Kicking off the Halloween season I just finished reading Slewfoot(2021) by Brom, a gorgeously savage folk horror fable that melds beauty and brutality masterfully.
Set in 1666 Puritan New England, it follows Abitha, a young Englishwoman struggling under the crushing weight of a patriarchal, superstitious community, who becomes entangled with a mysterious horned forest spirit known as Slewfoot. The premise taps into timeless fears of witchcraft, religious oppression and the blurred line between monster and savior, all wrapped in an eerie fairy tale atmosphere.
Brom's lush and grotesque prose did a great job immersing me in the oppressive, claustrophobic world of Puritan life and showcasing the vulnerability of a woman who doesn’t fit into its rigid mold. Abitha is a sympathetic and relatable protagonist and Slewfoot himself is a fascinatingly ambiguous presence, both terrifying and reverential. The antagonists are so well written that multiple times I had to take a pause so I could cuss out these bastard bitch characters. The moral tension between witchcraft, freedom and religious repression gives the narrative a grounded human experience which goes beyond its blood and pagan spectacle. This was the first time for me reading a book illustrated by the author, guaranteeing complete clarity in the visual translation of imagination which added a haunting richness to the myth and horror.
It isnt flawless. The pacing drags at times, and horror fans familiar with folk tropes will see some twists coming. The tone occasionally wavers between mythic parable and straightforward horror, leaving a few uneven moments. But even at its weakest, the novel has a raw, hypnotic pull that keeps you reading. Slewfoot is best approached as a dark fable which is part witch story, part feminist revenge tale and part meditation on freedom and fear.
Pick it up if you enjoyed watching Robert Eggers’s The Witch (2015) and are drawn to morally ambiguous folklore and lush gothic horror. There is a high possibility you will find it a rewarding experience that is both unsettling and strangely cathartic
8/10
by Zehreelakomdareturns