The Orphan Witch was a 5 star read for me, so when I saw Crutcher had a new book set to release, I raced to request an ARC of it. Sadly, it took me almost half of the book to get into the story, and I would have given up on it before that point had it not been an ARC. I am glad I stuck with it because things did eventually turn around.
In the first half of the book, the writing was lyrical, but it made reading it clunky and slowed down the pacing because the prose didn’t fit in with character dialog. The main part of the book’s description mentions Dove, Brigid’s sick daughter, but she has so little to do in this book. Her role is minute, and we only see her briefly in the beginning and once towards the end. It’s hard to empathize with Brigid when we see so little of this child she fought so hard for. We’re told a good chunk of the story through the unveiling of Brigid’s memory, but her emotions feel shallow. I believe in Knightley’s love for Brigid because we see it happening in real time. But the way Brigid’s memory unfolds, it doesn’t come across as “her great love.”
Once I hit the halfway mark, the pacing picked up, the prose leveled out to suit the dialog, and it became much more enjoyable. Here is where I found the most to enjoy. I liked the connection between Brigid, Ophelia, and Finola and loved watching them work together. I also liked the Witches of Knight and hope they will be part of the story down the road. Lastly, I enjoyed the lore woven into the storyline. I definitely want to see what the next book will have in store. Thank you, St. Martin’s, for sending this along.
Book Links
Releasing December 27th
About the Book
1922. The town of Evermore off the coast of Ireland is under the protection of a Goddess. She has bestowed power upon village healer Brigid Heron to ensure the heart of magic within the Lough of Brionglóid—the lake of dreams—remains untouched. For the witches of Knight want to absorb its powerful energies and release the Damned from the Otherworld. Brigid has devoted her whole life to being Evermore’s guardian, immersing herself in witchcraft, and sacrificing her own dreams. Until Luc Knightly, a trickster god with his own claim on the lough, offers Brigid her heart’s desire in exchange for betraying her Goddess’s trust.
2022. A century later, Evermore is under siege. The witches of Knight wield chaos magic, opening the rift between the island and the Otherworld wider every day. Beings born from folklore nightmares prey on the villagers, consuming their very humanity. Ophelia Gallagher, Brigid’s descendent, and her fellow witch Finola McEntire do their best to keep the monsters and mayhem at bay.
Brigid awakens in this world with no memory of how she traveled into the future, and why Evermore has been cursed. To seal the lough and stop the witches of Knight, she must work with Ophelia and Finola to help her remember the events of a hundred years ago. But the knowledge she seeks lies with Luc Knightly himself–mysterious, handsome, and powerful–and the one who once upon a time granted Brigid her dearest wish—a daughter.
To save Evermore, Brigid may have to lose her daughter—again…
Rae's Reading Lounge 
Nice review! I’m glad you stuck with it
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Thank you, and me too!
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