Witchcraft - Folk & Horror Stories edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane
I would like to thank Flame Tree Press for an advance copy of this anthology in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher - Flame Tree Press
Published - Out Now
Price - £16.99 hardback
An impressive new anthology of horror stories exploring what it means to be ‘witch’, including the rediscovery and reclaiming of that power, its links to nature, and witchcraft mythology from around the world. Award-winning anthologists Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane have commissioned and chosen an outstanding selection of tales, with contributions from authors including Ally Wilkes, Eliza Chan, Angela Slatter, Gabriella Buba and Lisa L. Hannett. Five brand new stories have also been selected from a popular open submissions call.
The full list of featured authors in this book is: Eugen Bacon, David Barnett, Melissa Bobe, Gabriella Buba, Mark Chadbourn, Eliza Chan, Aveline Fletcher, Helen Grant, Muriel Gray, Kay Hanifen, Lisa L. Hannett, Damien Kelly, Amanda Mason, Alison Moore, Buhlebethu Sukoluhle Mpofu, Angela Slatter and Ally Wilkes.
The archetype of the Witch is a classic feature of fantasy stories. From Shakespeare to the Brothers Grimm have used them in classic tales often though as someone malevolent to fear by the pricking of the thumbs. But more recently the character has been recognised as also a way that society sees women that don’t fit in or have knowledge and secrets that a predominantly male society did not tolerate so now one of the joys of a witch tale is you’re never entirely sure which type of witch we will meet. In the new anthology - Witchcraft - Folk & Horror Stories edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane a fine selection of stories by great authors await the reader to decide if a trick or treat awaiting.
In the impressive collection I was most notably struck by
Apotropaic By Ally Wilkes - a mesmerising story that in many ways explores the central theme of witches changing over time. We start with a woman seeking help for a problem caused by a not so faithful Lord and jump in time to the modern era. It’s a wonderful story exploring how our word is seen by the wider world and yet also how women are seen and treated. The solutions for the past can be very different for similar issues in the future.
Stranded by Eliza Chan - this story is placed very suitably next to Wilkes and also explored the concept of a witch but here also a woman aging and either losing herself or findings who she really wants to be. A young executive finds herself seeking a room for the night but the mysterious landlady has her own plans too, gorgeously written to play with time, growing up, the fear of being seen by others and yet as with Wilkes’s story saying we should not fear who we eventually become.
Murder Ballads by Moonlight by Angela Slatter - a very different tone but here explores the Witch as a force for justice for those women the world has wronged. Our beguiling narrator has spotted a trend for missing some in the area and has a spell to identify the culprit - this though does require some zombies. Slatter makes the action packed tale work by our narrator also explaining her own path to becoming a witch and her own family grief . In a few pages the world and character come alive, have an adventure and yes you really want to know what happened to our main character next. Impressive storytelling.
What Bones Remember by Buhlebethu Sukoluhle Mpofu - this was a fascinating story set in a village that islands a tale of choice. Elina comes from a long lines of women haunted by character known as The Bone Witch but as Elina grows up the influence of this figure looks to be too mighty. We see all the consequences of the Bone Witch ranging from raising the dead to Elina’s body under attack from itself and yet this story is fundamentally a moral one of you deciding who you are - what kind of witch do you want to be? What will you do with your own power? I loved the way this one all came together.
The Witch of Withered Hill by David Barnett - this I think may be my favourite take in the collection as it has a fascinating unique voice and idea. A witch tells us how she died and became what she is now. The Witch is quirky, funny, insightful and moral and the world Barnett creates for her last (or first) adventure is an impressive one. The writing is rather beautiful in this and just a pleasure to read.
Remembrance by Helen Grant - this is a powerful troubling tale. A young woman who can see the future is asked to help find who is killing young women but this means she must return to the town she was ostracised from. It’s a tale of lost love, guilt and most worrying not seeing a future for yourself. It has a memorable set of final scenes where we have emotions and so very much want to know what is the final outcome. A story I really felt had an impact on the reader.
Kittycat by Amanda Mason - a mother and her teenage daughter really return to her grandmother’s house to pack things and prepare to sell. This though revived memories of how that town rejected her and made her life hell. Mysterious events though suggest a cycle that repeats is beginning - a really interesting story again about choices but here embracing who you fully are even when knowing later on there will be conflict and rejection ahead. How both sides of the choice get explained is quite unusual and yet neatly connects to many of the other stories in the anthology.
The Weaver by Kay Hanifen - a young woman has slowly built herself a reputation as a skilled weaver and constantly rejects suitors but she also is connected to the magical world. A fascinating romance here outside of the for drives the story but here with a tragic outcome that reminds us often it’s our world that makes the evil witch though our own small mindedness. A delight of a tale to finish the collection.
This is a highly recommended collection also featuring tales by the likes of Eugen Bacon, Muriel Gray and Mark Chadbourn and many more talented authors! Witch fans should keep their eyes peeled for it!
