THE WITCH-HUNT

In McLaughlin’s novel set in the 16th century, a girl must take matters into her own hands when she’s caught up in a murderous conspiracy.

In 1500s Scotland, as more and more women are being accused of witchcraft, 12-year-old Amaranth’s parents are brutally murdered. She’s sent to live at the nunnery that owns her father’s land, but before she moves in, Amaranth visits her home one last time. An ancient, powerful witch intercepts her, gives her a vial of her own powerful blood, and tells her to mix their bloods together under a full moon to unlock supernatural powers: “Amaranth, beware, the world is a cold place. First, it takes your soul and then, when you are least ready, your body! But you need not be a victim of this misery if you live as a supernatural.” Amaranth, bemused and overwhelmed, hides the vial near her parents’ graves. At the nunnery, she befriends Lady Janet Douglas, a noble trying to fight against unjust witchcraft charges; Amaranth studies law in her late teens and becomes a legal advocate to help Lady Janet defend women caught up in the government’s unjust campaign. Meanwhile, she investigates her uncle Michael, who seems to be involved the government’s work, and who possibly had a role in her parents’ deaths. Eventually, tragedy strikes, and Amaranth uses the vial of blood in a transformational bid to enact revenge. Amaranth is an appealing hero, and McLaughlin’s care for her shines through. Many of the secondary characters, including Lady Janet, are also well-drawn, and readers will enjoy rooting for them. Overall, the author delivers a tale that’s packed with ideas, especially about witchcraft panics of centuries past. However, these themes don’t always get enough room to breathe. More details about the real-life historical aspects of the setting would have been welcome, as it’s not always easy to tell when elements are anachronistic. The heightened prose style sometimes verges into melodrama, and often the narration explicitly states what something means or how a character feels, even when it’s obvious from context.

A heartfelt but awkwardly executed tale of supernatural revenge.