Hauntingly beautiful, had my eyes glued to the pages, the text as well as the stunning artworks. If you consider reading it, do it and thank me later.

I LOVE the art in this book, in fact it was the art that made me pick it up in the first place and I do not regret it. I love the story and how Brom portrays his characters. He has, I feel, a rather unique writing style which makes it not easy to read but not difficult either. I feel that the story could have been more though, longer perhaps. Maybe then it would have been a five star read for me. But I couldn’t truly tell you what would make it better because it is really good, it just needed that extra something for me. Nevertheless I loved the gory, bloody nature of the story and am excited to read more from Brom. Also, admittedly, because I fell in love with the design of the book. His art is gorgeously dark and every page carries that same character. Love it.

Abitha wurde von ihrem streng religiösen Vater in die neue Welt verheiratet. Hier lebt sie nun am Rand der Wildniss mit ihrem Ehemann auf einer kleinen Farm, wo sie versuchen die Schuld an dessen Bruder abzuarbeiten und die Farm ihr eigen nennen zu können. Arbeit und Leben sind hart und die kleine puritanische Gemeinde neben der sie leben, macht es nicht einfacher. Zu schwer fällt es Abitha sich an die ganzen Regeln und Verbote der verbitterten Dorfbewohner zu halten und dann ist da noch etwas in der Höhle am Rand ihrer Farm. Etwas Uraltes, das lange geschlafen hat und nun dabei ist, zu erwachen. Als der Roman das erste Mal in den sozialen Medien erwähnt wurde, hab ich mir sofort im Kalender notiert, ab wann das eBook vorbestellt werden kann und ich habe fast ein halbes Jahr auf die Veröffentlichung hingefiebert und das Warten hat sich gelohnt. Es ist ein düsteres Gruselmärchen aus einer dunklen Zeit. Wie bereits aus seinen anderen Romanen gewohnt, spielt Brom virtuos mit den alten Mythen und erschafft etwas neues und einzigartiges, das den Leser sofort fesselt und mitreißt. Ich würde so weit gehen, dass Slewfoot genau so gut ist, wie der grandiose Kinderdieb. Auf jeden Fall ist es mein absolutes Jahreshighlight. Ein wundervolles Buch und ich hoffe für alle Leser hier in D, dass sich wieder ein Verlag findet, der Broms beide neuere Werke ins Deutsche übersetzt, damit sie einer breiteren Leserschaft zugänglich werden. Lost Gods ist auch immer noch unübersetzt.

Usually I‘m no seasonal reader and this year it was more of a coincidence than on purpose. Nevertheless, „Slewfoot“ by Brom was the perfect spooky, witchy read for me. It is a folk horror tale set in puritan America. We follow Abithas journey through the hardships of loosing her husband and all the misery her brother-in-law has in store for her. She has to fight misogyny and mistreatment, superstition and suppression and she does not yield easily. Yet, the Puritans don’t agree with her strong will and intelligence… but someone else certainly does. The Devil in this book is a very refreshing take on the matter, as Slewfoot is an ancient god who doesn’t yet remember who he truly was. His disciples try to influence him, to defend the forest against the human infestation and reclaim their land, but he doesn’t feel like war is the answer. The slowly developing dynamic between Slewfoot and Abitha is a wonderful twist on devils and witches and shows us, how magic can connect human and nature and empower those in need. The writing in this book is atmospheric and beautiful but can be lengthy at times. Yet, Broms choice of an older English language aids the immersion into 17th century America and makes the setting more than just believable. The depiction of the churches power over people, especially women, was truly chilling and I hoped and prayed for Abitha to succeed in the end, even for all the obstacles thrown in her way. Though the book had a few ups and downs concerning pacing, the ending was a wonderful depiction of female rage and I‘m all for it. Plus, the Epiloge is truly delightful in a spooky sense. If you want to know what I‘m talking about, you’ll have to read the book. So, if you are looking for a witchy book about natures spirits and magic, that is also a bit creepy, look no further.

This is exactly what I was looking for! Folk horror, witchy tale without being cheesy and overdone. I loved every second of it. Picture the movie THE VVITCH but way better. Also the paintings of the author???? 10/10 I love them so much! The way witchcraft and spirits are described is beautiful. And now I kinda want a tattoo of the character Forest