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Solomon Kane: Suffer The Witch
The first novel based on Robert E. Howard's uncompromising Puritan anti-hero. A haunting and intense Gothic mystery for readers of Christopher Buehlman, John Langan and Brom.
Puritan. Fiend. Fanatic.
Solomon Kane.
In the wake of several grisly murders, Solomon Kane has been summoned to Windsend, England, to determine a woman's guilt. Is Sybil Eastey a witch? And is she behind these gruesome crimes?
His first night in Windsend, Kane awakens from horrific nightmares only to witness a man being torn asunder. Fear quickly turns to something more sinister and the villagers are ready to lynch Sybil before Kane intervenes.
Kane must establish Sybil's true nature and solve the macabre mystery before more blood is spilt. However, nothing is what it seems in Windsend.
Puritan. Fiend. Fanatic.
Solomon Kane.
In the wake of several grisly murders, Solomon Kane has been summoned to Windsend, England, to determine a woman's guilt. Is Sybil Eastey a witch? And is she behind these gruesome crimes?
His first night in Windsend, Kane awakens from horrific nightmares only to witness a man being torn asunder. Fear quickly turns to something more sinister and the villagers are ready to lynch Sybil before Kane intervenes.
Kane must establish Sybil's true nature and solve the macabre mystery before more blood is spilt. However, nothing is what it seems in Windsend.
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2026
25 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 13, 2026
Just as Solomon Kane suffered the witch, I have suffered this novel. I will spoil this book so that no one else suffers it. As a book which could be many people's introduction to the character of Solomon kane it fails. Providing instead, a plodding traditional modern fantasy or YA Fantasy story with Kane as a two bit actor. Making this book the Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny of the new Howardverse.
We follow Kane in the midst of monster slaying. The beginning would lull a fan of sword and sorcery into a trance that we are getting a genuine continuation of the Puritan slayer. However this Kane is old. A constant hurdle for our hero to overcome in this story (which he fails on his own) is a bad knee. While Conan in the Phoenix on the Sword was probably just shy of Kane in his forties, and would go on to leave the throne to pursue adventure in his fifties. Other older characters of Howard don’t prattle on about their injuries or burden. But with this style of writing, we are told on and on about how Kane laments his injury and maybe should retire. Similar to how actors of the seventies and eighties in modern media look doddering despite their circumstances, so too does Kane. This is made worse in a meta sense given the characters age. To someone who may be picking up this story, they get to read about a character over a century old trying to act like he’s still in his prime.
After Kane’s first battle, he receives a letter from an old friend begging him to return to England to face a new supernatural threat, doing so at the protest of N’Longa from the Howard story Red Shadows. Due to his status as a side character, N’longa is the most consistent with his original interpretation with some abilities lifted from the comic runs.
Returning to England Kane meets his Catherine Archer, a character who feels plucked from a literary historical novel rather than a pulp story. Unlike a Yasmela, whose feminine nature was complimented by her station, making her feel like a believable fantasy royal. Catherine is the beset upon by the house wife. She’s everything one would want in a wife, but her husband is a cartoonishly jealous and abusive man. Often when she and Kane speak, the writing makes it appear as if the tension between them comes from unrequited love which one can infer from several comments. We know Kane loved before, but given his faith you’d think Kane wouldn’t fall into this. Further into the book, Catherine becomes emboldened enough to fight back physically and the air about her of someone far more determined than she ever had been. Until like Valeria from Red Nails, where her character and life choices would contextualize her actions. Catherine goes through these changes off screen in order to be useful when the time comes. She feels modern in the sense that she’s the product of a modern writer with modern sensibilities writing a character from a different time creating a jarring unwelcome mess. A brief aside to discuss Enoch, the abusive husband. He’s jealous of Kane, hits his wife, and he’s a Christian which the book seems to mention a lot. That’s all there is to say about him as a character. Having read some romance novels, as an antagonist he’s right at home there with how hollow and generically EVILLL he is. After Kane and Catherine reconnect and witness some horror first hand. He heads to the jail to interrogate the worst character of this story.
Sybil Easty the witch. Pompous, self important, and what I would argue is the mouth piece for the author. As the town suffers from a gruesome magical attack. Easty does everything that would create suspicion. Living outside the community, disparaging the locals and their religion, and saying things that would imply she knows more than she lets on. In her first interaction she lies to Kane about being a witch, in a town being plagued by magical killings. Comparing her to Howard female characters, she has echoes of Bêlit and Salome in their worst ways. Like Bêlit she is the primary focus on the story, it’s mover and shaker, and ultimately the emotional core of the story. However unlike Bêlit and Conan who complemented each other which made their alliance feel like a partnership. Sybil is Kane’s superior in every way possible. She deconstructs with world view, and while Kane never relents in his core opinions his declarations feel hollow since they never address the core issues she raises. As a witch and midwife she is the reason Kane is relieved of his pained knee. And she’s so beautiful that Kane is taken aback by her beauty. With the ultimate slap in the face of the story being she achieves godhood after she is killed; due in part because of Kane’s inability to face the threat prior, having lost his sword in the first endeavor. By the end of the story as a god she expectedly tortures and humiliates Catherine’s abusive husband which reeks of browbeating and generational “evening of the scales”. And with a proclamation declares herself the ultimate power in the valley, telling those who don’t like that can leave (despite not being an original inhabitant) and that everyone should behave like “good Christians.” Even while at death’s door she can not help but demean the people of the town who come and ask for her services. It’s petulant and self aggrandizing which is why I compare her far more to fellow witch Salome. As the only witch of the story, Sybil is more akin to witches from contemporary fantasy stories than those of sword and sorcery. We get a hint of her backstory, threats of abuse and worse which all feel like the author wanted to make us feel sorry for her. The only reason why Sybil is able to be saved is because Kane loves her, which makes him no better than the jail of the town who is also infatuated by her, while his lack of traditional masculine features is often commented upon.
On the topic of men. When humans are described colloquially as evil the term used is men. Sybil is quick to comment on Man’s stupidity, and close mindedness. Sybil’s past trauma all came from men.The goddess of the valley preferred the appearance of women so took the form of one. The antagonist god of the story being specifically identified as he. The first priest of the antagonist god being a man, with some implications making this whole trend more disgusting. And when Kane and her find a skeleton in a cave, Sybil is quick to correct him that they are looking at a woman’s skeleton not a man. It’s this comment that makes all the other comments become a theme of the book since it’s so irrelevant to the story and what is being discussed prior that it feels intentional and one of many other similar comments.
The other characters range from one dimensionally evil or good. Two characters Roger and Issac are stand outs. Roger whose parents die at the hands of the evil plaguing the town has vibes similar to Balthus from Beyond the Black River but since his name’s not Sybil or Catherine is barely in the story. Issac Catherine’s son is another fun character. A sickly child with a sense of childlike wonder. He represents a life Kane could have had and allows the Puritan to be less the brooding avenger in a way that feels like his natural character. The rest are your Puritan extras who feel ripped out of the Scarlet Letter, which brings me to the topic of relgion.
Christianity is also treated in a similar manner. Demeaned at every turn, its internal squabbling, and atrocities brought up often. The closest bit of praise it gets is that it can help stupid people plod in the world. And that a good Christian is a vaguely good person. The antagonist of the story outright calls the Christian god fiction, and Kane’s closest allies who are Christian barely mention their faith, while others are dismissive of it like Sybil. I got back to what Conan has said “I know not, nor do I care.” There is a lot of magic in the Howard stories but they rarely outright state a god is false.
With the other magical elements of the story they are passable. The deep god, the story’s Villain is a dollar store eldritch entity. It has little to no identity beyond the classic dream manipulation. It follows winged squat imp-like creatures which in function kind of remind of the creatures from Howard’s Worms of the earth but with a type of active camouflage ability when exposed to light. Their lair is equal parts deep roads from dragon age and Nokron from elden ring. This makes the general setting for the final act one I feel fits the vibe of weird fiction which makes me lament it being in this book. The Forrest goddess that saves Sybil is also generic. Her backstory kills the passing of the third act so we know more about the deep god, and her vibe of being incredibly wise but also dreadfully naive about many things involving humans and mortality was grating and should have been left in the stories that litter the shelves these days.
Ultimately this book feels like it wants to tell a witch story that comments on the corrupting influence of men and the church but has to include Solomon Kane, the archetype and inspiration for the modern fantasy Witch Hunter. Sybil is the main character in all but her name being part of the title. Had this been the case I’d have not purchased the book and been fine. But this book is a Kane novel with a Kane who feels like he was brought on cause the studio said he had to be here. Titan has been the keeper of modern Howard stories, and while I’ve started others I’m far more wary to pick up more if this is their track record going forward. Made all the modern depressing when a lot of their content on places like YouTube I find very engaging.
This story stinks and doesn’t pass the Howard sniff test.
We follow Kane in the midst of monster slaying. The beginning would lull a fan of sword and sorcery into a trance that we are getting a genuine continuation of the Puritan slayer. However this Kane is old. A constant hurdle for our hero to overcome in this story (which he fails on his own) is a bad knee. While Conan in the Phoenix on the Sword was probably just shy of Kane in his forties, and would go on to leave the throne to pursue adventure in his fifties. Other older characters of Howard don’t prattle on about their injuries or burden. But with this style of writing, we are told on and on about how Kane laments his injury and maybe should retire. Similar to how actors of the seventies and eighties in modern media look doddering despite their circumstances, so too does Kane. This is made worse in a meta sense given the characters age. To someone who may be picking up this story, they get to read about a character over a century old trying to act like he’s still in his prime.
After Kane’s first battle, he receives a letter from an old friend begging him to return to England to face a new supernatural threat, doing so at the protest of N’Longa from the Howard story Red Shadows. Due to his status as a side character, N’longa is the most consistent with his original interpretation with some abilities lifted from the comic runs.
Returning to England Kane meets his Catherine Archer, a character who feels plucked from a literary historical novel rather than a pulp story. Unlike a Yasmela, whose feminine nature was complimented by her station, making her feel like a believable fantasy royal. Catherine is the beset upon by the house wife. She’s everything one would want in a wife, but her husband is a cartoonishly jealous and abusive man. Often when she and Kane speak, the writing makes it appear as if the tension between them comes from unrequited love which one can infer from several comments. We know Kane loved before, but given his faith you’d think Kane wouldn’t fall into this. Further into the book, Catherine becomes emboldened enough to fight back physically and the air about her of someone far more determined than she ever had been. Until like Valeria from Red Nails, where her character and life choices would contextualize her actions. Catherine goes through these changes off screen in order to be useful when the time comes. She feels modern in the sense that she’s the product of a modern writer with modern sensibilities writing a character from a different time creating a jarring unwelcome mess. A brief aside to discuss Enoch, the abusive husband. He’s jealous of Kane, hits his wife, and he’s a Christian which the book seems to mention a lot. That’s all there is to say about him as a character. Having read some romance novels, as an antagonist he’s right at home there with how hollow and generically EVILLL he is. After Kane and Catherine reconnect and witness some horror first hand. He heads to the jail to interrogate the worst character of this story.
Sybil Easty the witch. Pompous, self important, and what I would argue is the mouth piece for the author. As the town suffers from a gruesome magical attack. Easty does everything that would create suspicion. Living outside the community, disparaging the locals and their religion, and saying things that would imply she knows more than she lets on. In her first interaction she lies to Kane about being a witch, in a town being plagued by magical killings. Comparing her to Howard female characters, she has echoes of Bêlit and Salome in their worst ways. Like Bêlit she is the primary focus on the story, it’s mover and shaker, and ultimately the emotional core of the story. However unlike Bêlit and Conan who complemented each other which made their alliance feel like a partnership. Sybil is Kane’s superior in every way possible. She deconstructs with world view, and while Kane never relents in his core opinions his declarations feel hollow since they never address the core issues she raises. As a witch and midwife she is the reason Kane is relieved of his pained knee. And she’s so beautiful that Kane is taken aback by her beauty. With the ultimate slap in the face of the story being she achieves godhood after she is killed; due in part because of Kane’s inability to face the threat prior, having lost his sword in the first endeavor. By the end of the story as a god she expectedly tortures and humiliates Catherine’s abusive husband which reeks of browbeating and generational “evening of the scales”. And with a proclamation declares herself the ultimate power in the valley, telling those who don’t like that can leave (despite not being an original inhabitant) and that everyone should behave like “good Christians.” Even while at death’s door she can not help but demean the people of the town who come and ask for her services. It’s petulant and self aggrandizing which is why I compare her far more to fellow witch Salome. As the only witch of the story, Sybil is more akin to witches from contemporary fantasy stories than those of sword and sorcery. We get a hint of her backstory, threats of abuse and worse which all feel like the author wanted to make us feel sorry for her. The only reason why Sybil is able to be saved is because Kane loves her, which makes him no better than the jail of the town who is also infatuated by her, while his lack of traditional masculine features is often commented upon.
On the topic of men. When humans are described colloquially as evil the term used is men. Sybil is quick to comment on Man’s stupidity, and close mindedness. Sybil’s past trauma all came from men.The goddess of the valley preferred the appearance of women so took the form of one. The antagonist god of the story being specifically identified as he. The first priest of the antagonist god being a man, with some implications making this whole trend more disgusting. And when Kane and her find a skeleton in a cave, Sybil is quick to correct him that they are looking at a woman’s skeleton not a man. It’s this comment that makes all the other comments become a theme of the book since it’s so irrelevant to the story and what is being discussed prior that it feels intentional and one of many other similar comments.
The other characters range from one dimensionally evil or good. Two characters Roger and Issac are stand outs. Roger whose parents die at the hands of the evil plaguing the town has vibes similar to Balthus from Beyond the Black River but since his name’s not Sybil or Catherine is barely in the story. Issac Catherine’s son is another fun character. A sickly child with a sense of childlike wonder. He represents a life Kane could have had and allows the Puritan to be less the brooding avenger in a way that feels like his natural character. The rest are your Puritan extras who feel ripped out of the Scarlet Letter, which brings me to the topic of relgion.
Christianity is also treated in a similar manner. Demeaned at every turn, its internal squabbling, and atrocities brought up often. The closest bit of praise it gets is that it can help stupid people plod in the world. And that a good Christian is a vaguely good person. The antagonist of the story outright calls the Christian god fiction, and Kane’s closest allies who are Christian barely mention their faith, while others are dismissive of it like Sybil. I got back to what Conan has said “I know not, nor do I care.” There is a lot of magic in the Howard stories but they rarely outright state a god is false.
With the other magical elements of the story they are passable. The deep god, the story’s Villain is a dollar store eldritch entity. It has little to no identity beyond the classic dream manipulation. It follows winged squat imp-like creatures which in function kind of remind of the creatures from Howard’s Worms of the earth but with a type of active camouflage ability when exposed to light. Their lair is equal parts deep roads from dragon age and Nokron from elden ring. This makes the general setting for the final act one I feel fits the vibe of weird fiction which makes me lament it being in this book. The Forrest goddess that saves Sybil is also generic. Her backstory kills the passing of the third act so we know more about the deep god, and her vibe of being incredibly wise but also dreadfully naive about many things involving humans and mortality was grating and should have been left in the stories that litter the shelves these days.
Ultimately this book feels like it wants to tell a witch story that comments on the corrupting influence of men and the church but has to include Solomon Kane, the archetype and inspiration for the modern fantasy Witch Hunter. Sybil is the main character in all but her name being part of the title. Had this been the case I’d have not purchased the book and been fine. But this book is a Kane novel with a Kane who feels like he was brought on cause the studio said he had to be here. Titan has been the keeper of modern Howard stories, and while I’ve started others I’m far more wary to pick up more if this is their track record going forward. Made all the modern depressing when a lot of their content on places like YouTube I find very engaging.
This story stinks and doesn’t pass the Howard sniff test.
March 12, 2026
Review: Solomon Kane: Suffer the Witch
5/5 stars
I finished Solomon Kane: Suffer the Witch today, and it did not take many days to read. That says a lot by itself. I’ve bought every Robert E. Howard pastiche Titan Books has released so far, and most of them have been bad. Some were disappointing, some forgettable, and one I could not even finish. But this one? This one was very good. Easily the best of them by far.
What makes it work is that it actually feels like Solomon Kane. The atmosphere is dark, grim, and full of dread, but the book never loses sight of the character at its center. Kane feels like Kane — stern, driven, haunted, and uncompromising. The setting, the mystery, and the growing sense of unease all fit him very well.
The story also kept me reading. It moves well, builds tension nicely, and never felt like a chore. That may sound like a strange thing to praise, but after some of Titan’s earlier pastiches, it matters. This one held my attention from start to finish.
That said, the book is not perfect. There are a few typos here and there. Not a huge amount, but enough to be irritating — and if I spotted them that easily as a Norwegian reader, they probably should have been caught. There is also one detail that kept pulling me out of the story: Sybil Eastey’s eyes. Early on they are clearly described as green, but later they are suddenly blue. I know, I know — she’s a witch — but come on.
Another aspect I found interesting was the religious side of the book. I do not believe in any of it myself, and my own view is the exact opposite of Solomon Kane’s. Even so, I enjoyed that part very much. Kane’s beliefs are central to who he is, and the novel does a good job of showing both his conviction and, at times, the limits of his worldview. To me, that added something extra to the story. It made the book more interesting than a simple horror mystery, because there is also a tension between dogma, fear, morality, and human judgment running underneath it all.
And I will say this: I really liked the witch. That is about as far as I can go without getting into spoiler territory.
So yes — a few typos, one annoying continuity slip, but none of that changes the bigger picture. Solomon Kane: Suffer the Witch is, by far, the best Titan Robert E. Howard pastiche I have read so far. For me, it was an easy 5 out of 5 stars.
If Titan’s earlier pastiches left you disappointed, this is the one that may restore your faith.
Well — maybe not faith. But confidence, at least.
5/5 stars
I finished Solomon Kane: Suffer the Witch today, and it did not take many days to read. That says a lot by itself. I’ve bought every Robert E. Howard pastiche Titan Books has released so far, and most of them have been bad. Some were disappointing, some forgettable, and one I could not even finish. But this one? This one was very good. Easily the best of them by far.
What makes it work is that it actually feels like Solomon Kane. The atmosphere is dark, grim, and full of dread, but the book never loses sight of the character at its center. Kane feels like Kane — stern, driven, haunted, and uncompromising. The setting, the mystery, and the growing sense of unease all fit him very well.
The story also kept me reading. It moves well, builds tension nicely, and never felt like a chore. That may sound like a strange thing to praise, but after some of Titan’s earlier pastiches, it matters. This one held my attention from start to finish.
That said, the book is not perfect. There are a few typos here and there. Not a huge amount, but enough to be irritating — and if I spotted them that easily as a Norwegian reader, they probably should have been caught. There is also one detail that kept pulling me out of the story: Sybil Eastey’s eyes. Early on they are clearly described as green, but later they are suddenly blue. I know, I know — she’s a witch — but come on.
Another aspect I found interesting was the religious side of the book. I do not believe in any of it myself, and my own view is the exact opposite of Solomon Kane’s. Even so, I enjoyed that part very much. Kane’s beliefs are central to who he is, and the novel does a good job of showing both his conviction and, at times, the limits of his worldview. To me, that added something extra to the story. It made the book more interesting than a simple horror mystery, because there is also a tension between dogma, fear, morality, and human judgment running underneath it all.
And I will say this: I really liked the witch. That is about as far as I can go without getting into spoiler territory.
So yes — a few typos, one annoying continuity slip, but none of that changes the bigger picture. Solomon Kane: Suffer the Witch is, by far, the best Titan Robert E. Howard pastiche I have read so far. For me, it was an easy 5 out of 5 stars.
If Titan’s earlier pastiches left you disappointed, this is the one that may restore your faith.
Well — maybe not faith. But confidence, at least.
January 20, 2026
Escribir la primera novela oficial de Solomon Kane no debe ser una labor sencilla, y el caso es que Shaun Hamill sale bien librado del envite, aunque lo haga haciendo algunas trampas. Me explico, más que una historia del héroe puritano de Howard estamos ante la de un héroe algo más convencional en el entorno de la caza de brujas de principios del siglo XVII y con un toque a fantasía mitológica celta. Todo bien presentado y bien mezclado, pero con poco lugar para lo que uno relaciona con el héroe.
En lugar de viajar a lejanos lugares y encontrarse con extrañas civilizaciones, Solomon Kane vuelve a algo bastante parecido al hogar para ayudar a una vieja amiga, quejarse de que se está haciendo viejo y poder meditar sobre su pasado mientras se enfrenta a una trama más propia de una mezcla de Cuando las brujas arden (Witchfinder General) y La garra de Satán. El resultado es entretenido y tiene momentos muy buenos, sobre todo en torno al juicio de la acusada de brujería, pero en conjunto parece que le faltase algo que lo hiciera más netamente howardiano.
En fin, una buena novela sobre un héroe cansado, un pequeño pueblo asediado por el mal y la corrupción de las pequeñas comunidades, pero no tanto sobre Solomon Kane.
En lugar de viajar a lejanos lugares y encontrarse con extrañas civilizaciones, Solomon Kane vuelve a algo bastante parecido al hogar para ayudar a una vieja amiga, quejarse de que se está haciendo viejo y poder meditar sobre su pasado mientras se enfrenta a una trama más propia de una mezcla de Cuando las brujas arden (Witchfinder General) y La garra de Satán. El resultado es entretenido y tiene momentos muy buenos, sobre todo en torno al juicio de la acusada de brujería, pero en conjunto parece que le faltase algo que lo hiciera más netamente howardiano.
En fin, una buena novela sobre un héroe cansado, un pequeño pueblo asediado por el mal y la corrupción de las pequeñas comunidades, pero no tanto sobre Solomon Kane.
January 18, 2026
It's one of those could be better glad no worse stories. I like the idea of an older Solomon Kane and all the call backs were awesome but I feel like this didn't read like a Solomon Kane story. The action, adventure and horror were okay. Just Solomon Kane himself felt off. Not Howard at all but not the worst I've seen either. Hopefully a sequel is better.
January 25, 2026
I really enjoyed Suffer the Witch.
March 11, 2026
Excellent
Well written, truly capturing the feeling of Howard's Puritan hero. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and hope to see more
Well written, truly capturing the feeling of Howard's Puritan hero. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and hope to see more
March 19, 2026
Can’t wait for more of these. I feel like they really captured the old pulp feel of the character.
February 23, 2026
The first two thirds of the book felt like classic Solomon Kane, and I really enjoyed the references to past characters. The last third however was out of character and a bit plodding. The "deep god", underground city, and "fairy queen" didn't quite fit for any reason other than providing a means to an end.
February 6, 2026
Didnt feel like Solomon Kane.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews