Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me a copy of The Witches At the End of the World in exchange for an honest review.
In the birchwoods of Norway, orphaned sisters Kaija and Minna possess powerful magic. While Kaija is willing to suppress hers for a life of community, Minna’s magic simmers with anger. After their grandmother’s death, Kaija leaves the woods for a new life in their old village. When Minna realizes where she went, however, Minna casts a vengeful curse. Her rage sets off a chain of destruction, and there may be no way to reverse the damage. Someone will pay the ultimate price.
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The Witches At the End of the World is a fairly straightforward story. However, Chelsea Iversen’s debut novel draws strength from its well-developed magic system and unique setting. I loved the use of a historical Norwegian village during the witch trials to ground the magical story in reality.
While Minna and Kaija are witches, Iversen describes their witchcraft as almost drawn from a separate but internal source. Both sisters describe the feeling of the witch within them as practically clawing to come out, even scratching at their skin with need. The way they react to this need is what separates them most. Kaija uses her magic for small charms, mending torn objects and protecting her home. Minna, on the other hand, sees magic as strength and tends towards darker curses and spells.
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The way they view magic may come from their difference in age, as well as the memories they have of their childhood home. As the older sister, Kaija remembers living in the village and seeing her mother use magic to help around the house. But since Minna is younger, all she remembers of her childhood is the villagers burning her mother at the stake. All of her motivation comes from fear and rage.
While both sisters claim love for each other, they think about it more than they actually show it. Their love and anger is certainly woven together. However, they feel so much bitterness and regret that it’s difficult to really see their bond as a reader. The same can be said of their interactions with secondary characters. Many of the villagers blended together. If Iversen developed them a little more, it could have done a lot to deepen their relationships, interactions and betrayals.
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Above all, The Witches At the End of the World is about what it means to be different in a world that expects you to conform. Iversen tells a story of good and evil in the face of religious bigotry and patriarchal expectations. It’s a solid read for anyone looking more for atmospheric description than a fast-paced plot.
The Witches At the End of the World is out now and available for purchase at your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.
TW: abandonment, animal death, blood, body horror, bullying, death, illness, injury, murder, pregnancy, religious bigotry, self-harm, sexism/misogyny, suicidal thoughts, violence
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/7-witchy-books-to-help-you-celebrate-halloween/
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