Synopsis
"In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.
Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her." Via Good Reads
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review
This is the perfect book for the fall/Halloween season. I loved the atmosphere and the world building that this book had. It weaved together cult/politics vibes with a magic system that was easy to grasp. The isolation element of this story was super creepy. It reminded me of a mix between the movies The Witch and The Village.
I loved our main character. I connected a lot to Immanuelle Moore and empathized with her. Keeping the cast of characters to a minimum allowed me to grow to care for them quicker.
The reason this is a four star instead of a five is because I feel like the ending happened way too quickly and I don’t think that this needs to be a series. I think it would have been a lot more successful as a longer standalone. I will probably check out the next book though because I love Alexis’ writing.
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