Everything I've ever wanted in a horror book! Vicious, bloody but not gratuitous gore. It has an overwhelming and growing sense of dread, yet it also manages to be steeped in nature, hope and light. I loved the audiobook production, the narrator was phenomenal, but now I need a physical copy so I can see Brom's gorgeous artwork. One of my favorite reads of the year so far and I'd definitely recommend it if you love vibes, buildup of tension and a satisfying climax! Brom knows how to write a satisfying ending. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

Slewfoot was an interesting and atmospheric story. I enjoyed the first half of it as the tension was built up, but was let down by the predictable ending. The cover and overall story were captivating but it failed to wow me or prove itself to be anything new. I will definitely be reading more stories by Brom though, as the subjects they choose are intriguing and in general I enjoy their writing.

This book seems like it should have ticked all the boxes for me, but there's was something that just didn't work. I can't even put my finger on why I didn't enjoy it, but I only got through about 30 pages before I put it down.

I can't believe I never reviewed this. I read it when I received a free arc literal years ago (thanks muchly to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc lol) and I loved it. I've read more than a few of Brom's titles and Slewfoot easily eclipsed my love for my previous favorite, The Plucker.

I've reread it once since then around Halloween last year. It was an easy winning formula for me. Religious zealots make my angry and angry, vengeful women doing angry, vengeful women things make me happy. I support women's rights but I also support women's wrongs, as the saying goes. It's sensationally nuanced and deliciously atmospheric. A million reviews have already pointed it out but if you're a fan of Anya Taylor-Joy's The Witch or colonial era horror in general, this has all the vibes.

Highly recommend to Brom fans, and if this is your introduction to him, congratulations. You're starting strong.

"If it is a witch they want," she hissed, "then a witch they shall have.”

I wanted to love this one - it just wasn't for me. If you love tales of witches during puritan times, than this story is one you should try! If you like a little fairytale with your horror, you might also give this a try. If that cover grabs you, then go ahead, crack the pages and see what you think!

This one just didn't work for me. I was hoping the bad guy would be a little less over-the-top evil. And I struggled with some of the more descriptive flowerly wording and descriptions. And even though I found Edward to be very sweet, I didn't much like the MC. I was surprised by her more modern attitude even though this took place in time of puritans. I did like the vengeance and the twists near the end. Like others, the last 20% was very thrilling and kept me flipping the pages quick.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I enjoy Brom, and I like the unique spins that he takes on his novels. The artwork is beautiful. I preferred the writing that was from the viewpoint of Abitha. I could relate to her and the struggles that she was enduring. However, I didn't enjoy the stylistic narrative of Slewfoot. I appreciate what Brom was doing with the dual narrations, but it wasn't my cup of tea. It was an enjoyable read for October into November. I think it's a particularly good read for November with Thanksgiving on the horizon as this story takes place within an early Protestant community in the colonies of America. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy Brom, as well as people that like historical horror.

I'll be honest. I haven't read this one yet and I wish I would have based on all the other reviews. It sounded so interesting when I downloaded it from NetGalley. Now I've missed out, and will have to purchase the book because I think I never downloaded it. But because it's rated so highly, I'm excited to check it out. Part of my issue was realizing audiobooks are a better media means for me so I struggled to finish the books I received early for review.

Cheers.

[going back and reviewing some titles I didn't get around to reviewing from a few years ago. this book in particular I didn't get around to reading in time and then went back and read in March 2023]

Did a great job with suspense and storytelling, along with some really gruesome moments so I think it worked really well as a horror book. Something about the pacing was off to me and in general there were some moments that just didn't work for me, especially toward the beginning. The ending was really strong though and made the whole book worth it! Loved the illustrations especially.

Haunting and enchanting. The mixture of folklore and legend in a patriarchy was so interesting. I was hooked and weirded out in the best way possible.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you want to feel throughly spooked and creeped out while still hearing an amazing fairytale, Brom and this book are for you. Brom has this wonderfully disturbing way of writing and this book is exactly what I had hoped for. It’s lush, creepy, beautifully descriptive, and will leaving you wanting to pick up everything else they’ve ever written.

I read Krampus and was excited to read this book by Brom as well. I really enjoyed the story and the characters!

Slewfoot is a dark confusing tale. It has a lot of great reviews which I find confusing. The MC’s are not endearing the storyline is deeply convoluted and has no consistency in content. I just couldn’t follow the storyline. There was no lead in explanation of the folktale or legend regarding the plot and it simply seems all over the place. I also could not empathize with Abitha she is a strong character but an unlikeable one and her choices are not a normal progression of plot. She does not have the full training to embrace witchcraft or a teacher and she has no reason to join forces with an evil entity other than to save a farm not worth saving alone. Also said monster is the killer of her husband who was literally the only person kind to her in that horrible town so why would she help this creature? I also did have issue with entire fruit thing it was absolutely disgusting with zero purpose not even a good scary angle. Eating bloody spider fruit just shouldn’t be a thing. Although later in the story more is revealed about the spiders and fruit I can honestly say it did not make sense to me.

Anyway the book was just not my cup of tea but I do not want to negatively impact the author. Other people seem to have really enjoyed reading the book so it’s possible it’s simply my personal experience. I am glad Agatha received her revenge but even that was convoluted because the story simply switches to the future and I’m guessing they just feed the creepy tree. I dunno if you want a folktale that is original I guess you get that. And I love horror so there is also that. I just honestly prefer stories to make more sense overall. I’m just gonna call this a bad fit for me but I don’t want to discourage anyone from trying the book.

Historical horror can be hit or miss for me when it comes to novels - I usually much prefer to watch it. Slewfoot is a great example of a HH book that I DO like. Unfortunately, I did not have a physical copy so as to experience the illustrations, but I did switch back and forth from ebook to audiobook and I think that helped enhance the atmosphere/experience.

One word Brom. Do I need to say more? If you love haunting books stepped in folklore do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Everything I feel about this book comes down to this one sentence: good for her.

Oh man, to have a book with an unapologetic, vengeful female lead with strength and conviction. Amazing. Bravo. This story was amazing and the writing was phenomenal. I have not read a book by Brom before, but consider me highly impressed by this creative entry into folk horror.

I don't often read books about the Puritan era, but I have to say that I was so enamored by all of it. The religious zealots were a lot to take in and some of this really does still ring true today which is really quite sad. But thankfully we have a strong protagonist to root for in Abitha, someone who is shunned by her society as an outcast and left with nothing but her wits after her husband passes.

This book is very dark in tone and atmosphere and it's the perfect spooky season read, although I would recommend reading it any time you have the chance. Abitha's metamorphosis is something to behold. I highly recommend Slewfoot to any reader of horror with an original spin. Sin has never been so fun.

If you're looking for a reading experience similar to the feeling of watching the movie The Witch, this is it. It's haunting and rich with folklore and tongue in cheek humor, with horror imagery that I found inspiring and unique. Abitha is a fantastically crafted character, and her experiences in a puritanical society and the threat of witchcraft were explored with so much nuance and eerie fun. Highly recommend to fellow horror fans, especially if you're looking for a new addition to your witchcraft reads!

3.8 what-an-odyssey stars.

Oh wow reading this book was quite the odyssey.

I tried SO MANY times to get through the eARC! I almost gave up! I even wrote a few drafts of DNF reviews but something told me I should kept trying, And I'm glad I did because I did like it! It took the hardcover with the marvelous illustrations and the audiobook to finally get me hooked.

If you like historical horror stories set in colonial times, the folklore of ancient creatures lurking in deep dark woods and stalking unsuspected villagers and strong, questionable anti-heroines that defy these villagers' religious fanaticism like "The Salem Witch Trials", "The Scarlett Letter" and "The VVitch: A New-England Folktale" then you'd love this book!

I definitely recommend the audiobook , which is FANTASTIC with creepy singing and all!

Four stars instead of five because I feel that for this specific book, it would have been good to get the illustrations to go with the galley.
Other than that, it works great as a witch origin story set in a rich puritanical world, what a slice of strange history. Will keep picking up books by deliciously creepy Brom.

Slewfoot is a well told tale of a woman that is forced to turn to “dark forces” to save herself from her puritan neighbors. But in the end, who is truly the evil one when you are dealing with hatred and denial of one’s human rights?