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corsetedfeminist 's review for:
Motheater
by Linda H. Codega
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC copy of this book, and this is my honest review.
I DNFed this book at about 40%.
The main character, Bennie is incredibly flat and I couldn’t care less about her.
Motheater is a more interesting character, and I did sort of care about her, but all the questions about her are answered almost immediately in flashback chapters, which robs us of trying to figure out those questions throughout the book.
However, what made me DNF the book was the sloppy way that Appalachian Folk Magic and Appalachian styles of Christianity are dealt with. I don’t so much mind that Snake Handling Christians are described as existing before such things became popular, but Motheater’s father is repeatedly described as Pentecostal decades before the denomination existed- especially when various fundamentalist Baptists did exist them that could have been adapted for the purpose.
As a person from Appalachian who currently practices witchcraft largely based on Appalachian Folk Magic, the treatment of our traditions as the basis of the magic system in this book is incredibly sloppy. For example, Motheater refers to herself as a witch when women who practiced witchcraft in the era that she grew up in would have been offended to consider it witchcraft— it was simply what everyone did. You could change that, but you would need a reason for why the same levels of strict Christianity existed without the same taboos on witchcraft and witches.
Beyond that, practices clearly lifted from our folk Magic practices are used without understanding how they are used in real life to be able to translate that into fantasy. That’s why Motheater is constantly, constantly quoting Bible verses, sometimes for no reason at all. She uses herbs for cursing, but not the herbs I would use for cursing and not in any recognizable fashion.
In short, while the concept is really intriguing, the story itself badly needs the advice of current practitioners of Appalachian Folk Magic and historians of the tradition. I would hope that the author knows that current practitioners of these traditions exist, but it’s hard to tell based on the book.
I DNFed this book at about 40%.
The main character, Bennie is incredibly flat and I couldn’t care less about her.
Motheater is a more interesting character, and I did sort of care about her, but all the questions about her are answered almost immediately in flashback chapters, which robs us of trying to figure out those questions throughout the book.
However, what made me DNF the book was the sloppy way that Appalachian Folk Magic and Appalachian styles of Christianity are dealt with. I don’t so much mind that Snake Handling Christians are described as existing before such things became popular, but Motheater’s father is repeatedly described as Pentecostal decades before the denomination existed- especially when various fundamentalist Baptists did exist them that could have been adapted for the purpose.
As a person from Appalachian who currently practices witchcraft largely based on Appalachian Folk Magic, the treatment of our traditions as the basis of the magic system in this book is incredibly sloppy. For example, Motheater refers to herself as a witch when women who practiced witchcraft in the era that she grew up in would have been offended to consider it witchcraft— it was simply what everyone did. You could change that, but you would need a reason for why the same levels of strict Christianity existed without the same taboos on witchcraft and witches.
Beyond that, practices clearly lifted from our folk Magic practices are used without understanding how they are used in real life to be able to translate that into fantasy. That’s why Motheater is constantly, constantly quoting Bible verses, sometimes for no reason at all. She uses herbs for cursing, but not the herbs I would use for cursing and not in any recognizable fashion.
In short, while the concept is really intriguing, the story itself badly needs the advice of current practitioners of Appalachian Folk Magic and historians of the tradition. I would hope that the author knows that current practitioners of these traditions exist, but it’s hard to tell based on the book.