Our Thoughts Precisely: The Witchwood Knot

Title: The Witchwood Knot

Series: Victorian Faerie Tales #1
Author: Olivia Atwater
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Romance; Gothic
Publisher/Publication Date: Starwatch Press; November 28, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Olivia Atwater returns to the world of Half a Soul with “a sharp and beautiful gothic romance” (Alix E. Harrow). Dive into The Witchwood Knot, and enjoy a dark faerie tale set in a magical version of Victorian England.

The faeries of Witchwood Manor have stolen its young lord. His governess intends to steal him back. Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself. Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realize, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the center of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

I have, of course, heard of Atwater’s other series, namely because of Half a Soul. While that book is still on my TBR list, I didn’t hesitate to request The Witchwood Knot, which was set in the same world. It promised to be a dark fairy tale with aspects of gothic fiction and romance, which is pretty in-line with some of my favorite books recently—i.e A Study in Drowning. And I liked The Witchwood Knot for what it was.

This was a relatively dark story, particularly when it delved into themes of trauma and harassment. This was something alluded to fairly early, particularly in relation to the backstory of the MC, Winifred Hall, as she became more and more immersed in the mysteries and the general strangeness of Witchwood Manor.

Generally speaking, I liked the cast of characters here. The ghost cat was an MVP, and I loved every scene he was in. Mr Quincy was an enigmatic presence, and I liked how Atwater portrayed his incongruous nature. Winifred was an easy favorite. She was resilient, confident, and relatively resourceful. And her quest—both to further her own aims and fulfil the terms of her employment—made her a relatively dynamic character.

The romance was on the subtler side for much of the story. There was a host of issues for Winifred to navigate—and her personal motivation influenced much of her early actions within the context of the plot—so her focus was, understandably, elsewhere. There was a gradual build toward it, though. I just wish there had been more scenes of them exploring the depths of this burgeoning relationship. And I say this because, in the end, they were two very interesting characters, and I wanted more from that end of the story.

The best part for me, though, was the fantasy adventure. The setting was suitably creepy with plenty of hidden corners and an almost maze-like quality. That, when combined with the overarching mystery concerning the house’s creation and the current troubles surrounding it, gave a sense of intrigue that kept the story moving at a good pace.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this is a spinoff of another series. I personally don’t care about reading spoilers for the other books, but it’s something to think about when going into The Witchwood Knot.

Overall, The Witchwood Knot was good, and I had a lot of fun with it.

About the author....

Olivia Atwater writes whimsical historical fantasy with a hint of satire. She lives in Montreal, Quebec with her fantastic, prose-inspiring husband and her two cats. When she told her second-grade history teacher that she wanted to work with history someday, she is fairly certain this isn't what either party had in mind. She has been, at various times, a historical re-enactor, a professional witch at a metaphysical supply store, a web developer, and a vending machine repairperson.

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