The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Immanuelle lives in Bethel, a village of pious folk, a village she has never set foot outside of, because no one is allowed to leave without direct permission from ‘The Prophet’, their leader. There is nothing outside Bethel anyway. In Bethel, sin is severely punished, the Father is worshipped, and witchcraft is feared and reviled. Immanuelle, perpetually an outsider due to her bloodline and the circumstances of her birth, begins to suspect that things in her peaceful village are more than they seem. She and her ally Ezra work toward uncovering an ages old mystery and disrupting the deep seated misogyny of Bethel.
The Year of the Witching had been on my radar for quite a while, just waiting for the perfect time for me to pick it up. That time was after seeing BooksandLala praise it, just before a day that involved four hours of train journeys. I tend to have stronger memories of books if I can tie them to specific standout events in my life, but even if I were unable to in this case, this book still resonates with me months later. This has a lot to do with parallels to serous real world issues that are present in Bethel.
Immanuelle is the perfect character to explore these issues with. She is a woman, her father came from the Outskirts, where the darker skinned residents live in slums, and her mother was cursed at best, suspected of witchcraft at worst. She finds that no matter what she does, she will never be truly accepted by her community. It is this unique position, combined with her strong will and curiosity, that allows her to realise that there is much injustice in Bethel, propagated through the ages.
Bethel is an extremely religious town, so much so that their compulsory faith very much swings into cult fanaticism. This set up allows the reader to question morality. There is no black and white when a people are raised to unquestioningly believe that the way they see the world and treat others and worship are the only ways.
I truly don’t want to go too much into greater story details which is part of why my review focuses more on those real world parallels. Please don’t take that to mean that there is nothing more to this book. Beyond these things, the story is brilliant, and witnessing Immanuelle’s eyes opening as she goes on her adventure is fantastic. Ezra felt like the perfect ally for her, allowing her into places she wouldn’t otherwise find herself in, while respecting her autonomy and personal desires. I fully believe these two characters together could begin a process of change and healing, given the chance. Also, the stories of the Witches of the forest are fascinating.
For the most part there is nothing negative for me to say here, aside from the climax feeling a little too clean and convenient. Otherwise, every moment I spent in Bethel with Ima evokes strong emotions. Excitement. Curiosity. Sadness. Intentional discomfort. If you want a dark fantasy with an excellent story that forces you to examine our real world, past and present, and you don’t mind a bit of blood, The Year of the Witching is for you.
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Rebecka O'Malley 