Synopsis
Caught in a scandal with Lord Arle that draws the attention of King Harald’s Inquisition, Shenagh is forced to flee her home into the Dark Wood. The young hedge witch, pursued by Master Macon den Lough and his henchman, Cobb, is tested by the forest’s rugged terrain, dangerous predators, and legendary monsters.
Review
Dark Fantasy, Novella
This review only represents my personal opinion and does not reflect the entire judging team’s (Swordsworn) thoughts or progression in the SFINCS2 competition. Thank you for reading.
Although the concept of a witch hunt is not entirely new, Montague added magical and fantastical elements to make it stand out. A mix of suspense, drama, and occasional moments of high stakes maintained the pace. Montague knew when to push forward with action and when to include moments of quiet introspection. In certain places, it does become dark. I liked how the author naturally revealed the world and its creatures, plants and landscape. Since magic had a price, the use of power was given more weight. We are shown the various uses and consequences of magic when it applied to the narrative, which was done naturally and brilliantly.
There was an intriguing tension between protagonist Shenagh (witch) and antagonist Macon (inquisitor). Shenagh was a sympathetic and compassionate figure struggling between survival and self-identity. Through her perspective, I appreciated learning about her family, teachings, and memories. Macon was verrrry interesting, especially when we’re given subtle hints, like his nails and his moment of supplication. The decision to leave these elements ambiguous left me with some mixed feelings. On the one hand, it added a layer of mystery to the story, leaving me to speculate about its meaning. On the other hand, it created a sense of frustration because he was the more interesting character and I thought his backstory would add some depth.
For example, Macon’s nails seemed to hint to something significant from his past. Although he is an inquisitor pursuing magi, this particular nail detail gave his character a level of complexity that isn’t explored in further detail. I get the impression that Macon is hesitant to go after Shenagh—perhaps due to his past—but he persists anyways since he owes the king a duty. Macon became my favorite character, and I’d love to have learned what prior circumstances led him to the role of inquisitor with the assumption he may have had the ability to perform magic as well. Overall, the characters remain mostly unchanged from start to finish.
The motivation for expelling magi is most likely because of the dangers of unchecked power in the kingdom. I would’ve liked some background information or historical context to better understand these whys. It was like receiving a puzzle with some missing pieces. Although I could still make out the broad outline of the picture, it’s not very clear and I had to go back to reread some parts to see if I missed details. It was hard to understand everyone’s motivations and fears without some more context shown to me.
Overall, TO CATCH A WITCH was engaging and the prose, pacing, dark wood, and magic were solid throughout. Despite some concerns, the plot allows for more character development and complexity to be added, in addition to culture and history, if there would be subsequent works.
Leave a Reply