Oh my autumn reads, how I love them, and Brom’s newest book, Slewfoot has all the witchy vibes I was craving! It starts with the cover. It is surely one of the best covers of the year. A true work of art.

The book centers around Abitha, a recently widowed young woman living in a remote Puritan village. While she is struggling to exist in this strict patriarchal society she meets Slewfoot. Is he man or creature? Abitha isn’t sure but he claims to be able to offer her the help she so desperately needs. Can he? Should she trust him?

I really loved this book. It is a book that crosses many genre lines- historical fiction, fantasy, and folk horror being the most dominant. Abitha is a heroine the reader can relate to and will root for. And the titular Slewfoot is a character that cannot be defined. Is he villain or hero? The ambiguity of the character kept me on edge and this added a unique element to the story. This is a tale about resilience and vengeance and it is riveting and hard to put down. This book is eerie, dark and filled with magic. The perfect Halloween read in my book!

Thank you to NetGalley for and advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

With reading this, I only have one more Brom book left. I would call him one of my favorite authors. His worlds are always engrossing. His characters are realistic and flawed. That being said, this was a slower go than some of his other books. He spends a lot of time setting the scene/atmosphere and then in the last 30% everything goes down. I'm perfectly content in being any world Brom weaves but I could see why others would not. This is definitely a great novel but it isn't my favorite from him. That honor still goes to "The Child Thief". If you are into horror fantasy and other dark shit, go check out Brom and thank me later.

Slewfoot is set in an innocuous, Connecticut Puritan village in the 1600s where nothing matters except family, farm, and the grace of god. Enter Abitha and Edward. This couple was brought together by way of arranged marriage and had an enjoyable level of fondness for each other that bordered on some sort of romance. They lived at the very edge of the village with the dark woods as the backdrop. Tragedy strikes and sets Abitha on a course she could have never imagined for herself. Soon, she finds herself at odds with her village and inching closer in intimacy with the dark shadows that haunt her peripheral and dance at the edge of the woods.

This book, in the beginning, very much reads like an interesting anecdote of Salem Witch Trials. It details the rise and fall of the main character, Abitha, and her reputation as a godly creature amongst the villagers where she lives. She is faced with the mundane hardship of working her farmland and soon comes in contact with dark entities.

At the conclusion of the book, it brings together a climax of sweet, violent, and satisfying retribution. It's how you wish the Salem Witch Trials went. The book is filled with obvious inspirations of pagan folklore and weaves it into a brooding, fantastical New England myth by the end of it. People get their just desserts and we are left wanting more from Abitha and Samson. I wasn't entirely convinced of how I felt about this book until the last 100 pages and then the horror elements really started to take place and Abitha reached her full potential. The epilogue was also such great fun and I loved that Brom concluded the story like that - a tale lost in time, forest, and myth.

I especially loved the flying scene. If you know, you know.

Such great fun. Bravo, Brom!

"Even the devil does not wish to be the devil."

Tell me this is on your TBR for spooky season! I'm not sure how to get my thoughts down for this one without just repeating how damn good it was over and over. I've always had a soft spot for novels that embrace the Puritan era and the chaos that ensued with the witch trials. I don't know about you, but it makes me react emotionally with anger, disgust and utter frustration reading about what many innocent women went through and the towns that went along with it.

I felt like Brom expertly penned the plight of women in that era into Abitha's character. What's utterly unique about this novel compared to so many others is the gleeful feeling of served vengeance I experienced as a reader. Yes, you read that right. As a woman and as someone whose always felt so much for any woman who is made powerless, this was like a war cry of feminine empowerment without really meaning to be. Its raw, visceral and every feeling you could express as a woman exacting karma on the town that took everything.

I could seriously keep going on about this book. It's strategically gloriously gory,  fantastical, beautiful and turns those fairy tales into something possible. You cheer for the villain whose not really the villain. Your bloodlust is triggered. You see the balance of good and evil and the intermingling of different beliefs. I could feel the hidden ode to forest life and the message of human destruction to mother earth. There are so many beautiful themes underneath the bigger tale.

If I had any drawbacks it would maybe be the pacing. I just wanted more. I would've enjoyed this as a lengthier novel, I was so engrossed. Other's don't feel as I do on the slow build, but I could care less. Call me hooked.

The major and minor characters all hold so much sway in the pages. Each one with an integral part to the way the plot unfolds. The worldbuilding and magic fits everything I could've envisioned. Someone tell me this will be a movie!

I feel this is more in the realm of dark fantasy than horror. I wasn't necessarily scared at any point. No skin crawlies. Honestly, it doesn't need it. It's perfectly blended with historical, supernatural and dark fantasy. If you like any of those genres. Grab this book. If you like witches. Grab this book! If you like forest gods and creatures. Grab this book. Hell, if you read... Grab this book! PS: highly recommend the audio as well.

Thank you TorNightfire for the ability to snag this as a Read Now on Netgalley!! Shoutout to Macmillan Audio for a fantastic narration rendition! All thoughts are my own.

Content mentions: animal cruelty, public shaming and violence, graphic violence

After hearing amazing things about the author Brom, when I had the opportunity to read an early copy of his latest book, Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery, I jumped at the chance.

Slewfoot is a horror book in the truest sense of the word. It’s bloody and visceral and chillingly violent. I had anticipated this being an unsettling book, but I was not prepared at how ruthlessly disturbing it was.

The story is set in a Puritan colony where the term misogamy is tame to describe the way women are treated. Abitha, a newly arrived young woman married off to a man she just met, isn’t the quiet, obedient wife she is supposed to be. At the same time, there is a dark power awakening in the forest. Throughout the novel, Abitha’s story intersects with that power and the two struggle to discover their true identities amidst a town bent on destroying them.

With a plot that slowly builds to a grisly end, Slewfoot is perfect for horror fans who love anything supernatural, revenge-driven and stories that dive deep into the fine line between religious fervor and fanaticism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Nightfire for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Slewfoot starts out a bit slow, but keep going, it will definitely be worth it!! Set in a Puritan village, the main character turns to a demon/devil and the book follows then both and offers a look into both there psyche's.... If you like witchcraft, demons, devil's, etc is definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!

I'm going with a 4.5 rating, rounding up to 5. This book was hard, emotionally and almost tramautising to read through what Abitha goes through simply for being a woman with her own opinions.

Having never read a Brom book, I was intrigued by the title, the cover art and the description. When I went into the story, at first while the writing was lovely, I found the pacing a bit slow (not exactly horrible or anything) but I found I had to take small breaks from it. Having it based on a historical period of when women were subjected to the misognisitc views of Puritans, I felt my anger levels rising (again, that's pretty damn good that a book had me all messed up) and at times I needed breaks from it. However, I will say this book definitely went to great lengths to show the horror of not only the "creatures in the forest" and what they could do but that of the human mind and the power of what hysteria's power can do on one town's fragile faith. Slewfoot is almost the scapegoat (no pun intended) to which the village uses as an excuse. "I did it because the devil made me do it" or "It could not be me but the evil doings swaying me to" the game of throwing blame to escape one's own cruelty and ignorance.

I definitely loved the way Brom brought light to how awful humans can twist just about anything to their agenda and fortify their dillusions of being blameless. I hope to read more from this author.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and publisher for allowing me to read this and giving a honest review.

(Will be Cross Posted on my blog, Instagram, GoodReads and NetGalley.)

Absolutely love this book! Illustrations are not needed, Brom paints pictures with words directly into your imagination. Fantastic story of life and death, love and hate, gods and devils.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when going into this book and, while I had ideas about where the plot was going, I was still surprised and it was an enjoyable read. I’m a big fan of creative deaths of characters and I was not let down. This book had me literally gaping at what I was reading! The visual descriptions are horrifying in the best way. Throughout this book, I just kept thinking what an amazingly terrifying tv series this would be.

It’s my understanding that the published version of this book is illustrated. My eARC was not. If you’re familiar with Brom’s art, you know a little about what such illustrations might entail. If you’re not familiar, there are few pieces shown at his website. So, this review is based only on the text…and that’s just fine. The story stands perfectly well on its own two cloven-hooved feet.

I can’t speak for the historical accuracy of the setting or of Abitha’s attitude. I would like to think that there was a give and take between Puritanism and old superstitions and cures, but this isn’t something I know much about (yet). It didn’t bother me too much if there are inaccuracies. While Abitha is a vivid character, this is more Slewfoot’s story (I’ll stick with that name for him).

Brom’s take on the “devil” is one that I hadn’t really encountered. In this case, Slewfoot is a spirit, though powerful, who is vulnerable to being manipulated. The wildfolk want him to be one thing, the Pequot people want him to be something else, and the Puritan settlers believe he is the Devil of Christianity. And maybe he’s all these things. For Abitha, he’s both compassionate and a tool for vengeance. While theology often gives the Devil (and God) many names, we don’t often think about the ramifications of this, or the identity crisis it might cause.

There are moments of horror in his book. Women, taken for witches, are tortured for confessions. From nearly the beginning of the book, men meet pretty grim fates. And that’s beside the scheming and wrong-headedness. Still, I didn’t any of this particularly gratuitous. Despite the concepts and depictions, Slewfoot went down very easily.

Recommended reading for the autumn season!

A characteristically Brom-esque, very readable adult fairy tale with a Guillermo del Torro feel. Slewfoot won't be for everyone, and has some bloody battle scenes. Missed not having illustrations in the arc.

Slewfoot by Brom completely exceeded my expectations. As someone who typically steers more towards gothic horror, rather than more standard horror, I wasn’t totally sure what I was getting myself into. Abitha was such an interesting character and watching her growth was amazing. The storyline surrounding Slewfoot wasn’t quite as strong, in my opinion, but it all came together beautifully in the end. If you enjoy horror, witches, and earth magic I think you’ll really enjoy this book. As a caveat, this book surrounds life in a Puritan community so be prepared to get angry at the way people, particularly women, are treated.

If you liked the movie The Witch, you’ll probably enjoy this book! It’s got a similar vibe and story, but it’s also different in a lot of ways.

It’s about a young Puritan woman, Abitha, who lives in a remote Colonial village in New England. She falls on hard times, and meets someone (something?) who may be able to help her. But who is he, and can she trust her instincts around him?

I liked that this story plays with your expectations. And it’ll definitely make you feel! Hopeful, angry, unsettled - sometimes all at once. The middle of the story felt slow, like I was waiting for something to happen, but fortunately it picked back up by the end. By then, I was tearing through pages to see what would happen! Overall, Slewfoot is a solid & eerie historical horror/dark fantasy novel that gives the reader a lot to think about.

Maybe it was the teen angst. Maybe it was my allergy to Villains Without Nuance. Maybe I'm just getting old.

I don't like this book much. I should...spooky dos in Puritan times? folk horror? Revenge?! yes please...and I think I might have if I hadn't taken against Abitha so very strongly. Adolescents whose sense of themselves as Right and Hard Done By aren't enjoyable companions for an entire book. I felt Abitha's difficulties with Authority were period appropriate...totally bought that she was justifiably angry with the entire male world...but she comes across as a modern woman. Then when Slewfoot-the-character wins her over with no effort? He's an innocent, albeit one with tremendous Powers, and with...um...horns? Literal goatly horns. But Abitha just...accepts. It strained me to buy into that.

I'm not insensitive to the appeal of the Other to those trapped in rigid, conformity-enforcing social milieus. But Abitha's ready acceptance of this, um, extremely Other that resembles the goat we meet her losing...and she even calls him "Samson" after the goat...it didn't scan for me with a seventeenth-century woman. Not even one whose upbringing was as peculiar, her mother a root woman and her father a drunken sot, as hers was.

My most favoritest thing is the animate Forest that Slewfoot (he has other names throughout the story, all of which carry their own shades of meaning and of humor) cohabits with, that has re-summoned Slewfoot from a liminal state to deal with Forest's concerns about its future. (I loved Jesus Thunderbird's name for Slewfoot...Hobomok...as it carried so many levels, from a beautiful butterfly to a scary demon via an early American novel about the Noble Savage slur. A quick trip to the internet will give you literal *hours* of perusing pleasure.) Perhaps the most unsettling of Brom's illustrations is the one he made for Creek:
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CtXXwAlcmiY/YUIhoIlCj1I/AAAAAAAAFJA/2YLU05Pj2pUwoMud4DcYBLzUiTlYvCAwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Brom-Slewfoot-Creek.jpg">
It's perfect, it's unsettlingly Other, and completely relatably familiar all at the same time. What's missing here is the essence of Creek's Wrongness, Otherness...scale...Creek is tiny and looks like that. Sweet dreams!

These being hallmarks of Brom's works, and the source of my relatively high rating for a book I wasn't all the way in sympathy with, so I was rolling along fine until...the torture porn began. Abitha and her mother, women accused of witchcraft, were in for a bad time. I accepted that. But I was revolted by the deeply prurient recounting of the torments meted out to the women, guilty as charged by the lights of the community they lived in though ambiguously so in modern eyes. They transgressed...they paid dearly for it...
"I want to burn them to the ground, All of them. All of it. Their church, their commandments, their covenants, their riles, edicts, and laws, their fields, their homes, and most of all their fucking bonnets and aprons. I want to hollow them out, make them know what it is to lose everything, everything, to lose their very soul!"

Nothing in this life comes for free...the bigger the ask, the bigger the price. There is more truth than you can fully know in the ancient adage, "Be careful what you wish for lest the answer be Yes."

I don't know where to begin with this review other than I really liked this book. It's not what I expected, but I'm okay with that. This reads like a fictionalized account of puritan life in 1600s Connecticut with the supernatural sprinkled in. This is a book about fear, love, and greed. This is a book about witches and supernatural forces. This book is about Us vs. Them. This is a character study so it can be slow moving at times, but a fascinating look into the thoughts and actions of the players. There's also a spiritual element from the Natives in the area that plays into this story that is really fascinating. Again, I really liked this book and if any of these elements appeal to you than you'll probably like this book too.

Slewfoot by BROM is a tale of Puritans, witchcraft and devils! This is a dark story that takes place in 1666 New England, in a small Puritan village in Connecticut.
Abitha is trying to fit into Puritan America, but when her husband dies, she has to work so hard to keep the farm out of the hands of his evil brother. She works herself nearly to death to avoid this happening. Her task seems impossible until she is aided by Mother Earth and a being who is a half-human and half-horned beast that she names Samson. Abitha becomes captivated by him . But questions remain...Who is Samson? Is he good or evil? Could Samson be the devil himself?
Slewfoot is an extraordinary tale about this unusual partnership. It's a story based on the history of the Salem witch trials but with the dark fantasy of, “what if they really WERE witches and what if the devil really DID have a hand in all of this?” . The major themes of this story are misogyny, paganism,environmentalism and religious zeal.
Slewfoot is amazingly well written and held me under its spell until the end. Read this if you enjoy Alice Hoffman or The Scarlet Letter or The Year of The Witching. This book is the perfect Autumnal read. The characters are extraordinarily well developed, and Abitha is a strong female protagonist. The ending is superb! I had an e-ARC but I will be purchasing the hard copy of the novel as it features Brom's artwork. I have another one of Brom’s books (The Plucker) and his art brings the story to life even more.
Thank you to Tor Nightfire & Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Tor publishing’s new horror division, Nightfire, publishes books and stories of horror and fantasy.

A new twist on dealing with the devil. This book had great atmosphere and is perfect for the fall seasin.
Id recommend it to all horror lovers.

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.