The Witch-Hunt
Torment of the Bloodlines Series
An orphaned girl with supernatural powers uncovers a troubling family history and evidence of betrayals in the fantasy novel The Witch-Hunt, the first in a series.
Neil R. McLaughlin’s series-opening fantasy novel The Witch-Hunt is about a girl who wants to avenge her parents’ deaths and end Scotland’s witch hunts.
In the early 1500s, Amaranth is orphaned and placed in the care of nuns. She believes she is leaving her brother behind. An unnamed woman who claims to be the supreme witch gives Amaranth a vial of her blood that will bestow supernatural abilities and make her the new supreme witch.
Years pass as Amaranth learns and grows in the convent. She does not yet mix the supreme witch’s blood with hers. When she comes of age, she leaves the convent and becomes an apprentice to a powerful family that poses a threat to the king of Scotland. She defends women accused of witchcraft and begins searching for answers about her parents’ deaths. As her search progresses, she becomes embroiled in the country’s politics and warfare, decides to take the witch’s blood, and uses her supernatural powers to seek justice.
The novel is heavy-handed when it comes to foreshadowing. Its subplots are numerous, but they do intertwine in the latter half of the novel. The magic system that backdrops the story remains amorphous, though, and what is explained about it is done through a limiting religious lens. Questions about the organization of the coven and its influence in society remain at the novel’s end.
More attention is given to the book’s historical background, where information about the witch trials in Scotland, England, and France comes in. Also included is information about the Hundred Years’ War between England and France. This historicity is undermined, though, by the alteration of the dates to fit the plot.
The story touches on themes of identity and trauma. As Amaranth searches for answers, she uncovers a troubling family history and betrayals by those she was closest to. The revelations give her more insight into her background and her upbringing but don’t affect how she views those in her immediate family or her sense of self. Instead, her trauma manifests in the form of her absent brother, William, who is not mentioned much but appears as a voice in her head who offers wisdom and guidance.
Winding toward a conclusion that generates interest for coming books in the series, The Witch-Hunt is an engaging fantasy novel about the pursuit of justice for a nation’s people and one family in particular.
Reviewed by
Jessica Sullivan
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
