches in the novel. While the witches’ reasoning ends with being explained in the story, I did want to know more of the world.

Overall, if you like complex characters with female heroes of color, I completely recommend this as long as you also enjoy a Christ like framework and faith. While I still found the characters and the story compelling and engaging, I wondered what it would have been without that framework. I did truly love the power of a woman developing her own strength and enduring trials to come to power. Emmanuelle is such an engaging hero that I wanted to know more about her and her world.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Interesting blend of religious symbolism and history or possibly a Handmaid's Tale mixed with Salem. It was okay. I didn't get overly invested into this story.

4 ⭐


👍🏻
- It's a journey of self-discovery.
- I really enjoyed the cult vibes.
- I love how the protagonist is a strong female character.
- the description of the witches and the Darkwoods was fantastic! So much detail!
- It was so atmospheric!! 😍😨
- I like how the author blended real-life themes into a fantasy world. (Racism, oppression, religion, misogyny and greed for power etc.)

👎🏻
- The pacing. The first part of the book dragged on a bit too long, and the ending was rushed.

The last 50 pages or so were dark and intense, and I loved it. I just wanted more of it. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

A great debut novel! 😍

Thank you, @berkleypub and @netgalley, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

OKAYYYY.

Do you like books about religious cults? Add magic and diversity into that too!!

I really liked this story!

There is romance - but it isn't the main story.

This is a story of an orphan who finds herself in a male oppressive community and fights the 'blight'

I read the book and listened to the audiobook.

I recommend both!

Thank you Netgally and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book for my sassy thoughts.

This was a great, contemporary take on a classic witch story. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Very cinematic- I can see this a Netflix pick. More gruesome than I was expecting- women were ostracized by their community because of their lineage. A feminist, well plotted story that was great for a debut. The plot dragged a bit in the middle but I would still keep this on my recommend list!

What do you do when you discover your society is built on lies and oppression? Many of us have finally begun facing this reality recently, and Alexis Henderson confronts this truth with her dark fantasy The Year of the Witching.

Immanuelle lives on the outskirts of her strict and puritanical town, Bethel, where the community take their faith incredibly seriously and women have very restrictive roles. She's been marked an outcast many times over; first by the crimes of her mother, a woman branded as a mad witch, second by the fact that she is a woman, and again by her dark skin. While she works hard to follow the word of the Father and the leadership of the Profit, she one day finds herself in the Darkwood confronted with reality of both the demons her society has feared for so long and her own familial history. This encounter forces her to make decisions that go against everything she's been taught and sets her on a dark path that leads to great upheaval for her family and community.

Alexis Henderson writes with such a sense of setting. I felt like I could hear the ambient sounds of everyday Bethel and smell the rot and damp of the Darkwood. The world building of The Year of the Witching is excellent and will draw you in, and the relatability of Immanuelle will keep you invested. Make no mistake, this book is dark, and Henderson shines in crafting of the evils that threaten Immanuelle, her family, and her community.

I think the only issue I had with The Year of the Witching was the inconsistency in tone. Some people have misinterpreted this book as Young Adult when it's meant for an adult audience, but I can see where the confusion may come from. There is a juvenile air about it, despite the very dark and mature subject matter. The feminist message was clear but not well examined, and the plot felt predictable. I was hoping for a darker, more complex turn for Immanuelle...one that played more with the concept of power. And for me, the most interesting details in the book felt glossed over and left me wanting a lot more. These impressions may be due to The Year of the Witching being the first in a trilogy, however. I certainly will be picking up the next book in the series, because the world of Bethel is a very rich one.

Born out of wedlock and of a mixed race, Immanuelle's birth has cast her family into disgrace. A strong female, Immanuelle does her best to live a pious life in hopes of being found worthy, until she is led to the Darkwood where the spirits of the dead give her a life changing gift. Atmospheric, haunting and menacing this is a story of survival and the courage to face dark truths in order to discover and be true to herself.

One of the best reading experiences is picking up a debut novel and falling in love. Especially when that book is full of dark and dangerous things just waiting to ensnare your imagination. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson is just such a book. Themes of oppression, race, religion, and more weave together to create an immersive experience in this dark fantasy/horror mash-up. Be sure to check out the synopsis posted above for more information.

A standout of this book is how quickly Henderson sets up this world of patriarchy, religion, and magic. Readers can expect this to grab them from the beginning. Another positive here is there is no over-explaining. The author clearly recognizes that readers are intelligent people and gives just enough information to let our imaginations take it the rest of the way.

The characters of Immanuelle and Ezra, along with those of the witches, are rounded and fascinating. Some might wish for a little more development of Ezra and more appearances of the witches themselves, but it is this reader’s opinion that if a person is completely wrapped up in the story, then what is on the page is enough. Through these characters Henderson crafts discussion around race, women’s rights, and more. These issues are not shied away from and are elegantly woven through the story.

It seems The Year of the Witching is only Book 1 in a series and it is certain that Book 2 is highly anticipated. For fans of cult horror, folk horror, dark fantasy, and more, this book is sure to hit all the right spots for all measures of readers.

This story was very unique and frightening. I thought about this story long after I finished. I would recommend this story to anyone that loves to read horror.

What a great debut novel! The Year of the Witching is a dark, feminist, witchy tale. I couldn't put it down. This is an adult novel, and my only complaint is that towards the end it felt a bit more YA.

This was an excellent read and I need to keep my lights on for a while. There is so much to enjoy about this book, but the heroine's bravery remains one of my favorite aspects.

The Year of the Witching is by far my favorite book of Fall 2020. I cannot believe how quickly the pace in this story started! Right from the first chapter I couldn't stop reading and it didn't let up until the last page! Phew! I fell in love with the atmosphere, the juxtaposition of the dark and mysterious woods with the extremely rigid confines of the village. As the story progressed and I got to see Immanuelle really lean into who she is while standing up to the rest of the community of Bethel she quickly became one of my favorite female characters I've met this year. I can see myself rereading this book every October just to take myself back to Bethel and that forest.

This was so atmospheric! this was so creepy! This was SO GOOD. Although i think I'm not going to read more cult books because they're too creepy and this was almost too much for me. Like, I was angry, I felt claustrophobic, but you best believe that I CARED about these character and I was so invested in everything that was going on. WHEW. Will be looking out for more books from this author in the future.

The Year of the Witching was a very different kind of novel.

I wish I could write a longer review here, but I don't want to spoil the book and it's been a while since I've read it.

At the very start you already know Immanuel is seen as an outcast because she was born as an illegitimate child. She lives in a place called Bethel, which is basically ruled by a crazy dictatorship by the Bishop.

This story is a crazy ride, but basically she goes on an adventure to figure out who she really is. There are a lot of secrets, magic, and personal growth found in this one.

I did struggle with some of the plot to this story, and the religious background found within the city of Bethel. The city just reminded me a lot of a cult and I wasn't really expecting that in a fantasy novel. The rest of the story had elements of magic, adventure, and some whimsy.

Overall though, it was enjoyable. I would read a sequel to this for sure.