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The Famine Witch
Belfast, 1847. They would come to call it Black ‘47.
A town on the brink, ravaged by the Great Hunger sweeping across the island of Ireland. A town living in fear as a crazed killer stalks the streets at night, butchering young women. They call him Bloody Hands.
Amidst the chaos, nineteen-year-old Maggie Malone and her young brother, Jinks, fight to survive each day. But there is worse to come when a mysterious ship limps into port, having miraculously emerged from a savage storm. A ship carrying death itself, summoned by a malevolent force that has haunted the mountain overlooking Belfast for centuries, hellbent on devastation and ruin. They call her The Black Lady.
Maggie and Jinks become unwitting pawns as Bloody Hands and The Black Lady take their ancient feud to new levels of barbarism, threatening the future of Belfast and its hapless population. Can Maggie unlock the dormant power within her and save Belfast from toppling into the abyss? Can she transform into the savior that the people so desperately need?
Can she become The Famine Witch?
A town on the brink, ravaged by the Great Hunger sweeping across the island of Ireland. A town living in fear as a crazed killer stalks the streets at night, butchering young women. They call him Bloody Hands.
Amidst the chaos, nineteen-year-old Maggie Malone and her young brother, Jinks, fight to survive each day. But there is worse to come when a mysterious ship limps into port, having miraculously emerged from a savage storm. A ship carrying death itself, summoned by a malevolent force that has haunted the mountain overlooking Belfast for centuries, hellbent on devastation and ruin. They call her The Black Lady.
Maggie and Jinks become unwitting pawns as Bloody Hands and The Black Lady take their ancient feud to new levels of barbarism, threatening the future of Belfast and its hapless population. Can Maggie unlock the dormant power within her and save Belfast from toppling into the abyss? Can she transform into the savior that the people so desperately need?
Can she become The Famine Witch?
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2024
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September 22, 2025
Desecration
Black 47. The Great Hunger of 1847 to 1849 saw unthinkable misery and human suffering with roughly one million Irish deaths from starvation or disease. This is the backdrop of Stephen Black’s “The Famine Witch.” This was a time of nightmares.
The plot begins two hundred years earlier, with Belfast plagued by a supernatural serial killer, “Bloody Hands," who butchered and fed on the lives of young women. One victim he set up was Fionnuala, the legendary Black Lady, framed as a witch and subsequently put to death in a scapegoating frenzy. She cursed not only Bloody Hands, but on the whole of Belfast.
“She would have her vengeance.”
So now it is the time of famine. Bloody Hands is once again soaking the city streets in the blood of his victims. Fionnuala steers a disease infested ship into the harbor, primed to spread more death. A girl named Maggie, vaguely a disciple of The Black Lady, is cast as a puppet in the battle between the two supernatural enemies. The fate of Belfast, of the whole of Ireland, is in the balance.
“The Famine Witch” is well written. It is populated with evil villains and a very few honest souls who rise to seemingly insurmountable challenges. The pacing is quick and the action pays off satisfactorily in the inevitable confrontations. I would rate this somewhere between a three and four.
But...
I am torn. Black 47 can seem like untold years ago, something out of the Dark Ages. Yet, there is the history and the stories handed down from family about the masses dying in the street. I am not sure the horror needs to be embellished with witchcraft and the supernatural. The greed, the callousness, the utter disregard for a whole nation of people is enough. Accounts of The Holocaust need only to be spoken, I could not fathom distorting them with fantasy. So, yes, this time of Irish genocide is a trigger for me… one that bothered me more after finishing the book.
In the Preface the author posts a warning: “A dark, foreboding story that told of vengeful witches and bloodthirsty demons, yet nothing compared to the real horrors that befell the people of Belfast in 1847.” There is also an “Appendix B,” a trigger index. So, again, this is a well written tale– I just have mixed feelings about the need to play in this graveyard.
Thank you to BookSirens, Stephen Black, and Quill and Crow Publishing for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Black 47. The Great Hunger of 1847 to 1849 saw unthinkable misery and human suffering with roughly one million Irish deaths from starvation or disease. This is the backdrop of Stephen Black’s “The Famine Witch.” This was a time of nightmares.
The plot begins two hundred years earlier, with Belfast plagued by a supernatural serial killer, “Bloody Hands," who butchered and fed on the lives of young women. One victim he set up was Fionnuala, the legendary Black Lady, framed as a witch and subsequently put to death in a scapegoating frenzy. She cursed not only Bloody Hands, but on the whole of Belfast.
“She would have her vengeance.”
So now it is the time of famine. Bloody Hands is once again soaking the city streets in the blood of his victims. Fionnuala steers a disease infested ship into the harbor, primed to spread more death. A girl named Maggie, vaguely a disciple of The Black Lady, is cast as a puppet in the battle between the two supernatural enemies. The fate of Belfast, of the whole of Ireland, is in the balance.
“The Famine Witch” is well written. It is populated with evil villains and a very few honest souls who rise to seemingly insurmountable challenges. The pacing is quick and the action pays off satisfactorily in the inevitable confrontations. I would rate this somewhere between a three and four.
But...
I am torn. Black 47 can seem like untold years ago, something out of the Dark Ages. Yet, there is the history and the stories handed down from family about the masses dying in the street. I am not sure the horror needs to be embellished with witchcraft and the supernatural. The greed, the callousness, the utter disregard for a whole nation of people is enough. Accounts of The Holocaust need only to be spoken, I could not fathom distorting them with fantasy. So, yes, this time of Irish genocide is a trigger for me… one that bothered me more after finishing the book.
In the Preface the author posts a warning: “A dark, foreboding story that told of vengeful witches and bloodthirsty demons, yet nothing compared to the real horrors that befell the people of Belfast in 1847.” There is also an “Appendix B,” a trigger index. So, again, this is a well written tale– I just have mixed feelings about the need to play in this graveyard.
Thank you to BookSirens, Stephen Black, and Quill and Crow Publishing for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 8, 2023
Where there is a witch, there is away!
It took only a couple of pages before I was emotionally connected to the characters in this story.
Although fictional, I’m sure there are some morsels of truth to be found throughout this tale. From the sad reality of family dynamics, to hardship, loss, magic and triumph, I couldn’t stop reading! I was taken from my living room and put right into the middle of the streets of Belfast, and Irish mythology. At a time in history when magic was needed most. Bittersweet and completely engrossing. Stephen Black, has written a story I will definitely be reading more than once! The Famine Witch, had me wondering, kept me wanting more, pulled at my heart and satisfied my love of magic. Everything one could need from a book. I highly recommend this fantastic tale!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It took only a couple of pages before I was emotionally connected to the characters in this story.
Although fictional, I’m sure there are some morsels of truth to be found throughout this tale. From the sad reality of family dynamics, to hardship, loss, magic and triumph, I couldn’t stop reading! I was taken from my living room and put right into the middle of the streets of Belfast, and Irish mythology. At a time in history when magic was needed most. Bittersweet and completely engrossing. Stephen Black, has written a story I will definitely be reading more than once! The Famine Witch, had me wondering, kept me wanting more, pulled at my heart and satisfied my love of magic. Everything one could need from a book. I highly recommend this fantastic tale!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 22, 2024
"The Famine Witch" is a dark fantasy showdown between two forces of Irish folklore, set in 1847 Belfast, during the starvation of the Irish countryside brought on by the potato blight. Young Maggie Malone and her younger brother Jinx are struggling to survive, mom recently buried in the graveyard and dad frequently buried in his cups, when they run afoul of Bloody Hands, also known as the dwarf abhartach, the Irish vampire who drinks the blood of his victims.
But young Maggie and her bloodline are practitioners of the old ways, and the Black Lady, the Cailleach, has claimed Belfast as her own in vengeance for a past misdeed. Maggie and her young brother must survive not only famine and plague, but also the machinations of evil and corrupted entities that seek to use them for their own purposes.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this historical dark fantasy, and I'm glad that Irish author Stephan Black included background information into these two characters of Irish myth. The Cailleach is an especially interesting figure for me, as she is quite possibly a prehistoric figure that predates the Celts, with many incarnations. I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and publishing house Quill and Crow, for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
But young Maggie and her bloodline are practitioners of the old ways, and the Black Lady, the Cailleach, has claimed Belfast as her own in vengeance for a past misdeed. Maggie and her young brother must survive not only famine and plague, but also the machinations of evil and corrupted entities that seek to use them for their own purposes.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this historical dark fantasy, and I'm glad that Irish author Stephan Black included background information into these two characters of Irish myth. The Cailleach is an especially interesting figure for me, as she is quite possibly a prehistoric figure that predates the Celts, with many incarnations. I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and publishing house Quill and Crow, for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
December 2, 2023
Set in the time of the Great Famine, The Famine Witch throws us into a world of bleakness, sorrow and desperation from the first page. The horrors of historic Ireland mixes seamlessly with the added terror of an unknown entity searching for new victims, and the harrowing figure of the Famine Witch herself.
Black adds threads of hope and courage with Maggie Malone, who's strength and strive for a better life for her and her brother against dire odds is commendable. There is light against the bleak, some dark humour there too, and it weaves itself perfectly into this Historic horror.
This was a gripping read, one I devoured. I could see the entire book play out in my mind, every awful detail as clear as if I were there.
This will be a definite reread, and I look forward to more works from Stephen Black.🖤
Black adds threads of hope and courage with Maggie Malone, who's strength and strive for a better life for her and her brother against dire odds is commendable. There is light against the bleak, some dark humour there too, and it weaves itself perfectly into this Historic horror.
This was a gripping read, one I devoured. I could see the entire book play out in my mind, every awful detail as clear as if I were there.
This will be a definite reread, and I look forward to more works from Stephen Black.🖤
January 12, 2024
“Scare them enough, and they will believe anything.”
At its core, “The Famine Witch” is a good story with an interesting premise. The potato famine in Belfast being the deadly consequence of a woman being unrightfully hanged 200 hundred years prior for crimes she didn’t commit, an insidious ancient being at the true heart of the crimes and her untimely demise.
The historical elements seemed to be well researched and factual, and the magical elements regarding wards are accurate as well. As hard as it was to read about the treatment of the dead or the living conditions, it’s an unfortunately authentic account of that period in history. There is violence but it’s not unnecessarily graphic; the author uses just enough to set the scene and give the reader unease.
I do wish that books would start printing their trigger warnings at the beginning rather than tucking them away at the very end after the acknowledgments which I don’t know that many people read, and a glossary of terms. If a person were to read a sample of the story via Kindle they wouldn’t even see the trigger index at all, which is counterproductive.
While I enjoyed the premise of “The Famine Witch”, it could definitely benefit from some housekeeping. We are constantly reminded of how long Fionnuala and Bloody Hands have waited, what they plan to do and how the people will suffer. It’s not necessary to constantly reiterate one’s evil plans in practically the same manner each time, and trimming the excessive recapitulation regarding their motives would have better helped the flow of the story.
Even showing rather than constantly telling how they wanted to achieve their end goals would have been more effective. It’s like the internal dialogue between both the main villains was an intrusive thought we were privy to and they had to follow the same script to remind themselves of each step of their plan. It gets tiresome.
Honestly, I thought this book was much longer than it was and I was shocked when I looked at the listed page count from the publisher. It felt like a book in excess of 450 pages not one under 300. What would normally take me a day to finish took almost a week as I just could not slog through it all in one sitting.
Aside from their agendas, a variation of the number six is used a whopping 55 times in this story (not including the time in appears in a chapter title), the highest instances of which include the phrases “his sixth” or “the sixth”. Six is used 9 separate times in relation to time passing, weight or quantities; even Mary’s hair grows six inches. I was getting sick of reading the word. I understand using numbers or words as a common thread throughout to tie everything together, and when done well it’s incredibly effective, however this was too much.
That’s not the only thing repeated frequently, as the phrase “two hundred years” appears 17 times, cailleach and abhartach appear 16 times and 11 times respectively (not counting the appendix), and handprint appears 11 times. We also reference Fionnuala’s “emerald eyes” 7 times as well as describing them various other shades of green. There was so much echoing regarding the appearances of beautiful Fionnuala and ugly Bloody Hands that it became redundant rather quickly and I found myself skimming through those paragraphs to get to new information.
The character of Mary was interesting because given her circumstances she could have easily grown into a hardened and embittered young woman, yet we see much compassion and love from her. Even when faced with the prospect of having a lot of power and potentially getting back at those who wronged her or her brother, or even the wealthy who turned a blind eye while so many were starving and dying, she stays true to her convictions and never loses her humanity.
I do wish the final confrontation was more detailed and dramatic. It seemed over before it even got started and then it’s like it never happened. It was rather anticlimactic, unfortunately.
We get to see a glimpse of the near future for both the characters and Belfast, with the last chapter being set 3 years afterward which is nice, and I’m glad the author didn’t take the predictable route of having certain characters ending up as love interests. It’s not necessarily a happy ending, but a hopeful ending which I think is better.
The Famine Witch does well in tackling the difficult subject manner and the writing itself when not being repetitious was solid. Thank you to NetGalley, Quill & Crow Publishing, and the author for the arc. 3/5 stars
At its core, “The Famine Witch” is a good story with an interesting premise. The potato famine in Belfast being the deadly consequence of a woman being unrightfully hanged 200 hundred years prior for crimes she didn’t commit, an insidious ancient being at the true heart of the crimes and her untimely demise.
The historical elements seemed to be well researched and factual, and the magical elements regarding wards are accurate as well. As hard as it was to read about the treatment of the dead or the living conditions, it’s an unfortunately authentic account of that period in history. There is violence but it’s not unnecessarily graphic; the author uses just enough to set the scene and give the reader unease.
I do wish that books would start printing their trigger warnings at the beginning rather than tucking them away at the very end after the acknowledgments which I don’t know that many people read, and a glossary of terms. If a person were to read a sample of the story via Kindle they wouldn’t even see the trigger index at all, which is counterproductive.
While I enjoyed the premise of “The Famine Witch”, it could definitely benefit from some housekeeping. We are constantly reminded of how long Fionnuala and Bloody Hands have waited, what they plan to do and how the people will suffer. It’s not necessary to constantly reiterate one’s evil plans in practically the same manner each time, and trimming the excessive recapitulation regarding their motives would have better helped the flow of the story.
Even showing rather than constantly telling how they wanted to achieve their end goals would have been more effective. It’s like the internal dialogue between both the main villains was an intrusive thought we were privy to and they had to follow the same script to remind themselves of each step of their plan. It gets tiresome.
Honestly, I thought this book was much longer than it was and I was shocked when I looked at the listed page count from the publisher. It felt like a book in excess of 450 pages not one under 300. What would normally take me a day to finish took almost a week as I just could not slog through it all in one sitting.
Aside from their agendas, a variation of the number six is used a whopping 55 times in this story (not including the time in appears in a chapter title), the highest instances of which include the phrases “his sixth” or “the sixth”. Six is used 9 separate times in relation to time passing, weight or quantities; even Mary’s hair grows six inches. I was getting sick of reading the word. I understand using numbers or words as a common thread throughout to tie everything together, and when done well it’s incredibly effective, however this was too much.
That’s not the only thing repeated frequently, as the phrase “two hundred years” appears 17 times, cailleach and abhartach appear 16 times and 11 times respectively (not counting the appendix), and handprint appears 11 times. We also reference Fionnuala’s “emerald eyes” 7 times as well as describing them various other shades of green. There was so much echoing regarding the appearances of beautiful Fionnuala and ugly Bloody Hands that it became redundant rather quickly and I found myself skimming through those paragraphs to get to new information.
The character of Mary was interesting because given her circumstances she could have easily grown into a hardened and embittered young woman, yet we see much compassion and love from her. Even when faced with the prospect of having a lot of power and potentially getting back at those who wronged her or her brother, or even the wealthy who turned a blind eye while so many were starving and dying, she stays true to her convictions and never loses her humanity.
I do wish the final confrontation was more detailed and dramatic. It seemed over before it even got started and then it’s like it never happened. It was rather anticlimactic, unfortunately.
We get to see a glimpse of the near future for both the characters and Belfast, with the last chapter being set 3 years afterward which is nice, and I’m glad the author didn’t take the predictable route of having certain characters ending up as love interests. It’s not necessarily a happy ending, but a hopeful ending which I think is better.
The Famine Witch does well in tackling the difficult subject manner and the writing itself when not being repetitious was solid. Thank you to NetGalley, Quill & Crow Publishing, and the author for the arc. 3/5 stars
March 26, 2024
The Famine Witch is a story of family, a story of survival against all odds, and a story of the oppressed finding their strength and their voice.
We follow Maggie in her struggle to keep what is left of her family alive. The aspect of this book that I loved the most was the sibling relationship that Maggie and Jinks had; truly it was heartwarming. Both of these characters were fleshed out so well, and really stood on their own two feet.
Then we have the villains in the story: The Famine Witch, a woman who was wronged and seeks her revenge, and Bloody Hands, the vampire-like killer who wronged the Famine Witch. These two have their own war raging while the very real horrors of a starving country ripple through the pages. The hunger was palpable, as though its own character, and popped from the pages of this book.
This, to me, was a story of overcoming adversity and family.
We follow Maggie in her struggle to keep what is left of her family alive. The aspect of this book that I loved the most was the sibling relationship that Maggie and Jinks had; truly it was heartwarming. Both of these characters were fleshed out so well, and really stood on their own two feet.
Then we have the villains in the story: The Famine Witch, a woman who was wronged and seeks her revenge, and Bloody Hands, the vampire-like killer who wronged the Famine Witch. These two have their own war raging while the very real horrors of a starving country ripple through the pages. The hunger was palpable, as though its own character, and popped from the pages of this book.
This, to me, was a story of overcoming adversity and family.
February 16, 2024
Plucky heroine Maggie Malone and her kid brother must survive desperate poverty and the plague-filled streets of Belfast in the middle of the potato famine of 1847. Hard enough, but then they find themselves unwillingly drawn into a cosmic battle between two terrifying forces: the demon dwarf known as Bloody Hands, and the beautiful, but lethal undead witch known as The Black Lady. Throw in a charismatic fanatical preacher, a corrupt doctor, a brutal police sergeant, a thuggish enforcer, and some other nasty folks, and poor Maggie is in deep trouble. Good thing she's more than she seems!
A melodramatic tale of witches and other horrors from Irish history and folklore. Not for the squeamish, but right up my (dark) alley!
A melodramatic tale of witches and other horrors from Irish history and folklore. Not for the squeamish, but right up my (dark) alley!
December 26, 2023
The Famine Witch by Stephen Black is a Historical Dark Fantasy/Horror book. It focuses on the potato famine that took place in Ireland in the 1800's as well as the way the Church and government accused women of being witches and wrongly sent them to their deaths.
As far as content warnings go, some parts really tugged on my heart strings. I struggle with reading about the suffering of children. It was hard to read about kids not having enough food. ( As a parent I find this concept to be very terrifying and disturbing.) Illness and sickness spread through Belfast like wildfire which compounds the horrendous circumstances that the counties poor found themselves in. It's quite bleak.
The Famine Witch flowed well and was relatively short for a full length novel. It was engaging right from the start.
The author has an addictive writing style and the horror of actual historical events combined with with the dark fantasy elements that deals with a vastly dark evil is very effective.
The picture of the desolateness of the time and that the situations the young protagonists find themselves in is painted in a very engaging if not depressing way. I enjoyed the ending and felt a sense of hope upon finishing which doesn't always happen in this genre.
Thank you to Net Galley and Quill and Crow publishing for the opportunity to read my first ARC book! It was a great one to start with.
As far as content warnings go, some parts really tugged on my heart strings. I struggle with reading about the suffering of children. It was hard to read about kids not having enough food. ( As a parent I find this concept to be very terrifying and disturbing.) Illness and sickness spread through Belfast like wildfire which compounds the horrendous circumstances that the counties poor found themselves in. It's quite bleak.
The Famine Witch flowed well and was relatively short for a full length novel. It was engaging right from the start.
The author has an addictive writing style and the horror of actual historical events combined with with the dark fantasy elements that deals with a vastly dark evil is very effective.
The picture of the desolateness of the time and that the situations the young protagonists find themselves in is painted in a very engaging if not depressing way. I enjoyed the ending and felt a sense of hope upon finishing which doesn't always happen in this genre.
Thank you to Net Galley and Quill and Crow publishing for the opportunity to read my first ARC book! It was a great one to start with.
January 22, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This fantastical story centers on Maggie, a young Irish woman caught in the middle of a feud between two vicious supernatural beings; the demonic killer Bloody Hands and the vengeful witch, The Black Lady. Amidst the horror of the famine, The Great Hunger, both Bloody Hands and The Black Lady are planning to bring even more death and destruction to the suffering people of Belfast. the only person who can stop them is Maggie, who must embrace her latent magical powers and learn how to control them. But to find the strength to do so, she'll need the help of her younger brother, Jinks, and new friend Annabelle, the daughter of a fanatical preacher who is convinced Maggie is an evil witch responsible for all the misery.
I knew almost nothing about the Great Hunger Famine or Black '47 other than that they *had happened* and over a million people died from starvation and illnesses. As soon as I finished this book I immediately went down the rabbit hole of reading more about the tragedy and I'd like to read some nonfiction books about it.
Is it in bad taste to write about a real-life tragedy and incorporate a fantasy/supernatural twist to it? I don't necessarily don't think so, as long as a great amount of care, respect, and research is done while doing it but I can definitely understand why other readers would feel differently. But I think Stephen Black did a very good job of weaving the two together in this book. The characters and plot were very engaging and I was very surprised by several twists the story took, such as the bittersweet ending. I do think though the book could have used a bit of trimming (too much repetition with antagonists and their motivations) and I did find the character dialogue a little cheesy and melodramatic at times. But I still found this to be a very good read and will definitely suggest it to others who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing me with this advanced copy to read and review.
This fantastical story centers on Maggie, a young Irish woman caught in the middle of a feud between two vicious supernatural beings; the demonic killer Bloody Hands and the vengeful witch, The Black Lady. Amidst the horror of the famine, The Great Hunger, both Bloody Hands and The Black Lady are planning to bring even more death and destruction to the suffering people of Belfast. the only person who can stop them is Maggie, who must embrace her latent magical powers and learn how to control them. But to find the strength to do so, she'll need the help of her younger brother, Jinks, and new friend Annabelle, the daughter of a fanatical preacher who is convinced Maggie is an evil witch responsible for all the misery.
I knew almost nothing about the Great Hunger Famine or Black '47 other than that they *had happened* and over a million people died from starvation and illnesses. As soon as I finished this book I immediately went down the rabbit hole of reading more about the tragedy and I'd like to read some nonfiction books about it.
Is it in bad taste to write about a real-life tragedy and incorporate a fantasy/supernatural twist to it? I don't necessarily don't think so, as long as a great amount of care, respect, and research is done while doing it but I can definitely understand why other readers would feel differently. But I think Stephen Black did a very good job of weaving the two together in this book. The characters and plot were very engaging and I was very surprised by several twists the story took, such as the bittersweet ending. I do think though the book could have used a bit of trimming (too much repetition with antagonists and their motivations) and I did find the character dialogue a little cheesy and melodramatic at times. But I still found this to be a very good read and will definitely suggest it to others who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing me with this advanced copy to read and review.
January 8, 2024
Set in Belfast, Ireland during the time of the Great Famine, The Famine Witch is an expertly written tale of Irish historical fiction mixed with dark fantasy. It follows nineteen-year-old Maggie Malone and her young brother, Jinks, who are entirely on their own. Their town lives in a constant state of fear due to the cruel murderer who stalks their streets, brutally killing young women and leaving a trail of bloody hands in his wake. Another malicious force, in the form of the Black Lady, is hellbent on bringing further destruction to their tiny town and has a bone to pick with the crazed killer roaming the streets. Maggie and Jinks are thrown headfirst into this ancient quarrel and must figure out a way to save their town - and each other.
I was hooked from the very first page. The author does a spectacular job of teleporting the reader through his expertly-crafted descriptions. The language itself is beautiful and enchanting. It may be a hard read for some due to the graphic depictions of gore and starvation, but there is an appendix of trigger warnings at the end that is very helpful. I loved how it delved into Irish mythology, and there is another helpful appendix at the end that explains the various terms that a reader may be unfamiliar with. It also does a great job of analyzing the class and religious differences amongst Ireland during this time period. The only thing I did not particularly like was a lot of the dialogue. It felt a bit shallow in parts and I think there was a missed opportunity to flesh out the characters a bit more, including their various histories.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery behind it. I do not usually pick up gothic dark fantasy but this was a great introduction to the genre. I would definitely pick up another book by Stephen Black in the future! A big thank you to NetGalley, Stephen Black, and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was hooked from the very first page. The author does a spectacular job of teleporting the reader through his expertly-crafted descriptions. The language itself is beautiful and enchanting. It may be a hard read for some due to the graphic depictions of gore and starvation, but there is an appendix of trigger warnings at the end that is very helpful. I loved how it delved into Irish mythology, and there is another helpful appendix at the end that explains the various terms that a reader may be unfamiliar with. It also does a great job of analyzing the class and religious differences amongst Ireland during this time period. The only thing I did not particularly like was a lot of the dialogue. It felt a bit shallow in parts and I think there was a missed opportunity to flesh out the characters a bit more, including their various histories.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the mystery behind it. I do not usually pick up gothic dark fantasy but this was a great introduction to the genre. I would definitely pick up another book by Stephen Black in the future! A big thank you to NetGalley, Stephen Black, and Quill and Crow Publishing House for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 4, 2023
I thought this was a wonderfully done historical fantasy focusing on the effects of the Irish Potato Famine in Belfast. Primarily set in the year, 1847, also known as Black ‘47, the book follows Maggie Malone as she struggles to survive and keep her brother, Jinks, safe. I can see that Black’s interests and desire to showcase that even the northern parts of the island were hard hit despite popular belief. 🥔
I found Maggie to be a resourceful and brave young woman as she navigates hunger and hardship in the poorer parts of Belfast. Her relationship with her brother are endearing and it takes a lot of love to continue caring for an absent and drunk father. 🍺
I thought the main villains of Bloody Hands and the Black Lady to be interesting mixes of Irish folklore in a industrial setting. The former has roots in Irish folklore and mythology, the Black Lady is a good example of when cunning folk were wrongfully prosecuted and killed for their efforts to help their communities. 🌿
The little things that stood out to me in this book was the length and speed of the plot, and the POV style. I thought the book could’ve been a bit longer to not only provide more events for the plot, but also help give it a good speed as I felt like it was a bit rushed at times. The changing of POVs was a bit daunting here and there as it would sometimes switch characters in the middle of the paragraph and I’d have to reread parts to figure out who’s POV I was reading. 🤔
But regardless of these little discrepancies, I honestly really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who are looking for books set in Northern Ireland, during the Potato Famine, and dark folklore inspired novels. ☠️
Big thank you goes out to BookSirens and the author for letting me be a part of the review team! I definitely had a great time with this book and look forward to reading more books in the future! ❤️
Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️
I found Maggie to be a resourceful and brave young woman as she navigates hunger and hardship in the poorer parts of Belfast. Her relationship with her brother are endearing and it takes a lot of love to continue caring for an absent and drunk father. 🍺
I thought the main villains of Bloody Hands and the Black Lady to be interesting mixes of Irish folklore in a industrial setting. The former has roots in Irish folklore and mythology, the Black Lady is a good example of when cunning folk were wrongfully prosecuted and killed for their efforts to help their communities. 🌿
The little things that stood out to me in this book was the length and speed of the plot, and the POV style. I thought the book could’ve been a bit longer to not only provide more events for the plot, but also help give it a good speed as I felt like it was a bit rushed at times. The changing of POVs was a bit daunting here and there as it would sometimes switch characters in the middle of the paragraph and I’d have to reread parts to figure out who’s POV I was reading. 🤔
But regardless of these little discrepancies, I honestly really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to those who are looking for books set in Northern Ireland, during the Potato Famine, and dark folklore inspired novels. ☠️
Big thank you goes out to BookSirens and the author for letting me be a part of the review team! I definitely had a great time with this book and look forward to reading more books in the future! ❤️
Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️
January 15, 2024
The Famine Witch is historical fantasy with a dash of horror thrown in. A 19th century Ireland provides the backdrop for this tale filled with sickness, violence, and witches. I loved the cover and title of this, so I thought I would give it a go and let these witches cast a spell on me. Ultimately, this didn't work for me, but it promises plenty of action for other interested readers!
Things I appreciated:
Setting. This was such a cool backdrop for a story! Witches stepping into an already devastated town in 19th century Ireland? Count me in. The descriptions of the time and place made it feel claustrophobic and dreamlike.
Protagonist. Maggie was an interesting character and the story could have benefited from giving her a bit more background and following her more closely.
Things I didn't:
Writing. Way too melodramatic. Far too much repetition. A lot of the novel felt unnecessary. There were multiple meetings between the two antagonists where they just threatened each other and lots of "I will make this town rue the day..." monologues. Many times it felt like the author was just trying to fill up a page.
Genre-blending. This is historical fiction that initially read like horror and then later more like fantasy. The protagonists were all children, but the setting was dark and serious. I think it's perfectly fine to mix genres, but I finished this book confused as to what it wanted to be.
Multiple POVs. I think this was probably my biggest issue with the novel. Bloody Hands basically felt like a Scooby-Doo villain, so it was an odd choice to give him mutliple POV chapters. I also felt that adding POVs from the antagonists took away from the mystery and tension in the story. Just follow Maggie!
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Things I appreciated:
Setting. This was such a cool backdrop for a story! Witches stepping into an already devastated town in 19th century Ireland? Count me in. The descriptions of the time and place made it feel claustrophobic and dreamlike.
Protagonist. Maggie was an interesting character and the story could have benefited from giving her a bit more background and following her more closely.
Things I didn't:
Writing. Way too melodramatic. Far too much repetition. A lot of the novel felt unnecessary. There were multiple meetings between the two antagonists where they just threatened each other and lots of "I will make this town rue the day..." monologues. Many times it felt like the author was just trying to fill up a page.
Genre-blending. This is historical fiction that initially read like horror and then later more like fantasy. The protagonists were all children, but the setting was dark and serious. I think it's perfectly fine to mix genres, but I finished this book confused as to what it wanted to be.
Multiple POVs. I think this was probably my biggest issue with the novel. Bloody Hands basically felt like a Scooby-Doo villain, so it was an odd choice to give him mutliple POV chapters. I also felt that adding POVs from the antagonists took away from the mystery and tension in the story. Just follow Maggie!
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2023
A Haunting Tale of Survival and Revenge in Belfast, 1847"
In the bleak setting of Belfast during the harrowing Great Hunger of 1847, Stephen Black weaves a mesmerizing tale in "The Famine Witch," blending historical fiction with dark fantasy and a dash of horror. As Belfast teeters on the edge of despair, plagued by famine, a gruesome serial killer known as Bloody Hands, and an ancient malevolent force called The Black Lady, the novel paints a vivid portrait of survival, courage, and the indomitable human spirit. Maggie Malone and her younger brother, Jinks, become unwitting pawns in a supernatural feud that spans centuries, and Maggie's discovery of hidden powers adds a captivating layer of fantasy to this historical backdrop.
The narrative unravels the superstitions and fear of the era, where blame is often laid at the feet of the supernatural, deflecting from the harsh realities of life. Witch hunts and the dread of witches contribute a chilling element to the story as Maggie and Jinks navigate a world filled with both human and supernatural terrors. The rivalry between Bloody Hands and The Black Lady builds to a crescendo, and Maggie's unexpected transformation from victim to potential savior injects a glimmer of hope into a tale of chaos and violence. With its rich Irish cultural context, "The Famine Witch" immerses readers in the history and atmosphere of Belfast, leaving them pondering the outcome of the ultimate showdown between these formidable adversaries. In a world shrouded in darkness and desperation, the novel offers a compelling exploration of vengeance, superstition, and the enduring strength of familial bonds. It's a hauntingly beautiful narrative that seamlessly merges history, fantasy, and horror, making it essential reading for enthusiasts of dark historical fiction with a supernatural twist. Stephen Black delivers an evocative and thought-provoking story that will linger in your thoughts long after the final page is turned.
In the bleak setting of Belfast during the harrowing Great Hunger of 1847, Stephen Black weaves a mesmerizing tale in "The Famine Witch," blending historical fiction with dark fantasy and a dash of horror. As Belfast teeters on the edge of despair, plagued by famine, a gruesome serial killer known as Bloody Hands, and an ancient malevolent force called The Black Lady, the novel paints a vivid portrait of survival, courage, and the indomitable human spirit. Maggie Malone and her younger brother, Jinks, become unwitting pawns in a supernatural feud that spans centuries, and Maggie's discovery of hidden powers adds a captivating layer of fantasy to this historical backdrop.
The narrative unravels the superstitions and fear of the era, where blame is often laid at the feet of the supernatural, deflecting from the harsh realities of life. Witch hunts and the dread of witches contribute a chilling element to the story as Maggie and Jinks navigate a world filled with both human and supernatural terrors. The rivalry between Bloody Hands and The Black Lady builds to a crescendo, and Maggie's unexpected transformation from victim to potential savior injects a glimmer of hope into a tale of chaos and violence. With its rich Irish cultural context, "The Famine Witch" immerses readers in the history and atmosphere of Belfast, leaving them pondering the outcome of the ultimate showdown between these formidable adversaries. In a world shrouded in darkness and desperation, the novel offers a compelling exploration of vengeance, superstition, and the enduring strength of familial bonds. It's a hauntingly beautiful narrative that seamlessly merges history, fantasy, and horror, making it essential reading for enthusiasts of dark historical fiction with a supernatural twist. Stephen Black delivers an evocative and thought-provoking story that will linger in your thoughts long after the final page is turned.
January 14, 2024
I throughly enjoyed this book. I loved that it acted as a historical fiction but was woven into a fantasy. The plot of dueling forces causing the terrible events happening in Belfast was done very well. Stephen’s writing is very descriptive and really lends to the dark themes within the book. I became very invested in the characters and their development and enjoyed how each character you met eventually played different roles in the overarching story. Stephen’s writing was refreshing as his vocabulary is very robust and frequently found myself looking up words. I also liked that there was a lot of traditional Irish words used and found reading this book also educational.
The ending…. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it did not turn out how I thought it would and for that, I was pleasantly surprised.
My only critique would be that some parts felt redundant, such as describing the same things from every point of view and having characters reminisce over the past multiple times. It made the book felt longer than it needed to be. It did take me a bit to become really invested in the story but I think that was because of meeting multiple characters and trying to understand their roles in the story and with each other.
My conclusion? A very well done historical, dark, fantasy that I would definitely read again. I read the ARC on my Kindle so now I will need my shelf trophy when it comes out!
The ending…. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it did not turn out how I thought it would and for that, I was pleasantly surprised.
My only critique would be that some parts felt redundant, such as describing the same things from every point of view and having characters reminisce over the past multiple times. It made the book felt longer than it needed to be. It did take me a bit to become really invested in the story but I think that was because of meeting multiple characters and trying to understand their roles in the story and with each other.
My conclusion? A very well done historical, dark, fantasy that I would definitely read again. I read the ARC on my Kindle so now I will need my shelf trophy when it comes out!
February 16, 2024
The Famine Witch was an enjoyable read based in Belfast, Ireland in 1847, during the Great Famine/ Irish Potato Famine, and follows two creatures from Irish folklore; The Black Lady known as a Cailleach and the Abhartach. The Abhartach and the witch are both enemies, fighting over the lands ridden by death, disease and hunger as the Cailleach seeks her revenge on the descendants of the folks who hung her as a witch, two centuries prior. Now as history repeats itself, Maggie Malone is the town's new religious scapegoat, a hysteria driven by religion, hunger, and greed of the wealthy. Maggie has to do what's right to protect her brother and herself from the malicious forces set out to get them, both ancient and human.
While I admire the premise of the story, I felt like the Black Lady's vengeance was a bit ambiguous, her feud with the Abhartach was not as tense and she became a vengeful creature even towards those who follow her path, using her followers as stepping stones for her selfish cause, seemingly similar to what the wealthy of the town did to regain control of the poorer masses when they made Maggie their sacrificial lamb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I admire the premise of the story, I felt like the Black Lady's vengeance was a bit ambiguous, her feud with the Abhartach was not as tense and she became a vengeful creature even towards those who follow her path, using her followers as stepping stones for her selfish cause, seemingly similar to what the wealthy of the town did to regain control of the poorer masses when they made Maggie their sacrificial lamb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2024
The Famine Witch by Stephen Black is a chilling historical fantasy set against one of the darkest periods of Irish history, the Great Hunger , a time when famine swept the country and millions either died of hunger and disease or were forced to emigrate, fleeing the country in so called coffin ships, though thousands of them would never see their final destination.
Against this desolate background Stephen Black has intricately woven together strands of Irish mythology with creations of his own imagining to create a story that held me spellbound from beginning to end. With incredibly vivid description Black quickly evokes the bleakness and poverty faced by many of his characters and establishes the struggles faced not just by the individual characters but by the city of Belfast, and indeed the country as a whole. We meet the determined and independent Maggie Malone who is raising her younger brother Jinks while mourning the recent death of their mother while their father tries to drown his sorrows by spending every last penny in the local pubs. What Maggie does not know is that she is about to become a pawn in a deadly game between a crazy killer known only as "Bloody Hands", once considered a local myth but now slaughtering young women in the city once again , and The Black Lady, a malevolent force determined to seek revenge for her death having been hanged as a witch in the city centuries before , in part because of the actions of Bloody Hands. So blinded is she by her need for vengeance that she is willing to destroy the city in pursuit of it, but Maggie is more powerful than the Black Lady ever imagined, and is not going to be anyone's pawn. She will do whatever it takes to save her brother and her city, even if it means becoming the Famine Witch.
This is a strong story well told, though if I am honest I think the ending was a little rushed, which is a shame given how much I enjoyed the building of the story all along. The writing is descriptive but not overly so, enough to transport the reader to another time and place without distracting from the story being told. The main characters are strong and easy to care about and root for while the secondary characters are very effectively used to help with setting the scene and making the world of the story more believable. I do wish we could have had a little more of the friendship between Maggie and clergyman's daughter Annabelle, I thought the contrasts in their upbringings made for an interesting dynamic and I enjoyed the pairing, so can't help wanting more , though I understand the need to focus more on elements of the story that moved the main plot along more.
Overall a strong historical fantasy with a unique real world setting that should appeal to many readers, I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley, the author and Quill and Crow Publishing, all opinions are my own.
Against this desolate background Stephen Black has intricately woven together strands of Irish mythology with creations of his own imagining to create a story that held me spellbound from beginning to end. With incredibly vivid description Black quickly evokes the bleakness and poverty faced by many of his characters and establishes the struggles faced not just by the individual characters but by the city of Belfast, and indeed the country as a whole. We meet the determined and independent Maggie Malone who is raising her younger brother Jinks while mourning the recent death of their mother while their father tries to drown his sorrows by spending every last penny in the local pubs. What Maggie does not know is that she is about to become a pawn in a deadly game between a crazy killer known only as "Bloody Hands", once considered a local myth but now slaughtering young women in the city once again , and The Black Lady, a malevolent force determined to seek revenge for her death having been hanged as a witch in the city centuries before , in part because of the actions of Bloody Hands. So blinded is she by her need for vengeance that she is willing to destroy the city in pursuit of it, but Maggie is more powerful than the Black Lady ever imagined, and is not going to be anyone's pawn. She will do whatever it takes to save her brother and her city, even if it means becoming the Famine Witch.
This is a strong story well told, though if I am honest I think the ending was a little rushed, which is a shame given how much I enjoyed the building of the story all along. The writing is descriptive but not overly so, enough to transport the reader to another time and place without distracting from the story being told. The main characters are strong and easy to care about and root for while the secondary characters are very effectively used to help with setting the scene and making the world of the story more believable. I do wish we could have had a little more of the friendship between Maggie and clergyman's daughter Annabelle, I thought the contrasts in their upbringings made for an interesting dynamic and I enjoyed the pairing, so can't help wanting more , though I understand the need to focus more on elements of the story that moved the main plot along more.
Overall a strong historical fantasy with a unique real world setting that should appeal to many readers, I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley, the author and Quill and Crow Publishing, all opinions are my own.
January 9, 2024
The famine which is a historical fantasy book set during the Irish potato famine in 1847. Maggie and her brother Jinx are slowly starving along with the rest of Belfast before they are swept into an unbelievable world of witches and demons.
I found the book to be a good solid read. My heart broke for Maggie and her brother just trying to survive. There are quite a few TW for this book which the author lists in appendix B:
Grave desecration
Death by execution
Extreme poverty/starvation
Gore
Implied infant death
Violence toward women
Misogyny
I honestly don’t think you could have a book set in this time period without those things but if they trigger you best to avoid this book. Otherwise give this book a chance. The only reason I’ll give it a 3 vs a 4 is because there seemed to be a lot of repetition in explaining things which drives me bonkers.
I found the book to be a good solid read. My heart broke for Maggie and her brother just trying to survive. There are quite a few TW for this book which the author lists in appendix B:
Grave desecration
Death by execution
Extreme poverty/starvation
Gore
Implied infant death
Violence toward women
Misogyny
I honestly don’t think you could have a book set in this time period without those things but if they trigger you best to avoid this book. Otherwise give this book a chance. The only reason I’ll give it a 3 vs a 4 is because there seemed to be a lot of repetition in explaining things which drives me bonkers.
January 18, 2024
It was an absolute pleasure reading The Famine Witch by Stephen Black. In elegant prose, Black weaves a tale of intrigue and morality, presenting a magical legend through themes that are as relevant to our modern world as they were to the one in which this masterpiece is set. Black completely transports the reader to another time, establishing the setting with striking descriptions of an environment in which fully-realized characters flourish. There is heart in this tale, but there is also horror, and Black is able to spellbind his readers with a deep and compassionate tale that displays not only the brutality of mankind, but also its goodness; reminding us that morality is sometimes more subjective than it is impartial and finite.
February 26, 2024
Set against the back drop of the Black '47 famine, this historical horror weaves a spell of witchcraft, religion, folktales, and the unwavering love of a sister and her younger brother. The author crafted a tale which paints the bleakness of the famine and though it has truly detestable folk characters--a vengeful witch and "Bloody Hands", an abhartach, or vampire--the horror of humans was almost more frightening. Black shows what hunger can do to the most docile of people, and what greed and power can turn the most pious of man into. The story is beautifully written, the characters compelling (Jinks was my favorite), and I was eager to keep reading. If you like dark history enrobed in the fantastical, this book is for you. I look forward to reading more from the author.
March 16, 2024
I received an ARC of this book.
This book seemed like it had a very interesting premise. But the writing and tone were extremely florid and overly dramatic, which made it difficult for me to connect with the characters—they felt like melodramatic stereotypes, which was disappointing considering the real suffering that the people in Belfast went through at this time. A more gritty and sparse tone could have really added to the story and driven home the situation the characters were living in. I really tried to plod through the extreme overuse of adjectives, but after the third anachronism at 9% in, I just didn’t have the patience any more.
This book seemed like it had a very interesting premise. But the writing and tone were extremely florid and overly dramatic, which made it difficult for me to connect with the characters—they felt like melodramatic stereotypes, which was disappointing considering the real suffering that the people in Belfast went through at this time. A more gritty and sparse tone could have really added to the story and driven home the situation the characters were living in. I really tried to plod through the extreme overuse of adjectives, but after the third anachronism at 9% in, I just didn’t have the patience any more.
September 24, 2024
Maggie and her brother Jinks, a story of family drama vs. the ancient evils that haunt old Ireland. Witches, magic, famine, history all wrapped up in the realm of fantasy. At times heart-wrenching, always suspenseful, this vivid journey is written in a classic literary style and well crafted. Maggie is a courageous heroine that will keep you glued to the pages. Deliciously dark prose! Highly recommended for horror and witchcraft fans.
January 6, 2024
Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This book was exactly what I needed! I’ve been sticking to lighter reads recently but this was definitely not light. I will also say that anything set in Ireland… I will read :)
This book kept me engaged and thinking throughout. I the way the setting was explained and how the characters were written!
I highly recommend reading this book! (But please check the triggers first)
This book was exactly what I needed! I’ve been sticking to lighter reads recently but this was definitely not light. I will also say that anything set in Ireland… I will read :)
This book kept me engaged and thinking throughout. I the way the setting was explained and how the characters were written!
I highly recommend reading this book! (But please check the triggers first)
December 18, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a credit to author Stephen Black.
I LOVE a fantasy/ paranormal read. The Famine Witch gave me everything I needed.
It’s incredibly well written, and a lot of time is spent initially setting the story and developing the characters, which really pays off.
It’s paced well and I loved the senses of fantasy mixed with real, historical events (The Great Irish famine, witch trials/ hunts, etc.)
I was engaged throughout, and this was a pleasure to read.
I would 100% recommend this book!
This book is a credit to author Stephen Black.
I LOVE a fantasy/ paranormal read. The Famine Witch gave me everything I needed.
It’s incredibly well written, and a lot of time is spent initially setting the story and developing the characters, which really pays off.
It’s paced well and I loved the senses of fantasy mixed with real, historical events (The Great Irish famine, witch trials/ hunts, etc.)
I was engaged throughout, and this was a pleasure to read.
I would 100% recommend this book!
February 16, 2024
The Famine Witch was an enjoyable read based in Belfast, Ireland in 1847, during the Great Famine/ Irish Potato Famine, and follows two creatures from Irish folklore; The Black Lady known as a Cailleach and the Abhartach. The Abhartach and the witch are both enemies, fighting over the lands ridden by death, disease and hunger as the Cailleach seeks her revenge on the descendants of the folks who hung her as a witch, two centuries prior. Now as history repeats itself, Maggie Malone is the town's new religious scapegoat, a hysteria driven by religion, hunger, and greed of the wealthy. Maggie has to do what's right to protect her brother and herself from the malicious forces set out to get them, both ancient and human.
While I admire the premise of the story, I felt like the Black Lady's vengeance was a bit ambiguous, her feud with the Abhartach was not as tense and she became a vengeful creature even towards those who follow her path, using her followers as stepping stones for her selfish cause, seemingly similar to what the wealthy of the town did to regain control of the poorer masses when they made Maggie their sacrificial lamb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I admire the premise of the story, I felt like the Black Lady's vengeance was a bit ambiguous, her feud with the Abhartach was not as tense and she became a vengeful creature even towards those who follow her path, using her followers as stepping stones for her selfish cause, seemingly similar to what the wealthy of the town did to regain control of the poorer masses when they made Maggie their sacrificial lamb.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2023
Received as an ARC. Extremely accurate and thusly horrifying tale of women accused of witchcraft. The absurdity the churches and condemners as well as accusers do to torture innocent(all were!) women who did no wrong. Weak minded men of position and jealous women taking enjoyment in the abuse, torture, rape, and murder of others to justify their ludicrous, non fact based beliefs.
January 18, 2024
3.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
Stephen Black's writing style is vivid and perfectly atmospheric that suits the bleak historical setting of the story. TFW deals with the horrors of famine, sickness and serial murders that plagued Belfast, and Black effectively describes them all in an aptly horrific way that left me completely enraptured. I appreciate that we got to read POVs of multiple characters, especially the villains and side characters that seem insignificant but are part of a larger sinister machination. This provides much needed insight on the overall scheme unfolding.
Individually, the main characters of Maggie the heroine, her brother Jinks, and eventual friend Annabelle from the upper class were compelling to read. I enjoyed their POV chapters the most. Black made sure to flesh out the strong sibling dynamic between Maggie & Jinks, but unfortunately fell short when it came to Maggie & Annabelle. Annabelle goes through incredible character development—from being passive to making her own decisions—and attributes that growth to Maggie's influence. She even pulls out all the stops to help Maggie, at her own personal expense. That said, because the two young women didn't really spend that much time together before being thrown into the wringer together, they are still acquaintances at best. It reads to me that Annabelle helps Maggie because it is the right thing to do, and less so because Maggie is her only friend. Which in itself isn't a bad thing as it shows Annabelle's compassion, but that means any emotional investment I would've developed for this potential friendship isn't there.
Maggie's rise to full power is vague and we don't get a proper rundown on what she can exactly do. It would've also been more interesting if we got more glimpses of her magical capabilities—little things done here and there; nothing big—throughout the story rather than just to build to the final act. Especially with how much was said of her potential power, it would've been more convincing if we were teased with her magic, so that the climatic showdown doesn't feel like a deux ex machina.
My last criticism for this story is how misogyny and injustice were handled, which left me from full satisfaction. For the most part, every prejudiced character got their just desserts, but I did not like how the terrible actions of Annabelle's father, the overzealous priest, are excused as him being "not well", and by Maggie , no less. Mental illness and other bodily ailments do not cause misogyny or hatefulness. I understand that this is Maggie turning the other cheek and showing her forgiving nature, but she can still do that without excusing it like this.
On that same vein, the handling of the Black Lady could've ended on a better note. She was a past victim who was wrongly accused of murder, scapegoated because she was a woman who was simply different yet did her best to help others. Now, she returns to her hometown for revenge. While she is rightfully called out and punished for being corrupted by her rage and harming innocents in the process, I wish the story also offered more empathy for her victimhood. Her ending was fitting, but it would've been made even better if she received some justice, like setting the record straight of the past.
Stephen Black's writing style is vivid and perfectly atmospheric that suits the bleak historical setting of the story. TFW deals with the horrors of famine, sickness and serial murders that plagued Belfast, and Black effectively describes them all in an aptly horrific way that left me completely enraptured. I appreciate that we got to read POVs of multiple characters, especially the villains and side characters that seem insignificant but are part of a larger sinister machination. This provides much needed insight on the overall scheme unfolding.
Individually, the main characters of Maggie the heroine, her brother Jinks, and eventual friend Annabelle from the upper class were compelling to read. I enjoyed their POV chapters the most. Black made sure to flesh out the strong sibling dynamic between Maggie & Jinks, but unfortunately fell short when it came to Maggie & Annabelle. Annabelle goes through incredible character development—from being passive to making her own decisions—and attributes that growth to Maggie's influence. She even pulls out all the stops to help Maggie, at her own personal expense. That said, because the two young women didn't really spend that much time together before being thrown into the wringer together, they are still acquaintances at best. It reads to me that Annabelle helps Maggie because it is the right thing to do, and less so because Maggie is her only friend. Which in itself isn't a bad thing as it shows Annabelle's compassion, but that means any emotional investment I would've developed for this potential friendship isn't there.
Maggie's rise to full power is vague and we don't get a proper rundown on what she can exactly do. It would've also been more interesting if we got more glimpses of her magical capabilities—little things done here and there; nothing big—throughout the story rather than just to build to the final act. Especially with how much was said of her potential power, it would've been more convincing if we were teased with her magic, so that the climatic showdown doesn't feel like a deux ex machina.
My last criticism for this story is how misogyny and injustice were handled, which left me from full satisfaction. For the most part, every prejudiced character got their just desserts, but I did not like how the terrible actions of Annabelle's father, the overzealous priest, are excused as him being "not well", and by Maggie , no less. Mental illness and other bodily ailments do not cause misogyny or hatefulness. I understand that this is Maggie turning the other cheek and showing her forgiving nature, but she can still do that without excusing it like this.
On that same vein, the handling of the Black Lady could've ended on a better note. She was a past victim who was wrongly accused of murder, scapegoated because she was a woman who was simply different yet did her best to help others. Now, she returns to her hometown for revenge. While she is rightfully called out and punished for being corrupted by her rage and harming innocents in the process, I wish the story also offered more empathy for her victimhood. Her ending was fitting, but it would've been made even better if she received some justice, like setting the record straight of the past.
January 24, 2024
In "The Famine Witch," Stephen Black crafts a dark and atmospheric fantasy that weaves together elements of folklore, magic, and historical intrigue. Set against the haunting backdrop of the Irish Potato Famine, the novel immerses readers in a world where the line between reality and the supernatural becomes indistinguishable.
The story unfolds during one of Ireland's darkest periods—the devastating Potato Famine of the mid-19th century. Maggie Malone and her brother Jinks are struggling to survive, when Maggie discovers her latent magical abilities as she grapples with the harsh realities of famine, oppression, and a looming supernatural threat.
"The Famine Witch" skilfully intertwines historical events with elements of fantasy, presenting a nuanced exploration of the human condition during times of crisis. The novel delves into themes of survival, sacrifice, and the consequences of wielding extraordinary powers in the face of overwhelming adversity. Black's atmospheric writing captures the desperation of the era while infusing a sense of magic that adds depth to the narrative.
As a reader, I was drawn to the richly textured world that Black created, blending the harsh realities of history with the mystical elements of fantasy. The characters are well-drawn, and as well as being compelling and relatable, with a journey resonates emotionally. The author's ability to evoke a sense of time and place, coupled with the suspenseful plot, kept me engaged from start to finish.
While "The Famine Witch" is a strong and immersive read, some readers may find that the pacing fluctuates, with moments of intense action followed by slower, more contemplative passages. It would also be more helpful if the trigger warnings were printed at the beginning of the book, rather than the end, so the reader can tell what may or may not trigger them within the book without having to go looking for a list. The inclusion of a list is to be commended though, because I know so few books that do this, but should still have one.
In the realm of historical fantasy, "The Famine Witch" stands alongside works like “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang or Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, offering a unique perspective on a specific historical event infused with magical realism. Black's approach sets this novel apart, skilfully blending history and fantasy to create a narrative that is both thought-provoking and enchanting.
"The Famine Witch" is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. It's a compelling choice for those interested in exploring the human experience during times of crisis, as well as for fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate a well-crafted blend of magic and historical authenticity.
Stephen Black's "The Famine Witch" is a captivating exploration of history and fantasy, weaving a tale of resilience, magic, and survival. With its evocative prose and well-realised characters, the novel immerses readers in a world where the ordinary collides with the extraordinary. A solid four-star rating for a book that successfully merges historical drama with the enchantment of fantasy.
The story unfolds during one of Ireland's darkest periods—the devastating Potato Famine of the mid-19th century. Maggie Malone and her brother Jinks are struggling to survive, when Maggie discovers her latent magical abilities as she grapples with the harsh realities of famine, oppression, and a looming supernatural threat.
"The Famine Witch" skilfully intertwines historical events with elements of fantasy, presenting a nuanced exploration of the human condition during times of crisis. The novel delves into themes of survival, sacrifice, and the consequences of wielding extraordinary powers in the face of overwhelming adversity. Black's atmospheric writing captures the desperation of the era while infusing a sense of magic that adds depth to the narrative.
As a reader, I was drawn to the richly textured world that Black created, blending the harsh realities of history with the mystical elements of fantasy. The characters are well-drawn, and as well as being compelling and relatable, with a journey resonates emotionally. The author's ability to evoke a sense of time and place, coupled with the suspenseful plot, kept me engaged from start to finish.
While "The Famine Witch" is a strong and immersive read, some readers may find that the pacing fluctuates, with moments of intense action followed by slower, more contemplative passages. It would also be more helpful if the trigger warnings were printed at the beginning of the book, rather than the end, so the reader can tell what may or may not trigger them within the book without having to go looking for a list. The inclusion of a list is to be commended though, because I know so few books that do this, but should still have one.
In the realm of historical fantasy, "The Famine Witch" stands alongside works like “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang or Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, offering a unique perspective on a specific historical event infused with magical realism. Black's approach sets this novel apart, skilfully blending history and fantasy to create a narrative that is both thought-provoking and enchanting.
"The Famine Witch" is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. It's a compelling choice for those interested in exploring the human experience during times of crisis, as well as for fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate a well-crafted blend of magic and historical authenticity.
Stephen Black's "The Famine Witch" is a captivating exploration of history and fantasy, weaving a tale of resilience, magic, and survival. With its evocative prose and well-realised characters, the novel immerses readers in a world where the ordinary collides with the extraordinary. A solid four-star rating for a book that successfully merges historical drama with the enchantment of fantasy.
January 29, 2024
The Famine Witch, by Stephen Black
TL; DR: Excellent historical fantasy novel with great character-building and various supernatural elements. Very dark, and worth the read. Five stars.
The Famine Witch is a historical fantasy novel that seamlessly blends actual events with witchcraft, magic, Irish folklore, and horror. Taking place in 1847 Belfast, we are introduced to Margaret (Maggie) Malone, our MC, and her younger brother Jinks. As a great hunger devastates the city and beyond, the population is faced with yet more terror as the killer known as Bloody Hands, last seen 200 years before, once more stalks their streets in search of young women to butcher, and the Black Lady, hellbent on revenge, carries illness to their shores. Caught between two forces of evil while trying to survive famine itself, Maggie must make decisions that threaten her own survival in order to protect Jinks and the city she loves.
I very much enjoyed this book. I went into it expecting darkness, but what really stood out for me was the humanity (or lack of it at times) of the characters. 19 year old Maggie is kind, but not too kind; sharp-tongued when pushed, soft-tongued when needed. She is both mother and sister to Jinks, protecting him to the utmost of her abilities despite being little more than a child herself. Jinks is scrappy, disheveled, and street-smart, but very much looks up to his older sister. Their friend Annabelle is a beautiful soul, empathetic to the struggles of others and using her religious beliefs for good. Her father, on the other hand, is the very opposite, using religion to divide between the good and proper, and "the other." The author did a great job of building the characters and making them distinct. I really wanted Maggie, Jinks, and Annabelle to come out ahead. In a world where most all of the adults were corrupt or lost, the children were filled with shining hope and goodness.
There were definitely some aspects that I enjoyed less. I wanted a different outcome for a few of the characters, and the ending felt a tad rushed. I think the book could have benefited from being slightly longer with a more drawn-out conclusion. There was also a proofreading issue where Annabelle and the Reverend were introduced by the last name Elgar early on, but then referred to as Edgar continuously later on in the book - I'm not sure if this issue made it to print.
These small gripes aside, I think Stephen Black did a phenomenal job with the novel. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but it was definitely what it needed to be. For all the supernatural aspects to it, it felt very raw and gritty and real. It is unquestionably a story I'd recommend to others.
Full disclosure - I received my e-ARC of The Famine Witch via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
TL; DR: Excellent historical fantasy novel with great character-building and various supernatural elements. Very dark, and worth the read. Five stars.
The Famine Witch is a historical fantasy novel that seamlessly blends actual events with witchcraft, magic, Irish folklore, and horror. Taking place in 1847 Belfast, we are introduced to Margaret (Maggie) Malone, our MC, and her younger brother Jinks. As a great hunger devastates the city and beyond, the population is faced with yet more terror as the killer known as Bloody Hands, last seen 200 years before, once more stalks their streets in search of young women to butcher, and the Black Lady, hellbent on revenge, carries illness to their shores. Caught between two forces of evil while trying to survive famine itself, Maggie must make decisions that threaten her own survival in order to protect Jinks and the city she loves.
I very much enjoyed this book. I went into it expecting darkness, but what really stood out for me was the humanity (or lack of it at times) of the characters. 19 year old Maggie is kind, but not too kind; sharp-tongued when pushed, soft-tongued when needed. She is both mother and sister to Jinks, protecting him to the utmost of her abilities despite being little more than a child herself. Jinks is scrappy, disheveled, and street-smart, but very much looks up to his older sister. Their friend Annabelle is a beautiful soul, empathetic to the struggles of others and using her religious beliefs for good. Her father, on the other hand, is the very opposite, using religion to divide between the good and proper, and "the other." The author did a great job of building the characters and making them distinct. I really wanted Maggie, Jinks, and Annabelle to come out ahead. In a world where most all of the adults were corrupt or lost, the children were filled with shining hope and goodness.
There were definitely some aspects that I enjoyed less. I wanted a different outcome for a few of the characters, and the ending felt a tad rushed. I think the book could have benefited from being slightly longer with a more drawn-out conclusion. There was also a proofreading issue where Annabelle and the Reverend were introduced by the last name Elgar early on, but then referred to as Edgar continuously later on in the book - I'm not sure if this issue made it to print.
These small gripes aside, I think Stephen Black did a phenomenal job with the novel. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but it was definitely what it needed to be. For all the supernatural aspects to it, it felt very raw and gritty and real. It is unquestionably a story I'd recommend to others.
Full disclosure - I received my e-ARC of The Famine Witch via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 25, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free through Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Alright a little back history.
I consider myself a history buff, i enjoy learning about things that have happened and how they helped the future, but even i found myself learning and taking things away from this book.
The Famine Witch primarily takes place in Ireland during the year 1847 which is most often referred to as Black 47. There was a great famine that took place between the years 1845 till 1852, with 1847 being considered the worst of them, that effected the Irish Potato Crop, which is one of the common place things they eat, which lead to widespread death and starvation, claiming an estimated 1 million fatalities , and having another million people emigrate to other areas, seeking to escape the dire situation and have a better life.
Enter our Main character Maggie Malone, along with her little brother Jinx who live in a bad part of the city of Belfast referred to as Carson's Court, barely scraping by, as there mother was taken from the both of them do the dire situations in the country, and there father unable to cope with the passing of his wife, turned into a useless alcoholic, who spends all his time at his favorite watering hole, rather then being home with his kids.
In addition to the problems with the ongoing famine, there is also a serial killer referred to as "Bloody Hands" going around and murdering young women , leaving blood hands prints at the scene of his crimes as his calling card, unbeknownst to Maggie, jinx, and the townsfolk, this is a supernatural man who comes around once every 200 years to take his pound of flesh, before reseeding back into the shadows.
But if that wasnt bad enough for Maggie, the womanly deity she prays to, as her mother had before her simply referred to as "The Black Lady", was actually one of the Bloody Hands victims 200 years prior, has suddenly appeared, and is looking to take vengeance on Bloody Hands, and the town she believes to have wronged her, leaving Maggie caught in a titanic struggle of Supernatural per portions.
This book was absolutely fantastic, it actually turned out to be so much more then i thought it was going to be. First using a real life event as the backdrop setting for the story, adds a extra level of punch to the events going on, and makes you care for all the characters in this book that much more. But Stephen Black takes it a step further, visiting topics throughout the narrative such as, the worst sides of human nature, religious fanaticism, and strong preying on the weak, giving this story so many delicious layers to take in and enjoy as it progresses, leading to an ending that hit all the right marks for me.
There will be more big name books out there that will likely attract more attention, then this one will receive, which is a shame because Stephen Black did something awesome with this book, i cannot state that enough.
If you enjoy Historical novels, mixed with a bit of Fiction and horror elements thrown in, you will do yourself well, to take the time and check out The Famine Witch.
Alright a little back history.
I consider myself a history buff, i enjoy learning about things that have happened and how they helped the future, but even i found myself learning and taking things away from this book.
The Famine Witch primarily takes place in Ireland during the year 1847 which is most often referred to as Black 47. There was a great famine that took place between the years 1845 till 1852, with 1847 being considered the worst of them, that effected the Irish Potato Crop, which is one of the common place things they eat, which lead to widespread death and starvation, claiming an estimated 1 million fatalities , and having another million people emigrate to other areas, seeking to escape the dire situation and have a better life.
Enter our Main character Maggie Malone, along with her little brother Jinx who live in a bad part of the city of Belfast referred to as Carson's Court, barely scraping by, as there mother was taken from the both of them do the dire situations in the country, and there father unable to cope with the passing of his wife, turned into a useless alcoholic, who spends all his time at his favorite watering hole, rather then being home with his kids.
In addition to the problems with the ongoing famine, there is also a serial killer referred to as "Bloody Hands" going around and murdering young women , leaving blood hands prints at the scene of his crimes as his calling card, unbeknownst to Maggie, jinx, and the townsfolk, this is a supernatural man who comes around once every 200 years to take his pound of flesh, before reseeding back into the shadows.
But if that wasnt bad enough for Maggie, the womanly deity she prays to, as her mother had before her simply referred to as "The Black Lady", was actually one of the Bloody Hands victims 200 years prior, has suddenly appeared, and is looking to take vengeance on Bloody Hands, and the town she believes to have wronged her, leaving Maggie caught in a titanic struggle of Supernatural per portions.
This book was absolutely fantastic, it actually turned out to be so much more then i thought it was going to be. First using a real life event as the backdrop setting for the story, adds a extra level of punch to the events going on, and makes you care for all the characters in this book that much more. But Stephen Black takes it a step further, visiting topics throughout the narrative such as, the worst sides of human nature, religious fanaticism, and strong preying on the weak, giving this story so many delicious layers to take in and enjoy as it progresses, leading to an ending that hit all the right marks for me.
There will be more big name books out there that will likely attract more attention, then this one will receive, which is a shame because Stephen Black did something awesome with this book, i cannot state that enough.
If you enjoy Historical novels, mixed with a bit of Fiction and horror elements thrown in, you will do yourself well, to take the time and check out The Famine Witch.
August 20, 2024
The best thing about this book is the cover.
When it arrived I was excited to get reading, because the premise was good, the blurb looked fantastic. Unfortunately, I found so many inconsistencies among the pages that I almost DNF. I pushed through to the end, but it was a slog.
Maggie Malone and her young brother Jinks are virtually alone in the world, and after their mother’s death their father leaves them to fend for themselves during the famine of 1847. Not only is there a famine going on, but some nasty disease arrives with a ship, a vengeful witch – the Black Lady - is on the warpath, and a demon called ‘Bloody Hands’ also makes an appearance.
Maggie has to put up with a zealous preacher who damns her into hell and accuses her of causing all the ills in the town with her witchery. The preacher’s daughter, Annabelle, befriends the Malones and is caught up in the mayhem.
Should be good, right? Perhaps it could have been, but there was too much going on, and I was distracted by things such as (not an exhaustive list):
- A boy of seven, who spoke and acted like he was several years older. At one point, this little weakling who was living through a famine no less, beat up a boy a few years older. Really?
- A thug who ordered a drink and a bowl of something to eat, and LEFT without touching the food. In the middle of a famine.
- Maggie, being more concerned with helping than finding her little brother, who she knew was in danger. OMG.
- A 12 year-old boy, growing facial hair – and after surviving a famine, when he must have been malnourished for years so would hardly be well-developed, let alone start puberty VERY early.
The book was also peppered with awful grammar mistakes. It needs a good edit:
“Maggie turned to face Jinks to find both Nell and him had vanished.”
Lots of people are fawning over this book, but I’m afraid I found it rather disappointing.
Extra star for the cover.
When it arrived I was excited to get reading, because the premise was good, the blurb looked fantastic. Unfortunately, I found so many inconsistencies among the pages that I almost DNF. I pushed through to the end, but it was a slog.
Maggie Malone and her young brother Jinks are virtually alone in the world, and after their mother’s death their father leaves them to fend for themselves during the famine of 1847. Not only is there a famine going on, but some nasty disease arrives with a ship, a vengeful witch – the Black Lady - is on the warpath, and a demon called ‘Bloody Hands’ also makes an appearance.
Maggie has to put up with a zealous preacher who damns her into hell and accuses her of causing all the ills in the town with her witchery. The preacher’s daughter, Annabelle, befriends the Malones and is caught up in the mayhem.
Should be good, right? Perhaps it could have been, but there was too much going on, and I was distracted by things such as (not an exhaustive list):
- A boy of seven, who spoke and acted like he was several years older. At one point, this little weakling who was living through a famine no less, beat up a boy a few years older. Really?
- A thug who ordered a drink and a bowl of something to eat, and LEFT without touching the food. In the middle of a famine.
- Maggie, being more concerned with helping than finding her little brother, who she knew was in danger. OMG.
- A 12 year-old boy, growing facial hair – and after surviving a famine, when he must have been malnourished for years so would hardly be well-developed, let alone start puberty VERY early.
The book was also peppered with awful grammar mistakes. It needs a good edit:
“Maggie turned to face Jinks to find both Nell and him had vanished.”
Lots of people are fawning over this book, but I’m afraid I found it rather disappointing.
Extra star for the cover.
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