Book Review: The Root Witch by Debra Castaneda
Title: The Root Witch
Author: Debra Castaneda
Release date: August 26th, 2022
If you’ve not figured it out yet – I’m a huge fan of reading, watching and writing folklore themed stuff set in the woods. Could be creature features, could be supernatural occurrences, or it could be legends passed down come back to get vengeance. No matter the who, what, why or how – sign me up. Even if things have been covered before or are ‘similar’ to other releases (and I’m not saying that about this book or any book in particular), I don’t care – each author offers their own unique experience. Heck, I could read three novels back-to-back-back about witches and each would be completely different while still treading some familiar ground.
Which brings us to ‘The Root Witch.’ I connected with Debra Castaneda over on Twitter a little bit ago and it’s been fantastic seeing what she’s been getting up to and what she’s working on. When I saw this book – I had to snag it – I knew it was right up my alley, and I even bumped it way up my TBR to read it sooner, as I felt it really fit into the October spookiness.
I went in making sure I knew the bare minimum – a terrifying legend set in a forest, in the late 80’s. I love when stories are set before the advent of modern technology as it creates a chaotic energy knowing that help isn’t simply a text message or phone call away.
What I liked: The story is told through two different main characters. First up is new Forest Ranger Knox. He gets the job and moves with his frustrated and reluctant wife. She doesn’t want to live outside of a city and definitely doesn’t want to live as remotely as they’re about to be. The second is Sandy, local TV producer, working her behind off to keep things operating, while dealing with a jerk of a newcomer.
When Halloween arrives and strange occurrences begin in the forest, Knox and Sandy’s stories collide.
Castaneda does a phenomenal job of teasing out what is happening and creating a book that is paced really well, but is always slowly turning up the tension and dread with each chapter. When we get to the point where two reporters go missing, things really escalate and Castaneda pounces, driving the horror home and battering us over the heads with it.
No surprise here, I loved the setting and the way she uses the forest as a character itself, not just a set piece. The trees and leaves and branches play just as much of an important role as do the shadows and palpable air. It works really well to keep the readers on the edge of their seats.
The ending is spot on and while it does close the chapter on this book, it does leave a sliver of potential for a further story down the road.
What I didn’t like: This might be considered a tiny bit on the spoiler-ish side, so maybe skip if you want – but I was honestly expecting some sort of tucked away figure who lived in the woods and ‘resembled’ a witch in some capacity. What happens here is great and really spot on for the story, but I was still perplexed about how it became called ‘The Root Witch’ in the local lore, when it was a bit away from that.
Why you should buy this: If any of what I said in my intro resonated – then you’ll love this one. Crisp pacing, great characters and plenty of action-packed moments, Castaneda has done a solid job of creating a story that resonates with Folklore fans while also etching her own space in that genre. This was great and had me racing through to see what happens!
5/5
