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The Year of the Witching

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The Year of the Witching

By: Alexis Henderson
Narrated by: Brianna Colette
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Village in this stunning feminist debut . . .

Born on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches, and so cleansed the land.

And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel.

It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother . . .

Fascinated by and fearful of the secrets the diary reveals, Immanuelle begins to understand why her mother once consorted with witches. And as the truth about the Prophets, the Church and their history is revealed, so Immanuelle understands what must be done. For the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness.

Bethel must change. And that change will begin with her . . .

©2020 Alexis Henderson (P)2020 Penguin Audio Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Paranormal Scary Witchcraft Magic Magic Users

Critic reviews

'A thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power . . . it takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist.' S.A. CHAKRABORTY, author of The City of Brass

Featured article: Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween


Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.

Featured article Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween
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Most relevant
I’m not sure if it was AI but I found it hard to listen to because of this. There was a word or two which the narrator mispronounced like AI might.

It’s an ok story but the narrator sounded like AI

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Loved every minute of it! Such a good story kept me wanting more and the characters were so inviting! Brilliant narration too really helped with focusing on the plotline and not distracting. If you like anything witch related or dark fantasy then this is for you.

Simply Wonderful Witchy Tale

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Absolutely stunning read. I can see this as something Netflix could make and scare the pants of all of us.
A bloody tale of betrayal on a group of women whose only crime was all held the lineage. Recorded by the "church" as witches the current prophet holds dominium and his word is final.
The fact that he has hidden what he is doing is what drives these women to make a change. The last living of them is Immanuel, whose father was burned on a pyre and her mother driven to madness, she is the last hope, the strongest and the best equipped. With Ezra, the prophets son at her back they can face anything .... can't they?

Brilliant

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The story is quite weak and predictable. The ending is especially uninteresting. The narrator was great, though.

Weak story, great narrator

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I love twitchy stories as was this book and I enjoyed the romance too ...

Very entertaining...

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