Conjuring the Witch by Jessica Leonard

Conjuring the Witch Reviews

• 
  Sadie Hartmann

  Hell of an ending!
• 
  Irene Well Worth A Read

  Are there witches in the woods? Or has the reverend twisted religious dogma to his own interpretation for his own agenda? That is the question to be answered in this stunning work of horror fiction by Jessica Leonard.
  
  Nicole Warby is searching for her niche in this world. She wants to make her husband happy and fit in with the church ladies, but she is pretty sure there must be more to life than cooking and cleaning and being submissive to her man as the reverend constantly preaches.
  Her husband Steve is a sort of go-along to get along kind of guy. He wants his wife to be happy but he is also sometimes embarrassed by her behavior.
  As much as they are warned about the woods, Nicole feels something pulling her towards them. Sure they are a little dark and spooky but just maybe they have a story to tell.
  Nicole is not quite the same after her venture into those woods and the congregation will never be the same either.
  
  I loved this book! I loved Nicole and her refusal to just bow down to hypocritical oppression. The reverend gave me the creeps from the start. I could almost picture him as a smarmy sort of salesman pitching himself as speaking for God, and telling people how to run their marriage as if he had a clue about how marriage works. I can't say that it was a big surprise to find out what is really in the woods, but I didn't need it to be a shock in order to enjoy this atmospheric story. It spoke to me on so many levels.
  
  
  My thanks to Ghoulish Books.
• 
  Horror Reads

  There are witches in the woods. Indeed, although this excellent novel is about a lot more than just witches. This is a religious horror novel that will send some shivers down your spine.
  
  This particular church preaches about women being subservient to their husbands and how not obeying them brings god's wrath, etc. Yeah, one of those small town old school churches.
  
  Along with that comes feelings of guilt when you don't believe you're as "godly" as others. But our main couple doesn't really believe in any of that. They just seek a community to be a part of as they live a simple life working their farm.
  
  But one day, the wife goes looking in the woods and she begins... changing. Is it truly a witch trying to possess her or is it religious fervour gone to the extreme?
  
  You'll have to read to find out. But once things are revealed and secrets start to be exposed we'll discover that, no matter what your beliefs, evil isn't always what you think, keeping up appearances can be deadly, and perhaps people are not always who they claim to be.
  
  This novel is well paced, extremely engaging, and downright creepy! I highly recommend it.
  
  I received an ARC of this book but am giving this review voluntarily without consideration.
• 
  Balthazarinblue

  This is a wonderfully atmospheric story of a small town church where the Reverend warns, "There are witches in the woods!" The author did a fantastic job of setting the scene. The claustrophobic tension of small town life seeped through the pages. As did the contrasting allure and unnervingness of the woods that abut the church.
  
  I loved the first three-quarters. The story was genuinely unsettling. As things drew to a close, the plot got a little on the nose for my tastes but still very well written.
  
  If you enjoy creepy stories about witchcraft and oppressive religions then I highly recommend this.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens in exchange for a review.
• 
  Melissa

  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
  
  I haven’t read a book in awhile that I did not want to stop reading!! I loved this book. It get your attention from the very beginning and keeps it the entire time. Read it, you will not regret it!
• 
  Summer Dawn Smith

  I wasn't sure what to expect when I first dove into this book. I'm generally not a fan of witch stories, however I've found some gems over the last year or so and this is definitely one of them.
  
  This book is very moody. Dark and melancholy. I felt Nicole's frustrations with not feeling like she had a purpose or sense of belonging, and her struggle to find it, which of course, seems to set off the course of events in the book.
  
  I really enjoyed the religious aspect of this as well, and the way it pointed out the flaws of religion and the men who use it to control. It also made me very uncomfortable at times since some of the verses and teachings were ones that were used by my old church to keep me from divorcing my abuser. In the end, those moments just made me cheer even harder for Nicole and the others.
  
  I really love Jessica Leonard's take on witches, and patriarchy, and really hope to find time to check out Antioch as well soon.
• 
  Books and Roller Coasters

  This was completely my cup of tea then it comes to horror! This book gave me instant Midnight Mass and Hex vibes. It is a slow burn of a story and I loved the setting, the women vs religion and the conclusion.
  The writing could've been a little more immersive, but all in all a solid read.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Jennifer Williams

  I’m not sure this book was for me. I don’t feel like I got the background of the “witches”. I am not sure if they were or weren’t. This book has a lot of biblical references and that may not be your thing just a heads up. I am also a person who like closure. This book did not give me what I needed to know. That’s all I can say about that without any spoilers. I think the writing was great and I’m not saying the book wasn’t good. It was indeed a very interesting story, for me though I just feel like I needed more background. I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Shellie

  Conjuring the Witch by Angela Atkinson is a haunting and suspenseful story that explores the dark secrets buried deep in a small town. The novel revolves around the concept of witches and the impact they can have on people's lives. The story is set in a small town where the reverend of the Lilin Assembly of Our Lord repeats the words "there are witches in the woods" each week to his parishioners. Initially, Steve and Nicole Warby dismiss this as a metaphor, but when Nicole takes a walk in the woods, something changes within her, and she returns different.
  
  As the story progresses, the couple discovers the dark secrets of the town, and their comfortable small-town life is forever altered. The reverend insists that Nicole has been possessed by witches, and Steve is unsure if he wants to help his wife or ignore the problems. The novel portrays the impact of those in power and the sins they are willing to commit to maintain their status.
  
  The author has beautifully portrayed the emotions and thoughts of the characters, particularly Steve, who is torn between his loyalty to his wife and his faith in the church. The plot is well-crafted, with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged until the very end. Atkinson's writing style is descriptive, creating a vivid image of the town and its people in the reader's mind.
  
  Conjuring the Witch is a dark and suspenseful story that delves into the power dynamics of a small town and the impact of supernatural beliefs on people's lives. This book is recommended for those who enjoy reading haunting and suspenseful stories with well-crafted plots and strong characters.
• 
  Teresa Ardrey

  I am starting to think that there is nothing creepier than small towns, because Jessica writes them so well that way. Every time a member of the community opened their mouths I found myself gritting my teeth, they all just skeezed me out (I think most of us can relate to groups who think they know that it is "for your own good" to just fit in). But, even beyond that, there are real moments of body horror, moments that may make you put the book down for a minute to control your gorge. The book is timeless, especially in a current world where there are still pocket communities with poor wifi access and a real sense of being cut off from the outside world at large. I don't always trust comps, but Conjuring the Witch reminded me a little of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, in the tight knit community with secrets kind of way. But, Conjuring the Witch is a delightfully snarky battle cry for women and others whose rights are constantly being stripped to the bone.
• 
  Mina Lobo

  A quick, chilling read, "Conjuring the Witch" made me lose sleep last night and wouldn't let me put it down till I was finished reading today. Leonard gets us to think we're comfortable only to shriek out some extremely unsettling moments--I didn't think "jump scares" were possible in books but the author has proven me wrong. My only critique is that the end was too good for some and not long enough for the reader to relish. That noted, I look forward to being utterly creeped out by this writer again in future.
• 
  Melanie

  This was a fast paced, haunting read, that will make you ponder: which came first the witch or the witch hunters? I received this book as an ARC for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Aaron Lindsey

  Reads like a mix of Carrie and The Auctioneer! Jessica Leonard writes way beyond her years and I look forward to all of her future books.
  A small town with an almost cultish religious community gets more than they can handle with the witch in the woods.
• 
  Ash

  This was such a great read. Once I started, it was hard to put down. Yet, it's almost hard to describe what I enjoyed about it so much.
  
  I know I love a book that involves crazy churches keeping crazier secrets. And while this one tells the story of an oddball church, the focus was more so on the unknowing women who attend the church, and more specifically, a husband and wife, Steve and Nicole, who only moved to town a few years before.
  
  While things pick up pretty quickly, it's easy for a reader to see how someone could find themselves in the situation these church goers do. For the most part, the reverend monologues like many Sunday Services. He may be a little more fire and brimstone than some, but many people all across the world go to churches like that. And some of the things he says could be thought of as metaphorical. Obviously, because this is a horror book, you'll eventually find that he takes his words a lot more seriously than others might.
  
  There's one scene in particular that comes to mind when I think on how this book shows average people slipping into the craziness that ends up happening. Husband and wife, Steve and Nicole, are driving home from bible study, and Nicole starts to question aloud a little bit of what's being taught. I put nametags to make it easier to read out of context, though it isn't written like this in the book.
  
  Nicole: "I don't feel comfortable with all this submissive witch business. If nothing else it's spooky. I knew when we joined this church it was a little bit...small town. I didn't think it was puritanical."
  Steve: "I don't think that's fair. The people in this church have been really good to us. I like it there."
  Nicole: "Well, sure, no one's asking you to submit to me."
  
  That last line really gets to me. The conversation goes on from there, and while I feel like it's a pretty healthy disagreement between husband and wife, it's still interesting what the outcome is. They do continue going to the church, and more shenanigans abound. But even this wife, who is thinking for herself in a way, and questioning, ultimately submits to her husband. Because they continue going to the church...I don't know, it's just very realistic to me, and is exactly what a woman in her shoes might do.
  
  All that being said, this book is still written for entertainment. While the overall theme is how women are oftentimes seen in many religions, it's done in a way that never feels preachy. There are so many gems in this book. Things get atmospheric in such a delightfully creepy way without being over-the-top. And there are plenty of scenes to make your skin crawl.
  
  One thing that didn't bother me, but I could see bothering others, is that while the book is written in third person, it is an omnipresent sort of third person. So, within a paragraph or sentence of each other the book tells what each character is thinking or feeling. I could see this getting confusing. I didn't mind knowing how each character was feeling, though. And it actually seemed to add something to the story.
  
  All in all, it was definitely a five star read for me because it kept me so invested throughout.
  
  I was given a free copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Milt Theo

  'Conjuring the Witch' delivers exactly what it says: a Christian community brings rage and blood down on its own head. The book is an easy read, well-written, with very nice descriptions of nature, emotions, and small town life. There's some atmosphere, some unexpected twists, but nothing to write home about. It follows the standard pattern of a binary, self-conflicted voice: Men and Women, Husbands and Wives. The children don't have a say, since they're there to just reproduce their parents' mentality; the religious dissenting voice is, as it often is in such narratives, that of a timid yet intelligent female; the voice of authority belongs to the Father. Rather predictably, the figure of the Witch (in all senses) raises her head, reveals the injustices, and brings everything to an explosive (and ambiguous) ending.
  
  This is the classic struggle between male and female for power, dressed as salvation through submission to an external authority vs salvation through oneself. It's been exhaustively treated in philosophy as the debate between Kant and Sartre (the author goes for a standard 20th century solution, namely, Nietzche's - irrational rage and blood.) The irony is that this is a classic male (typically Western, white) preoccupation, one easy to identify with - as a male. It's all about who has control and the rights to others' pleasure.
  
  The author has some brilliant insights into family and what drives the submissive housewife; unfortunately, these insights do not drive the narrative. Instead, we get endless takes on the urbanite's unfocused mental state (NIcole's) that go nowhere (until, all of a sudden, we reach the final pages, and with no explanation they do!) The witch seemed, to me, just a metaphor for resentment, drawing on never actually defined resources - a deus ex machina sort of solution to all the troubles of this book. But this is precisely how such narratives work: reproducing the old struggles, back and forth to the point of exhaustion.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Ashley | Read Now Sleep Later

  “There are witches in the woods.”
  
  Kicking off this story we follow Nicole as she gets accustomed to living in a small and extremely religious community.
  
  I think the author shows how “lost” people can get when they’ve grown up in a highly populated city. From what I could gather, Nicole isn’t by any means used to walking into a grocery store and knowing everyone’s first middle, and last name. Everyone in Lilin knows EVERYONE and Nicole is STRUGGLING with her identity and where she fits in. Not to mention that most of the church congregation believe that a woman should be seen and not heard. She should support and submit to her husband and if any woman steps out of line is considered influenced by witchcraft.
  
  Steve on the other hand is from Lilin and is somewhat accustomed to small-town living. The land in Lilin “calls” to him and he feels it’s God's will that he uproot his new bride to answer that calling.
  
  The only thing is, there are witches in the woods. At least this is what Reverend Grey warns them during every sermon. Nicole & Steve chalk it up to superstition but one night something happens that makes Nicole believe that they are UTTERLY wrong.
  
  I enjoyed reading this book. I’ll admit it’s my first of Jessica’s Leonard books and it won’t be the last.
  
  Jessica does a fantastic job of portraying how much religion can affect a small close-knit community. As someone like myself who’s from a tiny town in southwest Arkansas, I felt like I could completely immerse myself in the story.
  
  I don’t have much to critique except the scare factor could be upped a few notches. Nevertheless, that’s only my opinion and the story written the way it is is just fine.
  
  At times I felt creeped out, especially during the scene where Nicole has been “possessed” and throws up mud during a Sunday sermon.
  
  You don't want to miss out on this quick and creepy read.
  
  I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher and Jessica for the opportunity!
• 
  Melissa

  “In the woods they’d conjured the witch. And now she was among them.”
  
  Steve and Nicole Warby have recently moved to a small farming town called Lilin. They join the local church, Lilin Assembly of Our Lord, where Nicole finally feels a sense of purpose as she joins the church’s women’s group. Steve has left behind a life of hustle for a life of honest work. They both seem to have found where they’re meant to be.
  
  Behind Lilin Assembly of Our Lord is a forest. This forest is inky black, seemingly with no creatures, and overall just has a bad vibe. Nicole feels a push towards the forest, but as Reverend Grey says, “there are witches in the woods.” The congregation takes this as a metaphor, but soon they come to believe Grey really believes there are witches in the woods.
  
  I’m not a religious person, and never really have been, but there’s something about religious based horror that really gets under my skin. A lot of religion, particularly Christianity, sets roles for men and women that are, frankly, long outdated. Lilin does not escape this. The more Reverend Grey tries to force a barrier between sexes, the worse the forest becomes. I believe this is a very important metaphor and Jessica Leonard wrote so carefully to make sure it came across strongly. There’s a lot of religious bigotry and sexism in this book, but it all has a point in the end. And wow, what an ending. No spoilers, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
  
  Thank you to Ghoulish Books for the chance to read this advanced review copy.
  
  CW for sexism, religious bigotry, misogyny, death, torture, blood, gore, vomit, and fire
• 
  L.P. Hernandez

  (I don't give star ratings in my own genre)
  
  Having said that, I cannot recommend this book enough. It is my introduction to this author, and what a fantastic introduction. The story centers around Steve and Nicole Warby, recent transplants to the rural town of Lilin with a small church fixated on managing the thoughts and aspirations of its women congregants. The church borders a forest, as does the Warby property. There are witches in the woods, some say.
  
  I'll put the plot aside momentarily to share how impressed I am by Jessica's writing. She finds such a unique way of framing moments. They really jump off the page, as do her characters. Investing in characters is a lost art. To dedicate words to a scene of a man staring at a wall might seem wasteful, but it did so much for me. To craft a character pays dividends later in the story. A simple sentence such as "Eventually, his wife would stop screaming" resonates in a way it wouldn't had that investment not happened.
  
  Are there witches in this story? You'll have to read to find out. There are certainly devils. Hiding where they always do, in plain sight.
  
• 
  Betsy

  There are witches in the woods, is the warning the preacher of a small community delivers at the beginning of Conjuring the Witch. This sets the stage for a story that takes place in a fundamentalist Christian community. As it follows the life of the women of the community, particularly tje main character Nicole, who yearns for more leadership in the church, this story delves deep into horror as social commentary. It reads as an exposee on the gender roles and theology of marriage and gender in conservative Christian churches. The role the witches play in this story is an elegant use of supernatural horror. I won't give away the delightful twists that come from the way all of these horrors play out. But I will say that the ending is a shocking punch in the gut.
  
  When I received my copy of this novella as a perk for being a patreon supporter for Ghoulish Books, I devoured it quickly. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2023 so far!
  
  I am also posting this review on my blog:
  http://glamorousbookgal.blogspot.com/...
  
  
  
• 
  Dina Husseini

  WOW! WOW! WOW!
  This book is super creepy, but really interesting too. It's a scary story about witches, but it's also about religion and how people use it to control others.
  The story takes place in a small town where the church tells women they have to be subservient to their husbands. But the main characters, a married couple who own a farm, don't believe in that stuff. They just want to be part of the community.
  One day, the wife goes into the woods and starts changing. She doesn't know if it's because of a witch or because of the crazy religious stuff going on in the town.
  To find out what's happening, you have to read the book. It's really suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. And when secrets start getting revealed, you realize that things aren't always what they seem.
  I really liked this book and recommend it to anyone who likes scary stories or wants to think about how religion can be used to control people.
• 
  Savannah

  "There are witches in the woods..." So begins the sinister tale of Nicole Darby and the little country church in Lilin with the neon cross. A macabre cross between The Stepford Wives, The Handmaid's Tale, and the Salem witch trials, this book centers around what religious men will do in the name of power.
  However, for me the story fell flat. The religious diatribe definitely succeeded in making me feel uncomfortable, as it should have. But things were so poorly veiled it was a wonder no one saw what was going on. The reveal of the witch never full made sense. None of the characters were likeable or had any redeeming qualities. The seamless switching between viewpoints could also be confusing as you could switch perspectives paragraph to paragraph. All in all, the plot and characters needed more fleshing out and the book needed more coherency.
  
  I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Eryn C

  “There are witches in the woods.”
  
  This is what Reverend Grey tells his parishioners every Sunday at Lilin Assembly of Our Lord, the little church across from the mysterious woods, on whose giant neon cross casts a glow.
  
  Conjuring the Witch was such a fantastic story!
  
  This book is terrifying and disorienting at times, and some of the scarier scenes were so well done I had to stop and take a breath!
  
  The only thing I wasn’t a big fan of, was that the POV wasn’t always clear. Sometimes we’re being told the story from one persons POV and the next sentence it’s a different character. And during a climactic scene, this lent to the overall disorienting feeling… maybe it was on purpose. It wasn’t a big deal, I just found myself having to backtrack a couple times.
  
  All in all, it’s deserving of 4 stars and was a great little novella. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Nicole Dunton

  Title: Conjuring the Witch
  Author: Jessica Leonard
  Release Date: May 1st, 2023
  Page Count: 192
  Format: ebook
  Start Date: June 3rd, 2023
  Finish Date: June 4th, 2023
  
  Rating: 4 Stars
  
  Review:
  
  This book was all over the place! We follow Nicole and her husband who move into a small town and join the church. Things seem to be normal, until they aren't. I was so nervous to read it when I discovered that one of the characters was Nicole. Nicole characters are either crazy or completely rude. Sadly, she did fall along the crazy a bit in my opinion. I still loved her spirit. I wish this book had been longer in all honesty. I'd watch this if it got adapted to a movie. I'd also be interested in reading other books by this author. I really enjoy her writing style. This cover is also super intense! It's an attention grabbing!
• 
  Brian Mcclain

  This was horrific, for several reasons. With a name like that you know going in that there's going to be some reasonably straight forward horror and well there definitely was. But the part that really got to me was the location and the people, the normal people living their lives, and the things that entailed.
  
  It got to the point that I just read the last half of the book in one sitting because I really wanted to see what happened since everything had built and built. I honestly wish it were longer, but that might've lost some of the tautness.
  
  100% recommended, this is going to stick with me a while.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Autumn

  “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
  I did like the storyline "There are Witches in the Woods."
  Sounds ominous, right? Well, I felt we needed more background on this.
  A small rural town that is all about the church. They believe that women should submit to their husbands, do all the housework, and take care of children. The men go out and work and do what men are supposed to do. Like, I don't believe they live in the real world, lol. This almost felt like a Night Shyamalan movie.
  So when one woman starts acting differently, something seems out there in the woods. This small town is hiding something, and they are using religion as something to hide behind.
  It is a bit creepy, but it was a decently good read.
• 
  Hanna Novotny

  This is a dark story and a quick read.
  
  A young couple settles in a village where the reverend controls the people and makes sure the women are submissive to the men.
  
  Everybody is scared of the woods next to the village. The reverend keeps telling There are witches in the woods. But are there? The house in the woods plays a role in it all and just a few men know what really is going on.
  
  The story takes a dramatic turn, when the women are sent away to a so called religious conference. Nothing is what is seemed.
  
  But when the women return…. there is no escape.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Kilgallen

  Wow!!!! This was an amazingly well crafted story. The pacing was excellent, starting out slow and then building up to breakneck speeds as the tale unfolded. There were a lot of religious elements to the story that were done very well, but might make this title a little controversial to some. I loved the various characters in the book, and although this was not a lengthy read, the development of the characters was excellent. By the end of the book I too was burning with the rage of many. I will be highly recommending this title!
  
  I want to thank BookSirens and the author for providing me with an ARC of this title free of charge. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
• 
  Intriga WH

  Nicole tries to be the prefect, obedient wife to her husband. She is struggling with this construct because she thinks there is more than life. Steve loves his wife but he also struggles with her behavior. The preacher preaches about the evil in the woods and how married couples should behave. The preacher had me rolling my eyes a few times. I am a religious person, but the preacher, phew! I read the premise of the book and was interested from the start. A thrilling religious horror story. The characters are great and the story was amazing. This a fast paced read and wonderful storytelling.
  
  Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.