Review: Witch Wife

Author: Lumen Reese

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror

Rating: 3 / 5

Features:

• A unique blend of regency fantasy and science fiction

• Court intrigue and slow-burn romance

• Features strong female characters

• Depicts a character dealing with loss, depression, and suicidal ideation

The war has cost Irene her husband, her sister, and her freedom. Believed by the British to be a witch, she is shipped to England to be married off to one of the king’s nephews. However, she has no intention of following orders. Not when she has a sister to protect and a husband who might still be alive. 

With an exciting premise and intriguing cover, I was really hoping this book would sweep me away. Unfortunately, it was more middle of the road. Conceptually, this is an intriguing world and the creatures are really cool. Most of the main characters driving the story are female and show strength and resilience in different ways. Irene starts off in a very dark place mentally/emotionally at the beginning of the story and this mixed with her confinement gives the book a slower start. However, as she starts to re-engage with the world, more pieces come together and the story really picks up steam. Though there is a lot to like in this book, I feel that it’s a bit clumsy at times in its execution and a number of moments felt jarring or confusing because of it. Overall, if you are interested in trying a book that blends regency fantasy, horror, and science fiction in an intriguing way and don’t mind depictions of depression and suicidal ideation, this one is worth a try.

It takes all kinds of strength

I love a book that has strong female characters, especially ones that portray this strength in ‘unconventional’ ways. Though Irene is mostly your typical warrior character, she is surrounded by other female characters who definitely have their own presence and authority in this world. Whether their actions helped or hindered Irene, their impact was felt and the book never seems to bring their femininity into question because of it. I also appreciate the depiction of Irene’s struggle with her inner demons and the strength it takes to overcome them, especially for a character like Irene.

A winding and uneven path

This book kicks off seeming like a historical fantasy, but it soon becomes clear that this isn’t really the case. The mystery of what exactly this world is and how our characters got into their situation quickly became far more compelling to me than the actual plot line they were moving along. There are a lot of unique elements that play together surprisingly well in this narrative as well. However, the introduction of these elements and how they interact often feels a bit clumsy. Since understanding what is really going on is a big part of this journey, I don’t want to get too specific. Generally speaking, the introduction of these elements can feel very abrupt and it feels like it takes 2-3 mentions of it for the world and characters to really start reflecting that this is a true and recognized element of their lives. Overall, I found myself thinking “Okay, I guess that’s a thing now” and “Did I just read that right?” one too many times. While it didn’t completely ruin the experience for me, I feel it got in the way of this book realizing its full potential. 

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!