Publication Date: 11th April 2024
Genre: Dark Historical Fantasy
4.5 Stars
One Liner: This was so much (in a good way)!
Paisley, Scotland, 1697
An eleven-year-old Christian Shaw’s accusation of witchcraft led to the death of thirty-five people.
Bargarran House, 1722
Christian returns home, intent on perfecting the bleaching process to revive her family fortune. She also hopes her attempts will purify their past sins. However, with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the witch hunt approaching, Bargarran House seems to have become a center of dark forces. This affects her sanity and safety to the point where she wonders if she can get what she wants. And what cost?
The story comes in Christian’s third-person POV in 1722 and first-person POV (in present tense) in 1697.
My Thoughts:
I remember my friend Rosh reviewing this book last year. Later in 2024, I read and enjoyed the author’s MG Dystopian Adventure. When this was available on NetGalley, I didn’t even think and requested it right away.
This is a novella of 185-195 pages that packs quite a lot. Almost from the beginning, I disliked the MC (there’s a strong reason for it). As the book progressed and more details were revealed, I couldn’t stop reading even for a breather. This was intense in many ways.
I wanted a certain ending but felt unsatisfied with how it was resolved. However, the author’s note at the end explained the reason. The MC is based on a real person, so the author couldn’t deviate from the overall trajectory. Still, a part of me feels assured that the future wasn’t easy.
The atmosphere gets 100/100. I love it! The ravens, darkness, madness, the house, and just about everything add to the narrative.
The way the narration spirals aligns with the character development. Quite a few dark themes are used but without making things unnecessarily graphic.
My heart bled for the witches. But then, this is just one story. The reality was a thousand times worse. All of it was presented in these few pages – Christian domination, pagan hatred, suppression of women, class differences, social hatred, and much more.
What do I even say about the MC, Christian? Man, I tried my best to feel sorry but… Her obsession with perfecting the bleaching process to get the whitest thread is much more than entrepreneurship.
The side characters, be it the family or the dutiful Meg, are so well developed within the limitations. Terrific!
The title and the cover are clever. I love the title a lot more (wish I was this talented in naming my stories). If only the ending was a wee bit more detailed. I can see why it ended that way, I do! But I also want a little more from it. What happens doesn’t feel enough considering the events.
To summarize, Red Runs the Witch's Thread is a gripping, dark, and atmospheric novella about witch hunts. It is best read in a single sitting (you can finish the book in 60-80 minutes). That said, the writing style may not work for everyone.
Thank you, NetGalley, Silver Thistle Press, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for eARC.
#NetGalley #RedRunstheWitchsThread
