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A review by discarded_dust_jacket
The House Witch by Delemhach
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really really love the premise of this story, and I cannot express enough how refreshing it was to read a male protagonist whose powerful magic is used to nurture and care for others using food and a safe, comfortable home as opposed to aggressive shows of strength.
That’s why I was so disappointed when the humor in this book repeatedly struck me as immature at best (think “Meet the Parents” style jokes about character names that sound like curse words), and insensitive at worst when the “punchline” of a running joke throughout the story involves leading everyone in the castle where our protagonist lives and works to believe the king’s assistant is gay when he’s not (even though it’s pointedly noted multiple times in the story that within this kingdom, queerness is accepted and even celebrated, so…. why would it be funny?).
I’ve also heard that in the audiobook version, the narrator adopts a voice that has been described as an offensive depiction of Black, American speech whenever he is reading the POV of the main character’s cat and the group of mob-like “gangsters” the cat associates with. Even though this blatant racial stereotyping was a choice for the audio narration and isn’t evident in the books themselves, it still makes me not want to recommend the book at all.
That’s why I was so disappointed when the humor in this book repeatedly struck me as immature at best (think “Meet the Parents” style jokes about character names that sound like curse words), and insensitive at worst when the “punchline” of a running joke throughout the story involves leading everyone in the castle where our protagonist lives and works to believe the king’s assistant is gay when he’s not (even though it’s pointedly noted multiple times in the story that within this kingdom, queerness is accepted and even celebrated, so…. why would it be funny?).
I’ve also heard that in the audiobook version, the narrator adopts a voice that has been described as an offensive depiction of Black, American speech whenever he is reading the POV of the main character’s cat and the group of mob-like “gangsters” the cat associates with. Even though this blatant racial stereotyping was a choice for the audio narration and isn’t evident in the books themselves, it still makes me not want to recommend the book at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry