Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Well written and unfolding across multiple timelines, it was a good read.

Weyward is told in three different timelines, 1619, 1942 and 2019.
Altha’s story starts off when she is on trial for witchcraft. Anyone that knows me knows that I am very interested in that subject. I liked the nods to the Pendle Hill witches too.
Violet’s story was sometimes very distressing. I wanted to shake her father and her nanny for not paying attention or giving any kind of love at all. Her actions after an event made me so sad.
Kate’s story was also harrowing, living with a man that made her a shell of herself and beating her too.
I loved Altha and Violet’s sections the most and it was such an emotional book. Kate’s parts were sometimes very tense.
It was interesting learning how they were all connected. The nature element was fantastic.

I was hooked as soon as I started reading and I think the author wrapped the book up nicely.

I found this book really magical, enjoyable read. I didn’t want to put this book down truly captivating. Definitely be reading more from this author

This is fantasy, and I read this switching between the audiobook and e-book.

This is a story of 3 women, set in 3 different time periods - the 1600s, the 1940s and 2019. None of them are having a great time with the men in their lives: In the 1600s she's on trial for being a witch, in the 1940s she's a teenager enjoying the outdoors and collecting bugs until her cousin comes to stay and terrible things happen, and in 2019 she is trying to escape from her abusive boyfriend.

The stories are largely independent of one another although you also see how they connect as the women are related to each other.

The audiobooks has 3 barrators, which I really liked to clearly distinguish between the 3 storylines.

I enjoyed this, it's not necessarily a happy story but it is them finding strength in the terrible things that have happened to them (many potential trigger warnings).

Unusually for this kind of structure, I also liked all 3 of the stories rather than wishing we were back with someone else at any point!

4 stars

Weyward follows three generations of the same family; Altha, Violet and Kate… all with their own challenges to overcome and a special gift to help them.

I have to admit this fell flat for me and was quite a slog… plot lines were predictable and slow but I did enjoy the similarities winding through the Weyward women.

I was really looking forward to this book so my disappointment at not liking it is probably directly proportional. I don't think I'm I'm giving it a harder time than I would if I'd had no expectations but I can't promise it isn't influencing my opinion. Bear that in mind.

Weyward is beautifully written and very well structured. I enjoy dual/ multi timeline books with multiple povs and the way the three threads wove together was very deftly done. I also like the depiction of a long line of women each leaving sonething for a future great granddaughter. The inter-connectedness of female relationships is fascinating and was sufficiently interesting - if very underdeveloped here - to keep me reading.

Unfortunately that's where my good opinion flags. I've seen another reviewer describe this as 'women are abused by men, men are evil' or similar and frankly that is the premise of this entire book. It tackles the subject of female oppression in a very womb centric way. A style that would have been going out of date during the early 90s when 13yr old me would have most jived with this book. But even then I think I would have found the binary viewpoint and didactic message hard to swallow.

Every man with any agency in this book is either violent or a sex offender or both. Every woman - especially the three MCs - is a hapless victim. Not only is this incredibly wearying to read - seriously if you're female you've probably experienced sexism if not misogyny (and no they're not the same thing, could everyone please stop conflating the two) - but it's infuriating. Why are otherwise decent authors bent on reinforcing the idea that these are the only stories we're allowed to tell?

In addition, it is absolutely one of my most hated tropes that female characters are depicted as strong only in contrast to the evil male characters. If you cannot make a female character interesting and engaging without tearing down 90% + of your male characters, then your characterisation is crap. It's the same boring and irritating tripe I've seen in so many books of late (Morgan is my Name, Rosaline etc)

What I most object to is the continual casting of women as victims and men as rapists or would-be rapists. Then doubling down on it by reducing her MCs to reluctant baby machines whose main value and nebulous feminie mystique is their uteruses. Points for having characters consider and even carry out pregnacy terminations. Points deducted for having characters then regret those decisions and allow them to cast a pall over their lives. We can do better than that. Also point of fact but terminating a pregnancy was not illegal until Victorian times when it became part of the law to prevent infanticide. (Women with too many mouths to feed would sometimes smother newborn babies - this was a direct result of knowledge of contraception and termination being buried by the Church). So Alva may well have found that added to her witch tab but there was nothing in law to say women could not rid themselves of an unwanted child up to quickening (5 months) and it was none of a man's business. Certain aspects of life were always far more equal or even weighted towards woman than is commonly known. Rant ended.

This was not the most hateful example of this new women hate men genre that's creeping in, but it was certainly playing into the idea that 'female bodied people are better off without penis barers except when they want to conceive'. Which is so messed up I don't even know where to start. So I quit. Do not recommend.

A fabulous multiple timeline mystery about a line of women who may have witch powers, and the impact that makes on their lives. Meticulously researched and full of heart.

Sadly I was expecting a little bit more.
I wasn’t a fan of the characters, but the writing is still good.
But I’m sure others will like it better!

I got Weyward by Emilia Hart from NetGalley for free for a fair and honest review.



A story of three women from the same family separated by 400 years who are all classed Weyward or are unable to be tamed.


Weyward is one of those novels that could be classed as feminist which may be to its disadvantage as it can put readers off by some peoples connotations of that word.

However in Wayward we have a novel that examines how females who do not conform to the standards of the day may be seen as strange or charged with witchcraft as is the case with Altha who's story is set in northern England of 1619.

The other two main characters Violet in 1942 and Kate in 2019 both have over controlling males in their lives and in Kate’s case a boyfriend who has taken her from the job she loves and her friends.

While the novel does swap between each of the woman's stories the novel itself is well put together as each one shows how these Wayward Women become stronger as they become who they really are.

Making Wayward by Emilia Hart an enjoyable novel about people finding out who they are and being comfortable in their own skin.

Kate, Violet and Altha are all from the Weyward family. Centuries apart, they have to discover the truth of what makes them so different. It might be the only way to save them from the men that would see them shackled and cast down.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The narrative follows our three main characters, with their own story.
Altha - in 1619 she is standing trial, accused of witchcraft. The husband of someone Altha used to call a friend died in mysterious circumstances, and the village is ready to blame her.

Violet - 1942 - despite being the daughter of an Earl, Violet feels trapped. She loves the outdoors and animals, and feels like she's being kept prisoner by her strict and uncaring father. She never sees anyone except immediate family, and her dreams of traveling and being a scientist. Until her Cousin Frederick arrives.

Kate - 2019 - after suffering years of increasing abuse from her boyfriend, Kate finally decides to leave. The timing is perfect, she has just inherited a cottage from her Great-Aunt Violet, and she has gone to great lengths to make sure that Simon never finds her again.

I really enjoyed following the three different women, and how they dealt with being different from those around them.
I thought Altha's story would be the leading one, but instead the spotlight is on Violet and Kate, as they discover there is a reason they are different, and the truth behind Altha and the nature of their family - the Weyward women.

Violet lives with her father and brother in a grand estate. She's jealous that her brother gets to leave and go to school, and study; and she has a distant relationship with her father. Violet has a somewhat romanticised notion that her father loved her mother so fiercely, that when she died giving birth to her brother, that he can't bear to look at Violet who is her mother's image.
When a visiting cousin makes a comment that contradicts this fantasy, Violet has to uncover the truth.

Kate has always blamed herself for her father's death when she was just a child. She has shut out the call of nature, for fear of being a monster. Her boyfriend Simon has gradually worn her down, and reduced her life to nothing more than making him happy. A part of Kate accepts his beatings and emotional abuse as a just punishment for what she did.
Kate had forgotten she had a great aunt, when she inherited Violet's cottage, but she grabs the opportunity with both hands, finally escaping Simon and trying to remember how to live.
It was heart-breaking to see all the little ways he'd broken her; and just as satisfying to watch Kate create a new life for herself.

I loved how naturally the magic was woven into the story. It's always there, but subtle; and it was so heartening to see it surge at the end!

I loved this - 10/10! One of my favourite books of the year so far. Perfect characters and atmosphere - will definitely be recommending

Weyward is a complex novel to sum up my thoughts on - it's elegantly written, and I sped through it in under 24 hours, however, it made me feel almost unbearably tense the entire time! I felt invested in all three of our POV characters, with my heart in my throat at various points about what would become of them. I would love to read more by Emilia Hart.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I really enjoyed this one. Well written, cleverly intertwined narratives. Emotional, satisfying read! I hope it does really well.

Heard really good things about this book and I was not disappointed. Three timelines with three women’s stories unfolding within the chapters.
Altha 1619 is being tried as a witch, feeling alone after the death of her mother.
Violet 1940s being brought up by her father along with her younger brother after the death of her mother.
Kate 2019 haunted by the death of her beloved father, finding herself in an abusive marriage to Simon.
Over the course of the book it follows these timelines thorough the women’s stories and their family links.
Empowering at times, heartbreaking too. It has a very angry undertone to a lot of men within their separate stories along with lots of trigger warnings such as rape, abuse, abortion.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Weyward is not a book I think I would normally pick up from it’s blurb alone as I usually avoid anything that might class as ‘historical’ fiction, but something made me take a chance and I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed my experience of reading it, and it would have been a huge shame if I’d missed it.

The novel is split into three narratives across time periods: Altha in 1619 is a healer who is accused of Witchcraft; Violet in 1942 is struggling with her identity in her male oppressed home, and Kate in 2019, trying to flee from her dangerous and abusive boyfriend. All three are of the same blood line, but are having very different experiences of what it means to be a woman in their own time periods.

Hart weaves the three women’s stories together with some beautiful prose and with a layered and nuanced writing style. I just felt so engaged in the worlds that Hart created, and I was reluctant to leave when I needed to put the book down.

The characters are well developed and flawed, and although Kate’s story is still worth a read, I found myself more drawn to Altha’s and Violet’s chapters. (Perhaps I need to rethink my avoidance of historical novels!)

The symbolism used was clever, if a little obvious, but I didn’t seem to mind that as I was lost in the atmospheric descriptions… I loved all the foreboding and ideas of nature and healing, and you can tell that Hart has really thought about every word she’s used.

Such an exciting debut, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

My thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book is partly set not that many miles away from where I live, so it was nice reading about the local areas. Telling the story of three women, from different times, who are all interlinked in one way or another. Kate, Violet and Altha all appear to have been dealt a raw deal in life, nothing seems to be going their way at all. Life has conspired to work against them in more ways than one, can they overcome their issues or will they get the better of them?

The story deals with some tough topics and should warn the reader of this. Whilst, it didn't bother me unduly it may cause others distress. I found it a well written story that draws you in and moves through time and situations well. Each chapter tends to deal with a different character and period in time, engaging the reader as the stories of each character progresses towards their final destination.

I enjoyed the story and I will look for other books by this Author.

I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgally in exchange of an honest review.

Please see the blurb of the book elsewhere here are my thoughts only. Thank you.


Absolutely absorbed in this very well told story about 3 different women from the Weyward family, somehow intertwined through time and space. Set in 3 different time frames, our 3 protagonists seem to have a lot more in common that one might think. Sexism, (unfortunately) abandonment, and coming out from difficult situations, link them all to the “sanctuary” of the small house currently known as Weyward.

The trees and the birds, as well as all the plants and flowers, give the stories that “escapism” from reality that Altha, Violet and Kate need to help them heal others as well as themselves. The female resilience doesn’t surprise me at all, and I love when I read about it.

Loved how the author manage to achieve the balance of self doubt and self confidence within one person. The depth of her female characters is impecable. The males in the other hand, needed a little more of that. As I think their male companions were portrayed as caricatures near to evil, which I felt wasn’t necessary but I still love the book.

Highly recommend.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to have an e-arc copy of this book! And an even bigger thank you to Emilia Hart for writing it!

This story is written from multiple POV’s, exploring 3 different women and their experiences with witchcraft in different time periods. It shows strong, unconventional women who discover or use their power to battle the never ending patriarchy.

I loved the nature based magic system in this book, where the main characters became more powerful the more in tune they are with nature around them. It’s the source of their power, but also helps them to figure out who they are and how to fight their own battles. Each woman is unique though with a small twist on their powers that represents themselves.

This story is well paced and beautifully written, I honestly couldn’t put this book down and only did so when I had to sleep! I can’t believe this was debut novel as it is well crafted with such intricate characters. It has vivid imagery (and some darker parts) with three equally-compelling point of view that unfold and interweave seamlessly. You realise throughout the book how these characters are linked, and how their similar experiences shared through different timelines bring them a full circle.
I would highly recommend this to anyone out there looking for a historical, witchy fiction!

It took me a while to get into this, and to feel connected to the characters. But once I got further into the book I really enjoyed it, and towards the end I couldn't put it down.

This was a fantastic debut novel. I adored Kate, Violet and Altha...three very strong and wonderful women. The storyline was easy to read and follow.