Title: The Witchwood Knot (Victorian Faerie Tales #1)
Author: Olivia Atwater
Genre: Fantasy, fantasy romance, historical fantasy, gothic fantasy
Publisher: Starwatch Press
Publication Date: November 28, 2023
Format: Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by Net Galley and Starwatch Press in exchange for an honest review
Length: 330 pages

Read if you like: fairy tales, gothic romances, closed door romances, folklore, historical fantasy settings, mystery in a fantasy setting 

Rating: 

*A quick note: when I receive a complimentary ARC of a book via Net Galley, a publisher, an author, or otherwise, this does not impact my review of the book. All my reviews are my honest and genuine thoughts and feelings.

It’s been a while since I read a historical fantasy, so I was thrilled when I was offered a complimentary advanced reader copy of The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater from Net Galley and Starwatch Press in exchange for an honest review. This gothic romance was the perfect reintroduction to this genre for me.  

The Witchwood Knot was so wonderfully executed; it had a rich setting, strong, loveable characters, a plot with enough twists and turns that I wasn’t sure what was coming, and a unique type of magic steeped in faerie tales and folklore. It also addressed some serious topics that, while presented in a fantasy setting, had real-world relatability that really affected me. From the second I picked this book up, I felt completely immersed, and when we finally reached the pinnacle of the action and began to see the plot close, I was both sad for it to be over and anxious to learn more about the loose ends that Atwater left. 

This was such a promising start to a series that I’m already excited for the second book to come. The Witchwood Knot was an immensely enjoyable read that I’d highly recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction with a bright twist of magic. 

The Book: The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

The Witchwood Knot follows main character Winifred Hall, a magician posing as a governess as a favour to an old widow who helped support Winifred in her younger years. Winnie has her own goals for the job, namely that she seeks a way back into Faerie, the home of the Fair Folk so that she can find the faerie who was partly responsible for raising her. In exchange for information, Winnie has agreed to watch over the widow’s grandson, who will be visiting her haunted manor alongside his father, the Lord of the estate. 

Unfortunately, upon arriving at the manor, Winnie’s charge is almost immediately captured by the clever Fair Folk, leaving Winnie responsible for finding him and returning him to safety. As she attempts to navigate the manor, its inhabitants (both magical and otherwise), have other plans for her. She’ll need to use all of her wit and cunning if she’s to rescue the boy and find the information she needs, and before the end, she’ll also need to learn how to trust her heart.

The Review

The Witchwood Knot was a clever gothic fantasy full of folklore and fairytales. I loved the Victorian setting combined with a very fantasy premise; it felt part historical and part ethereal in the best possible ways. 

The plot itself was well layered and paced, with aspects of The Witchwood Knot and its faerie squatters slowly unfolding as the plot thickened. I was never quite sure where things were headed or what would happen next, but the journey to get there was completely engrossing, especially as you grappled with the high stakes of The Witchwood Knot and the more human complications happening during the day in the Manor. 

Winifred was a fantastic character with a lot of cleverness and wit for the era in which the story took place. She felt bold, assertive, and smart; all qualities that women of this age were supposed to minimize. I loved that Atwater chose to make her conscious of this decision to go against the grain and gave her the power to use that awareness in her favour as she saw fit. She was still often forced into an archetype that the men around her were comfortable with, but she manipulated it to the best of her abilities. 

One aspect that I felt was incredibly poignant in Atwater’s exploration of Winifred’s character was her experience with sexual assault. I think there’s something so devastatingly depressing about this universal shared truth, that to be a woman means to understand what it means to be in danger, to be wanted without regard for your own feelings or preferences. I started mulling over this concept when reading A Study in Drowning, where the main character Effy was the victim of an abusive and manipulative relationship with a faculty member, and it’s reflected similarly in The Witchwood Knot. Just by holding any degree of beauty, Winifred is challenged by the men around her who feel entitled to her. She has to question every interaction, every exchange with the men she’s with to determine their intentions so she can somehow manage her safety alongside their egos. It’s frustratingly, achingly familiar, and even though these are fantasy environments, it’s so clear how women are still finding themselves in these situations and with these feelings today, particularly in scenarios where there is a power imbalance. I loved how resonant Winifred’s experience was, and simultaneously wished it would not feel so familiar to so many. That said, I felt like Atwater approached the concept from a place of power, where Winifred was eventually able to own her experiences and be stronger for them. It doesn’t make the fact that they occurred any better, but it’s encouraging to see a woman rise from the trauma. 

I felt like this was an exceptionally promising start to a series. I loved the premise, the universe, and the characters, and I’ll certainly be happy to go back to Victorian England in another instalment to see where Winifred and Mr. Quincy go next.

Thanks again to Net Galley and Starwatch Press for the complimentary copy, and make sure to look out for The Witchwood Knot when it releases next week!