Review of NETGALLEY arc The Witchwood Knot – Book 1 of the Victorian Faerie Tales series by Olivia Atwater #BrainfluffNETGALLEYbookreview #TheWitchwoodKnotbookreview

I loved Atwater’s Half a Soul – see my review – to the extent that I also tracked down the sequel, Ten Thousand Stitches, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. So when I spotted that this one was still on the Netgalley dashboard, despite The Witchwood Knot having been released back in November 2023, I immediately requested it. Unfortunately, circumstances conspired against my reading it as quickly as I’d intended. Nevertheless, I’ve now managed to get to it…

BLURB: 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 realise, 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 centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

REVIEW: Atwater grabbed me from the first page and wouldn’t let go in this Victorian gothic fantasy, complete with haunted house and family curse. Atwater herself provides a trigger warning for child kidnapping and historical child grooming, so I think it’s only fair to pass that warning on.

I love the character of Winnie, whose strong character pings off the page from the opening lines. She is brave, determined and clever, but with her own vulnerabilities that prevent her from becoming a Mary Sue. Her spiky relationship with the sharp-edged Mr Quincy is enjoyable and well done, as it gives the reader opportunities to learn a lot more about both characters, who begin to lower their barriers as they start to work together. I also enjoyed their developing friendship which didn’t hold up the pace.

Several enjoyable revelations along the way had me reading far later than I should to discover what happened next. One of the issues I often have with this sub-genre is that the tension created and the dreadful secrets hinted at can fall flat once we reach the denouement. This proved not to be a problem when all was revealed in this instance. I also liked the fact that the child who Winnie is battling to save isn’t a sweet little victim, but a snooty brat who is far too entitled for someone of his age. All in all, this is a thoroughly satisfying read I highly recommend for those who enjoy a Victorian gothic tale, complete with some nicely spooky paranormal twists. While I obtained an arc of The Witchwood Knot from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10