Rage of the Wiled

by Revey Galaer

Massachusetts, 1692. One witch. One Puritan. A curse that could damn them both.

When Lorelle Wolf was a child, she was orphaned and brought to Sufferance: a secret settlement of witches hiding from the growing terror of Salem. The last living member of England’s formidable Silversun coven—and the so-called defective twin of a dead prophesied savior—Lore has spent her life under watch, trapped in her brother’s shadow and longing for freedom.

Abigail Willard, a devout Puritan, is running from a loveless engagement when she flees Salem and lies her way into Sufferance. Living among witches should terrify her, but even that feels preferable to a forced marriage.

When Sufferance is attacked, Lore and Abigail escape into the harrowing Wiled Woods, a cursed forest steeped in the blood of innocent women. Hunted by a dark witch and Salem’s most ruthless witch hunter, the two women must rely on each other to survive.

To break the curse threatening witches and Puritans alike, they must find Lore’s missing familiars and unite a rare, dangerous magic split between them—magic powerful enough to save both their worlds… or destroy them entirely.

Perfect for fans of historical fantasy, witchcraft fiction, dark folklore, sapphic fantasy, forbidden bonds, and Salem-era magic with high emotional stakes.

Genres: LGBT, Fantasy

290 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 27, 2026

Reviews

[Fraisel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, first, I would like to thank Revey Galaer for the ARC! It was my second one ever, and very much a pleasure!

This book was straight-up amazing all around. It follows the perspective of multiple witches and humans during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, the two main perspectives being from that of a "bad" (as in quality not morality) witch and a puritan woman following said puritan woman's fleeing from Salem to escape an arranged marriage.

I was very happy for all of the representation and diversity present in this book, for the surprising amount of acceptance from other characters. The worldbuilding was amazing, and I really liked the lore behind the witches and the magic. It all made realistic sense to me. I loved the presence of the familiars, each of them having their own unique personality, and I really empathized with them throughout the entire story! Speaking of empathizing with characters, the humans and witches in this story were very compelling! I love that Nathaniel acts as a voice of reason and shows us that not all of the humans are bad, while Dumella's presence shows us that not all witches are good, further hammering in the point that there are good and bad characters on both sides of the magic spectrum. I loved the characters and their development throughout the story. I also like how their behaviors were seamlessly explained through their backgrounds. And in the realm of backgrounds, I liked how well thought-out all of the characters' backstories were!

Unlike other stories, I had absolutely no difficulty getting into this sapphic tale! From the first chapter, I was very engaged with the plot. Speaking of the plot, I thought that it was very well thought-out! All of the events that took place made sense to me. I liked the presence of perspectives from characters outside of the main cast, though I will admit that at times they took me out of the present moment when I was dying to see what happened next. Still, I think they furthered the plot and made the read more interesting, and I would prefer their presence over their absence. As far as the romance goes, I absolutely LOVED it. The silent yearning from Lore's perspectives especially was very appealing to me. It wasn't as prevalent from Abigail's perspective in my opinion, though I could have simply missed it. I love that the women find a home within each other. It makes me very happy. I loved how pure their romance was as well as how impure it was at times.

All of that being said, I really enjoyed the book, and I am rating it 5 stars! I am not much one for rereading books, but I am recommending this one to all of my LGBTQ+ friends for them to enjoy!

[Christoph Mayr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you want to race through, because you want to find out what happens next, and at the same time you want to slow down and draw out the reading as long as you can, because you don't want it to end and you don't want to leave its world or its characters.

There are plenty of surprises and twists along the way and the story proved more complex than I'd expected after the first few chapters (without ever becoming confusing or hard to follow). Even as all the strands are being tied up rather artfully, the story feels organic and not in the least constructed. The language, too, is beautiful. The author has created a rich, magical world with many different pockets and sends the reader on a journey through a whole smorgasbord of settings, emotions and vibes. There's cosy, there's horror and grime, there's love and slow sexual tension, there's despicable and wholesome, and there's an enviable wardrobe!

What makes the pairing of the two main characters — a Puritan and a Witch — so all the more successful is that neither is dismissive of what the other believes in (and nor is the narrator). The author resists the temptation to resolve the tension by either character converting or leaving their identity behind. I honestly don't know how common or realistic the levels of enlightened, nuanced reflection and the ardent feminism the characters display would have been in 17th century Massachusetts, but the result is a set of highly relatable characters for a 21st century audience. Set in 1692 the Rage of the Wiled may be, but it feels fresh, current and alive, and there's certainly no sense of Puritan dustiness. A brilliant debut!

I received a free electronic advance copy in order to review it, but have enjoyed this so thoroughly that I'm ordering myself a paid hardcopy for my shelf and one to gift.

[Nic Fitzgerald · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

Thank you to Revey Galaer and City Owl Press for providing an ARC copy of this for an honest review.

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Together, over family and friends and beloved familiars, they mourn.

I want to start off and say - this book was incredible. I have very minor qualms but it is a book I will recommend time and time again. I knew with the synopsis it wasn't going to be cozy, coupled with the setting, but I'll be damned if I wasn't drawn into a cozy feeling over the first 1/3 of the book. It goes from cozy to "what the fuck" and emotional devastation almost over a single page. It's incredible.

The journey this book takes you on with your emotions is one that I don't know if I have the words to adequately describe. There are instances of devastation, heartbreak, pure unbridled love, and queer joy. The impact of Severance being wiped out was such a rollercoaster, after the joyous reunion. Finding out the true identity of Ydin was another moment I had to put my reader down and take a second. (WHAT DO YOU MEAN LORE WANTED FAMILY AND SHE HAD SOMEONE THAT CLOSE???)

I will say, this wasn't necessarily the most thought provoking book, but it didn't really need to be. The topics and themes presented (feminine rage and unjustice towards them, where you fit in to society, how you feel about religion) were able to be discussed and taken into account. I loved every character in this - from the two main characters, Abby and Lore, to the enemy (primarily the Hunter). Every character did it's job and made the emotional impact where needed. The usage of familiars was incredible (and heartbreaking).

“Aye, I’m a witch, if a witch be a woman.”

[BoneButch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible. I could not put it down, and read cover to cover it in a single sitting. The writing is beautiful, the story engaging and satisfying, and the characters lovable. I read a lot of lesbian romance, and this one is so far my favorite. I found myself wanting to tumble into this world and walk in the cursed forest alongside Abby and Lore. Comforting and wonderfully creepy, as well as ending so perfectly, it’s perfect for the upcoming spooky season. It fully captures that wonderful feeling of Halloween I am always chasing. This book is both unique and nostalgic, and the author did an incredible job with it.
It’s really hard to write a review and not spoil everything because I want to yell about how much I loved EVERYTHING! I am not an easy reader to impress, but I have nothing but good things to say about this novel and author. I will undoubtedly read this one every fall, again and again and again.

I received this book in exchange for a honest review- Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to have an ARC of Rage of the Wiled! I absolutely loved every second of it.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly special. The main characters, Lorelle and Abigail, were absolutely delightful. Their inner light shone so brightly against the dark history of the Salem witch trials. I rooted for both of them from the beginning.

Especially intriguing was how Galaer juxtaposed Lorelle, the witch girl, and Abigail, the Puritan "godsgirl." They came from completely different backgrounds and held vastly different beliefs. Or so they thought. But they soon discover they are more similar than they realize, in their hearts, where it really matters.

Galaer shows that joining beliefs with love, rather than fighting over what was right and who was wrong, can save everything.

This wonderfully moving story left me with happy tears and goosebumps.

[Sona’s Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll come back to write more later, but this was a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thank you to the author for the ARC!