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A review by fromjuliereads
Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
**Thank you to Alcove Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
There were quite a few aspects of this book that I really liked! But things started to go a little downhill for me after the halfway mark. To be honest, the 3 stars feels a little like a generous rating, but that's more for the pieces that I did like.
Okay, for the things that I did like:
- The magic system is for women. Only women have abilities and magic, and that was such a unique concept that I really liked! Just a warning though that women only reach their powers through the trauma that they have experienced in their lives. That is how their magic manifests. It's a unique and interesting system, but it relies on the fact that all women experience trauma - which of course has truth, but is kind of sad to see. I do like how it harnesses it into being their source of power and strength.
- I liked the characters. Prudence is actually a great character. She has growth and her motives change based on what they were in the past and at the beginning of the book. She is strong, powerful, and looks out for not only herself but others that she cares about. Puck is also a great character, who changed up his life from the past Puck that Prudence knew, and is a caring - yet slightly overbearing - father. Him and Prudence re-connecting is fantastic. I also really liked the side characters, like Mari, Beatrice, and Arcadie. Arcadie and Mari are such fantastic characters, and are so integral to the story. Same with Bea. She is the whole reason for the story.
Now the things that I didn't like:
- This is such a petty one, but what is with all the characters with "P" names? Prudence, Puck, Paris. It got a little annoying to constantly be ready Pru and Puck together. But that's probably just me...
- Paris, the "villain," who doesn't really amount to a full villain, gets chapters from his perspective. I don't understand why we get a POV from him. I pretty much never want the "why" behind a villain other than their reasons and why they are doing what they are doing. Honestly, the backstory didn't add to anything for his character. It gave a little detail as to why he was following Hale, but I think that could have been given to the readers in other ways. His chapters especially felt unnecessary with the ending of the book. Which just made me more annoyed that I had to read them.
- Like I said, I found the magic system unique. But there was never anything really explained for the "rules" of the magic, and it seemingly changed halfway through. We all of a sudden found out that there was a process the men could do to gain their own powers, but based on the women's magic. BUT then it changes and adds new things halfway through that honestly didn't make sense with the rest of the story and the magic. I like things to be clear for how the magic system works, not adding in new things part way through the story.
- I think my biggest issue, is that this didn't really seem like a romantasy to me? I would argue this is fantasy with some romance... the two characters don't get together until almost the end of the book, and then the way that it ends kind of gives a hint that there are going to be a lot more barriers for them to be together.
I also never saw anything that this was going to be a series - in the synopsis or on the bookish apps. But this definitely ends with a cliffhanger, so prepare yourself that this will be a series.
This definitely isn't a bad book, I just had my own issues with how certain things played out or were set up in the book. I think it can definitely work for a lot of people.
There were quite a few aspects of this book that I really liked! But things started to go a little downhill for me after the halfway mark. To be honest, the 3 stars feels a little like a generous rating, but that's more for the pieces that I did like.
Okay, for the things that I did like:
- The magic system is for women. Only women have abilities and magic, and that was such a unique concept that I really liked! Just a warning though that women only reach their powers through the trauma that they have experienced in their lives. That is how their magic manifests. It's a unique and interesting system, but it relies on the fact that all women experience trauma - which of course has truth, but is kind of sad to see. I do like how it harnesses it into being their source of power and strength.
- I liked the characters. Prudence is actually a great character. She has growth and her motives change based on what they were in the past and at the beginning of the book. She is strong, powerful, and looks out for not only herself but others that she cares about. Puck is also a great character, who changed up his life from the past Puck that Prudence knew, and is a caring - yet slightly overbearing - father. Him and Prudence re-connecting is fantastic. I also really liked the side characters, like Mari, Beatrice, and Arcadie. Arcadie and Mari are such fantastic characters, and are so integral to the story. Same with Bea. She is the whole reason for the story.
Now the things that I didn't like:
- This is such a petty one, but what is with all the characters with "P" names? Prudence, Puck, Paris. It got a little annoying to constantly be ready Pru and Puck together. But that's probably just me...
- Paris, the "villain," who doesn't really amount to a full villain, gets chapters from his perspective. I don't understand why we get a POV from him. I pretty much never want the "why" behind a villain other than their reasons and why they are doing what they are doing. Honestly, the backstory didn't add to anything for his character. It gave a little detail as to why he was following Hale, but I think that could have been given to the readers in other ways. His chapters especially felt unnecessary with the ending of the book. Which just made me more annoyed that I had to read them.
- Like I said, I found the magic system unique. But there was never anything really explained for the "rules" of the magic, and it seemingly changed halfway through. We all of a sudden found out that there was a process the men could do to gain their own powers, but based on the women's magic. BUT then it changes and adds new things halfway through that honestly didn't make sense with the rest of the story and the magic. I like things to be clear for how the magic system works, not adding in new things part way through the story.
- I think my biggest issue, is that this didn't really seem like a romantasy to me? I would argue this is fantasy with some romance... the two characters don't get together until almost the end of the book, and then the way that it ends kind of gives a hint that there are going to be a lot more barriers for them to be together.
I also never saw anything that this was going to be a series - in the synopsis or on the bookish apps. But this definitely ends with a cliffhanger, so prepare yourself that this will be a series.
This definitely isn't a bad book, I just had my own issues with how certain things played out or were set up in the book. I think it can definitely work for a lot of people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol