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A review by imaginary_space
Witch 13 by Patrick R. Delaney
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The book is filed under LGBTQIA, and yes, the protagonist is queer. But it's only mentioned in passing, something you should know if you are interested in the story because of that.
Witch 13 was an all-around enjoyable read for me. I wanted to read it because I like a good witch horror story, and it absolutely delivered. It's creepy and suspenseful, and I appreciate the way Patrick R. Delaney uses all senses of his characters to build his atmosphere - they don't just see and hear, they smell and feel temperatures. During a lot of scenes, it's not quite clear if their feelings are their own, or if the memories on the forefront of their minds are not triggered by something else that wants to use them. Very immersive!
I'm a big fan of how the witch is described, she's really alien and creepy, not human to such an extent, the protagonists have a hard time convincing themselves she is, but still try desperately. (Except forthe clever kid , of course, but I didn't even mind that trope, because it was done very well, the character was still believable.)
Something I usually struggle with is the ending in horror books, so I'm glad to say I really liked this one. Whether you find the twists surprising or not will depend on the amount and kind of horror books you've read, but personally, I don't think it's necessary for a horror book to surprise me with every twist to be great (some, though, please). Expecting an author to deliver to my specific tastes in the genre and my experiences based on previously read books is just a stupid thing to ask. I want my twists to be well executed, and they are, so I like them. The foreshadowing was well done, too.
I stumbled a little when the backstory was explained in too much detail for my taste, and like those things often do, it shifted the feeling away from horror and suspense towardsfantasy . I'd have preferred the explanation to be more vague, but level of explanation is a very subjective thing, so opinions will vary on this.
Also, the mystery around the strange object was not really a mystery and shouldn't have been dragged out that long.
Bonus points for:
...the not-so-subtle nod to beloved genre classic movieJennifer's Body . I see what you did there, Patrick.
...the inclusion ofcosmic horror at the end, because that's just my favourite kind.
Big shout-out to Mr. Delaney for being a male author and writing female characters without being sexist. Unfortunately, that's rare, so it deserves mentioning.
So, overall, 4.5 stars for the story and the writing itself, rounded down because you shouldn't queerbait and I hope this will be corrected in the future.
PS: There is some artwork in the book and I don't know who did it, but I like it. It's sufficiently obscure to be atmospheric.
Thank you so much to Oblivion Publishing/the author and Netgalley for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Witch 13 was an all-around enjoyable read for me. I wanted to read it because I like a good witch horror story, and it absolutely delivered. It's creepy and suspenseful, and I appreciate the way Patrick R. Delaney uses all senses of his characters to build his atmosphere - they don't just see and hear, they smell and feel temperatures. During a lot of scenes, it's not quite clear if their feelings are their own, or if the memories on the forefront of their minds are not triggered by something else that wants to use them. Very immersive!
I'm a big fan of how the witch is described, she's really alien and creepy, not human to such an extent, the protagonists have a hard time convincing themselves she is, but still try desperately. (Except for
Something I usually struggle with is the ending in horror books, so I'm glad to say I really liked this one. Whether you find the twists surprising or not will depend on the amount and kind of horror books you've read, but personally, I don't think it's necessary for a horror book to surprise me with every twist to be great (some, though, please). Expecting an author to deliver to my specific tastes in the genre and my experiences based on previously read books is just a stupid thing to ask. I want my twists to be well executed, and they are, so I like them. The foreshadowing was well done, too.
I stumbled a little when the backstory was explained in too much detail for my taste, and like those things often do, it shifted the feeling away from horror and suspense towards
Also, the mystery around the strange object was not really a mystery and shouldn't have been dragged out that long.
Bonus points for:
...the not-so-subtle nod to beloved genre classic movie
...the inclusion of
Big shout-out to Mr. Delaney for being a male author and writing female characters without being sexist. Unfortunately, that's rare, so it deserves mentioning.
So, overall, 4.5 stars for the story and the writing itself, rounded down because you shouldn't queerbait and I hope this will be corrected in the future.
PS: There is some artwork in the book and I don't know who did it, but I like it. It's sufficiently obscure to be atmospheric.
Thank you so much to Oblivion Publishing/the author and Netgalley for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse