I would first off like to thank Titan Books for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my review.
The Briar Book of the Dead is an incredibly well written thought provoking gothic horror. We meet Ellie Briar, the only non magical member of her family, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have things under control. She is being trained by her aunt to take over as the Steward, the right hand of the Briar Witch, caring for their small town of Silverton, making sure they stay under the radar of the church and their people are happy and healthy.
This is a heavier read but not for the reasons you might think. I found the parallels of a family of witches trying to maintain their freedom very timely in the world we are living in today.
“It made their [mothers] fearful for … they knew all too well what happened to girls with wills of their own”
“Not all women – some didn’t want change … It never occurred to them they weren’t being asked to give that up, just that some women did not want masters. Should be given the choice”
I find myself in this same battle today with women who look down their noses at other women who want to have the choice. I have never wanted to take away my friends option of being a mother and wife, I simply want my other friends to have the choice to dictate what happens to her own body.
Women have been taught for years to crush down our power, to hide pieces of ourselves. To water down our natures. Speak quietly and softly, be kind and always agreeable. No wonder we want to burn it down.
Perhaps this book could serve as a cautionary tale. You can only push us down so deep until eventually someone erupts, and doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process.
Let women speak. Let women be powerful. Let women have choice and freedom.
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