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A review by sproutedpages
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Atmospheric, rich in folk magic, and written with the cadence of oral folklore, but so saturated with (unendorsed) Puritanical beliefs that Slewfoot was almost unbearably anxiety-inducing to read as the story progressed. This is not at all a fault of the novel as it is incredibly well-written, I simply have a low tolerance for the inclusion of religious extremism in my fiction (and also a heart condition).
I did, however, find myself uneasy with the inclusion of a narrative thread that seemingly implied that the Pequot were the catalyst for this novel’s horror. This felt like an incredibly strange choice of characterization when there was already a glaring antagonist already presented by the novel— the Puritans of Sutton. The Puritans’ lack of reverence for the Earth is made apparent through the violence of their colonization, and their actions (both in the novel and in actuality) were more than atrocious enough to have been the catalyst for the events of Slewfoot.
I did, however, find myself uneasy with the inclusion of a narrative thread that seemingly implied that the Pequot were the catalyst for this novel’s horror. This felt like an incredibly strange choice of characterization when there was already a glaring antagonist already presented by the novel— the Puritans of Sutton. The Puritans’ lack of reverence for the Earth is made apparent through the violence of their colonization, and their actions (both in the novel and in actuality) were more than atrocious enough to have been the catalyst for the events of Slewfoot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcoholism
Abundant references to Puritanical Christianity, forced marriage, anti-indigenous racism (including the use of racial slurs), graphic death of a pet.