This book felt like a breathe of fresh air, it's a unique setting and the merging of history and fantasy were chef's kiss. I would 100% read it again.

"Two city birds with two stones. Fever and famine."
The consequences of the Great Famine 1845-47 in Ireland have been retold in novel form many times. But I was interested to read this alternative tale based in Belfast where we see a cargo of Connemara emigrants waylaid by the weather to dock and in doing so spreading the fever with which they were transported.
This tory is based on a real incident of the murders of women by Bloody Hands (as he became known) virtually a Belfast Jack the Ripper stalking the alleys of Belfast in the 1840s. But In this novel the author has cleverly immersed the city under the spell of a witch the Black Lady - in Irish a Cailleach - who seeks revenge for her unlawful hanging some two hundred years previously.
In the mix is Maggie Malone trying to bring up her brother Jinks in poverty but who retains some essence of the spiritual from her deceased mother. Her 'connection' with the Black Lady - in Irish an Abhartach- might yet save her own life as she comes under suspicion from the city authorities.
It is fast paced and character led with the genre of dark fantasy immersed into the historical context very well. It also sheds a light into how Belfast and the North of Ireland were affected by the Famine and how (as always) the hysteria over religion and here its emphasis on seeking out evil affected so many innocent people across all generations.
A magical legend set in a struggling society.

The Famine Witch, by Stephen Black

TL; DR: Excellent historical fantasy novel with great character-building and various supernatural elements. Very dark, and worth the read. Five stars.

The Famine Witch is a historical fantasy novel that seamlessly blends actual events with witchcraft, magic, Irish folklore, and horror. Taking place in 1847 Belfast, we are introduced to Margaret (Maggie) Malone, our MC, and her younger brother Jinks. As a great hunger devastates the city and beyond, the population is faced with yet more terror as the killer known as Bloody Hands, last seen 200 years before, once more stalks their streets in search of young women to butcher, and the Black Lady, hellbent on revenge, carries illness to their shores. Caught between two forces of evil while trying to survive famine itself, Maggie must make decisions that threaten her own survival in order to protect Jinks and the city she loves.

I very much enjoyed this book. I went into it expecting darkness, but what really stood out for me was the humanity (or lack of it at times) of the characters. 19 year old Maggie is kind, but not too kind; sharp-tongued when pushed, soft-tongued when needed. She is both mother and sister to Jinks, protecting him to the utmost of her abilities despite being little more than a child herself. Jinks is scrappy, disheveled, and street-smart, but very much looks up to his older sister. Their friend Annabelle is a beautiful soul, empathetic to the struggles of others and using her religious beliefs for good. Her father, on the other hand, is the very opposite, using religion to divide between the good and proper, and "the other." The author did a great job of building the characters and making them distinct. I really wanted Maggie, Jinks, and Annabelle to come out ahead. In a world where most all of the adults were corrupt or lost, the children were filled with shining hope and goodness.

There were definitely some aspects that I enjoyed less. I wanted a different outcome for a few of the characters, and the ending felt a tad rushed. I think the book could have benefited from being slightly longer with a more drawn-out conclusion. There was also a proofreading issue where Annabelle and the Reverend were introduced by the last name Elgar early on, but then referred to as Edgar continuously later on in the book - I'm not sure if this issue made it to print.

These small gripes aside, I think Stephen Black did a phenomenal job with the novel. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but it was definitely what it needed to be. For all the supernatural aspects to it, it felt very raw and gritty and real. It is unquestionably a story I'd recommend to others.

Full disclosure - I received my e-ARC of The Famine Witch via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I wanted to like this but had a hard time getting into it and ultimately put it down before finishing it.

A well written, descriptive tale of what life must have been like during the potato famine. The people of Belfast were starving and day to day life was miserable. There was never enough food and day by day people were just dropping dead. Siblings, Jnxs and Maggie had recently lost their mother and their father checked out when his wife died. Aa if things were not miserable enough; throw in a vengeful spirit intent on destroying the town for hanging her and a killer who comes back every 200 years to finally kill his sixth girl; and you have some awesome material for a great horror book.
I really enjoyed this book. I really felt how miserable the siblings were trying to g to get food. Then when Maggie discovered her purpose in the whole scenario, she was able to shine and prove to everyone how capable she was. Excellent book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stephen Black for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Famine Witch coming out January 25, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This a first time author for me. I really love the summary of the book. I love books set in the past, and I love learning more about the Irish potato famine. I also really love which stories. I think they’re a lot of fun and there’s a lot of magic involved. I think there’s still a lot authors can do with witch stories. I think the writing was really well done but I just wasn’t as into the book as I wanted to be. I really wanted to love it more, but I found some of the plot points to be repetitive. I would definitely check out other books by this author, but this one was not really for me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys witch stories!

Maggie Malone, an orphan determined to care for her younger brother, must contend with an ancient demon, an evil witch, a plague, a famine, and a witch hunt during Black '47.

I wanted to love this book. It has all the making of something fantastic, but I had two issues with it. First, Maggie's death felt like a betrayal to the character and all the power she had. After everything she'd already done for her brother, she shouldn't have had to sacrifice her life as well. And really, in a book where character's, named and unnamed alike die in droves on nearly every page, it was impossible for me to dredge any sort of sympathy for her.

My other issue though, is something I'm seeing with alarming frequency across publishers and that's shoddy editing. It's not uncommon for writers to accidentally repeat words in a sentence and to fix it in additional drafts. But in The Famine Witch, the repetition happens two or three times in a chapter. It pulled me out of the story every time.

In one instance, Maggie wipes a hand across her forehead while another character goes across a ditch, and across a field they see Belfast. In another, a character was draped over a chair with one leg draped over the arm.

This book opened my eyes to a part of history I was only barely aware of and got me interested in a deeper dive, but as a fantasy book, it offered little more than the usual.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Famine Witch," Stephen Black crafts a dark and atmospheric fantasy that weaves together elements of folklore, magic, and historical intrigue. Set against the haunting backdrop of the Irish Potato Famine, the novel immerses readers in a world where the line between reality and the supernatural becomes indistinguishable.

The story unfolds during one of Ireland's darkest periods—the devastating Potato Famine of the mid-19th century. Maggie Malone and her brother Jinks are struggling to survive, when Maggie discovers her latent magical abilities as she grapples with the harsh realities of famine, oppression, and a looming supernatural threat. 

"The Famine Witch" skilfully intertwines historical events with elements of fantasy, presenting a nuanced exploration of the human condition during times of crisis. The novel delves into themes of survival, sacrifice, and the consequences of wielding extraordinary powers in the face of overwhelming adversity. Black's atmospheric writing captures the desperation of the era while infusing a sense of magic that adds depth to the narrative.

As a reader, I was drawn to the richly textured world that Black created, blending the harsh realities of history with the mystical elements of fantasy. The characters are well-drawn, and as well as being compelling and relatable, with a journey resonates emotionally. The author's ability to evoke a sense of time and place, coupled with the suspenseful plot, kept me engaged from start to finish.

While "The Famine Witch" is a strong and immersive read, some readers may find that the pacing fluctuates, with moments of intense action followed by slower, more contemplative passages. It would also be more helpful if the trigger warnings were printed at the beginning of the book, rather than the end, so the reader can tell what may or may not trigger them within the book without having to go looking for a list. The inclusion of a list is to be commended though, because I know so few books that do this, but should still have one.

In the realm of historical fantasy, "The Famine Witch" stands alongside works like “The Poppy War” by R.F. Kuang or Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, offering a unique perspective on a specific historical event infused with magical realism. Black's approach sets this novel apart, skilfully blending history and fantasy to create a narrative that is both thought-provoking and enchanting.

"The Famine Witch" is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. It's a compelling choice for those interested in exploring the human experience during times of crisis, as well as for fantasy enthusiasts who appreciate a well-crafted blend of magic and historical authenticity.

Stephen Black's "The Famine Witch" is a captivating exploration of history and fantasy, weaving a tale of resilience, magic, and survival. With its evocative prose and well-realised characters, the novel immerses readers in a world where the ordinary collides with the extraordinary. A solid four-star rating for a book that successfully merges historical drama with the enchantment of fantasy.

"If only the world were that simple."

Tropes?
-Good VS Evil
-Found family
-strong FMC

Rate: 3.75

Evil prevails in the town of Belfast. The story is 200 years after a witch cursed the village, where famine became a part of life, and the girls are disappearing or found dead by one they call the “Bloody Hands”.
What a captivating story. The timeline is in 1800s which was a dark time where famine was heavily impacted on people, and where people with magic are considered abominations; walking devils that need to be eliminated at all cost.

The first 30% of the story was extremely slow and I had a hard time understanding the plot. The whole time, there were switches of characters pov (with no notice), that makes the plot confusing. The transition between each passage was confusing since there are no mentions of pov switch. Beside that, the plot kept me on edge. But the ending was kind of predictable. I love Maggie Malone’s character. Her strength and love for both her brother Jinx and their deceased mother has really made her lovable. She will do anything to prophecy her loved ones.

The story was bittersweet. Overall, I enjoyed this dark fantasy book.
A dark spectrum appears around Maggie Malone, who's now sole purpose is to protect her loved ones at all cost.
It is noticeable that the research has been made and bringing its factuality into a book mixing it with some of its own magical elements. It is unfortunate to read some of the hardship that has occurred throughout history. Surprising that there are heavy elements within the story; not too heavy, just that just the mood was dark.

"Love does not delight with evil but rejoices with the truth."

TW/CW: Blood; Religious bigotry; Child death; Gore; Death; Misogyny
From the book: Desecration of grave; violence towards women; poverty & starvation

This was a dark gritty book told in a plague era where people fended for themselves and relied heavily on superstition and religion it seemed.

The black witch targets those for vengeance and bloody hands is the source of murder, darkness and fear in their town. The book follows maggie & Jinx at its core with other POVS painting a full picture of what plagues the town and its inhabitants.

I really loved maggie, she was compassionate, savvy and her dutiful care for her brother was my favourite part. I love how full circle everything comes at the end. Every character seems to get what they deserve.

The Famine Witch by Stephen Black, wasn't the book for me. The premise is good, but I felt like the book was a slog and didn't hold my interest. It also felt disjointed, but that could be because I found my mind wandering while reading. I will say since the premise seems promising, maybe it was just the wrong timing for me and not the actual book. I always like to give the benefit of the doubt to the author and the book, when in doubt. I hope others find this book much more to their liking. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest and unsolicited opinion on #TheFamineWitch.

This was a historical dark fantasy novel set in Belfast.

I felt there was an eerie atmosphere which I was drawn into from the start. There were two narratives, two hundred years apart. The writing had a very raw sort of quality, and there were some themes that some readers may find upsetting, but it was definitely a page turner, and a good eerie story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

4.25/5

I loved how descriptive this book was, I was immersed in the story from the beginning. The pace of the book is quite slow, which made the book feel much longer than it actually was.

My only issue with the story is the dialogue seemed a little unrealistic. Everyone spoke in the same formal way, from the ship captain, to the preacher and his daughter to the poorest of the poor. It would have been nice to see some variation to the dialogue which portrayed more accurately people of different backgrounds actually talk. In general this didn't really reduce my enjoyment of the book, but sometimes it could be jarring and pull you out of the story.

"The Famine Witch" is a dark fantasy showdown between two forces of Irish folklore, set in 1847 Belfast, during the starvation of the Irish countryside brought on by the potato blight. Young Maggie Malone and her younger brother Jinx are struggling to survive, mom recently buried in the graveyard and dad frequently buried in his cups, when they run afoul of Bloody Hands, also known as the dwarf <i>abhartach</i>, the Irish vampire who drinks the blood of his victims.

But young Maggie and her bloodline are practitioners of the old ways, and the Black Lady, the <i>Cailleach</i>, has claimed Belfast as her own in vengeance for a past misdeed. Maggie and her young brother must survive not only famine and plague, but also the machinations of evil and corrupted entities that seek to use them for their own purposes.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this historical dark fantasy, and I'm glad that Irish author Stephan Black included background information into these two characters of Irish myth. The <i>Cailleach</i> is an especially interesting figure for me, as she is quite possibly a prehistoric figure that predates the Celts, with many incarnations. I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and publishing house Quill and Crow, for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quill and Crow, and the author for the ARC to review.

It has been a while since I've read historical fiction and even longer since I've read a historical fiction that is mixed with fantasy, I did enjoy the mixture of the two genres. I am aware of the Great Hunger, though I am not extremely versed in the event. I do feel as though the author did a good job handling the event with care and successfully weaving fantastic elements into it.

There is a wide cast of characters, and I felt for the struggles each had to endure. However, I did not feel as though they were well-developed. They lacked depth, which I think is due to the length of the book. The dialogue between the characters lacks feeling. The pace of the book is a bit fast and doesn't allow for any deep conversations, and the connections that are made between characters appear almost instantly with little lead-up. I would have liked to see more character development overall.

The conflicts in the book were engaging and kept my interest, but I just couldn't get immersed due to the characters' lack of depth and the quick pace of the book.

A well written dark tale of murder and magic set in the throes of the Irish famine. Kept my interest throughout, though very macabre in parts.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This fantastical story centers on Maggie, a young Irish woman caught in the middle of a feud between two vicious supernatural beings; the demonic killer Bloody Hands and the vengeful witch, The Black Lady. Amidst the horror of the famine, The Great Hunger, both Bloody Hands and The Black Lady are planning to bring even more death and destruction to the suffering people of Belfast. the only person who can stop them is Maggie, who must embrace her latent magical powers and learn how to control them. But to find the strength to do so, she'll need the help of her younger brother, Jinks, and new friend Annabelle, the daughter of a fanatical preacher who is convinced Maggie is an evil witch responsible for all the misery.

I knew almost nothing about the Great Hunger Famine or Black '47 other than that they *had happened* and over a million people died from starvation and illnesses. As soon as I finished this book I immediately went down the rabbit hole of reading more about the tragedy and I'd like to read some nonfiction books about it.

Is it in bad taste to write about a real-life tragedy and incorporate a fantasy/supernatural twist to it? I don't necessarily don't think so, as long as a great amount of care, respect, and research is done while doing it but I can definitely understand why other readers would feel differently. But I think Stephen Black did a very good job of weaving the two together in this book. The characters and plot were very engaging and I was very surprised by several twists the story took, such as the bittersweet ending. I do think though the book could have used a bit of trimming (too much repetition with antagonists and their motivations) and I did find the character dialogue a little cheesy and melodramatic at times. But I still found this to be a very good read and will definitely suggest it to others who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing me with this advanced copy to read and review.

I liked the idea of this book. I really appreciated the historical context Black gave for the backdrop of his story before the reader begins the novel.

I got about 25% of the way through the book before I DNFd, however. I really enjoyed getting to know the main characters, but the central conflict between Bloody Hands and the witch really made it fall flat for me. I’m not sure when in the story we get context as to why Bloody Hands picks six victims, but I think it would have been more effective if it was in the first 25% of the story. It was mainly for this reason that I didn’t find myself at the edge of my seat needing to know what happens next.

I do see potential in the story and it wasn’t bad, but I don’t think this one is for me.

I still very much appreciate the author and publisher letting me try an advanced copy.

"The Famine Witch" by Stephen Black is a gripping historical thriller set against the backdrop of Belfast in the harrowing year of 1847, famously known as Black '47 during the Great Hunger in Ireland. The narrative unfolds in a town on the brink, haunted by the specter of famine and terrorized by a crazed killer known as Bloody Hands.

Black weaves a tale of suspense and supernatural intrigue as the protagonist, nineteen-year-old Maggie Malone, and her young brother, Jinks, navigate the perils of survival in a town gripped by fear. The arrival of a mysterious ship, carrying the ominous entity known as The Black Lady, adds an otherworldly layer to the already dire circumstances. The ancient feud between Bloody Hands and The Black Lady escalates, threatening the very existence of Belfast.

Maggie's journey becomes a focal point as she discovers latent powers within herself, unknowingly becoming a pivotal figure in the battle against malevolent forces. Black skillfully blends historical events with elements of the supernatural, creating a compelling narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The atmospheric setting, coupled with the historical context, adds depth to the story, immersing readers in the challenges and horrors faced by the people of Belfast during this tumultuous period. As Maggie grapples with her newfound abilities and faces the moral dilemma of becoming The Famine Witch, the novel explores themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the fight against seemingly insurmountable odds.

For those who enjoy historical fiction with a supernatural twist, "The Famine Witch" offers a riveting and chilling exploration of a dark chapter in Ireland's history, blending real-world struggles with elements of the supernatural in a tale of survival, power, and the indomitable spirit of one young woman.

First, thank you for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book but I will start with the good.

I love the setting, the time period and the fact that it can be, in some ways, traced back to a real event. I also love the lore of it all and that there is a solid blend of both magic and realism.

The not so great. . .the characters. The characters themselves were not an issue but the depth or rather, lack of depth, was. They were bland and didnt have a lot of personality. The same with the relationships between the characters. They go from meeting Annabelle in one quick scene, then having one meal with her, to an almost deep understanding of each other. Annabelle after meeting them is like, I am going to be more like Maggie and she is like THIS. It just feels too rushed and not well paced.

The book overall was entertaining and kept me reading but I wish that there were about 100 more pages and all of them were devoted to character development and relationships. I want to SEE them become friends, I want to feel what they are going through and understand their thoughts.

Finally, and this is a spoiler, Maggie goes from a normal girl to a witch in like 3.0 seconds and then from a starter witch to a goddess level witch in another 2 seconds. Rushed. the entire book...Rushed.