| Title | : | Witchy Eye (Witchy Eye, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1476782113 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781476782119 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 561 |
| Publication | : | First published March 7, 2017 |
But Sarah’s world gets turned on its head at the Nashville Tobacco Fair when a Yankee wizard-priest tries to kidnap her. Sarah fights back with the aid of a mysterious monk named Thalanes, who is one of the not-quite-human Firstborn, the Moundbuilders of the Ohio. It is Thalanes who reveals to Sarah a secret heritage she never dreamed could be hers.
Now on a desperate quest with Thalanes to claim this heritage, she is hunted by the Emperor’s bodyguard of elite dragoons, as well as by darker things—shapeshifting Mockers and undead Lazars, and behind them a power more sinister still. If Sarah cannot claim her heritage, it may mean the end to her, her family—and to the world where she is just beginning to find her place.
Witchy Eye (Witchy Eye, #1) Reviews
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You can find a synopsis elsewhere, so I'll describe the writing itself.
It took me a bit to get used to the flavor injected by the foreign words (from multiple languages) and spelled-out accents, but they're a significant facet of the story rather than just tossed in as you may find in other stories. Language means something here.
The action started out with significant challenges to the heroine, with her life and that of her friends in danger. Then it ramped up. Then it ramped up again. And it kept ramping up. It's a good thing there were calm spots to catch a breath.
While you might expect this to be a typical "orphan discovers she's important to saving everything" story, don't be fooled. Dave takes such tropes and bounces them on their heads. The old drunk who comes back to serve? Yup. The faithful companion with unrequited love? Two radically different examples, if you look at it sideways.
The story is not full of sudden surprises. While it has a few, the story builds by letting the reader see what's coming a long way off so the reader can wonder how and when the disaster will hit. Many of the surprises are hinted at as well if you know what to look for, which is fun.
The ending gives a good resolution, yet makes it clear there is more to come. For those who hate cliffhangers, fear not. This will leave you satisfied with the current story while still wondering what comes next. This was a fun read, and I look forward to the next volume in this series. -
Witchy Eye by D.J. Butler is a wildly imagined and unique alternate history with wizards, undead, and hillbillies set in colonial America. I’ve never read a book like it. The large cast of characters, historical details, and inside jokes will delight American history buffs. The novel, told from many different points of view, has a bit of the flintlock fantasy vibe, but this timeline is wildly divergent from our own.
The world is very complicated and filled with many different factions vying for control. Keeping all the details straight was a big challenge for me. There are a lot of terms to remember and this novel needs to be studied. The choice to write out the accents was a bold move, and it made it difficult to read sometimes, but the characters came through. I know the audio book will be hilarious and I would highly suggest people look into listening to Witchy Eye, as this text needs to be performed.
D.J. Butler is a storyteller of an epic scale and this is his magnum opus.
If you love complicated world building, backwoods characters, and a unique take on American history blended with fantastical elements, you will love Witchy Eye. -
Set in an alternative version of 1815, Witchy Eye details the adventures of 15-year-old Sarah Calhoun and her constantly shifting band of supporters. Raised among the well-known Calhoun clan in the Apalachee region of a magic-filled frontier, Sarah is rustic, tough and independent. Sarah learns that her growing magical abilities and her hidden bloodlines have made her powerful enemies.
As Sarah travels the ley lines from her mountain home to the strange and dangerous streets of New Orleans, she must judge who she can trust to help her on her quest and who intends her harm. This isn't an easy task when people have complex identities, conflicting loyalties, and undisclosed abilities. Her initial band includes her nephew Cal (an able hunter and trapper) and her new mentor Thalanes (a priest from the North). These three must outwit a conspiratorial preacher named Ezekiel Angleton--intent on kidnapping Sarah with the help of his crude hawker, Obadiah Dogsbody.
Butler builds a world that is thickly populated with people of various nationalities (British, French, German, Native American, African, Dutch, Spanish, Creole), various occupations (bar maids, servants, soldiers, priests, prison wardens, chevaliers), and even various degrees of being human (some superhuman, some subhuman). These characters inhabit a world that is filled with vivid detail of geography, language, religion, and history--all exposing a political intrigue that fuels the novel's central conflict.
Butler propels the story with a lot of action, but he is clearly a man of letters. Consequently, the story is simultaneously fun, informative, and thought provoking. -
Very interesting and entertaining alt history/fantasy book I picked up on a whim. Solid, fun story, great characters and I really enjoyed the author's different take on our world.
I railed last year about "young adult" books and although I am not totally sure that this falls under that genre, I seem to be changing my mind slowly but surely about them.
This is totally worth your time to read, and I personally look forward to any future trips into this world. -
3.5 Will review at
www.fantasyliterature.com. -
Witchy Eye is, at its heart, your basic "protagonist with a secret destiny" story, but what sets it apart is a magnificently conceived and executed world. D.J. Butler puts so much work into crafting his extremely alternate 1815 North America that I feel bad spoiling any of it, but I'll just say that he essentially conceives of a Holy Roman Empire-like political organization that is rife with divisions between differing cultural and religious groups and given that his North America has a far more... cosmopolitan colonial history, these differences are fairly extreme, and that's not even touching on the fact that there's magic all over the place and (essentially) elves and demihumans. It's extremely complicated, but with some very deliberate world-building, Butler manages to make sense of this very strange Empire of the New World if you pay attention and know a little history. At the same time, Butler uses many major historic characters in unexpected ways. It's telling that he casts Martin Luther and Oliver Cromwell, two late-medieval/early modern figures for whom I have a lot of respect, as villainous figures and rather than being upset, I found that I was absorbed into the universe sufficiently that I was able to accept this transformation within the universe of the story and it didn't really bother me as much as such appropriations usually do. In that same vein, while Witchy Eye is full of allusions to real historical figures, Butler skews them enough to make them seem like different people in their life-choices but still larger than life, though sometimes in unexpected ways. Additionally, I felt that Butler does a good job of making his characters feel authentic to the time and none of the characters, hero or villain, come off as simple cartoonish figures. I think that's all I'll say because this is a book that I started with kind of low expectations and it grew and grew on me thanks to the unfolding of its fascinating world, which may seem like a dig on the story, but in truth, the story is intimately tied to the strange world that Butler has developed, and while its concept is simple and trite, it works really well thanks to the characters and the world. I was happy to see that the sequel just came out a couple weeks ago. If only that was the case every time I found a book that I loved!
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4 stars for the story, plus 1 for the audiobook reader - she really made it come alive. I especially loved it that 2 of my less favorite historical characters (Jackson and Cromwell) are villains :)
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This book is clever. The dialogue is clever, the plot is clever, and the inside jokes I managed to understand were clever too. This is by no means a small book, but Dave's writing kept me enthralled from page 1, and his world building is phenomenal. I'm here for the rest of the series.
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I first read an early draft of this novel a full decade ago; it was very good then, and it only got more brilliant with successive revisions. It helps that Dave Butler is the most intelligent person that I know I know (i.e., if there are any more intelligent people in my circle, they hide it well). He reads something like 30 languages, including Ojibwe and ancient Akkadian, and he knows practically EVERYTHING about the cultural history of the West, which means that his worldbuilding of an alternate magical 1830s America is nothing short of stunning.
The hardcover is bedecked with laudatory pullquotes from luminaries like Larry Correia, Dave Farland, R.A. Salvatore, etc. I'm not famous enough that a quote from me would be any benefit to Dave, but if I were to be called upon to provide such, I have it all ready:
"Effortlessly the equal of Orson Scott Card's 'Alvin Maker' series in its deep and satisfying portrayal of a magical America and the magic of Americana." -
I am going to copy what Wm Morris said: "Butler conjures up a compelling, rich world ripe with poetics and myth and compelling, unique characters. I found the pacing spot on, but it may be a wee bit slow for core genre readers and a wee bit adventurey for core lit-fic readers. What I like best is that the politics and theologies and economies are many."
Butlter's alternative 1815 America is, an amazingly rich world. Butler knows his 18th/19th century history very well, and deploys it to great effect, creating an America divided by different groups and religions (including British, French, German, Native American, African, Dutch, Spanish, Creole), including one in which Black Africans and Native Americans control their own powerful kingdoms. And non-humans as well. I am excited to get home and start reading volume 2, "Witchy Winter". -
This was a wildly creative story. Colonial America made up of various kingdoms, tons of alt-history and historical figures showing up in different ways. Mixed in with magic that is mysterious and a great quest story and it was all a lot of fun. The dialogue was written in accents, which was an interesting choice but sometimes was hard work to follow. A bit too action-heavy of a story for my tastes, but thats a personal thing.
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Bra och intressant. Tror lite av sakerna i boken flög över mitt huvud när de kom till kända historiska personer från Amerika men var ändå intressant och snyggt världsbygge.
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Disclaimer, again- I don't use stars on my blog
Wonky Eyed, Bad Mannered And Unabashedly, Unapologetically Herself, Sarah Calhoun Is The Young, Female Protagonist We Didn't Know We Needed
Oddly I'm going from never have done this before to doing it twice in one month. I suppose there is something to be said for novelty. I'm going to provide the summary of Witchy Eye, the first book in the Witchy Eye Series, by DJ Butler, because most of this review is going to focus on the protagonist, Sarah Calhoun. The summary is also in the Summer Fling post, but in the interest of simplicity I put it here.
Full Review at Novellives.Com -
The author came with HIGH recommendations, and so I grabbed the book, even though the genre of magical fantasy isn't my favorite.
If I read many more books like this, though, I may find myself opening up my selection criteria a bit.
It's immersion history. We discover what the world is like by being placed in the middle of a market day, with hucksters and pot-bellied farmers swinging loads of cured tobacco, and stray dogs running between the mules' feet. And noise, and conflict.
A person with more expertise than I possess in early American history would have a BLAST with this book, highlighting all of the points of divergence. I was not able to identify the exact point in history where this line splits off from our own, but there are delicious clues sprinkled in like chocolate chips in a cinnamon cake.Ben Franklin was a bishop, as well as an inventor; Voltaire was a defender of the Faith. Oliver Cromwell is referred to as the Necromancer. And Andrew Jackson's body is suspended in a cage following his death (or execution, not sure which) in an attempt to set himself up as King.
The language is beautiful. The heroine, Sarah, is coming to terms with her hidden identity as well as with her magical powers. She encounters the Mississippi for the first time, and is amazed at the power of the magical aura of the river. (Earth magical power is revealed in 'ley lines.')
"Its color, too, was distinctive. It was multicolored like the Natchez Trace ley line, but the Trace ley was predominantly white, whereas the river ley luxuriated in shimmering deep green. Was that… river energy? The spiritual tracks of thousands of years of catfish?"
[D. J. Butler. Witchy Eye (Kindle Locations 3764-3765). Baen. Kindle Edition.]
Is that not glorious? 'The spiritual tracks of thousands of years of catfish.' That's just not a phrase you will find in just any book. And, if I had any remaining reservations about whether I was a fan of the book, that line eliminated them.
Sarah and her band of supporters set of on a Grail-like quest, while being tracked by nasties, both earthly and ghastly. Along the way, she has to get settled in her own mind about the kind of marriage she wishes to make. In the process, she transforms from a semi-trashy hillbilly type to a queen, with regard for her duties and responsibilities to her followers. They also find transformation in the process; a drunkard thug becomes a knight; a hooker becomes a lady. That sort of thing.
Plenty of plot items are resolved, so it's not REALLY a Grail-like quest, even though I said it was earlier. However, it's clearly the beginning of a great story arc, and I have no idea how many more volumes will follow. Hopefully, the number of chocolate chips has not been exhausted. -
At times brilliant, but at others a bit tedious.
It took me a long time to get through the first chapter, I'd open the book and then get thrown off by the jarring use of heavy accents and then put it down again. Once I actually sat down and focused on reading and forced my way through the first chapter things started to come together. It was the world-building that finally hooked me, absolutely stellar. The accents, so difficult to connect with early on, became a strength. They are phenomenally executed and integral to demonstrating the complexity of the world. On that point, Butler does an excellent job of weaving early 1800's American cultures (not necessarily "American" cultures, but more the cultures that made up America) and belief systems (with an alternative twist) into a colorful tapestry and then adding a healthy dose of magic. The characters are engaging and likeable and I was equally invested in all the different POV chapters, which is usually pretty hard to do.
The plot and pacing of the story is my biggest issue. At times things seem to drag a bit, and chapters seemed overly long when I needed to find a convenient place to set the book down. And, oddly, I found myself putting the book down more in the later chapters--when the action is supposed to be picking up. There aren't any major surprises, plot-wise; the story is basic, but it serves well as a vehicle for revealing the fascinating world around it. And things come around to a satisfying conclusion while still setting the hook to read the next book.
Which I will. The end.
3.5/5 -
Kinda good, kinda difficult to get into.
It's a good book, but it's far too seeped into the east coast old-times cultural background to be really entertaining for me. The setting straddled literally the uncanny valley: distantly familiar enough to be jarring, not familiar enough to be comfortable. So, it's difficult to articulate exactly why I don't give it 4 or 5 stars, but it's inherently personal.
Despite being a quality book I'll probably skip on the series. -
As always when a book tries to get different dialects across i strugle as a non native speaker.
But the story got me anyway. Nice worldbuilding and i was more then once really tempted to look up why that name sounds so familiar and what did he/she do in the real timeline.
Now i want to have the next one! -
Alternate history was never my favorite genre. But this book is bad ass!
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A fascinating but difficult book to review, so I’ll be thematic.
Plot and theme: 4
Without spoilers, this is a braid of a Western (with its love of frontier spirit and defeating evil through Just Violence), a royalist Arthurian fable of the sword-in-the-stone and knights-of-honour stripe, and Star Wars (TOS, already a blend of those two anyway). But given that our MCs end up fleeing with a character who is basically Obi Wan Kenobi and pursued bystormtroopers, I mean Imperial House Dragoons and a dark sorcerer, there are some parallels.
It’s not a straight retelling of any of the above (unlike, say,
Eragon) and resolves well enough, accepting that this is the first book of a series.
Character development: 4
The author uses an effective Bujold-style technique of alternating deep and meaningful conversations with piling ever more pressure on the good guys in a way that puts the values and character of each person in high relief. Our main character (Sarah Calhoun) is well drawn and interesting: intelligent and strong willed while avoiding many of the stereotypes of genre fiction. There is more than a dash of Princess Leia in her, if Leia had been raised by Appalachian cattle rustlers. Many of the supporting characters on all sides are also vividly drawn, though at the expense of far more POVs than I usually cope with.
Setting/worldbuilding: 5
Clearly the standout feature of this book is the complex, detailed and highly original setting, based on real world and American history to the 1830s but shuffled and changed like a cubist painting. This is matched by a thoughtful and detailed use of languages and dialects, mixing up archaic or slightly modified words in a plausible fashion. The history itself is similarly clever – as a history geek, trying to track it is like listening to someone speaking a dialect you can just about follow if you strain hard and interpolate. This is made harder because the worldbuilding comes at you like an elephant toothpaste explosion while the action is happening, and there’s not a lot of time for critical reflection. The result is curiously fascinating and mesmeric, but I can see why many people would find it incomprehensible.
I am not going to dock points for the unfair hatchet job done on alternate-Martin Luther and Oliver Cromwell, as this is a work of fiction. There is some logic in that a world without the Reformation and where the English civil war was about necromancy rather than democracy or civil and religious rights, that the new United States might opt for a Germanic style elected Imperium rather than a democracy. However, the book itself doesn’t seem interested in this sort of question. It’s much more interested in the necromancy. For me, that makes it not “alternate history” in the sense that Eric Flint’s
1632 series is.
Story/pace: 4
Butler tells a cracking story with some big set pieces and controlled use of expository pauses. Even with a crazy number of POVs. I did sometimes have to stop because the violence and adrenaline were a bit overwhelming. That might seem rich when I read the book on Larry Correia’s recommendation, but Correia’s books are usually violent in a rather comic-book fashion, and I found Witchy Eye a bit too grimly creative in this department.
The books are otherwise “clean”: no adult scenes and only euphemised swearing.
Moral/spiritual value: jury still out
One of the weird aspects of Butler’s America is it’s wild syncretism. Most of the characters officially accept a Christian framework, and there are some very sympathetic (even saintly) Christian characters. Also some wicked ones, which is realistic enough. Yet many citizens are also openly pagan, and it’s clear that there are powerful nonhuman beings (“gods”?) operating in this world. The author does a good enough job of keeping his own opinions out of it that it’s sometimes hard to tell who to root for, at least by the end of book one.
I do have my suspicions and I think there’s a strong moral compass under this. Both the Western and the Arthurian themes would ultimately collapse into a nihilistic grimdark morass without it. I did fear for that at times, especially with the level of violence and pagan forces floating about, but I’m confident enough that it won’t that I would read the next book.
But maybe not just yet. -
In his latest book, Witchy Eye, D. J. Butler introduces us to an alternate history of the North American continent in the 1700s. It is hard to describe the book in much detail without giving spoilers (and I don't want to repeat the book jacket), but here are a few things that can be said.
The Alternate History Twist
How would events have progressed differently if magic and religious mysticism existed throughout the recorded history of man?
It is easy to tell that Butler created a rich backstory. Thankfully, he doesn't reveal it all at once to the reader. The bits and pieces are doled out in bits, snippets of information are used to create a foundation the story is built on.
There are parts of history most people are knowledgeable about, which provides the familiar. Then, his historical twist is applied. An example is knowing that Isaac Newton was a great wizard.
The Setting
Witchy Eye takes place in the lands east of the Mississippi River. What we know from our world is presented as the story starts in Nashville, then down to New Orleans, then back up the river. The geography is the same. Everything else, politics, economics, and people are different because of the work that went into creating the events of the world leading up to the current "present."
The Characters
The reader is introduced to the main and secondary characters who become easily identified as the story unfolds. Each has a strong presence and is relatable.
When a character takes over the role as narrator, with the shift in point of view, it was easy to recognize whose eyes I was seeing the events through. The individual histories of the characters influenced what they saw and how they reacted, giving the story another level of depth as the individual's story became part of the greater one.
Every character has their own agenda. Each is traveling their own story arc. They are intertwined without being lost in the general story or the main story of Sarah.
The Plot
Sarah is on a journey of discovery, but this isn't the main theme, but it carries the story well. It is relatable from the beginning as her hopes, along with the hopes of the other characters, progress.
There are a number of twists that kept me wanting to keep turning pages. I found them well foreshadowed without being blatant. Butler provides great explanations of the religious myths and how they tie into the story he is telling.
The plot built to the confrontation I knew must come. Not everything presented is resolved in that conflict (it is clear this is the first book of a longer story), but don't be dismayed, this book stands on its own. This part ends with the promise of more, not an ending that left me wondering why it ended there.
Summary
Witchy Eye is a wonderful story that is unique and refreshing. From comments made to friends while I was reading, I know several who have already started reading Witchy Eye, or have added it to their reading list.
The lead character is fifteen years old and it is appropriate for young adult readers, however, don't let that fool you. Witchy Eye is a good read for all ages. It might not be as graphic as some novels that are pushing back for the adult audience of readers, but the story is strong and holds its own.
I am ready for the sequel.
Originally published on Guild Master Gaming (
https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.com/) -
Sarah Calhoun, nicknamed (by others) Witchy Eye, has an ugly eye. Swollen, painful. Sure she can cast hexes and do little magics but, other than being the youngest daughter of the respected hero Calhoun, she doesn't reckon she's special.
Then a monk comes calling, and a priest, one sent to rescue her, and one sent to take her back to her uncle who probably killed her father—a father who magicked acorns with his dying blood and sent them to his wife who then birthed three children, all legitimate heirs to the throne.
Turns out Sarah's a little more than special.
I think this is actually a 5-star book. But I'd have to finish the series and read it again to be sure.
There is a lot to take in from chapter one. Terms, language/accents, history, geography, plus that normal stuff like characters and plot. I was only half-following for probably the first three chapters, then I got a little more familiar with the characters and could at least focus on them even when I wasn't sure exactly what was going on.
To be absolutely fair, I'm recovering from surgery and read late into the night to try and distract myself from the pain in my foot. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I'm distracted from the reading. Plus I'm so very tired :p
There is a rich world of magical alternate history going on here. Perhaps if I were better versed in the American revolution and major historical figures of early America I would follow a little better. ...Even knowing more geography of the eastern States would probably help. I feel inadequate in this part of my education hah.
Although it took me some to get the hang of it, I did enjoy the language. I thought it was fun how Sarah switches between her two types of speech, slipping into her more natural lowbrow speech but being encouraged to practice a more highbrow way of talking.
I enjoyed the magic. It's not entirely clear how it works (or rather, the limitations) but it's better that way. At least they got magically spent, even if physical wounds didn't seem to slow them down (one guy is basically a walking pincushion by the time it's over, I'm pretty sure).
In the end, Witchy Eye is so different from anything else I've read. I was surprised and delighted. From the history to the mythology, the magic, the speech, and the characters... it's not your regular afternoon tea.
I also like listening to the author at conventions and he has a lot of books, including 3 more in this series out already, so... more fun stuff to come! -
It's cool how you find different books to read, and I'm glad I found Witchy Eye.
I follow Brandon Sanderson on Goodreads and a couple months ago he reviewed Dark Immolation by Christopher Husberg. I thought it sounded good so I made a note to get to it. Around that time Husberg went on a little tour to promote his new book and with him was DJ Butler promoting Witchy Winter. I thought that sounded fun too, and so I made a note to get it as well. In comes early August and I finally got the book, but I had some other things to read first. I had to finish the last four Wheel of Time books, then read the three books currently out in the Chaos Queen Quintet, and then I had an itch for some Forgotten Realms and I read a couple of those and then I sat down with this book last week.
Witchy Eye is dense, definitely not a quick read, but it is rewarding. I didn't think it started off that fast, but by 50 or so pages I was all in for the ride. It's a very interesting work, with lots to take in. A lot of time had to go into crafting it, I'm sure. I appreciate the use of old words you don't really see that much and I'm kind of proud that I didn't ever have to look up the meaning of any of them.
Similarly there are other languages dotted throughout, most noticeably french. It's pretty basic stuff that a quick search will find or the context itself will tell you the gist. For me personally ,I'm thankful for college french.
The action never really stops once it starts. It's very much an adventure with corrupt leaders, undead sorcerers, beast, and monsters. Plus some cool magic, and compelling lore. Not to mention the cool tweaks done to some famous historical figures.
One gripe is I wish the main character, Sarah, got a little more development. I felt by the end I knew and understood Sir William the most out of all the characters.
I'm definitely going to be reading Witchy Winter soon. -
An absolute master-class in worldbuilding. Butler's vision of a folk-magic-enhanced New World is fully realized in every way, with a set of fascinating alt-historical departure points and new roles for historical figures both famous and obscure. Religion, politics, music...everything is skewed in fascinating ways that emerge logically from the rules of the author's universe. The comparison to the Alvin Maker universe undersells the quality of Butler's work; Card can't hold a candle to the depth of cultural and historical understanding Butler displays.
I find the characters interesting and the protagonists' entourage likeable, but I can't quite go to five stars because I never quite believe that Sarah or her main allies are in jeopardy. Sarah is in the process of discovering her powers, and as we are situated within her viewpoint most of the time, we don't have any clearer understanding of what she's capable of doing than she does. In the early chapters, when she's forced to defend herself against overpowering adversaries with cunning hexes, the dynamic works. As the plot unfolds, however, her capabilities expand in bizarre and unpredictable ways, and it seems like she's able to deus ex machina her way out of situations to the point that it makes me stop caring what kind of trouble she gets into.
Along these lines, special attention must be paid to the preposterously indestructible Bill Lee, who soaks up bullets like a video game character while simultaneously wielding smoothbore pistols with the precision one would expect of a modern sniper rifle. Bad Bill is OP as hell, and it's a problem.
All that said, the quality of the story universe dwarfs these concerns; I'm on board for the full series, and I think this is probably the best original Baen release I've read. -
Not steampunk, but a term I've heard is flint punk, as in flintlock.
Anyway, it's an alternate, magical history of the US in the early 1800s. There are as many different types of magic as there are types of faith.
Sarah, the titular character, finds out she's the heir to, well, basically America, but it's run by an emperor. There are various people after her, so she sets off to find out more about her power and heritage. She's accompanied by her older-than-she-is nephew Cal, and a monk named Thalanes. They need to get to New Orleans to find William Johnston Lee, aka Bad Bill, the man who worked with Thalanes 15 years ago to protect Sarah and her siblings.
Point of view varies between several characters, my favorites being Bill and Thalanes. Thalanes is a fascinating character, and Bill is a functioning alcoholic with a lot of attitude and killer oneliners.
There are some pretty bitchin' fight scenes, complete with soldiers, priests, beasts, and Lazars (men raised from the dead by the great necromancer Oliver Cromwell).
Well written, though the dialect of certain characters takes some getting used to, and knowledge of history and religion, while not necessary, certainly ease and enrich the reading. -
A fantastic Old America romp with the depth of Lord of the Rings
Butler is a master of character and setting, with the savory details of Benjamin Franklin's America spilling off the pages, ctafted carefully with a fantasic flair that makes it both recognizable and unimaginable at the same time.
Witchy Eye is a tale of wizards and demigods, heroes and villains. It is a hero's journey, pitting determined innocence against grim malevolence, where the peoples of four kingdoms struggle for power and control over not only the vast, living wealth of the great Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, but ancient and potent magics as well.
And at the heart of it all is a reluctant heroine whose will carries her through a hurricane of dangers that threaten her and her intrepid companions at every turn.
I was a fan of Butler's writing before. Now I am a devotee, and I can't wait to dig into Witchy Winter, the sequel to Witchy Eye. -
A colorful alternate history America, which reminds me somewhat of Kipling's Kim in the sense that the reader gets to tour vibrant people from different subcultures, with a sense that those subcutures are all part of a larger entity--in this cast, Flinlock Fantasy North America--without academic infodumps to break the flow of the story, The author leaves you wondering about the back story of the beastmen, the Igbo Free Cities, Cahokia, Memphis and more.
Another thing (of many!) that I especially like is the dialog: the author has a good ear for dialect and the main characters each have their own distinctive voice. When you see a line like "Lord hates a man as won't help his friends", you know immediately that Calvin said it, and that Sir William, Obadiah, Long Cathy, or Etienne could not have said it.
It was a joy to read and I'll preorder the next book the instant it becomes available.
