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A review by sproutedpages
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Honey Witch is a sapphic fantasy novel set in the early 1830’s, following twenty one year old Marigold as she leaves her home in Bardshire to learn magic from her grandmother, Althaea, the Honey Witch of Innisfree. Marigold begins The Honey WItch quite naive, but matures through the novel’s exploration of themes like: grief, loneliness, found family, love, and self-discovery.
This is a queernormative world, though prior to her departure from Bardshire, Marigold’s mother expects her to attend debutante balls to find a suitable spouse because, lacking some sort of talent, she has only the potential to become a wife (in Marigold’s words). This seems like a strangely misogynistic framework for a world where women must certainly be allowed to hold regular employment, own property, etc. so Marigold should surely also have opportunities available to herself beyond just marriage.
The antagonist has potential, but ultimately feels more like a spectral presence than an actual threat until very near the end of the novel, and her motivations and objectives are not always abundantly clear. Similarly, the love interest is not introduced until about one third of the way through the novel, and behaves rather antagonistically for a length of time, so the full scope of the curse afflicting Marigold is not revealed until quite near the end of The Honey Witch.
The prose was not as flowery as might be expected from a novel about tending plants and caring for honeybees, but still manages to be atmospheric and lush. The land of Innisfree seems to be based on the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by W.B. Yeats, and author Sidney J. Shields does convey a similar sense of peaceful solitude within her version.
The Honey Witch is likely to be best enjoyed by those seeking sapphic representation, who might also enjoy elements reminiscent of: Practical Magic, Halloweentown, and loose references to the regency era.
Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and author Sidney J. Shields for providing me with a digital copy of this novel to review. All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.
The antagonist has potential, but ultimately feels more like a spectral presence than an actual threat until very near the end of the novel, and her motivations and objectives are not always abundantly clear. Similarly, the love interest is not introduced until about one third of the way through the novel, and behaves rather antagonistically for a length of time, so the full scope of the curse afflicting Marigold is not revealed until quite near the end of The Honey Witch.
The prose was not as flowery as might be expected from a novel about tending plants and caring for honeybees, but still manages to be atmospheric and lush. The land of Innisfree seems to be based on the poem ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ by W.B. Yeats, and author Sidney J. Shields does convey a similar sense of peaceful solitude within her version.
The Honey Witch is likely to be best enjoyed by those seeking sapphic representation, who might also enjoy elements reminiscent of: Practical Magic, Halloweentown, and loose references to the regency era.
Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books, and author Sidney J. Shields for providing me with a digital copy of this novel to review. All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Miscarriage