The Year of the Witching

The Handmaid's Tale meets The Village in this stunning feminist debut . . .

Shortlisted for the GoodReads Choice Awards 2020 for Best Debut Novel and Best Horror Novel . . .

'A magnificent, raw slice of folk horror, dark with threat and clenched with suspense . . . a brilliant debut to chill the brightest summer day' DAILY MAIL

'Thrillingly brisk and bracing . . . it takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist.'

S.A. CHAKRABORTY, author of The City of Brass

Born on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches, and so cleansed the land.

And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel.

It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother . . .

Fascinated by and fearful of the secrets the diary reveals, Immanuelle begins to understand why her mother once consorted with witches. And as the truth about the Prophets, the Church and their history is revealed, so Immanuelle understands what must be done. For the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness.

Bethel must change. And that change will begin with her . . .

And readers have been bewitched:
'I absolutely could not put it down' *****
'Hecking scary and tense, it gave me goosebumps more than once' *****
'Absolutely stunning read' *****
'A truly OUTSTANDING read! I am so glad I picked up this book' *****

Genre: Horror

"In this bone-chilling and breathtakingly beautiful debut, Henderson expertly weaves a tale of witches, secrets, and a girl's unwavering stance against supernatural forces and a corrupted church. The Year of the Witching is storytelling at its finest." - Rena Barron

"A thrillingly brisk and bracing tale of magic and power, I loved this book. It takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist." - S A Chakraborty

"The Year of the Witching is a dark wood ready to swallow you whole with its tense stakes and beguiling prose. Henderson takes witchcraft to its very depths, unraveling the horrific nightmares of bone-deep ideology and devastating oppression, and giving readers a complex heroine ready to face fire." - Dhonielle Clayton

"The Year of the Witching grips you by the throat from the very first page and refuses to let go. Gothic, dark, and utterly enthralling, this is a world I wanted to sink into and never leave. I adored this book." - Emily A Duncan

"A masterfully eerie, feminist story that binds itself to the reader’s mind and won’t let go. Alexis Henderson is an author to watch." - Shea Ernshaw

"Slow burn horror crossed with a powerfully feminist coming-of-age novel...this book will haunt your dreams." - Christina Henry

"Creepy, compelling, and compulsively readable, The Year of the Witching blends the terror of the supernatural with the all-too-recognizable human evils of power and dogma." - Fonda Lee

"The Year of the Witching is a dark, dramatic tale of oppression and rebellion, ideology and morality, with a complicated, appealing protagonist caught in a Handmaid's Tale nightmare. It's a fine addition to the body of feminist fantasy works, a great read." - Louisa Morgan