The Briar Book of the Dead – A.G. Slatter

More dark fantasy for your 2024 TBR is here!

Thanks to Titan Books for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review

THE BRIAR BOOK OF THE DEAD – A.G. Slatter (Released February 13th, 2024)

Book Description:

Perfect for fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf, a dark and addictive tale of witches, ancient mysteries and sins that refuse to be buried from the award-winning author of All the Murmuring Bones.

To the outside world, Silverton appears not to matter much at all. It sits on a remote mountain pass, far from the great cathedral city of Lodellan. It’s run by witches who, in the usual scheme of things, would be burnt. Yet a dispensation keeps the Briars safe for one simple, dangerous they are the custodians of the threshold between the civilised world and the Darklands, where Leech Lords hold sway. Vampires are especially feared by the ecclesiastics, for leeches steal souls as well as bodies, and mortal souls are the Church’s most valuable currency.

However, things are changing in Silverton, with new forces coming into play and ancient mysteries and sins refusing to stay buried − and Anni Briar, the first non-witch born into the family for three hundred years, will find herself at the centre of the maelstrom.

My Thoughts: 4/5 stars

Witches, magic, dark secrets and sins long buried, and a dose of family dysfunction and power struggle. A small, isolated mountain town of Silverton is unique. Rather than burning witches, this town is ruled by them and by one family in particular. The Briars have protected the threshold between this world and the Darklands, where evil lurks and is desperate to cross the threshold.

We meet Ellie, one of the youngest of the Briar family, and she is the first to not have any magic. This causes its own problems within the family and the limitations it creates when having to hand down the mantle to the next generation to guard the threshold.

Complex and well written characters, a magical and mystical world, witches, monsters, darkness, gothic vibes, and a powerful coven at its core. My only drawback was the pacing at the beginning. It starts slow, but once it catches, it doesn’t stop. I had no idea this was part of a universe of other books by the author, so I might have to grab those and see how the world continues to build!