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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
While I give this book credit for a unique setting and some interesting ideas, ultimately, the story and characters don't rise to the occasion that the setting provides.
The story is set in a mining town in Appalachia and follows a young woman named Bennie, who post-breakup and post-job firing, finds a woman unconscious beside a river and decides to be a good samaritan and get her some help. The woman awakes and runs into the woods where Bennie follows, and she soon find out that she's a. actually a witch and b. from the 1800s. The woman doesn't know her real name, and only remembers a moniker of "Motheater". From there the book goes between present day with POVs either from Bennie or Motheater, and then POVs from Motheater when she lived in the past, as Esther.
I found myself liking the flashback sections a bit better, as the idea of a witch in Reconstruction era is an interesting one. The present-day setting is muddled, with the main character of Bennie going between her investigation of the mining company (which is quickly dropped) and driving Motheater around to places. There are lots of scenes of Motheater doing cool witch things, but I found them to be overwrought and too frequent. I wanted some more substance behind the magic.
The story is meandering and there's a supposed mystery (how did Motheater end up where she was?), but it's fairly obvious and the story leading up to it makes little sense. There's also a romance between Bennie and Motheater which makes even less sense. Motheater feels less like a person and more like an entity. She and Bennie barely talk and most of the time Bennie just watches her do some magical thing and then that's that. As the reader, we see the development of her character (sorta) through the flashbacks, but Bennie doesn't see that.
Also, the story seems to touch on some quasi-political concepts but doesn't really know where it stands. Is it anti-corporation? Anti-capitalism? Anti-mining? Anti-progress-in-general? Not that I'm asking for a fantasy book to be a diatribe, but I think you can explore political concepts in interesting ways, which this book fails at.
Overall, I did enjoy the setting and the concept of an Appalachian mountain witch. I kind of wish the author had just set the entire thing in the 1800s, as I just felt a lot more substance in those sections.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
The story is set in a mining town in Appalachia and follows a young woman named Bennie, who post-breakup and post-job firing, finds a woman unconscious beside a river and decides to be a good samaritan and get her some help. The woman awakes and runs into the woods where Bennie follows, and she soon find out that she's a. actually a witch and b. from the 1800s. The woman doesn't know her real name, and only remembers a moniker of "Motheater". From there the book goes between present day with POVs either from Bennie or Motheater, and then POVs from Motheater when she lived in the past, as Esther.
I found myself liking the flashback sections a bit better, as the idea of a witch in Reconstruction era is an interesting one. The present-day setting is muddled, with the main character of Bennie going between her investigation of the mining company (which is quickly dropped) and driving Motheater around to places. There are lots of scenes of Motheater doing cool witch things, but I found them to be overwrought and too frequent. I wanted some more substance behind the magic.
The story is meandering and there's a supposed mystery (how did Motheater end up where she was?), but it's fairly obvious and the story leading up to it makes little sense. There's also a romance between Bennie and Motheater which makes even less sense. Motheater feels less like a person and more like an entity. She and Bennie barely talk and most of the time Bennie just watches her do some magical thing and then that's that. As the reader, we see the development of her character (sorta) through the flashbacks, but Bennie doesn't see that.
Also, the story seems to touch on some quasi-political concepts but doesn't really know where it stands. Is it anti-corporation? Anti-capitalism? Anti-mining? Anti-progress-in-general? Not that I'm asking for a fantasy book to be a diatribe, but I think you can explore political concepts in interesting ways, which this book fails at.
Overall, I did enjoy the setting and the concept of an Appalachian mountain witch. I kind of wish the author had just set the entire thing in the 1800s, as I just felt a lot more substance in those sections.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
Rating 3.5 ⭐️ Motheater is an immersive story with a blend of literary fiction, horror and fantasy that initially drew me in.
However, the story felt disjointed at times, and it wasn’t until I hit the 60% mark that I found myself genuinely invested in the characters and plot.
Overall, this was a creative and atmospheric read, but it requires patience to truly appreciate. If you're a fan of slow-burn horror with a literary twist, this one might be worth your time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-ARC!
However, the story felt disjointed at times, and it wasn’t until I hit the 60% mark that I found myself genuinely invested in the characters and plot.
Overall, this was a creative and atmospheric read, but it requires patience to truly appreciate. If you're a fan of slow-burn horror with a literary twist, this one might be worth your time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the privilege to read an E-ARC for Motheater. Codega’s work is immediately joining my list of “favourite books of all time”. My roommate, who also reviews ARCs, originally recommended I apply for this one because “it’s gay and has witches” and I was excited from that alone, but it only got better.
I am so thoroughly impressed by the clear labour of love that has culminated in a phenomenal piece of work. Codega’s prose is captivating and beautiful. There were a few times that I had to take a beat to just let their writing roll over me. They masterfully weave together magical descriptions in with expert storytelling to convey a mystifying adventure. My roommate and I were constantly saying we couldn’t believe this was a debut novel?! It’s so well written.
Beyond Codega’s phenomenal writing, I am astounded by their devotion to research and accurate storytelling. It’s clearly evident that they’ve spent hours upon hours researching and collating information to create the most authentic fictional story. Between their depictions of Appalachian history and folk magic practice, I can tell that Codega holds so much passion for the world they’re representing through Motheater and I am so impressed by the work that has been done here.
Finally, I just have to comment on how captivating Codega’s characters are. Through Bennie’s eyes, I fell in love with the enigma that is Motheater and all her little quirks, between teasing Bennie and terrorising her adversaries. I adored the gradual progression of trust between our main girls and how this is reflected in their mannerisms and jesting. I also really appreciate the way Codega handled Bennie’s connection with Zach and how he develops across the story.
Just wow. Can’t wait until January so I can buy myself and everyone I know a hard copy of this masterpiece!
I am so thoroughly impressed by the clear labour of love that has culminated in a phenomenal piece of work. Codega’s prose is captivating and beautiful. There were a few times that I had to take a beat to just let their writing roll over me. They masterfully weave together magical descriptions in with expert storytelling to convey a mystifying adventure. My roommate and I were constantly saying we couldn’t believe this was a debut novel?! It’s so well written.
Beyond Codega’s phenomenal writing, I am astounded by their devotion to research and accurate storytelling. It’s clearly evident that they’ve spent hours upon hours researching and collating information to create the most authentic fictional story. Between their depictions of Appalachian history and folk magic practice, I can tell that Codega holds so much passion for the world they’re representing through Motheater and I am so impressed by the work that has been done here.
Finally, I just have to comment on how captivating Codega’s characters are. Through Bennie’s eyes, I fell in love with the enigma that is Motheater and all her little quirks, between teasing Bennie and terrorising her adversaries. I adored the gradual progression of trust between our main girls and how this is reflected in their mannerisms and jesting. I also really appreciate the way Codega handled Bennie’s connection with Zach and how he develops across the story.
Just wow. Can’t wait until January so I can buy myself and everyone I know a hard copy of this masterpiece!
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
Motheater is an interesting little story that takes the reader on a journey through time and the Appalachian Mountains. Codega does an incredible job of immersing the reader in a small mining town that sits on Kire Mountain through their prose. I really liked how I felt like I was by Bennie and Motheater's side throughout the novel. Codega did a fantastic job of rooting the reader in place; we see characters speaking in dialect, discuss hyper-local folklore and magic.
Bennie, the main character, felt extremely one-note and is quick to trust Motheater, a witch she finds in a river who has no idea who she is, where she came from, or what happened to her. For a character that's introduced as hesitant to trust people, this felt odd. When we follow her specifically, her internal thoughts, feelings, and actions are repetitive and it feels like she really didn't learn anything, even after going through an unexplainable journey with Motheater and the other characters in the novel.
I absolutely loved Motheater's character, her backstory, and everything else about her. She reminded me of Nona from Nona the Ninth in many respects, which is why I think I feel such a strong affection for her. Codega slowly peels back Motheater's layers and we learn about her in real-time as she begins to uncover who she is. This particular storytelling method was effective and I looked forward to every one of those chapters.
The overall plot has good bones and an interesting premise, but the work as a whole felt like a draft. At times, the story simultaneously rushed and dragged and it felt like key details were missing. Overall, Motheater's themes are deeply resonant, but the narrative feels disjointed and falls victim of trying to do too much in one book.
Motheater is an interesting little story that takes the reader on a journey through time and the Appalachian Mountains. Codega does an incredible job of immersing the reader in a small mining town that sits on Kire Mountain through their prose. I really liked how I felt like I was by Bennie and Motheater's side throughout the novel. Codega did a fantastic job of rooting the reader in place; we see characters speaking in dialect, discuss hyper-local folklore and magic.
Bennie, the main character, felt extremely one-note and is quick to trust Motheater, a witch she finds in a river who has no idea who she is, where she came from, or what happened to her. For a character that's introduced as hesitant to trust people, this felt odd. When we follow her specifically, her internal thoughts, feelings, and actions are repetitive and it feels like she really didn't learn anything, even after going through an unexplainable journey with Motheater and the other characters in the novel.
I absolutely loved Motheater's character, her backstory, and everything else about her. She reminded me of Nona from Nona the Ninth in many respects, which is why I think I feel such a strong affection for her. Codega slowly peels back Motheater's layers and we learn about her in real-time as she begins to uncover who she is. This particular storytelling method was effective and I looked forward to every one of those chapters.
The overall plot has good bones and an interesting premise, but the work as a whole felt like a draft. At times, the story simultaneously rushed and dragged and it felt like key details were missing. Overall, Motheater's themes are deeply resonant, but the narrative feels disjointed and falls victim of trying to do too much in one book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Self harm
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry
Bible verses and scripture are quoted and referenced often throughout the story, especially in the last third.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This is for the Appalachia girlies and that is it. I just could not imagine someone being as emotionally connected to this story as people who were raised here and have seen the destruction first hand. I have seen criticism for the christianity aspect fused with magic, but that made sense to me with the regional setting (please give me more snake handling churches- as a former Mormon, current (non practicing) Baptist, I love the snake handlers)
My biggest problem is that it was full of grammatical errors that were overlooked by the editors and it pulled me from the story, as well as how slow the overall exploration was. I will say that the romance could have sat this one out and nothing would have changed for me.
My biggest problem is that it was full of grammatical errors that were overlooked by the editors and it pulled me from the story, as well as how slow the overall exploration was. I will say that the romance could have sat this one out and nothing would have changed for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I found this difficult to get into for some reason. I thought the premise was interesting but I didn't like the execution. I was bored for a lot of the book, and thought the plot was slow and repetitive. The characters motivations are stated over and over to the point where it saturates the narrative.
I found numerous errors in the book, typos and others things like missing quotation marks or commas which made the text difficult to understand. I was often taken out of the story by a typo or a strange sounding sentence. These are simple mistakes that another read over would correct.
However, I did enjoy the magic system, the gristly side of witchcraft, and I enjoyed the small Appalachian town setting, something I haven't read a lot of before.
I found this difficult to get into for some reason. I thought the premise was interesting but I didn't like the execution. I was bored for a lot of the book, and thought the plot was slow and repetitive. The characters motivations are stated over and over to the point where it saturates the narrative.
I found numerous errors in the book, typos and others things like missing quotation marks or commas which made the text difficult to understand. I was often taken out of the story by a typo or a strange sounding sentence. These are simple mistakes that another read over would correct.
However, I did enjoy the magic system, the gristly side of witchcraft, and I enjoyed the small Appalachian town setting, something I haven't read a lot of before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Racism
An Applachian folk fantasy that will have you believing in witchcraft and the inherent majesty and power of the mountains that make up all of Appalachia.
“Benethea Mattox was not raised to be a fool. Yet here she was, fishing a skinny white lady out of a river.”
I really loved this book from the first page (the first sentence even), and it kept me engaged throughout. We meet Bennie, a forcibly retired safety officer determined to find out just what is causing miners to consistently go missing in the mountain overlooking the town she lives in. During her investigation she accidentally finds Motheater, a witch out of time without a name and powers that break one’s understanding of the world. Together they must fight together to save their town from a power that neither one expected to haunt it.
If you love Applachian folk magic, a touch of horror, and the unyielding loom of industry always on the horizon, this is the book for you. Reading this felt like it was straight out of a season of Old Gods of Appalachia, and I never could predict where this story was going. The romance progressed naturally, the conflict was diverse, and the book ended on a high note - without solving the complex issues that were explored with a simple fix that would not have felt realistic.
I’m from Pennsylvania, which is in turn both part of Appalachia and not depending on the location and your opinion of it, but I’ve lived near the Appalachian mountains almost my entire life and I could so easily see the descriptions of all the mountains present within this book. The looming and majestic presence of Kire, the stripped mountains from strip-mining, and just the presence of nature and the feel of the wildness when walking amongst those giants. This book is beautifully written, and perfectly captures the intrinsic feeling of loss felt when looking at a once-majestic mountain stripped to barely anything due to mining.
My only real issue with this book is that a main plot point is that Motheater doesn’t remember her own name, and this is the thing limiting her power. However, when we delve into the past with her memories, her name is given within these chapters. I think the impact at the end when Motheater is given her name back would have been more impactful if she is referred to as simply Motheater during these chapters, or something like E—- is used, to still have it be a mystery.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for providing this e-ARC.
“Benethea Mattox was not raised to be a fool. Yet here she was, fishing a skinny white lady out of a river.”
I really loved this book from the first page (the first sentence even), and it kept me engaged throughout. We meet Bennie, a forcibly retired safety officer determined to find out just what is causing miners to consistently go missing in the mountain overlooking the town she lives in. During her investigation she accidentally finds Motheater, a witch out of time without a name and powers that break one’s understanding of the world. Together they must fight together to save their town from a power that neither one expected to haunt it.
If you love Applachian folk magic, a touch of horror, and the unyielding loom of industry always on the horizon, this is the book for you. Reading this felt like it was straight out of a season of Old Gods of Appalachia, and I never could predict where this story was going. The romance progressed naturally, the conflict was diverse, and the book ended on a high note - without solving the complex issues that were explored with a simple fix that would not have felt realistic.
I’m from Pennsylvania, which is in turn both part of Appalachia and not depending on the location and your opinion of it, but I’ve lived near the Appalachian mountains almost my entire life and I could so easily see the descriptions of all the mountains present within this book. The looming and majestic presence of Kire, the stripped mountains from strip-mining, and just the presence of nature and the feel of the wildness when walking amongst those giants. This book is beautifully written, and perfectly captures the intrinsic feeling of loss felt when looking at a once-majestic mountain stripped to barely anything due to mining.
My only real issue with this book is that a main plot point is that Motheater doesn’t remember her own name, and this is the thing limiting her power. However, when we delve into the past with her memories, her name is given within these chapters. I think the impact at the end when Motheater is given her name back would have been more impactful if she is referred to as simply Motheater during these chapters, or something like E—- is used, to still have it be a mystery.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for providing this e-ARC.
Honestly, this was a great labor focused sapphic take on the people trying to save their town from the coal company, with a side of Appalachian and Bible focused witchcraft, and I'd definitely read more from this author in the future.
slow-paced
This book has some great ideas, specifically the Appalachian folk magic with a connection to Pentecostalism. However, the pacing and plot beats are a mess. There are huge swaths of the book where it feels like the plot progression is going nowhere and I suspect that the Esther chapters are to blame. It would feel like the plot was finally moving and then the next chapter would be set in the past bringing everything to a halt. I would have preferred to not have flashback chapters and instead to give Motheater more POV chapters where you impart the same information. It felt like maybe 40% of Esther’s chapters were actually necessary for the plot. I think that more Motheater chapters could also help with how clunky the romance felt. We mostly got Bennie’s perspective on their romance so it felt quite one sided. Finally, I wish that there was more delving into the Pentecostal stuff. I find religions that have a connection to folk magic/folk traditions so interesting but all we really got were like two scenes in the church. I just wanted more because I thought it was the most interesting aspect of the story.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A gorgeous, witchy read. Codega's writing is atmospheric, and their characters are vivid. I closed this book determined to protect what I love.