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The Witches of Windsor #2

The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice

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Amazon Best Seller

Something Wicked Has Returned . . .

A week has passed since Nate Watson defeated the evil warlock, Malleus Hodge, with the help of the witchfinder’s serpent, a magickal, snake-shaped bracelet once owned by Hodge himself. Unable to remove the ancient bracelet from his arm, Nate struggles to control the serpent’s immense powers.

As hellish monsters and once-dead creatures arrive accompanied by impossible displays of magick, it becomes clear that Hodge is back with a to unleash a twenty-first century witch hysteria. Neighbor will be pitted against neighbor as the warlock stokes the flames of fear and paranoia to epic proportions.

With the help of his friends and a beautiful, mysterious visitor, Nate searches for a way to defeat Hodge for good—while coming to terms with loss, betrayal, and the fear that the serpent’s dark magicks are beginning to influence his behavior in unexpected ways.

What Nate doesn’t know is that a sinister pact drives Hodge, who will stop at nothing to fulfill a dark bargain several centuries in the making.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2024

14 people are currently reading
2400 people want to read

About the author

Rande Goodwin

6 books58 followers
Author of The Witchfinder’s Serpent: randegoodwin.com/books
Fan of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Thrillers, Mystery, Star Trek, Star Wars, Walking Dead, Buffy and a whole lot more!

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Bella.
439 reviews54 followers
September 22, 2024
A bewitching young adult fantasy thriller with a fully realized world of unique characters and magic. A must-read for fans of Annabel Chase and Stephanie Meyer.

Rande Goodwin’s award-winning novel The Witchfinder’s Serpent introduced us to teenager Nate Watson, who stumbled across the world of witchcraft in his Aunt Celia’s mansion when a powerful demonic bracelet permanently wrapped itself around his arm. In Goodwin’s second series entry, The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice, the relationship between Nate and the serpent is increasingly fascinating. While Nate has gained some measure of control, it also inflicts severe pain while also warning him of danger. It can be hard and metallic, but can also act as an on-demand flamethrower.

Nate’s growing powers will come in handy, as Aunt Celia’s nemesis – a 350-year-old Warlock named Malleus Hodge – is back. Part of Hodge’s evil plan is to unleash witch hysteria in Windsor, Connecticut. Unfortunately for Nate, the plan is already working.

Goodwin has created a right-sized cast of memorable characters and gives each of them singular stories to demonstrate the spread of the hysteria. For example, married gardening enthusiast Al and his wife attended a local Shad Derby (a town festival) in which fish fell from the sky while a stranger handed out pamphlets warning of murderous witches living among them. Later, he watches in horror as his pristine lawn is burned by a grotesque beast – leading him to the conclusion that his neighbor and professional rival must be a witch. But Goodwin’s characterization is at its most entertaining when drawing divisions between the world of teenagers and adults. For example, Shad Derby Queen Courtney Stevens – whose parents are away on vacation – is increasingly convinced that her housekeeper is a witch. Not only is the housekeeper trying to poison her with bewitched seafood, she also may have used a spell to extend her parents’ vacation. Meanwhile, teenager Regan’s fervently religious mother now believes that her daughter is “Satan’s progeny.”

It goes without saying that all this mayhem sets Nate up for an epic war with Hodge. Fans of Goodwin’s first series entry will rejoice at how Goodwin progresses Nate’s character development. While Aunt Celia continues in a mentor role, she once again needs Nate’s help for survival – as does the entire town. And as he did in the first book, Goodwin continues to create ancestral connections to Alse Young, the first woman to be hanged in what would be America for witchcraft in 1647. In doing so, it’s clear that Goodwin understands better than most of his contemporaries exactly how to build a world that readers want to escape to – while continuing to remind us how much it resembles our own. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Louis (audiobookfanatic).
321 reviews32 followers
November 20, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author, for this free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
 
The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice is a thrilling fantasy with supernatural and historical fiction elements. This is the 2nd book in the Witches of Windsor series, and it’s recommended to first read book one, "The Witchfinder's Serpent," to fully comprehend the characters’ backstories. The story follows teenager Nate Watson, who recently defeated evil warlock Malleus Hodge using a magical bracelet. Nate is now unable to remove the bracelet, which Hodge utilizes to send hellish monsters to Nate’s town.
 
The story is a classic tale of evil vs. good. Although it’s marketed for a YA audience, the series can be easily enjoyed by adults. Goodwin's vivid writing and intriguing characters make for a compelling story, and the fast-paced plot keeps readers engaged from beginning to end.
 
The story toggles between the 1600s Witch Trials and Nate's present day. The story is told from a 3rd-person perspective and switches between multiple POVs in the past and present. As the POV jumps around, there’s not much character development, and it would be great to see further development of interesting side characters in future books.
 
Narrator Nick Morelli does a great job narrating. His clear and commanding voice lends itself perfectly to this fast-paced story, allowing listeners to easily follow the different POVs and timelines. Morelli’s performance is well balanced as he delivers excitement to the horrifying scenes and emotional intensity to the dialogue and historical scenes. Morelli also provides distinct, entertaining voices for the characters, making for an enjoyable listening experience.
 
Overall, this book is a perfect blend of historical, supernatural, horror, and YA fantasy. Fans of Harry Potter, Shadow and Bone, and Cassandra Clare’s books will definitely enjoy this series. If you’re looking for a fast-paced fantasy series that you can quickly devour, this series is a great option!
 
Profile Image for Corinne’s Chapter Chatter.
936 reviews41 followers
November 4, 2024
4.25⭐️
Wow! This was better than i expected which is always a great treat. I’ll be honest I requested a bunch of books whilst having a high fever and didn’t even remember doing so! This book wouldn’t typically be what I would request but I’m glad I did.

You do have to pay attention heavily to the content as there are a lot relationship and information that you need to new track of. I love the fire to Massachusetts and the history given .

It’s amazing how the fear spread and how it impacted others lives. It’s very “true” to “real life”

I enjoyed the narration. I listened at 1.25 speed which was perfect for me. Typically I speed it up beyond that but I didn’t want to miss anything!

While we are a little passed it now, this is a perfect read for Halloween season but also beyond as it has the puritan feel to it. I think it’s a must read for anyone who likes history, Salem witch stories, magical realism and thriller fantasy. It has a bit of everything!!

I’ll mention this is a second book in a series. I didn’t read the first one but I didn’t feel I was missing anything!

I am thankful to have gotten an audio ALC for free from Netgalley and Greenleaf Audio to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
Profile Image for Elizabeth Harrington.
26 reviews2 followers
September 30, 2024
Good Halloween YA read

This is #2 in the series which continues the story the same week after malleus Hodge escapes. So # 1 is a required read .Also I would suggest watching the old Vincent price movie "The witch finder's General " to get a sense of how evil these guys were

The story follows the Watson bros as they are taken in by their mysterious aunt Celia after their father's death. They move to Windsor Connecticut which was home to the first witch trials in New England .( Salem is more famous due to the better documentation) where they discover a long held family secret ,that has to do with the witch trials and the witchfinder who has been after their family for years,but was contained in a protected bottle is released. In book #1 malleus Hodge almost meets his end but is saved by an unexpected person . The Watsons ,Aunt Celia ( who turns out to be a witch) and their friends try again to end malleus and his reign forever .

Book includes,familiars,the undead,mean girls, and Another cool Aunt .


Profile Image for Allyson Mills.
39 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2024
This was the PERFECT continuation following book one The Witchfinder’s Serpent and I absolutely cannot wait for book 3 coming out late 2025!

There were moments that had me in tears, on the edge of my seat and cheering out loud! Rande Goodwin you’ve done it again!
Profile Image for Reader Views.
4,701 reviews328 followers
July 19, 2024
Nate Watson’s life bears little resemblance to the one he had only a few months ago. He’s seen and done crazy things since he and his younger brother Marc came to live with their Aunt Celia. While his worldview has completely changed, he’s hoping he can get back to living an ordinary high-schooler’s existence now. After all, isn’t that scary enough? But as “The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice” by Rande Goodwin opens, it’s exceedingly apparent that something wicked has returned.

This is book two of Goodwin’s The Witches of Windsor series, continuing the tale from the award-winning first novel, “The Witchfinder’s Serpent.” The popular characters from book one are now joined by new friends and relatives… and more villainy. Actually, “villainy” probably isn’t a strong enough word here; evil, maniacal wickedness, hellbent treachery are more accurate. Because the forces that Nate and his loyal force will face come straight from the pits of Hell.

Written for teens and young adults, this book and series are easily enjoyed by adults as well. With strong and intricate characters, a galloping pace, and a storyline that flows naturally between early historical witch trials and Nate’s modern-day nightmares, this book is… magic. But don’t make the mistake of assuming this will be a watered-down tale because it’s written for a younger audience. This novel is full of gritty, gory nightmarish scenes and beasts that terrify as they devour their hapless victims. Yes, characters WILL die. Thanks to the astoundingly cruel, vile, and vicious enemy: Malleus Hodge. If you’ve already read book one, you have a good idea just how powerful, corrupt, treacherous, determined, and just plain creepy Malleus Hodge is. Readers will discover still more about him in “The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice.” None of it is good. Because nothing good resides in this man.

Rande Goodwin has accomplished an amazing and difficult feat here. His modern-day tale has one foot in the history of the American Colonies’ witch trials prior to the infamous Salem events. While this creates a great foundation for his story, that’s really only part of the cool factor. Goodwin deftly takes the reader back and forth between the Windsor of the mid-1600s and the modern day, then begins to slowly entwine these two stories, creating essentially one strong and twisted tale. The result is a riveting read that allows the reader to fall into both the history and magic of this series.

Fans of historical fiction, supernatural fantasies, mild horror, and teen/YA reads will enjoy this intense, well-written, highly entertaining, and mesmerizing story. While it’s possible to read this as a stand-alone, I recommend beginning with book one, “The Witchfinder’s Serpent” in order to fully engage the characters and appreciate all the nuances and history present in Rande Goodwin’s “The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice,” book two of this enchanting series, The Witches of Windsor.

Profile Image for books.bubbles.beach.
64 reviews
November 26, 2024
The Witchfinders Sacrifice by Rande Goodwin. This is the second in the Witches of Windsor series. Thank you to NetGalley for my audio book.

In the first book Nate Watson and his brother had just moved from New York to live with their aunt. Aunt Celia told them to stay away from the one locked door in the house but true to teenagers their curiosity got the better of them. They happened across a world of witchcraft in the locked room, where a demonic serpent shaped bracelet attached itself to his arm. Now Nate and his aunt must try and find a way to get rid of the bracelet before its evil owner returns.

The story switches between Nate in present day (2019) and the past (1647). During the 1647 portion we hear about how Alse Young was identified as a witch and hanged. Nate lives in Windsor, the same town where Alse Young was hanged.

Nate’s Magick is becoming stronger and he needs to take down the 350 year old Warlock Malleus Hodge. However, Hodge is stirring up witch hysteria in the town and pitting neighbours against each other.

The way the book ended leaves me with the impression that a further book will follow shortly.

The author based his story on many facts that happened:
During 1944 and 1947 Matthew Hopkins travelled the English countryside as the Witchfinder General who took on the unofficial ‘official’ role as witch expert to identify and send 230 innocent men and women to death, until his early death in 1947. At the same time across the ocean in Windsor Connecticut, Alse Young was the first person to be hanged as a witch. Her execution started the witch hysteria which spread through America and reached fever pitch in Salem, Massachusetts and ended up in the Salem Witch trials.
1 review
September 24, 2024
The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice blends fiction with real New England history in an action-packed continuation of the story of Nate Watson and the modern day town of Windsor, Connecticut. Growing up in CT, I have always been fascinated by how much history we have around us. This book does a great job of including dark parts of the past with the hope of good overcoming evil.
The glimpses into the 1600’s, with characters inspired by real people that existed during this time, are tied into the present day with intriguing foreshadowing. Plot twists, including enemies turned allies and vice versa make this a page turner. The descriptive nature of the text plays on your senses and allows you to understand aspects such as the hysteria that has occurred over false accusations of malicious witchcraft.
As Malleus Hodge, the evil mastermind behind the resurgence of the modern day witch hysteria, works to carry out his plans, both sides have unique magickal items assisting them. Throughout the story the reader is left wondering how Nate with his family and friends will overcome Hodge and his cronies, if they can.
Profile Image for Karena Riggins.
87 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2024
I did not finish this book at 28% because I could not get into the story. From my understanding of what I heard, The Witchfinder's Sacrifice is about a town where some magical event occurred that everyone references but hasn't been revealed yet in the book. A man who may have magic is trying to terrorize the town into hunting witches. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters as the POVs jumped around too much for me to fully understand the character development.

There are some elements of horror and mystery in this book. It is well written, there's just a lot going on. The story is told in 3rd party and jumps between multiple POVs. There's at least 5 different story lines occurring while also jumping between present day and past. There were too many names for me to retain and be able to follow each story. I found myself zoning out and not listening at all while it was playing.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA thriller/horror or that doesn't mind the multiple POV jumping.. If there were a sequel, I would not read it.
23 reviews
September 27, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading an early release of the Witchfinder’s Sacrifice, sequel to the Amazon Bestseller Witchfinder’s Serpent
and 2nd book of the Witches of Windsor Series; a new young adult fantasy series built upon the historic witch trials of 17th century Windsor, Connecticut. The Witchfinder’s Sacrifice draws readers into the fascinating experiences of Nate and his companions as they discover the extent of the magick still present in the 21st century. While the clash of good and evil has always existed, the excitement and adventures in this book make it hard to put down. The lure of magick is too intriguing, the challenges of its re-discovery tantalizing, and first-hand encounters with the evils that surface when magickal powers are used for selfish purposes is enthralling---leaving the reader wanting more.
Profile Image for Shauna Morrison.
2,302 reviews5 followers
December 1, 2024
This was a great sequel to the Witchfinder's Serpent. I love that this book picks up right where we left off in book one. Nate and his friends were put through the ringer in this book and I honestly cannot tell if there will be another book in this series but I will read it if there is one.
I loved the author's notes at the end of the book explaining that parts of this book were based on real historical events.

Nick Mondelli did a great job narrating the book. Nick kept a great pace with a modulated tone. I will look for more of Nick's narrations in the future.
1 review
September 24, 2024
If you like Harry Potter and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, this book is for you! The adventures of high school teens battling the evil warlock, Malleus Hodge, is a gripping tale of good versus evil. The book is a thriller combining intrigue with nonstop action. I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy and am glad I did! I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels, the supernatural, and historical fiction. Definitely 5 stars. A must read!
Profile Image for Nadia Meriouli.
323 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Greenleaf Audiobooks for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I feel like I missed out on a lot from not reading the first book before this. I was confused a lot of the time and I didn’t feel as attached to the characters. But from what I did get the story was very entertaining, it was really cool to hear that the names of some of the characters were real people and I feel like if I’d read the first book I’d have really really enjoyed this.
1 review1 follower
September 24, 2024
The Witchfinder's Sacrifice is a wonderfully written sequel to The Witchfinder's Serpent. The author masterfully weaves a mesmerizing tale of witchcraft through the centuries to lead us to a wild night in Windsor. I can't wait for book 3 to hit the shelves!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book prior to the release date.
Profile Image for Kirstyn (readwithkirstyn).
858 reviews22 followers
September 28, 2024
The Witchfinder's Sacrifice by Rande Goodwin is a thrilling continuation of the dark, immersive saga that blends history with supernatural elements. Goodwin's vivid storytelling and complex characters draw readers into a world where fear and intrigue collide. This captivating tale keeps you hooked until the very last page, making it a must-read for fans of witchcraft and mystery!
Profile Image for Katie Harder-schauer.
1,209 reviews55 followers
November 11, 2024
This book felt like it really resolved everything that was left hanging in The Witchfinder's Serpent (that's right, I read the first book in this series before reading this one, and you should be proud of me), but then it hinted at future problems. I'll have a more in depth review posted here after it goes live on my blog.
Profile Image for Emily.
37 reviews
June 4, 2024
I would like to thank the author for providing me an ARC of the Witchfinder’s Sacrifice! A phenomenal sequel to the Witchfinder’s Serpent. So glad I continued with this series, and I can’t wait to see what the author does next.
Profile Image for Annarella.
14.2k reviews165 followers
October 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, fascinating world building, and entertaining. . I liked the good storytelling
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
62 reviews
November 2, 2024
An excellent sequel to The Witchfinder's Serpent! The authors colorful storytelling draws readers into a world of witchcraft and history with characters engaged in a battle of good vs evil! Can't wait for book 3!
9 reviews
December 7, 2024
I loved this book. I was born and raised in CT so the location of this novel held a special place in my heart. I enjoyed the historical perspective as well as the story. Very well done 👍
Profile Image for Amber.
1,473 reviews49 followers
November 8, 2024
Wow! When I started reading this one I did not realize it was part of a series, so just saying I read this one and understood everything that was going on and that happened.
This was a classic tale of evil and good, and I enjoyed how the time jumped between the times of the Salem Witch trials and the current times.
Hodge enjoyed igniting anger witch hunts and hysteria for others and sending them on a witch hunt. Nate, Marc, and Aunt Celia battle the evil warlock Hodge and they try to stop him and his evil acts.
Hodge is so evil! I hated that he used his daughter for her powers because of the demon that he made a deal with and she knew the whole time that he chose to have her mother killed to trade to give him more time to accomplish his deal and the amount of souls he needed to give the demon. I liked how protective Nate was and how Marc was so stubborn that he wanted to help and take his puppy to the pretty cute fight! I was given the audiobook to listen to and review, and the narrator was awesome and did an amazing job! The narrator fit the story and kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat! Thank you Greenleaf Audiobooks and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to review this one!
Profile Image for Sandy.
37 reviews22 followers
May 31, 2025
I will not be giving feedback for this book
This was a perfect addition to the series. The story flowe cohesively. I loved that the reference to the 1600's witch trials seemed natural and not forced. Fans of Stephanie Meyer will love this book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you Net Galley for the book !
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