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The Year of the Witching

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The Year of the Witching

By: Alexis Henderson
Narrated by: Brianna Colette
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Village in this stunning feminist debut . . .

Born on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches, and so cleansed the land.

And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel.

It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother . . .

Fascinated by and fearful of the secrets the diary reveals, Immanuelle begins to understand why her mother once consorted with witches. And as the truth about the Prophets, the Church and their history is revealed, so Immanuelle understands what must be done. For the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness.

Bethel must change. And that change will begin with her . . .

©2020 Alexis Henderson (P)2020 Penguin Audio Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Paranormal Scary Witchcraft Magic Magic Users

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Critic reviews

'A thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power . . . it takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist.' S.A. CHAKRABORTY, author of The City of Brass

Featured article: Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween


Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.

Featured article Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween
All stars
Most relevant  
good book. but felt a little young.
probably more suited to teen or young adult.

good book

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I loved the ideas of this book, unfortunately I don't think they were executed as well as they could have been. The narration was not bad, but lacked a bit of life. Overall, the whole story seemed a little "meh" for lack of a better word. I didn't feel like you really connected with any of the characters, and they were all a bit bland. Had some great descriptions in it though, but it was a bit like the author couldn't decide when this was meant to be set; and for me, that distracted me as something about the whole book just seemed a bit off.

A bit disappointing

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It was so suspenseful and I‘m gutted it‘s over. I loved how it touched upon feminism, had some queer representation and talked about colourism/race in a way that didn’t feel harsh or simply stylistic. I‘ll have to say this is my favourite book of the year and can‘t see anything topping this!

Loved this!

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There was nothing about the book I didn’t love! It’s gems like this that keep me coming back to audible.

Everything about it was fantastic. I can not rate it highly enough especially to fellow witches.

A must!

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I love twitchy stories as was this book and I enjoyed the romance too ...

Very entertaining...

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loved this from beginning to end, truly captivating and had me on the edge of my seat

Breath Taking

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Loved the idea on paper, but it's a DNF at 50% for me. No obvious problems with anything so far and there has been the odd moment of fascinating imagery, but I am discovering the more horror I consume, the more I am aware of what I like and don't like.

For me, this was copetant all round, but, beyond the premise, nothing sparked any interest in me. The narrative is slow and ponderous, which I enjoy in a gothic story with rich prose, but the writing and characterisation weren't of a quality to keep me interested. The audiobook performance is fine, but not exciting. It all just comes together to in no way offend or evoke animosity, but I made the call that this just wasn't for me. I really did want to love this.

Giving there stars because there's nothing wrong with this and it absolutely could be a me problem. I you want some witchy goings on and have more patience than me, I would still say it's worth looking into.

Competent, But Didn't Click for Me

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I couldn't listen to this book fast enough. It was completely enthralling. I found myself unable to read,listen, or watch anything else.
It will stay with you for a long time!

Spell bound!

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Absolutely stunning read. I can see this as something Netflix could make and scare the pants of all of us.
A bloody tale of betrayal on a group of women whose only crime was all held the lineage. Recorded by the "church" as witches the current prophet holds dominium and his word is final.
The fact that he has hidden what he is doing is what drives these women to make a change. The last living of them is Immanuel, whose father was burned on a pyre and her mother driven to madness, she is the last hope, the strongest and the best equipped. With Ezra, the prophets son at her back they can face anything .... can't they?

Brilliant

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The story is quite weak and predictable. The ending is especially uninteresting. The narrator was great, though.

Weak story, great narrator

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