Necrology presents a fascinating premise, blending the aftermath of the Salem witch trials with the horror of a world where women with magic, navigate oppression and survival. The concept of a society where magical women are forced to suppress their powers for freedom and safety is one I'm generally interested in, and Ripley's vision offers plenty of potential for exploring themes of autonomy, repression, and revolution.

However, despite the strong foundation, Necrology unfortunately falls short in execution. The characters, though central to the emotional drive of the story, felt distant and difficult to connect with, which made the reading of this a gargantuan uphill task. Rather than drawing me into its world, the book felt endless and lacking in the vividness needed to maintain engagement. This detachment was such that I found myself avoiding the book.

That said, the final 20% did show some improvement, with a more engaging pace and the promise of what the book could have been throughout. It's clear that the concept is rich, and Ripley's prose has flashes of beauty, but overall, the story didn’t deliver the connection or excitement I was hoping for.

I really wanted to love this book; I did. Maybe it is the wrong time in my life. Maybe if I come back to it at another time, I will really love this. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I was so bored the entire time, and not at ALL invested in the characters. I just didn't care. To take a book about witchcraft and men who misuse power and strong feminist undertones and bore me is a REAL feat, and yet somehow, this one did it.

This book was so interestingly cool and weird and terrifying in equal measure. Part historical fiction part scifi part horror, Necrology is a fusion of genre-bendingly epic proportions.

feminist fantasy? sign me up. In this story we follow a group of children who are part of an ostriziced group due to their believes. we explore themes of assimilation, society roles, intersectionality, rebelling against the status quo and found family. The magic system was different but easy to understand. While we do see the politics play out, the rest of this world is underdeveloped. Rabbit doesn’t read as a child, which can be good if in the next book we see her as an adult. A slow burn on the lighter side with witchy vibes.

I thoroughly enjoyed Necrology. It is Meg Ripley’s debut novel, but you wouldn’t know it by reading it. She has crafted a thoroughly immersive and well thought out fantastical version of our world with some alternate history at play. Necrology was a load of fun to read, which I don’t often find to be the case in any story that even touches upon witch trials – that’s truly nasty stuff.

I did really appreciate the way the story hinges on women’s’ power and their connections to earth. I want to be able to dig my toes into the dirt and access some of the power flowing through it. I want that so bad, I can’t even tell you.

I found Whitetail to be a powerful and commanding character – although I do wish that we had gotten a bit more of the story of her, but I understand that this isn’t her story so much as it is Rabbit’s. But maybe Meg Ripley can file that away for later? Give the world the Ballad of Whitetail?

As for Rabbit, I felt that she was exactly right. She was just the correct amount of stubborn, willful, loving, arrogant, and anxious for a child of her age and circumstances. She was a highly believable and wholly captivating.

Necrology manages to explore themes of feminism, misogyny – internalized and externalized, fear and corruption. It plumbs the untold depths to which weak, frightened men will go to assuage their baseless fears. But it also plumbs the depths that women who have internalized these misogynist trappings will go to assuage their own fears of being “othered” like the less compliant members of their gender.
Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I really enjoyed Necrology. It is a beautifully written and, I think, important piece of writing that has the potential to impart a lot of important ideas. Oppression, repression, reclamation, vengeance, the importance of caring for the Earth and caring for other people, sacrifice, and power, just to name a few.

I would recommend this for anyone who is very into atmosphere, slow-burns, and quirky/unusual narration styles. Unfortunately, those attributes aren't my person preference and I wasn't really able to get into this book in the way I'd hoped. That being said, I could see the style definitely appealing to a certain niche.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It features the exact niche type of horror / fantasy that I enjoy and I was really into it. I also loved the amount of social commentary in this book and will be thinking about this for a long time. I personally did love the setting and worldbuilding aspect. It was a tad confusing at times but I know that was probably due to Rabbit's point of view. I will happily read more by this author. I recommend this!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of Necrology!!

I don't want my DNF to deter other readers - if you're into New England Gothic, historical fiction, or anything witchy you'll most likely enjoy it - it's what drew me in!! The only thing I couldn't get past was the child narrator. It's not even that the narration was poor - it was very good!!! It's just a personal thing that it wasn't for me. I will still highly recommend it to other readers!

The beginning of this book is a conglomeration of incomprehensible prose. Things were happening but I was simply unable to untangle the mess of random words and phrases to really understand it. There isn't a clear sense of the religion of Dirt, or a strong understanding of why children are allowed to play a game that can result in making mud. While the narrative eventually became clearer, it remained a slog to get through. Overall disappointing considering the interesting premise.

This novel definitely carries the distinct tone of a debut, marked by a quirky and unusual style that appealed to my taste. The characters' names (like Whitetail and Rabbit) set the stage for the book's offbeat atmosphere. Most of the narrative unfolds from the perspective of Rabbit, an eight-year-old, giving readers a broader understanding of the world than she has. This narrative approach intensifies the unsettling elements of the story. The novel’s exploration of sexism and women's rights in the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials was particularly engaging. However, this is primarily a mood-driven book rather than one driven by plot or pacing. If you're into immersive atmospheres and eerie vibes, you’ll likely enjoy it as I did. But for those seeking a fast-paced, plot-heavy read, this one might not hit the mark.

The vibes are exactly what I wanted from this. The story was compulsively readable. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the advanced digital copy!

I am not typically a fan of fantasy, overly feminist, or complicated world building novels, but this was an exception. Having grown up in a religious family that attended church services three times a week for much of my juvenile life, this book really struck me with a sense of familiarity (not in a morally good way, but with great storytelling craft) while also going against all of what my time in a suffocating religious setting tried to teach me.

This fantasy with just enough touches of darkness to consider it horror was rife with female magic and overbearing misogyny. Set on a timeline parallel to the Salem witch trials, I feel it told the story so many of us imagine if the accusations of witchcraft were true and not simply lies being tossed about in an attempt to landgrab. With the old laws, traditions, and general culture in regard to a woman’s place in society, Ripley did an astounding job at creating a world where real magic still couldn’t keep prejudices at bay. She altered biblical tales just enough for them to feel recognizable while also creating something new, giving this novel a sense of familiarity as I read it.

I will admit that the prologue had me scratching my head a bit in confusion but feel as if Ripley was trying to set up the story just enough for us to gain an understanding of where the main story begins without giving away too much. The game, Sixty-Three, that is played throughout the novel I also felt a bit confused about, but I didn’t feel my understanding of it was important to the story. I grasped enough of it to picture it in my mind, but never quite understood exactly how it was meant to be played successfully. Only that there were times when it wasn’t conducted properly, and other times when it was. Perhaps a diagram of the game on the end papers, or as a PDF file on digital copies, is something the publisher could entertain in the future. I also felt that the one trans character felt forcefully inserted and almost like an afterthought. I understand this is a hot topic lately and many authors and publishers are trying to have more of this type of representation, but it felt very ill-fitting here and not necessary to the story as a whole.

While the elements above fell short of ideal, I still felt that the world Ripley crafted and the characters she created were done so with expertise. I appreciate that the story was set in a time when women were more severely mistreated, making the aspect of vengeance feel necessary. If this story took place during present day, I’m not sure I would have been as on board and drawn in as I was while reading this. I found myself wishing I could ignore all adult responsibilities to plant myself down in a comfy chair to immerse myself in this novel from start to finish, only coming up for air when necessary. I will be eagerly awaiting the continuation of the journey toward righteousness for the Dirty.

I haven't read anything like this in a long time. It reminded me of the Salem witch trials and Edith Wharton stories I read in a gothic lit class in undergrad. Gripping, creepy, and whimsy, this is a standout and memorable debut. In addition to the horror, the scenes are also ripe with tender moments and heart amongst the children and Whitetail. The magic is unique and naturally built into the world with little handholding or exposition. And it made me sad! JUSTICE FOR MILK!

necrology by meg ripley

We begin with a history lesson that is one of the sharpest prologues i’ve read in recent memory. Back in the late 1600’s the ‘Dirty’ and the ‘Freeman’ made a deal to help stop magic from getting overrun.

200 years later we meet our family. Whitetail has been taking care of these 10 orphans since a fire took their homes and parents away. They are living on what we later find out to be Freeman property and the sudden appearance of Whitetail’s antlers have caused her status to be called into question, from here our story truly launches.

The way this author brings together the world-building and themes of this story are so immaculate I can’t help but think she consulted the wilds herself to put this story to paper so well.

The magic system is revolved around a ‘game’ of sorts but you get the most explanation you need in the first chapter with Rabbit and Rook. I cannot begin to explain how much you need to trust this author to reveal things herself, she respects you enough as a reader to put things together and confirms with such grace and style it makes my teeth hurt.

I feel like this book was pulled out of me in the best possible way, it truly feels like a labor of such love in a time in publishing that feels heartless. Each sentence is a perfect kick in the teeth while emanating love and tenderness.

also this is the first in a series but enough gets wrapped up to not feel like such a gaping hole in my chest (though how I am supposed to wait until fall 2026 for book 2 is beyond me)

thank you as always to netgalley, creature publishing and the author for a copy for my honest review.

Gripping, weird and dark this was an unusual delight. The alternate historical path and a derp dive into women's rights with a pitch perfect inadequate narrator. Highly recommend.

This is a feminist fantasy, horror and it does not read like a debut! It's the perfect amount of weirdness for my liking. The names themselves (Whitetail, Rabbit, etc) give an idea of what to expect in the book. We spent most of the book in the mind of Rabbitt, so we the readers understand more than she does as an 8 year old. I think this adds to the horror of the book. The exploration of sexism and women's rights after the Salam Witch trials gripped me. This is mainly a vibes book, so if you like the vibes (like I did), it'll work for you but if you want a fast paced, plot focused story this isn't for you.
I saw on net galley this is book 1? I can't wait!

3.75/5

This story starts off really slow. And frankly confusing. I had a hard time understanding the magic system, and I still don't understand it. That being said the halfway point it really picks up. I became really interested in the mysterious aspects to the story. I like the feminist messaging behind it all.

This book gives us a brilliant and fascinating new twist on the Salem Witch Trials. As a fan of folk horror, I feel that the lore Ripley has created is both empowering and hauntingly beautiful. I am looking forward to the continuation of this story.

This title leaves a lot for the reader to interpret and it is well-worth the effort. I'd classify this more as feminist fantasy/horror-lite when recommending it. I loved the historical elements, writing style, and the world building around the magic system!

I really couldn't get into this book due to the writing. I had to re-read several sentences and even then it made no sense to me. I'm sure it was an artistic choice, but for me it didn't work.