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Slewfoot
A Tale of Bewitchery
320 pages
A dark, gothic descent into colonial paranoia where an outcast's alliance with an ancient spirit ignites a terrifying and triumphant vengeance.
What it feels like
Immerse yourself in a dread-soaked, gothic vision of colonial New England, where the oppressive piety of a Puritan village collides with the ancient, untamed magic of the dark woods. This propulsive historical horror reads with an ominous and defiant tone, pulling you into the desperate isolation of a vulnerable outcast who finds her only salvation in a terrifying woodland spirit. The prose is darkly atmospheric, wrapping the reader in a chilling sense of escalating paranoia and impending bloodshed. As the emotional arc shifts from profound vulnerability to a fierce, destructive triumph, the narrative explores the brutal clash between pagan nature and rigid civilization. It is a deeply satisfying read for anyone who delights in vengeful, witchy tales where the marginalized embrace the monstrous to burn their oppressors to the ground.
- Mood
- dread-soaked
- gothic
- eerie
- vengeful
- Tone
- dark
- ominous
- defiant
- intense
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- religious hypocrisy · vengeance and empowerment · nature versus civilization · the nature of monstrosity · isolation and survival
- The writing
- Darkly atmospheric and evocative, leaning heavily into the gothic dread and historical texture of colonial New England.
- The arc
- Moves from vulnerable isolation and dread to a fierce, destructive, and triumphant vengeance.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave dark, gothic historical fantasy where marginalized outcasts embrace monstrous alliances to exact vengeance on oppressive societies.
Content notes
- religious persecution
- bloodshed
- grief and widowhood
- violence
About the book
Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it.
An ancient spirit awakens in a dark wood. The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector.
The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil.
To Abitha, a recently widowed outcast, alone and vulnerable in her pious village, he is the only one she can turn to for help.
Together, they ignite a battle between pagan and Puritan – one that threatens to destroy the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes and bloodshed in their wake.
“If it is a devil you seek, then it is a devil you shall have!”
Description from Open Library.
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