cloudedreads 's review for:

Motheater by Linda H. Codega

3.75

adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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There’s just something about rural settings with messed up magical things happening there (and being based on real life places and problems) that really compels me, and this book was no exception.

 

The story is told in dual perspectives/timelines - in present day we follow Benny, a woman trying to figure out the unusual disappearances - her best friends’ amongst them - of miners on the mountain of Kire. Her hunt for discarded bodies turns up a strange, alive, woman calling herself Motheater, claiming she is a witch with missing memories. Could this chance encounter be the way to unlocking the mystery being deaths of those living and working on the mountain?..

 

This book might not be for everyone, with the amount of scripture being cited, but I personally found that to be an interesting take on how religious texts can be blended with natural world magic, and the fact that it’s based on real life churches in Appalachia? Chef’s kiss. I truly appreciated how the author took just a few characters and a pretty limited setting, and managed to make a fleshed out, full story, without making it feel constricted.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a culturally rich, atmospheric read, and especially for the fans of Quinn Connor!

 

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.