Witch of the Hills by J. M. Fraser ~ a Review

by MK French

First Chapter, First Paragraph

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2018; 978-1946464033
ebook, print (344 pages); fantasy

Brian is drawn to Rebecca Church when they seem to meet by accident in Nebraska; it turns out that she is a witch living in Salem. She is at the center of an ancient prophecy and believes he is as well and seeks to court him in the witches' way: through poetry, mystery, and dreams. He has to follow the clues she leaves him to figure out her story, as well as his role in the prophecy, and help fulfill it.

This is a very fascinating read, as it involves magic, time travel (of a sort) and the boundary between dreaming and waking. While it seems like a lot of characters to keep track of at first, it's really Brian's and Rebecca's story. His family members as well as hers hang around the periphery and help them along the way as much as possible given the strict rules of the witches' way. This means we feel much of Brian's frustration as well because it isn't initially clear what's going on. Because we see Rebecca's point of view, we do know more than Brian does. The clues given throughout the novel are rather vague, so it's certainly easy to see why he gets so confused!

Because Brian and Rebecca are both sixteen in the story, I would place this as a young adult or new adult novel. There are still references to college, since Brian skipped grades early on, as well as the conflict with balancing home life and relationships. The big bad of the novel is also not a usual one, but a Void that would seek to destroy the realm of dreams. This is on par with other conceptual antagonists from novels geared for older readers, especially since some of the characters have more facets than they initially appear to. I really enjoyed this book, and how the ending was neatly (maybe too neatly?) tied off. It felt like the literary equivalent of a big red bow at the end, which is always nice. After all the work that the characters put in, there is hope for the future.

Buy Witch of the Hills at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever. 

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