The Year of the Witching is a dark fantasy novel written by Alexis Henderson, published in 2020. The novel is set in a dystopian world where witchcraft is strictly forbidden, and the protagonist, a young woman named Miryam, finds herself caught in the midst of a brewing conflict between the religious regime and a secretive group of witches.

Plot Summary

The story begins with Miryam, who has been raised in a strict religious community called The Church of the Latter-Day Witch. As the daughter of the church’s most influential family, she is expected to follow the rules and traditions of the community. However, when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, Miryam begins to question the church’s teachings and the world she has been raised in.

As she explores the forbidden aspects of witchcraft, she meets a group of witches led by a charismatic figure named Luray. This encounter sets her on a path of self-discovery and rebellion against the oppressive regime of the church. The witches reveal to her a prophecy that she is destined to play a crucial role in the coming conflict between the church and their secretive organization.

Miryam’s journey takes her through a series of trials and challenges, both physical and emotional, as she navigates the complex world of witchcraft and the dangers it presents. Along the way, she forms alliances with other rebels and learns to harness her own powers. As the prophecy unfolds, Miryam must confront the dark truths of her past and embrace her destiny as a powerful witch.

A young woman living in a strict, puritanical society discovers the dark power within herself in this stunning feminist fantasy.

In the land of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of another race has thrown her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle tries her best to worship the Father, follow the Holy Rite, and live a life of absolute obedience, devotion, and compliance, just like everyone else. women in the settlement.

But an accident drew her into the forbidden Darkwood forest around Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their souls still lurk there, and they give a gift to Immanuelle: the diary of her deceased mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought shelter in the forest.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have been associated with witches. But as she begins to learn harsh truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she began to understand that if Bethel wanted change, it had to start with her.

I don’t think I’ve read a book this quickly since Harry Potter when I was a teenager. I think I really wanted to get to the core of the story but it never got there. I really liked the feeling of being transported to another time but in the end nothing really added up.

First, the story until the end is basically just a retelling of the plot of most religions; Religious leaders – all men – promise salvation and prosperity by obeying the religion’s laws, women obey but are still stripped of all rights and violated on many levels , after which some women tried to stand up against it but in the end did not receive the support of the government. other women were “true believers” or could not risk the consequences of disapproval. And then the ending is just a strange combination of events where suddenly all the women in the parish, in just about an hour, go from mocking the main character and lustfully calling for her to be burned alive, to inexplicably supporting her (is that what we call feminism in this story?). I actually felt it was a bit anti-feminist, portraying the women of the town as sheep.

• The Year of the Witching

• By: Alexis Henderson

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