The Year of the Witching

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A] bewitching feminist fantasy...Henderson offers a powerful portrait of patriarchal, racial, and religious abuses in Bethel society, conjuring a sense of creeping dread and maintaining the pacing throughout. This riveting work announces Henderson as an exciting new voice in dark fantasy." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) There are a few other points where she was characterized unsatisfyingly – at one point towards the end the narration said that Immanuelle’s family had “always been her weakness” and I was like…”Okay, since when?” I don’t feel that Henderson did the work necessary to make me believe in Immanuelle’s emotions towards her family at all and that statement more or less came out of nowhere to me (as did a certain family member’s death). A thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power, I loved this book. It takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist." – S.A. Chakraborty, national bestselling author of The Daevabad Trilogy It was true. She was nearly seventeen years old and she'd never once had her flow. All of the other girls her age had bled years ago, but not Immanuelle. Never Immanuelle. Martha had all but declared her barren months ago. She was not to bleed or be a wife or bear children. She would remain as she was now, and everyone else would grow up, pass her by, and leave her behind, as Leah would in a few short weeks. It was only a matter of time. 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.

The Year of the Witching is set in the deeply patriarchal and puritanical land of Bethel, where the word of the Prophet is law. Our protagonist, Immanuelle Moore, lives on the fringes of acceptability. Her father was burned on a pyre as a heretic. Her mother is known throughout Bethel as a witch and a traitor. Immanuelle is determined to live as uneventful a life as possible. But then she discovers her mother’s journal, and accidentally unleashes a plague upon Bethel. She must use all the cleverness and magic at her disposal to stop the plague, but the question is – does she want to?

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true evil, immanuelle realized now, wore the skin of good men.”so what happens when immanuelle is faced with the prophet himself, fully aware of his crimes and how consciously he has committed them? how does she deal with a tyrannical, virulent, and violent abuser; a rapist, a pedophile, and a murderer? If Leah was aware of Immanuelle's many transgressions, she made no mention of them. Instead, she waved her off with a flourish of the hand. "Sins can be forgiven. When the Good Father sees fit, you will bleed. And after you bleed, a man will take you up, then you will be his and he will be yours, and everything will be as it should be."

Has a classic setup but updates the olde puritanical tale to deal with issues of racism and sexism."-- The Washington Post Overall I enjoyed reading The Year of the Witching, but it’s probably not my favourite book and as I was writing this review I couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t a memorable book. Positives of The Year of the WitchingThe Year of the Witchingtells a universal, timeless story about women's power.” – O, The Oprah Magazine Some of the insights into Immanuelle's Mom made me sad. I felt for Immanuelle. She definitely was not dealt an easy hand. Reading of her overcoming and finding her power within herself was definitely satisfying though. Overall though, I did really enjoy this. It's a powerful story with some interesting themes explored. Immanuelle was a sympathetic main character; easy to get behind. Intrigued by the journal, Immanuelle becomes focused on discovering the truth behind her mother's life. The more she digs, however, the more she stands apart from the rest of her society. It becomes clear that the history of Bethel isn't as clear-cut as the leaders try to make it.