Book review for The Witchfinder’s Serpent by Rande Goodwin

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any shape or form.

The Witchfinder’s Serpent, by Rande Goodwin, is a young adult fantasy about a young man who strives to defend his friends and family against an entity consumed by its own greed. Nate Watson and his younger brother, Marc, move to live with their Aunt Celia after losing their father. Despite his wariness, Nate gradually finds himself becoming more enamored with his new home, making genuine friends along the way while watching over Marc. That changes when one day, he and Marc sneak into a room their Aunt forbade them to go in. Nate gets attacked by a mysterious serpent that latches onto his arm, and breaks a bottle that releases the soul of a witch hunter hellbent on power. Now Nate, alongside his friends and family, must find a way to trap the Witchfinder before he envelops the town in hysteria and blood. 

I liked the dynamic that Nate has with his younger brother and Celia. True, there have been stories that preach about the importance of family and community, but have always had the romance at the centerpiece. So you can imagine how much I enjoyed Nate interacting with his friends, how he stuck up for Douglas even though he didn’t have to, how he even walked Marc to school just because it was out of habit. I liked how protective Nate was of his brother and, eventually, Celia. Moreover, Goodwin’s use of Celia’s point of view was a skillful one. As a little girl, she’s lost so much, I could feel her determination to not lose anymore of her family. A lot of stories about witches are about female empowerment, but they also miss the part about having loved ones to back you up. In this case, the family was the backbone of the story, alongside the community surrounding them; in real life, although a lot of covens try to replicate this, they can’t because they’re too isolated, too wrapped up in their pride. This was illustrated with the relationship Alex had with her dad, though I won’t go into any more detail. 

Which brings about another theme; those who hunger for power are the most likely to fall to the hysteria. Although Courtney tried appearing like a good person, her being the Shad Queen made her more susceptible to the madness; I mean, for a lifelong dream, it’s not a good feeling when you get fish in your dress. The bullies were the very much the same way, although I suspect the only reason why they didn’t fall like Courtney did was because Huey was reluctant. Then of course, there was the Witchfinder himself, who was devoured by his need for wealth, fame, and power. Despite everything, I don’t even think it’s occurred to him he’s become the very thing he tried to put down so long ago. It makes me want to know about his story, about what pushed him to kill so many innocents. Then again, ironically enough, as the Bible once said, pride comes before destruction. 

For now, I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.