Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

123 reviews

lilacs_book_bower's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Slewfoot introduces the reader to a young woman named Abitha and a mysterious creature named Samson. Abitha finds it difficult to live with her Puritan neighbors in the 1600s American colonies.  She struggles to run her farm, while her brother in law is harassing her and trying to steal her land, and is using sexism and misogyny to stir up others.  After she meets Samson and he helps her with the farm, she has to decide if he is good or evil, the Devil or something else.  Samson struggles with his identity and what he is, while Abitha is struggling with her faith and childhood beliefs in light of what Samson can do.  Things are getting uglier, and deadlier, as Abitha's brother in law becomes more and more desperate to steal her land and is willing to make false accusations of witchcraft to get his way....
I have a lot of "it's complicated" and "a mix" as answers.  All characters are flawed, but some are their own perceived flaws and some are flaws that other people say they have. I will say that I liked Abitha and Samson as characters, and a few others more than I expected to.  I also admit that I don't know much about the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous Peoples (and I know that is not a homogenous thing, one size fits all). At times, I was a little taken out of the book, trying to classify different aspects; it was perhaps a mix of Indigenous  spiritual beliefs, wiccan, and Celtic beliefs, along with Mother Earth and some sort of serpent gods or representatives?  Having the fantastic element be a mix is totally fine of course, but made it harder for me to figure out the connections and predict things, but it is good to have a book that keeps you guessing! I appreciate that Brom did speak with a consultant regarding the Pequot tribe, as they are featured here in the book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

I don't think anyone will be surprised by Abitha being accused of witchcraft or how deadly that becomes. I was surprised about the character that Abitha let live, and didn't feel he was punished enough. Her final form was kind of fun though and I liked the epilogue.

emilianadelauro's review

dark inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

femmeofswords's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

owlribbon's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

soyboi's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

nicoleme1212's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror

skelliecrow's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

aimeecdo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

An incredible “good for her” story that dives beautifully deeper into the classic witch hunts of colonial America. You’ll find yourself in sympathy with the devil himself. Wonderful writing and somehow Brom keeps this story fresh 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Gore

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, and Torture

magellen's review

adventurous challenging dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

GIVE THIS BOOK TIME
It certainly starts slow, building and building, twisting your trust to and fro.

And then it GRABS YOU. 

The highest praise I can give this book is that while I love puritanical witching books, they tend to not have as vicious of retribution as I'd like. Not ol Slewfoot - the last quarter of the book is a metal af rise and crash of chaos that feeds the soul.

Also BIG MONSTERFUCKER VIBES from Abs. And good god this book cracks me up with Samson. 

-WHO AM I?
Thou art SATAN! *quivering puritan*
-*Samson, lover of corn and sleep* WHAT'S THAT?!

Bless him thou, what a good forest god and what a hell of an ending!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Murder

beccam22's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Read this if you like:
🌳🧚 Folk Magic
🥀🖤 Hades and Persephone (ish)
👩‍🌾😈 female rage 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism