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A review by lilacs_book_bower
Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Slewfoot introduces the reader to a young woman named Abitha and a mysterious creature named Samson. Abitha finds it difficult to live with her Puritan neighbors in the 1600s American colonies. She struggles to run her farm, while her brother in law is harassing her and trying to steal her land, and is using sexism and misogyny to stir up others. After she meets Samson and he helps her with the farm, she has to decide if he is good or evil, the Devil or something else. Samson struggles with his identity and what he is, while Abitha is struggling with her faith and childhood beliefs in light of what Samson can do. Things are getting uglier, and deadlier, as Abitha's brother in law becomes more and more desperate to steal her land and is willing to make false accusations of witchcraft to get his way....
I have a lot of "it's complicated" and "a mix" as answers. All characters are flawed, but some are their own perceived flaws and some are flaws that other people say they have. I will say that I liked Abitha and Samson as characters, and a few others more than I expected to. I also admit that I don't know much about the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous Peoples (and I know that is not a homogenous thing, one size fits all). At times, I was a little taken out of the book, trying to classify different aspects; it was perhaps a mix of Indigenous spiritual beliefs, wiccan, and Celtic beliefs, along with Mother Earth and some sort of serpent gods or representatives? Having the fantastic element be a mix is totally fine of course, but made it harder for me to figure out the connections and predict things, but it is good to have a book that keeps you guessing! I appreciate that Brom did speak with a consultant regarding the Pequot tribe, as they are featured here in the book.
I have a lot of "it's complicated" and "a mix" as answers. All characters are flawed, but some are their own perceived flaws and some are flaws that other people say they have. I will say that I liked Abitha and Samson as characters, and a few others more than I expected to. I also admit that I don't know much about the spiritual beliefs of Indigenous Peoples (and I know that is not a homogenous thing, one size fits all). At times, I was a little taken out of the book, trying to classify different aspects; it was perhaps a mix of Indigenous spiritual beliefs, wiccan, and Celtic beliefs, along with Mother Earth and some sort of serpent gods or representatives? Having the fantastic element be a mix is totally fine of course, but made it harder for me to figure out the connections and predict things, but it is good to have a book that keeps you guessing! I appreciate that Brom did speak with a consultant regarding the Pequot tribe, as they are featured here in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail