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Burn the Dark

(Malus Domestica #1)

S.A. Hunt (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 318 ratings · 104 reviews

Supernatural meets Stranger Things in award-winning author S. A. Hunt’s Burn the Dark, first in the Malus Domestica horror action-adventure series about a punk YouTuber on a mission to bring down witches, one vid at a time.

Robin is a YouTube celebrity gone-viral with her intensely-realistic witch hunter series. But even her millions of followers don't know the truth: her ...more

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Paperback, 2nd, 384 pages

Published January 14th 2020 by Tor Books (first published July 20th 2015)

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· 318 ratings · 104 reviews

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Nov 18, 2019 Chelsea Humphrey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-publisher, netgalley

3-3.5 stars

This was a fun and crazy ride! On the whole I enjoyed this, although it did feel like the pacing halted a bit towards the middle, but picked up spectacularly from 70% on. If you enjoy a nice blend of high fantasy and dark urban supernatural (I.E. Buffy-esque storyline), give this one a try!

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley!

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Dec 21, 2019 Schizanthus Nerd rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, content-warnings, kindle-food

“The Red Lord will find you.”

Robin has a mohawk, a cherished fifteen year old stuffed mosquito called Mr. Nosy and a popular YouTube channel called ‘MalusDomestica’. Her subscribers think what they’re watching is fake, but it’s anything but. [If you’re wondering, ‘malus domestica’ is Latin for “the common apple tree”. You’ll learn the significance of this name during the book.]

Robin travels around the country in her van hunting witches. Robin’s father was convicted of killing her mother but ...more

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Oct 08, 2015 Erika rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fantasy, urban-fantasy, action-packed, psychological-issues, kids-that-i-don-t-hate, so-weird-that-i-ll-probably-love-it, dark-fantasy, thrills-and-chills, interesting-premise

3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Malus Domestica, from the kick ass heroine that didn't need a guy to save her to the fact that there was multiple black folks in it. It was a lot of fun to read. I took away some stars because the book got a little too convoluted and unbelievable towards the middle, and yes I say unbelievable even for a fantasy/horror novel. To me any book with supernatural or fantasy elements still has to have some base in facts or, if the facts are made up, they need to be 3.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed Malus Domestica, from the kick ass heroine that didn't need a guy to save her to the fact that there was multiple black folks in it. It was a lot of fun to read. I took away some stars because the book got a little too convoluted and unbelievable towards the middle, and yes I say unbelievable even for a fantasy/horror novel. To me any book with supernatural or fantasy elements still has to have some base in facts or, if the facts are made up, they need to be explained in a way that makes sense. This book felt a little "throw everything into it and see how it works" towards the last half and it suffered for it a bit. However, I felt that the author made a spectacular recovery from that at about 70% and ended everything with a bang.

There was a lot of great action with added sound effects throughout Malus Domestica, which sounds silly but was done in such a way that it really helped to set the tone of the book. Even though there were a lot of characters and multiple viewpoints, they were all (mostly) well fleshed out and present throughout the book. The only time I felt the lack of one character was (view spoiler). Other than that part, I think the author handled his ensemble cast very well.

I would have wished that some of the black folks didn't speak so stereotypically, but I'm always going to think that about any books with black people, since the only accent some of the people in my family might have would be a Caribbean Hispanic accent or a New York accent and not a "stereotypical Black person dialect". I will say that none of the black people acted stereotypically and they weren't poor and downtrodden, which I thought was excellent. Yay for actual diversity in fantasy fiction!

All in all, this was a really good book that could either be a standalone or the start of a series. I'd never read this author before but I definitely need to check out some of his other fare. ...more

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Jul 26, 2015 Joshua rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, horror

If you like good books and you aren't reading S.A. Hunt, you're fucking doing it all wrong. Forget the authors that line the aisles of the brick and mortar giants. Read S.A. HUNT. This guy is one of my favorites and this book will not disappoint you. If it does...get back to your Koontz and Patterson. Go back to the kid's table...I'll be over her eating this fucking turkey and green bean casserole like a damned adult!

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Aug 01, 2015 Matthew Cox rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Malus Domestica by SA Hunt is a masterful tale of supernatural horror told with an ensemble cast. The mythology/setting that he’s created is fantastic, deep, and creepy as all hell. This author has a gift for description that paints vivid (often disturbingly so) images in the mind. One caveat―if you are a cat lover, this book is going to be quite disturbing. Some parts were hard to read.

The description on the jacket makes it sound like Robin is the "main" character, but in the beginning of the Malus Domestica by SA Hunt is a masterful tale of supernatural horror told with an ensemble cast. The mythology/setting that he’s created is fantastic, deep, and creepy as all hell. This author has a gift for description that paints vivid (often disturbingly so) images in the mind. One caveat―if you are a cat lover, this book is going to be quite disturbing. Some parts were hard to read.

The description on the jacket makes it sound like Robin is the "main" character, but in the beginning of the book she feels more like an equal part of a large cast. At about the 70% mark, she takes a more prominent role as the story brings the multiple characters together as all of them are affected in one way or another by an ancient and powerful coven of witches who dwell in Blackfield, GA.

Robin is a witch hunter. The Blackfield coven killed her mother prior to the events of the story when Robin was still a child, an event that has left deep emotional wounds. After years in a psychiatric facility (child Robin made the mistake of telling the authorities witches did it), an enigmatic occultist finds and trains her to do one thing: kill witches. Problem is, killing things that are already dead is often a tricky (and painful) task.

Increasing hallucinations of a strange creature, dreams of her mother, and an inexorable pull to return draw Robin back to her childhood home. It is time for her to face her demons once and for all.

This book has a lot of characters, but unlike what can often happen with such a large cast, I never felt as though I got lost as to who is who. Each character is portrayed vividly, from the minor characters (like the child that decides to hide in the wrong car) to the primary characters like Robin, Wayne, Joel, and Kenway - and of course the witches. You know you are reading the work of a gifted author when you have been shown how awful and evil the primary antagonist can be - yet in a quiet moment where they are talking to Robin, you start to wonder if the old woman has a point... maybe it is Robin who's misguided. Maybe they could bury the hatchet... and you almost want them to. THAT is a great story.

I don't, as a general rule, read a lot of novels classified as 'horror,' but I decided to jump on this one based on his previous Outlaw King books. I'm glad I did. This is a long book - and I still got so caught up in it that I finished it one day. Hollywood needs to stop with the remakes and start reading some of SA Hunt's books.

This book will make you change your mind on self-published authors. The formatting and editing were near perfect. If I had been unfamiliar with SA Hunt's prior work, and someone told me this was from a major publisher, I wouldn't have doubted. Malus Domestica is a near-flawless foray into a frightening world of dark thaumaturgy, mystery, and evil that will haunt you for quite some time.

If I had to say something critical, it would be that some of the scenes (where new characters are brought in) may feel extraneous at first... You've been reading about one character and then the action jumps to someone new that doesn't seem related to anything going on―but it all winds up tying together and making perfect sense by the end. (That… and I felt bad for the cats.)
...more

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Aug 14, 2015 Mike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've got a lot to say about this one, so for those who don't want to read this whole thing, I'll sum up: this book is really good. Go read it.

Now, more details. First thing I want to say is that, thanks to me winning a little contest on Reddit, there's a character named after me in Malus Domestica. And that character gets brutally murdered, which is AWESOME. My mother didn't seem to appreciate it all that much (philistine), but I love it.

As for the book itself, I'll start with the setting. I I've got a lot to say about this one, so for those who don't want to read this whole thing, I'll sum up: this book is really good. Go read it.

Now, more details. First thing I want to say is that, thanks to me winning a little contest on Reddit, there's a character named after me in Malus Domestica. And that character gets brutally murdered, which is AWESOME. My mother didn't seem to appreciate it all that much (philistine), but I love it.

As for the book itself, I'll start with the setting. I grew up in a small, moderately depressed, rural town with a small university. It was in Appalachia rather than the deep South, but still, Blackfield felt really, really familiar to me. Hunt really beautifully captured the feel of that kind of town. I was picturing actual streets and neighborhoods from back home while reading this, and they fit in perfectly. So kudos for the setting.

The protagonist took a little while to grow on me, though I cared about the side characters right away (Wayne especially). I didn't have huge blocks of time to sit and read for hours with this book, which made it really difficult to deal with every time that a character was in danger. I was really worrying about them.

For Robin, like I said, I was cool at first. Not entirely sure why, but it wasn't until she faced some danger that I really warmed up to her. I think it was a matter of her being closed off. She needed some time to open up to those around her, and that was the point when she opened up to the reader as well. The more I think about it, the more I think it actually worked very well.

The plot and story were very intriguing. There were a number of events that caught me totally off guard, and in the places where I could see there was Something Mysterious going on, Hunt managed to hit the balance perfectly between doling out hints and clues and letting it drag on. That's a tricky needle to thread.

So what didn't I enjoy? Well, there's a matter of taste here. Malus Domestica is a horror/fantasy book, and normally I don't read much horror. Hunt did a good job reminding me why. For the back half of the book, I made certain to not read while eating. All that isn't criticism, it's just not what I enjoy reading. Horror fans, I'm certain, will eat it up. Cat lovers might have some issues.

My only real critique is a minor one. The infodumps stuck out: the action stopped while we got explanations of history and what all is going on. But the infodumps were few and far between, and didn't affect my enjoyment of the book.

Bottom line: I really liked this book. I really cared about the characters, which is the most important thing for me. I want to read sequels. And best of all, Mike De Palatis ends up dangling upside down from the ceiling, bleeding out into a white plastic bucket. (Don't worry, no spoilers. I'm really a minor character who's clearly just a doomed Redshirt.) ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Ashe Armstrong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Whoo boy, where to start. I was looking forward to reading this one for a long while. Mr. Hunt would post snippets for all of us to gobble up and it just made it worse. And now, here I am, after glow, typing this up for anyone who might want a little more thoughts on why they should read the book. This was one helluva ride. I'm already a fan of Sam's. I've read Outlaw King 1 and 2 and loved them. If you loved those books, the excellence continues here.

There's a pretty big cast of characters in ...more

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May 03, 2016 Romina Nicolaides rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A book of truly revolting but thoroughly convincing witches. The scenes are set with extraordinary detail, building a very atmospheric plot of corruptive and enticing magic. The characters were human and at times you wonder if anyone is safe from Cutty and her cronies. Absorbing and entertaining; my only criticism would be the exaggerated use of popular references.

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Sep 27, 2015 Dylan Hearn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

You have to have some balls to put your work in the same company as Stephen King and Clive Barker (sorry, I’ve not read any Charlaine Harris), either that, or unswerving confidence in your own talent. My guess with S. A. Hunt it’s a bit of both, and in Malus Domestica I can see why. This is an excellent book, with a strong, character-led storyline that’s as unsettling as a childhood nightmare yet twice as entertaining.

A young woman, Robin Martine returns to her hometown, Blackfield, for the You have to have some balls to put your work in the same company as Stephen King and Clive Barker (sorry, I’ve not read any Charlaine Harris), either that, or unswerving confidence in your own talent. My guess with S. A. Hunt it’s a bit of both, and in Malus Domestica I can see why. This is an excellent book, with a strong, character-led storyline that’s as unsettling as a childhood nightmare yet twice as entertaining.

A young woman, Robin Martine returns to her hometown, Blackfield, for the first time in years, finally ready to confront her past. At the same time a father and son, Leon and Wayne, move into Robin’s old home, hoping to start life anew after the death of Wayne’s mother. After a simple walk home from his first day at school goes horribly wrong, Wayne survives due to the kindness of their elderly neighbour, Marilyn Cutty. But Cutty isn’t what she seems, as Robin Martine already knows, because Cutty killed her mother years before, with magic.

In Malus Domestica, Hunt has written a story right up there with the best horror authors. From the slow drip of fear during the opening scene as two Mormons realise they should never have agreed to a meal, through to the book’s bloody denouement, Hunt has created a modern take on an old tale with a cracking female lead.

Robin Martine is a great character, both vulnerable and as hard as teak, lost and alone in the world. but driven by the need to revenge her mother. At Blackfield she is supported by equally compelling characters, her old friend Joel and ex-army vet, Kenway, who slowly provides a balancing compassion to Robin’s relentlessness, plus a whole host more.

I loved the atmosphere Hunt built through the story, gradually pulling back the veneer of normality to show us a community ruled by powers rooted in blood and fear, all the while avoiding the many horror cliches but still sprinkling enough weirdness throughout to make the premise unique. The first half of the book really did have the feeling of a Stephen King novel but by the end it was very much in Clive Barker territory, yet uniquely S. A. Hunt. And it’s funny, too.

While the story gradually darkens as it progresses, there were some wonderful carefree moments as well, especially early on as Wayne makes friends at school and agrees to go out on an adventure. It takes real skill to be able to write both light and dark convincingly, and Hunt handles this well.

The book itself wasn’t perfect, there was a little too much explaining how the powers worked for my liking, and while I enjoyed the Avengers style action with the Order of the Dog Star, I felt their sudden appearance was too convenient and needed a little more foreshadowing. That said, these are minor points and didn’t take away any of the shine from what is an excellent book. For once, the comparisons were well deserved. I don’t think it will be long before authors are selling their books “in the tradition of S. A. Hunt.” Highly recommended. ...more

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Jul 05, 2019 Niki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Nightmares of things they saw as children they have forgotten as adults, their recognition stolen by smiling hags with chips of ice in their eyes, hobgoblins who would have stolen their hearts for an ageless star-beast if not for hungry Robin and the gleaming silver dagger in her hand.

I need to finally write this review so this book can go back on its shelf at last; it's been next to my bed for months, to remind myself that I owe it a review.

Actual rating 3,5 stars, but I'm feeling generous, so ...more

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Jul 30, 2015 Stephanie Embry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is hands-down my favorite horror novel since…I’m about to verge on blasphemous here and say since Lost Souls. (Lost Souls is a religious experience, yes.) Guys this book. THIS BOOOOK. I don’t know how Hunt can have such an amazing grip on both the fantastic and the mundane. The real world looks real. The small town, the people, the flies on the wall, the pizza-grease stains on a paper plate…every detail you can name is in 3D technicolor when Hunt is behind the wheel. And yet, while it’s all
This is hands-down my favorite horror novel since…I’m about to verge on blasphemous here and say since Lost Souls. (Lost Souls is a religious experience, yes.) Guys this book. THIS BOOOOK. I don’t know how Hunt can have such an amazing grip on both the fantastic and the mundane. The real world looks real. The small town, the people, the flies on the wall, the pizza-grease stains on a paper plate…every detail you can name is in 3D technicolor when Hunt is behind the wheel. And yet, while it’s all so very real, he also manages to take it to the next step. Real life gets that twist of the bizarre just enough to draw you into a fantasy world. I’m insanely jealous of Hunt’s ability to do this, it’s so damn good.

Right, ok, about the book. Robin is a YouTube star who hunts witches, and I really thought that was a cool angle. I’m really curious about the culture of turning everyone with a camera into celebrities, and I thought that was presented in a super cool way. She’s a badass complete with a mohawk and a van loaded with big knives. She’s got a handsome amputee sidekick and a creepy mentor with a shady past. But the cast of this book is huge, and not a one of them is wasted. Everyone you meet is obviously the hero of their own tale.

(Let’s take a moment to discuss my favorite, Joel. First off, Joel is not having any of your shit today, honey. He’s got a bedazzled baseball bat, a car named Black Velvet, and the attitude to match. He goes from what I feared was going to be the ubiqutous gay friend to an all-out badass in his own way. This is something I really appreciate about all of Hunt’s work: even the sidekicks have real agency.)

Robin is back in her home town to fight the witches that killed her mother, and the story just gets weirder and darker from there. I loved the type of magic Hunt came up with. The witch’s familiars were fascinating and the inclusion of the new tenants in Robin’s old house lent everything just the right amount of humanity. The plot was twisty and super satisfying, but never predictable. The action moves along at exactly the right pace. Hunt utilizes a shifting POV, but 1) you’re never taken too far away from the main characters, and 2) every chapter is crucial and very entertaining. The horror elements lean more towards the psychologically creepy than the gory, but you blood-n-guts fans will find more than enough here to keep you going.

If you can’t remember the last time you were so caught up in a story that you read till 4AM without even noticing, this is The One. Get it.
...more

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Aug 13, 2015 Eric rated it really liked it · review of another edition

If you like urban fantasy, but feel like the fact that characters know about magic and monsters takes away some of the fear and power, this book is probably for you. If you're into horror but wish the main characters had a bit more agency, this book is probably for you.

The story opens with Our Heroine, Robin Martine, coming back to her home town. She's been hunting down witches, which very few people know really exist, and posting videos of her exploits on YouTube. The populace thinks she's just If you like urban fantasy, but feel like the fact that characters know about magic and monsters takes away some of the fear and power, this book is probably for you. If you're into horror but wish the main characters had a bit more agency, this book is probably for you.

The story opens with Our Heroine, Robin Martine, coming back to her home town. She's been hunting down witches, which very few people know really exist, and posting videos of her exploits on YouTube. The populace thinks she's just a CG wizard posting a popular web series, but revenue sharing keeps her creeper van running and her Holy Water stocked up.

She's returned home to tackle the thing that started her on this road to begin with - taking down the coven that murdered her mother.

Before long she reunites with Joel (Jo-ell), one of a pair of brothers her mother used to watch when they were little.

At this point the book kind of diverges into two stories in two different genres, with some interstitial material tying them together.

Robin's story is a dark variety of urban fantasy. Robin is the hunter, and she's preparing herself to take on dangerous prey in the form of the coven.

Joel, along with Wayne and Leon (a father and son living in Robin's old house) are the focus of a horror story. Like most horror stories, their parts are reactive. They don't understand what's going on, and they're victims of forces and beings beyond their understanding. They aren't hunting anything, just trying to survive.

The stories come back together for the final third and blend very well.

The writing was pretty good, including some Classical reference Easter eggs in the form of certain characters names and such. However, like the Outlaw King book I reviewed before (The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree) it suffered from a lack of good copy editing. A few continuity problems, some misuses of words, and a few homophone swaps made it into the text. Enough to notice, but not enough to pull me out of enjoying the story. It did, however, drag a very nicely crafted story from 5 stars down to 4. ...more

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Aug 16, 2015 Lilly Raines rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book pulled me in from the very beginning. I’ve never read a story quite like it, and that’s what hooked me: it felt unique, different in the best way. And it never shied away from being different; it embraced it. The author snapped the reins and said, “Onward, to Differentland!” and I hopped into the sleigh like a giddy little elf, eager to be carried away from a world fill with stale plots and forgettable characters. Malus Domestica offers a fresh take on witches and magic, and a diverse ...more

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Sep 29, 2015 OutlawPoet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Crazy Creepy Cool

This was my first book by S.A. Hunt. After reading this one, I've realized I'm not done with this author. This was pretty cool.

This is a thick, meaty book, full of all sorts of crazy goodness. It's more creepy than scary, but the author has a sense of humor and pulled some genuine laughs out of me (not an easy task). By the way, Afro-cadabra is now a part of my permanent lexicon.

The faint of heart will want to know that this is definitely horror - of the sex, blood and rock and ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Natty rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

S.A. Hunt is an incredible talent in writing. Reading this tale is akin to sampling a perfectly aged Bordeaux after being forced to drink boxed red blends for years, it's a bloody epiphany. The pacing is tight and flows smoothly from point to point and character to character. The dialogue is masterful giving each character an incredibly unique voice and tone that is maintained throughout the story and even reflects the individual growth of the character as they progress. The style of writing ...more

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Jan 11, 2016 Shalla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

i am not normally a fan of horror but i really enjoyed this book...
i have read all the books in the outlaw king series and became addicted to his wit and quirky style of adding in details that fit with my generation and culture (something hard to find as i am currently living in a different country)...
i really hope that his books can hit the silver screen and that he keeps writing more and more...
i cant wait to travel through his next adventure

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Oct 24, 2016 Lilyn G. | Sci-Fi & Scary | "Empathy" - Look it up. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, paranormal-or-supernatural

Full review later but ..

While S.A. Hunt's Malus Domestica is not for everyone, it's a well-told story that quickly hooks you.

The characters are likeable and memorable. The language is a bit coarse, but funny . Some of the scenes would translate wonderfully to the big screen.

I really liked it.

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Nov 30, 2019 The Artisan Geek marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcase

30/11/19
A sincere thank you to Tor/Forge for gifting me a copy of Burn the Dark :)

You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website

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Nov 09, 2015 Gregory Lynn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you read a lot of books, you know that some are just different. Some are just a plot, they’re entertaining enough on an airplane, but the characters don’t change much, or really feel like real people. It’s like you’re watching a summer blockbuster movie. It’s fun and all, but you won’t be buying the DVD.

And some are different. They might be a bit harder to read. They might be longer. They might take a little while to get into. They might challenge the way you think. They might do all of these If you read a lot of books, you know that some are just different. Some are just a plot, they’re entertaining enough on an airplane, but the characters don’t change much, or really feel like real people. It’s like you’re watching a summer blockbuster movie. It’s fun and all, but you won’t be buying the DVD.

And some are different. They might be a bit harder to read. They might be longer. They might take a little while to get into. They might challenge the way you think. They might do all of these things or even none of them, but what they’re virtually guaranteed to do is transport you to another time and place, putting you in touch with people you couldn’t possibly meet but couldn’t possibly do without. These are the books you know you’re not going to read just once.

Malus Domestica is one of these.

It has a plot that, while it has traditional elements (good v evil and coming home to face your demons for starters) it’s not just another horror novel.

I would go so far as to suggest that it’s not really a horror novel at all, though it certainly has elements that might scare people or even just creep them right the hell out. I would suggest that it’s more of a cross between epic fantasy and urban fantasy. Epic urban fantasy, if you will.

Your protagonist is a young woman in contemporary America who deals with some seriously supernatural shit while fighting her own inner demons. She throws some snark and kicks some ass while being legitimately vulnerable and not remotely mary-sue-ish. At the same time, though, it’s pretty clear that her tussle with her own personal villains is only a very small front in a very large war. When it ends, you know there is more to come on a million different fronts, both personal and not.

This book has women who aren’t just there to be rescued. It has people of color who aren’t just there to be people of color. It has disabled people who aren’t there just to be disabled people. It has gay people who aren’t there just to be gay people. These are real characters who feel like real people who just happen to be female or African American or disabled or gay. It’s part of who they are without defining who they are, just like real life.

“Just like real life” is pretty much a theme here. If the supernatural elements were real, this is a story that everyone could see happening in the town next door (because bad stuff doesn’t ever happen our town, of course.)

If you care about a great story that is going to creep you right the hell out, this book is for you.

If you care about great characters who are going to feel like old friends by the time you finish the book, this book is for you.

If you care about having books that have different kinds of people who aren’t portrayed as some mystical other, but just as normal people, this book is for you.

If you care about having books that hint that there is so much more to the world than can really fit between two covers, this book is for you. ...more

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Apr 17, 2016 Albert rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Malus Domestica by S.A. Hunt is a tale of revenge, remorse and regret. The story of a young girl in search of the past that was stolen from her and the unveiling of the hidden secrets that will change her world forever.

"...You needs to stop playin. I assume huntin witches means killin witches, and there ain't no way you're videotapin that shit. And I want to talk to you without this camera here. Backstage, so to speak. Off the record. Cause I can tell you just puttin on a show for the people at Malus Domestica by S.A. Hunt is a tale of revenge, remorse and regret. The story of a young girl in search of the past that was stolen from her and the unveiling of the hidden secrets that will change her world forever.

"...You needs to stop playin. I assume huntin witches means killin witches, and there ain't no way you're videotapin that shit. And I want to talk to you without this camera here. Backstage, so to speak. Off the record. Cause I can tell you just puttin on a show for the people at home. But I want to talk.' He smiled darkly. 'I know what you doin. You lookin for them, ain't you?'
Her breathing had become labored without her realizing it. She felt cornered. 'Them who?'
'The ones that killed your mama..."

Robin Martine is not your average college age girl. She has survived quite a bit in her time in this world. A survivor of a home filled domestic abuse, witnessing the death of her mother and then what came after. The things she learned not to tell other people. What she was taught by the doctors and psychiatrists could not have possibly happened. What she had to believe did not happen if she ever wanted to get out of the hospital.

So Robin learned to play their game and with time and the help of a crazed mentor she got free and found herself a new hobby. She practices launching hatchets at pumpkins and washing the blood and gore off her clothes at dark and empty laundromats as she travels the country in her broken down van. With a blue mohawk and her collection of swords, she survives off the proceeds of her you tube, a show where she kills witches.

Now she has come home. Where her mother was killed. To the home that keeps calling out to her and to find the three women who live up the hill from her old home. The women who she believes, killed her mother.

The three witches of Blackfield. The three women who helped raise her.

Malus Domestica is a decent book. But if falls short in far too many ways to be a good book. The characters overall are stereotypical and borrowed from other media. This is a bad episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The young witch hunter who is trained by the older hunter who acts as her mentor as she goes around the country killing witches. The sidekicks who are damaged in one way or another, but still have the ability to outsmart or outfight witches, crooked cops and serial killers. Then when all is lost, there is a paternal demon who may or may not be helpful and a cabal of witch hunters who decide, yeah, maybe we'll help out this kid with killing some witches now.

This is bad tv and in a book it is even worse. Malus Domestica did the one thing a book should never do...it constantly reminded me that I was reading a book.

Alot of hype but that is all it was. Hype. ...more

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Jan 09, 2018 Bryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, fantasy, horror

Thanks to the recommendation of a good friend, I discovered S.A. Hunt through his Outlaw King series. Speaking of which, I'll be reading the third installment of that very soon. I wanted to see if I could wait until the fourth installment was released but I simply can't wait any longer. Anyhow, I heard about Hunt's Malus Domestica around the time that I dove into Outlaw King, and recently decided it was finally time to read it; that very same friend and I have been buddy-reading it. And what do Thanks to the recommendation of a good friend, I discovered S.A. Hunt through his Outlaw King series. Speaking of which, I'll be reading the third installment of that very soon. I wanted to see if I could wait until the fourth installment was released but I simply can't wait any longer. Anyhow, I heard about Hunt's Malus Domestica around the time that I dove into Outlaw King, and recently decided it was finally time to read it; that very same friend and I have been buddy-reading it. And what do you know, it was really good! I've come to expect as much from Mr. Hunt.

I'm a fan of Hunt's writing in general. The man can turn a phrase and he has this way of writing a scene that gets very psychedelic, and drips atmosphere. Scenes like the dream sequence at the beginning of this book, and anything from the Outlaw King involving Acolouthis come to mind. He has a trippy quality to his prose that actually feels dreamlike. It is difficult to convey something like a dream via text, or a psychedelic trip, but Hunt somehow nails this.

As for the story itself, it's a fun horror/fantasy romp. Robin Martine, Youtube star with a few million subscribers under her belt, is a witch hunter by trade. And she's returned to her hometown of Blackfield, Georgia to get to work. The book opens up with a hell of a hook, setting a dark and violent tone, though Hunt manages to inject humor and lightheartedness throughout. At times it felt like the plot was sort of just falling together, like Hunt was discovering the story as he wrote it. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it felt noticeable at times. That being said, it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the story. I really enjoyed the characters; Robin, Wayne, and Joel (thats Jo-elle) especially. I feel comfortable with my four-star rating (maybe a 3.5 or 3.75 would be closer to the mark).

I was pleased at the end of the book to find that there is definitely room for a continuation of the story. I hope Hunt decides to do so, as I'd be glad to read on. ...more

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Jan 11, 2016 Kate rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, queer

What a book! It's been a while since a book has grabbed me like this one. I was a little hesitant to try "horror" but now feel much better about the genre!

First off, a warning: horrible stuff happens to cats. brace yourself. Some of those scenes were REALLY hard to read.

Loved the characters. Hunt did a superb job fleshing them out, and they all seemed very real to me. I really appreciated the diversity of characters, too. I never expected to get teary over a horror story, but there was more than ...more

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Sep 27, 2015 Hope Sloper rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, favorites, five-star-awesome

I seriously feel like I should be ripping petals from a flower while professing my love for this novel. As with most of my five-star reviews, I'm at a loss for the right words. I'm not sure why this happens to me. Maybe it's because I have so much I want to say, I can't possibly get it all out.

Let's start with the opening of the book . . .

Not only did it suck me in, but it also knocked my socks off. So much so, I had to do a social media status update to tell the world what just happened. That ...more

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Nov 07, 2017 Bill rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

Boy, what a see-saw of opinions I had throughout this one.

The good points:
There were some flat out brilliant ideas in this story. S.A. Hunt throws in history, mythology and theology and comes up with a very cool world where real witches exist.

He made me laugh out loud with his sound effects. This was something you'd expect from perhaps a sixth grader but it worked here and it was a silly but fun way to read this.

There were moments where his descriptive prose approached literary greatness. A ...more

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Aug 09, 2015 Zed Amadeo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, dark-fantasy, best-books-2015

Meet Robin, an unusual young woman who stars in her own show on YouTube, the eponymous Malus Domestica, which documents her adventures travelling across the country and killing witches. Sounds like one of those online shows engineered for entertainment. Only Robin's adventures are all too real.

Robin's bizarre exploits were spurred by the murder of her mother, which she claims was the result of witches dabbling in evil magic. She travels back to her hometown, a place that has become filled with ...more

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Nov 23, 2015 Elizabeth Naranjo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Malus Domestica is categorized as a supernatural horror novel but, like all great books, it defies boundaries. Horror fans certainly won’t be disappointed—there are plenty of gruesome scenes and genuine moments of terror in this tale about a young woman who slaughters witches for a living—but anyone who loves a well-crafted story with multilayered characters and rich, descriptive language should give this book a try.

Hunt shows a lot of respect for his characters and as a reader I deeply ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 Kathryn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The blurb for this book sounded like a typical and possibly cliche urban fantasy, but I took a chance on it because a friend said it was good. She was under-exaggerating. This may have been the best urban fantasy I have ever read. Better than Sandman Slim, better than Harry Dresden. The characters seemed so real, so well painted. The scenes were so vivid. Several times I blurted out "holy shit" in public places while reading this, or busted out in maniacal laughter at the airport in response to ...more

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Apr 02, 2016 Gabrielle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was a breath of fresh air. A lot of the urban fantasy books I've read are kind of sameish so it was nice to read something different.
Hunt did a nice job creating his characters. I really loved Wayne and Joel. The magic system was also really well done. The story kind of drags in the beginning and the final confrontation was disappointing but all in all it was a good read.

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Oct 12, 2015 Kavya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rfantasy-bingo-2015, series-to-be-completed

Horrifying and well written, with interesting bits of witch mythology. I'm not very familiar with the horror genre, but this was a great Halloween read for me. Some of the imagery is definitely going to haunt me for a few days.

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Jul 23, 2015 Dwayne L. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

You're an inspiration. As a fellow writer, I want to reach your level. Milestones like Malus Domestica and the Outlaw series show me a gulf I've yet to cross. Carry on, Gunslinger!

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Ambitious Bibliop...: Steve's Book #1	2	7	May 10, 2016 07:33PM
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About S.A. Hunt

S.A. Hunt

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Salem Abigail Hunt is the Georgia-born author of the Amazon Top 10 Horror "Malus Domestica" series, and the "Outlaw King" fantasy series.

Salem is non-binary. They accept any pronoun - he/him, they/them, she/her. They currently live in Petoskey, Michigan.

In 2014, the 3rd book in the Outlaw King series was the winner of Reddit.com's /r/Fantasy "Independent Novel of the Year" 2014 Stabby Award. Salem ...more

Other books in the series

Malus Domestica (2 books)

Books by S.A. Hunt

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree (The Outlaw King, #1)

Ten Thousand Devils (The Outlaw King #3)

If You Could Read My Mind: a Short Horror Anthology

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Quotes from Malus Domestica

“That term of endearment brought back old, old memories. Robin’s mind flickered with images of herself as a tiny child, sitting in the Lazenbury’s kitchen, eating Chips Ahoy cookies and drinking apple juice, reading the comics out of the Sunday paper or watching ReBoot, Pirates of Dark Water, or Darkwing Duck on the wood-cabinet Magnavox.” — 0 likes

“Grandmother Marilyn had a dog back then, a miniature Pinscher named Penny, for the coins of copper fur over his eyes. She loved that dog almost as much as Mr. Nosy.” — 0 likes

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