Acorn Library

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Synopsis

When visions of death haunt her every move, only the darkest magic can save her.

Sarah Stone’s family has always closely guarded the secrets of their witchcraft. Though they tend as healers to those who know them, few guess the truth of the family’s skills.

But others have secrets too, and when Sarah finds herself caught in the grip of a terrifying curse, she fears for the fate of all she holds dear. As a dark shadow haunts the taverns and brothels of Bankside, whispers of a curse begin to spread. Then she is accused of witchcraft, and there seems to be no escape.

In a world where those called Witch end up on the gallows, can Sarah find a way to turn the curse aside? Or will the price be too high to pay?

Touch of a Witch is the first standalone novel in the spellbinding Darkness Rising series.
If you like dark and suspenseful romantic fantasy with unforgettable characters, you’ll love S.G. Slade’s seductive new novel.

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My Review

Triggers

First and foremost I would have liked to a little more detail to the trigger warning. Here is mine:

Mentions of child death/ miscarriage, incest, torture, death, coercion, gas-lighting, mental breakdown

Before you read

You should get an idea of what the play ‘MacBeth’ by William Shakespeare is about and maybe also know the general plot points of the play. This will uplift your understanding and enjoyment of ‘Touch of a Witch’ a lot. This is not a retelling of the play but a historical fiction set in the time of its premiere in around 1611 though the dark and tragic aspects are present in both.

We follow Sarah, her cousin Tom, and the ‘Kings Men’ member Nick as they weave relationships with each other and break off others. We follow themes of love in various colors, the gap between superstition and honesty in a time where a simple truth said in the wrong room could mean certain death. Furthermore, it is about womanhood, gender roles, religious differences, and zealousness. All in the backdrop of early Jacobean England and the infamous reputation of the ‘cursed play’.

My experience

I struggled a bit until around 10% and got over the shock of rapidly changing perspectives while the scene still flowed on. The unique take on how the reputation of Macbeth came to be and how the characters had their part in it was fantastic. How they influenced the play and how the play influenced them in return. Personally, I would have enjoyed more detail about the witchcraft or simple medical tasks as what herbs they use.

The relationship of the three main characters is chaotic and raw as they try to figure out their places with each other. I loved the journey Sarah went through as she discovered herself and all the joys and pains as well as the mistakes of a young mind. Though I hoped to see more growth from her. Nick was a compelling character and I liked to follow his descent the most of the three while Tom and his motivations were the hardest to grasp as the most chaotic and enigmatic character. Sadly we are only ever told about his motives and never see it ourselves.

The best part of the book by far was the eloquent writing and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience since it complemented the setting so well. Only the flow of the story slowed a few times due to the sheer amount of repeated after-work tavern visits, breakfasts, and dinners where nothing significant happens.

Closing thoughts

In the end, I can just repeat the similarities in tone to the play Macbeth and how that awed me. Both dark and full of death. Lacking hope, people are pretty easily convinced to turn depraved and lethal, leading to horror for all. There is some light in the end, but by then nearly everyone is dead, destroyed, or a hollow husk of their former self. The real question in both seems to be about prophecies and how people interact with their destinies.

All in all, it was a great and thought-provoking read with a few slow moments in between and I look forward to the second volume.

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My Rating

C	A	W	P	I	L	E
6.5	7.3	8.3	6.8	7	8	7

4 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️

Goodreads / Amazon