Slewfoot
A Tale of Bewitchery
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4.7 • 105 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it.
Connecticut, 1666: An ancient spirit awakens in a dark wood. The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector.
The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil.
To Abitha, a recently widowed outcast, alone and vulnerable in her pious village, he is the only one she can turn to for help.
Together, they ignite a battle between pagan and Puritan – one that threatens to destroy the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes and bloodshed in their wake.
This terrifying tale of bewitchery features more than two dozen of Brom’s haunting full-color paintings and brilliant endpapers, fully immersing readers in this wild and unforgiving world.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Artist and author Brom (Lost Gods) turns his darkly fantastic but unfocused vision toward 17th-century Connecticut, bringing ecospirituality and grim vengeance into a familiar colonial gothic milieu without offering much innovation. A mysterious presence awakens in the wilderness beyond Abitha and Edward Williams's land outside fictional Sutton, Conn., and begins to feed, eventually killing Edward. When the presence emerges from the forest as a man with horns and goat legs and connects Abitha to the magic her late mother used, Abitha ignores Puritan warnings about demons and joins the creature, naming him Samson. Samson and Abitha work together to save her farm and uncover Samson's true identity, but powerful men and vindictive spirits stand in their way. The first half of Brom's story plods mirthlessly through establishing obvious conflicts, and the culmination of those conflicts is painfully bleak. The brutal treatment of women accused of witchcraft and the scapegoating of the Pequot people are especially unpleasant and, though perhaps historically accurate, feel gratuitous here. Excitement arrives in the final quarter, but by then many readers will have given up. Brom's eerie paintings add aesthetic appeal, but all but his most devoted fans can skip this one.
Customer Reviews
easily a favorite
i had such a fun time reading this book, honestly devouring it. the illustrations, the imagery, and the way brom writes from multiple perspectives is as beautiful as it is seamless. it’s a really solid read that easily made my all-time favorites list.
this is everything i wanted The Crucible to be and more, while also being completely on its own. Absolutely would re-read.
A fast favorite
The cover is what caught my attention and I am SO GLAD I decided to purchase this book. It was thrilling from beginning to end. Both infuriating and uplifting when you feel the emotions of the main characters. 10/10 cannot recommend this enough.
A Tale of Wild Magic
This review was first published on Kurt's Frontier.
Synopsis:
Abitha is a spirited young English woman, married to a kind man from a Puritan community in Colonial New England. When an ancient woodland spirit, known as Slewfoot, accidentally kills her husband on awakening, she is left alone in a pious, patriarchal society, trying to retain what little freedom she has. With her brother-in-law trying to seize her farm, she must find a way to make her last payment or become his servant.
Slewfoot has problems of his own, trying to remember a fragmented past. He latches onto Albitha as someone who can help him. But with other spirits on the move and villagers dying, people start to whisper about a witch. Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are and what they need to do.
Review:
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery is set in a puritan community of Colonial Connecticut. Abitha was sent to this community to marry Edward, a God-fearing puritan but a kindly man. His death leaves Abitha vulnerable in a society too willing to condemn uncanny occurrences as witchcraft. The tone of this novel is dark and wild, like the wild folk who follow Slewfoot. Abitha is an easy character to connect with, trying to remain true to herself against a community that wants subservience. It is a tale of wild magic that keeps the reader turning the pages.