I Think This Book is WAY Overhyped🙃 Review for “Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery” by Brom

One thing about me, I love a good story about the Puritans; especially if there is some spookiness sprinkled in. One of my all time favorite books is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne… that should prove that I am about some Puritan fiction😅 I also love The Crucible by Arthur Miller so I went into Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery by Brom hoping for a fun, spooky combination of those books.

I saw this book recommended repeatedly on Tiktok but I didn’t look too deeply into the actual story. I assumed it was horror but it’s really more historical fantasy with a hint of creepiness. This is a very hyped book and I wanted to love it but unfortunately, I did not. This review will have spoilers.

Synopsis:

A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.

Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken … and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch.

Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts.

My Thoughts:

• Rating- 

Slewfoot is stunningly boring. It started off strong. I was intrigued by Abitha, her husband and their life in a Puritan colony. Abitha is strong willed and honestly, never knows when to shut up. Her husband seemed to be a sweet man and I liked them together but he’s killed before the story even really gets going. Once her husband is killed, Abitha has to struggle to keep the farm functioning so that her husband’s horrible brother doesn’t take over. She also has a cat named Booka and honestly, he was my favorite.

Once Abitha met Slewfoot, this book became tedious. Slewfoot is a forest god who has lost most of his memories. He’s able to help Abitha’s crops grow… and that’s basically it. I didn’t know a forest god could be so dull but Slewfoot is. The majority of this book is Slewfoot trying to recover his memories and Abitha trying to save her farm. There is magic and a bit of creepiness but there was nothing that held my attention. Abitha is arrested for witchcraft and that leads to a dramatic scene at the end where she gets revenge on her terrible neighbors but even this was very meh.

Final Thoughts:

Everyone has different tastes in books but I have to say, I’m surprised this one is as popular as it is. It has no depth, doesn’t feel historical and is just bland. If you’ve read it, I’d love to know what you think! Thanks for reading!