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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
This story put me in a bad headspace. If you're triggered by predatory men in power controlling you, skip this book. But still try out Atwater's Regency Faerie Tales series starting with Half a Soul. Those were enjoyable reads.
Once again such a cute faerie love story. Enjoyed the call backs to the original series and I enjoyed the romance between Winnie and Quincy. Also the commentary about how predatory men were towards lower class women was good.
adventurous
tense
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:
Complicated
dark
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So I was absolutely gutted that there were no more books in the Regency Fairy Tale series and was thus thrilled to discover this one! And then similarly gutted again when it ended on a bit of a cliff hanger and the sequel isn’t out yet.
As other reviewers said, this is a darker book than the OG series but not egregiously so. I loved the mild horror elements and I really enjoyed our FMC Winifred!
And an undead cat as a familiar gives me joy…
As other reviewers said, this is a darker book than the OG series but not egregiously so. I loved the mild horror elements and I really enjoyed our FMC Winifred!
And an undead cat as a familiar gives me joy…
This was such a weird experience to read, particularly as someone who’s never read Olivia Atwater before. I will say, I was sufficiently bored and skimming until the 66% part (then I finished the last 34% in one sitting).
I was very exciting going into this story - it had all the making of a GREAT book. The setting was gothic and Victorian, the premise seemed like Starling House with a living/breathing/morphing manor but with more magic and Faeries - the novel was even praised by Alice E Harrow herself! But the first ~70% was not what I was hoping for. The pacing was off, the descriptions dragged, and the story felt like it was told in the wrong order. Seemingly logistical discussions, coupled with overwrought descriptions of the setting, muddle the first half. I didn’t know who these people were, what the setting was, or why we cared about this story until all of the characterization was revealed in the past 30%. How am I supposed to connect with characters if I know nothing about them, other than their flowery musing about the forest they were in (descriptions that were introduced far too early for how late in the book we were finally told their significance)? How am I supposed to ascertain character development from the start to the end of the book if we’re not given sufficient ground to start on (particularly when most of the character backstories happen in the last 10% of the book)? Lore is not interesting unless it’s woven correctly into the tale, letting readers discover the world and the characters for themselves.
On that note, the faerie tale vehicle for lore dumps was BAD. It was not the seamless transitions Atwater wanted it to be. Especially after reading Starling House, where the importance of perspective in story portrayal played such a substantial role in the development of characters in the book, the faerie tales in Witchwood Knot just felt cheap. The lore dumps were separate, independent chapters from the main narrative, and were not told from unique character perspectives, but rather were provided to readers as facts about the world to be taken at face value. These lore dump faerie tales were also only provided at the end when they were needed to understand the climax, making them feel more like plot armor than character development. Really, if I’d had these faerie tales more interwoven, or bits of the scattered throughout such that I could jump to conclusions about the characters myself, this book would have instantly hooked me! Really, authors need to stop assuming their readers are stupid and beating them over the head with information immediately before it’s relevant.
So yeah… characters are my favorite part of stories and I couldn’t connect with these for 70% of the book. Maybe if the characters had spent more time interacting with each other, the friendship between Winnie and Robert, the romantic relationship between Winnie and Mr. Quincy, and the family dynamic between Winnie and her sisters would have made more sense / seemed less abrupt / garnered more empathy from readers? (Though as a side note, we still don’t know how Winnie even came to have sisters… given that she lived in an orphanage as a child… maybe that flashback was cut?) Atwater said in her author’s note that she was inspired by Wuthering Heights when writing this. But, she failed to capture the quintessential theme of Wuthering Heights which make it such a palpable story even today: that people are deeply flawed and will hurt each other in ways that leave generation scars. Witchwood Knot was just not that deep…
I do wonder if I’d read the independent but interconnected series, Half a Soul, first if I would’ve enjoyed this more (but if so, really don’t advertise this as a standalone series). My rating: 2 stars for the first 70% and 4 stars for the last 30%… 2.6?
I was very exciting going into this story - it had all the making of a GREAT book. The setting was gothic and Victorian, the premise seemed like Starling House with a living/breathing/morphing manor but with more magic and Faeries - the novel was even praised by Alice E Harrow herself! But the first ~70% was not what I was hoping for. The pacing was off, the descriptions dragged, and the story felt like it was told in the wrong order. Seemingly logistical discussions, coupled with overwrought descriptions of the setting, muddle the first half. I didn’t know who these people were, what the setting was, or why we cared about this story until all of the characterization was revealed in the past 30%. How am I supposed to connect with characters if I know nothing about them, other than their flowery musing about the forest they were in (descriptions that were introduced far too early for how late in the book we were finally told their significance)? How am I supposed to ascertain character development from the start to the end of the book if we’re not given sufficient ground to start on (particularly when most of the character backstories happen in the last 10% of the book)? Lore is not interesting unless it’s woven correctly into the tale, letting readers discover the world and the characters for themselves.
On that note, the faerie tale vehicle for lore dumps was BAD. It was not the seamless transitions Atwater wanted it to be. Especially after reading Starling House, where the importance of perspective in story portrayal played such a substantial role in the development of characters in the book, the faerie tales in Witchwood Knot just felt cheap. The lore dumps were separate, independent chapters from the main narrative, and were not told from unique character perspectives, but rather were provided to readers as facts about the world to be taken at face value. These lore dump faerie tales were also only provided at the end when they were needed to understand the climax, making them feel more like plot armor than character development. Really, if I’d had these faerie tales more interwoven, or bits of the scattered throughout such that I could jump to conclusions about the characters myself, this book would have instantly hooked me! Really, authors need to stop assuming their readers are stupid and beating them over the head with information immediately before it’s relevant.
So yeah… characters are my favorite part of stories and I couldn’t connect with these for 70% of the book. Maybe if the characters had spent more time interacting with each other, the friendship between Winnie and Robert, the romantic relationship between Winnie and Mr. Quincy, and the family dynamic between Winnie and her sisters would have made more sense / seemed less abrupt / garnered more empathy from readers? (Though as a side note, we still don’t know how Winnie even came to have sisters… given that she lived in an orphanage as a child… maybe that flashback was cut?) Atwater said in her author’s note that she was inspired by Wuthering Heights when writing this. But, she failed to capture the quintessential theme of Wuthering Heights which make it such a palpable story even today: that people are deeply flawed and will hurt each other in ways that leave generation scars. Witchwood Knot was just not that deep…
I do wonder if I’d read the independent but interconnected series, Half a Soul, first if I would’ve enjoyed this more (but if so, really don’t advertise this as a standalone series). My rating: 2 stars for the first 70% and 4 stars for the last 30%… 2.6?
Have I already declared Olivia Atwater to be my favorite author? If not, this book just cemented it for me. I opened this book having almost no idea what it was about, and ended up loving the characters, the plot, and the atmosphere. I also didn't expect to painfully relate to Winnie on so many levels, and I appreciate how these topics were handled.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this series.
I am eagerly awaiting the next installment of this series.
Not bad, but kinda disappointing. I love Olivia Atwaters books, especially Half a Soul and Small Miracles, but this book was not as good as those. It wasn't bad either! Just fine.
Also the narrator put on a fake British accent and at times it was soo notably bad. British people don't say flash with a long ah. Or gathering. Or dash. Stop it.
Also the narrator put on a fake British accent and at times it was soo notably bad. British people don't say flash with a long ah. Or gathering. Or dash. Stop it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got so much Tim Burton movie vibes from this book. It was a delight to read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ooh, this was such a good story! 🤩💛 I felt like I was heading over to a reading slump, but starting Witchwood Knot built a bridge right over that feeling by keeping me engaged and hooked.
I like how level-headed and sensible the main character Winifred is, even in the face of great terrors. When there is seemingly no hope, she refuses to give up and instead manufactures motivation to keep going:
I like how level-headed and sensible the main character Winifred is, even in the face of great terrors. When there is seemingly no hope, she refuses to give up and instead manufactures motivation to keep going:
There was no happy ending here, but she could choose the unhappy ending that most suited her. That had to be enough.
And the ending? All the lore and teasers dropped that builds towards a sequel? I need that sequel! When will it be published??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail