Witches and the witch trials of the seventeenth century feel like a hot topic recently, and it would be easy to allow a sense of ennui set in…if it weren’t for how different the books I’ve read or heard of all are.

And this is an excellent example of that – telling the story of Evey and her sister Dill, it blends historical fact with fantasy, stunning art with beautiful prose.

Written from Evey’s perspective, the writing can take a little adjusting to, but it has a real historical feel. While I am emphatically not a historian so have no frame of reference as to its accuracy, it certainly has the feel of being from another time long past and really helps transport you to the time.

It also has a real poetry about it, both in its structure and phrasing, and in its use of imagery, symbolism and language. This is beautifully matched by the artwork in the book – detailed sketches of the natural world which add atmosphere and which I found myself pausing to study at the start of each chapter.

However, while it is undoubtedly beautiful, it is also unflinching in its confrontation of the witch hunts and trials.

The start of the book really sets the tone as, along with Evey (Eveline of the Birds to give her her full title) and little sister Dill, we witness the brutal beating and murder of their mother. It is a scene that takes your breath away and one that will haunt me, as it haunts Evey throughout the book.

Her mother’s dying wish is for Evey and Dill to find her somewhat estranged sister in a nearby coven. They make their way their, with Evey vowing vengeance and after leaving Dill in their care, she embarks on a mission to hunt the hunters.

And so behind a tale rich in nature and ‘magick’, is a darker tale of betrayal, revenge and over-powering emotions – predominantly love, anger and grief.

Sibling relations also feature strongly, with the complicated and often conflicting emotions and instincts they involve closely examined and sensitively drawn.

This is also a story of human nature. Of mob rule, the power of a crowd and our ability to quickly forget those who have helped us to suit our current needs.

I really liked the way elements of fantasy and magic were brought in, and the way they were SO closely linked with nature. The scene with the crows in particular was vivid and wondrous, despite its violence, and I could not look away.

This was a short but powerful read, written with a unique and compelling voice. I have ordered the finished, physical book and will be keeping my eyes out for whatever Finbar Hawkins does next.

‘Witch’ by Finbar Hawkins and is an astonishing debut, telling the tale of two young sisters in the 17th century as they learn to accept being witches in a world that does not accept them. After witnessing the brutal murder of their mother, Evey and Dill, are in hiding with Evey set on a path of revenge. A battle of magic, sibling rivalry and love commences as Evey comes increasingly close to crossing that dangerous line – a line which once crossed can never be  traversed again. 

Despite being a novel aimed at the YA group, this novel also appealed to me as an adult, the themes are dark and atmospheric enough to hold my attention with many meaningful moments between the characters.

I am a huge fan of any witchy books and this has been a book I have been dying to read for ages and I can confirm that it was utterly AMAZING!

Witch is such a moving, powerful and fast paced story. I read it in two sittings as I could not tear my eyes away from the pages. The setting is very eerie and it is during a period of history where women were taken from their homes and accused of witchcraft and either murdered or taken to trial. It really is a dark story. The very start of the book is so shocking to read about with Evey and her sister witnessing the brutal murder of their mother. This is a tale of revenge and Evey is determined to find the men who killed her mother and make them pay.

I absolutely adored the character of Evey. She is such a brave, strong-willed young girl who at times is a bit headstrong and rash in her decisions but she acts exactly what a young girl her age would do. Her relationship with her little sister Dilly, is tainted with a bit of jealousy and the usual sibling rivalry. But what Evey goes through trying to protect her little sister is very courageous and moving. Evey’s friendship with the kind, loyal Anne really shines a light in this dark book and so do more wonderful characters who eventually come into this brilliant story.

The author’s style of writing is lyrical, stunning and haunting. There is so much of a witchy, creepy atmosphere built up throughout this story that will let your imagination be swept away by these captivating, magical pages.

I honestly could read this book over and over again, it was completely breath-taking and bewitching. It is also the perfect book to read for this time of year sitting all cosy by the fire on these dark nights. I urge readers to buy this incredible book as you will be in for such a magnificent treat. I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher Zephyr for letting me receive a copy of the arc to provide an honest review.

I can't say I was hooked since the first pages because I struggled at the beginning. I persevered and loved this dark, enthralling and well written story.
Great character development and world building, a good plot and storytelling.
I want to read other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Described as " a dark and immersive debut about women, witchcraft and revenge" and with a mysterious and eye catching cover, Witch by Finbar Hawkins sounded right up my alley. Thankfully my gut feeling was reliable and I loved this dark and poetic story set during the English Civil War. 
The book opens dramatically and we are introduced to our narrator Evelyn, or Evie of the Birds as she is called by her little sister Dill, as she witnesses their mother's capture and killing by a band of witch hunters. Haunted and angered by the violence she swears to seek revenge on those involved , but first she must keep the promise she made to her mother, and make sure Dill is safe. The only solution she can think of is to bring her to their aunt, her mother's sister, someone she can trust.  Secure in the knowledge that Dill is being cared for, Evie embarks on a hunt for the men who killed her mother, along the way she will make friends and enemies, and grow to understand more about the woman who raised her and the gifts she has been given. 
This book is incredibly atmospheric, from the imagery to the use of language, reading it felt like I had travelled back in time to a dark and dangerous age. There is a real feeling of fear and superstition that permeates the book, and draws the reader in. Evie is a wonderful character, completely captivating in her determination to avenge her mother and  sympathetic in her loss and grief. Her difficult relationship with her sister is well crafted and very believable, it is easy to feel how she is torn between the duty of the promise she made and the love she feels for Dill, and the jealousy she feels knowing that not only was Dill her mother's favourite, she also inherited her magical abilities. As I said the book opens dramatically and that pace never really lags, the story flows effortlessly to a rousing and powerful conclusion. Despite the magical aspects of the story, the vivid writing style and incorporation of specific historical touchpoints mean the book feels grounded in reality, and the very specific language use adds to that feeling, I really enjoyed the way the author used words and language in an almost poetic way , and this was another reason why I felt the book flowed naturally and was a very engaging read. 
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Witch is the debut YA novel from Finbar Hawkins. Set in 17th century England, a time of civil war and suspicion, Evey and Dill watch as their mother is murdered by four witch-hunters. Daughters of a true witch, they have each inherited her powers, but only Evey becomes intent on avenging her mother’s death, betraying her sister in the process. The hunters become the hunted and as Evey grows into her power, the line between magic for healing and magic to harm becomes increasingly easy to cross

I enjoyed this young adult novel not only for its historical setting, but for the ambiguity around Evey and magic as a tool for good or ill. Evey was not always likeable in her thoughts or actions, but this allowed the novel to be more complex than a simple narrative of good versus evil. 

Huge thanks to @headofzeus and @netgalley for my ARC and can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of that cover

In 17th-century England, civil war rages and witches have become pawns in a plot to oust the king. Red-haired Evey does not want to be a witch, but she cannot deny the magick coursing through her veins. In a country seething with civil war, superstition, dread and dark forces are at work. A storm is coming. After witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by witch-hunters, Evey vows to avenge her and track down her killers. Fury burns in her bright and strong. But she has promised her mother that she will keep Dill, her little sister, safe. Dill: the gifted one, their mother's favourite. Dill, who their mother entrusted with the scrying stone, which should rightfully be Evey's. Battling a terrible jealousy of Dill, Evey seizes the scrying stone and abandons her little sister with their aunt Grey at the coven in the woods. Even though Evey longs to be free, she has a promise to keep, and she cannot rest until justice is done. She sets off to town where the men who murdered her mother are gathering for the witch trials. But as the lust for blood and retribution rises to fever pitch, will Evey keep true to the bonds of sisterhood and to the magick that is her destiny?

Witch is the debut novel of Finbar Hawkins and a breathtaking story about the power of women, witchcraft, fury, revenge and the ties that bind us. It is the perfect autumn treat for when the nights draw in and you wish to curl up with a good book by the fire. It captures the intense nature of sibling rivalry so eloquently and in such a compelling fashion that I was bereft when I reached the end of the book. If you enjoy stories filled with dark magic, beautifully wrought and quick-paced, then this is a must-read. Impressively balancing magic and realism, it is a strong starter and starts as it means to go on; right from the opening page, Hawkins knows exactly how to grab your attention with this strange, enticing delight. Original, opulent, exciting and, perhaps most importantly, enchanting. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Zephyr for an ARC.

Initially I found it hard to get into due to the writing style but I persevered and really grew to love the story and the characters.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2020/10/01/witch-by-finbar-hawkins/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Beautiful, brutal, tale of revenge

Witch is an unusual story set in a particularly frightening period of history when women and children were taken from their homes and brutalised on the most flimsy of pretexts.  

I will start this review just by mentioning that there will be triggers for some readers amongst these pages, the opening chapters in fact contain the murder of Evey and Dill’s mother and being set in a time of civil war definitely gives this book a feeling of things being on a knife edge, like bloody violence is a real possibility that could erupt with almost any turn of the page.  This isn’t a sweet, or Disney style take on witches so be aware.

As the story begins, as mentioned, Dill and Evey witness (from afar) the murder of their mother at the hands of men accusing her of witchcraft.  The two girls run and hide and their mother makes Evey promise to take her little sister to their aunt for safety’s sake.  Evey is hellbent on revenge, consumed by the need for it in fact and this is the fuel for the majority of the story.

In terms of plot, well this really is as simple as I’ve mentioned above.  This is a tale of one girl’s determination to avenge her dead mother.  Of course there are ups and downs, mistakes and mishaps along the way, usually driven by Evey’s lack of planning or impulsive and often times reckless behaviour.  

The characters.  Evey is an angry young woman.  She’s angry about her mother’s death, she’s angry at her newfound responsibility, she’s angry that her mother seemed to favour Dill to such an extent that she left her scrying stone to Dill instead of her.  There’s a complexity of emotions running amok, anger, jealousy, resentment, sorrow, and this makes Evey a difficult and complex character.  I liked that she could be sometimes annoying, it lends her the cloak of reality.  Dill is the sweet younger sister.  She’s much more measured and self assured.  She has an affinity with animals and seems to be more like her mother than Evey.  We have another character called Anne, daughter to a nobleman Anne carried a lot of sorrow which makes her desire to help Evey a littler easier to understand.  There is perhaps an element of ‘insta-friendship’ going on here but I went with it given the element of sadness that both characters shared.

Without doubt, for me, the winning element of this book is also maybe the element that will put some readers off – the style of writing.  It’s beautiful, lyrical, haunting, atmospheric and simple.  It seems to capture the time and voice of the period and I loved reading it.  It’s also a strange counterbalance to the violence it depicts, it’s as though I was enjoying the author’s style so much that it sometimes belied the events unfolding on the page.  It feels old fashioned and yet accessible.  I think it maybe took me a few pages to get into the style but then I was pretty much swept away and I read the book in one sitting, unable to put it down.

In terms of criticisms.  Nothing major.  The fantasy elements only really come into play during the last few chapters, up to that point this could be a historical novel depicting a period where women were persecuted for being strong or resourceful.  I think the plot is very simple, but, again, I didn’t find this a problem as I was enjoying the way in which the story is told more than the drama of what was taking place. 

In conclusion, I enjoyed Witch.  I would say that it was quite different from what I was expecting – and I’m not sure why that is, perhaps the cover (which I love by the way) maybe led me to think this would be a much lighter take on witches when the reality is quite the opposite. A beautifully grim depiction of harsh times and the strength found in friendship and sisterhood.  

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

I am a sucker for any book which has witches and so had to read this one.

This book is a darker book and deals with the darker side of humans and how witches were treated back on the 17th century. 

The sisters relationship is deep and meaningful and as someone how has a sister I felt alot of the MC feelings in my own relationship with my sister

A huge thank to netgalley and Head of Zeus for this arc!

Witch, for lack of better words was a lovely book and I say that as it didn’t quite reach beautiful for me but was nowhere near a bad book! I really wish this was a book I had found about 10 years ago because there was this real nostalgia to when I found my first fantasy books.

There’s great concept in this revenge tale set upon these foundations of family and magic; it’s a unique, quiet gem that I think is in a small minority of books because it’s something on its own.

The writing was a bit bizarre, it couldn’t decide if it was good or basic, not bad, but as I perceived it like that it took me in and out of the story.

Witch is a short, autumnal read, with some great illustrations within that add to the chill in the air feel; all I will say is it’s not a top of the list book but worth a read to help a slump maybe? Fill a hole where you can’t pick something to read.

I think the truthful conclusion to this book is that it’s cover is the strength in getting people curious. I’ve given it 3 stars because it leans just that little bit but I’d say my actual review is about 2.5.

This is a magical debut full of strong women, magic and fast action. The chases involving the witch hunters are dramatic and keep you holding your breath until the very end. The writing is beautiful and the character of Evey is described in intimate detail as we learn her torment and anguish following her mother's death. This is balanced well with the characters of Dill and Anne, who see the good in Evey and help her with her quest.

I was first drawn in by the beautiful cover, and hoped it would be the perfect book for autumn. However, I really struggled with this book, both the way it was written, and the characters and plot. 
I found the writing style and language used really hard to get into, although the dialogue may have been how they spoke at the time, it was jarring to read, and I didn’t enjoy it. There were also times when I wasn’t really sure what was going on due to the choppy writing style. I also felt like the plot had no flow, it was just short scenes in lots of different places, with no world-building. 

I don’t think it helped that I didn’t like any of the characters either. Evey and Dill’s relationship was unbelievably frustrating, and this meant that I wasn’t as invested in their fate as I should have been. Other characters were quickly introduced but lacked any characterisation so also fell a bit flat. I think a big issue is that the story moves at such a fast pace that very little time is then left to flesh out characters and their motivations.

Overall an interesting premise, but the writing really let it down. There was very little characterisation to anyone, plus the plot felt so rushed that it lacked the vivid descriptions I was hoping for. Disappointing since the cover is so beautiful. 

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this beautiful cover and even more intrigued when I read the blurb but sadly this book just wasn’t for me. 

At the start of story, we see Evey and her younger sister Dill witness the murder of their mother by a group of witch hunters. Evey swears to avenge her death and we see her set off to seek that vengeance.

Witch should have been a quick, easy read for me but unfortunately I didn’t like the writing style or language used, the story didn’t grip me like I expected it to (which made it drag) and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters which meant I just wasn’t interested in the outcome.

 1.5 stars  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for a honest review

To begin with I was not a fan of this book, but it grew on me. 
I liked the overall story that it told though the way in which it was written was confusing at times and a little off-putting though the style of writing was historically correct for the time period in which the story was based.
Overall this book was an easy, quick read and I cannot fault the author as it must've taken a lot of time and research to have the characters speak in the way they did.

Evey and Dill are the daughter of a healer and watch as their Mother is brutally murdered by witch hunters. They must now save themselves. They must run.

Evey vows to seek revenge on the men who killed their Mother. Evey and Dill set off on their journey. So far into the journey they meet their Aunt Grey and Evey feels it safest for Dill to stay with her.

Evey embarks on her quest for revenge. Along the way she meets some enemies and also Anna who becomes her closest friend. When Evey realises that her sister Dill has been captured by the witch hunters and is to stand trial her quest becomes even more urgent.

The darkness rises in Evey. She must keep it at bay but can she rescue her sister and the other innocents from the gallows before it's too late.

This book bought me great deal of nostalgia. It reminded me of the magic I felt as a child when I would sit down and watch The Chronicles of Narnia. I was hooked from the first page. 

I really felt close to the sisters on their journeys and it reminded me of the bond I have with my own sister. My heart broke for them and I gasped at certain scenes.

It is beautifully written story that will pull you under to a dark, magical and mystical world.

I was drawn by the cover on this I’ll admit it and sadly the book didn’t match the gorgeous cover, I just wasn’t drawn or interested by the story, I found it dull and hard to keep interested at all. The writing style wasn’t for me and it just didn’t flow at all.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thank you to Netgalley and Zephyr publishing for e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Hawkins has created a dark atmospheric book which is a perfect short read. However; this is not a fluffy autumn book and contains some distressing scenes. I would advise readers to find a full list of Trigger Warnings. 

Witch follows the tale of young Evey and her journey to avenge her mother, who was brutally murdered for being a Witch. Evey and her sister, Dill, must find the coven for safety, and avoid the witch hunters. 

I found this book to be unique in its writing style; quite short lines that read like verse. It could sometimes be hard to get into and follow, but for the most part, worked like a charm in the bleak world that Hawkins created. 

Although the world is bleak and full of despair, there are heartwarming moments of light, in the form of friendship and family.

I found the premise of the book to be interesting and I was gripped in the beginning but something felt off about the book to me and I can't pinpoint exactly what it was. I feel like I wanted more depth to the characters and how they felt. There seemed to be a very basic and surface level motives backing the characters and I just wanted more. Wasn't a bad novel, it was quick and easy but I prefer for the novels I read to give more insight into people.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zephyr publishing for my gifted eARC in return for my honest review.
Well this was a strange little book. It’s cruel, sad and lovely. The writing is conversational and at times things felt a little muddled. I liked Evey and Dill and their relationship felt true. Anne was an odd one, the friendship with Evey bordering on more but also rushed in beginnings. The story itself felt rushed at times too. The main scene towards the end all blurred past with little to no description of things, I love detail and would have liked more. I enjoyed it but it could have been so much better.