Life in a small Irish town is difficult when you’re struggling to cope with somatic OCD and being outed as a bisexual in a super conservative place. Dayna has the added difficulty of being a witch, while also living with a Reverend father. For decades, a creepy serial killer known only as The Butcher, has been a fixture of true crime forums; he leaves behind strange symbols and seems to only go after women reported to be witches. All Dayna wants to do is become a full-fledged witch, grow up, and spend her time with her coven outside of her awkward home life. This plan goes out the window when Meiner King, and her grandmother the coven leader show up with visions of her own frightening death. What follows is a complex tale full of very active Celtic gods, modern pagan imagery, and one heck of an ending.
E. Latimer’s Witches of Ash and Ruin is a hard book to put down once you get into it. It’s awesome to read a book where a bisexual isn’t made out to be a chaotic bad guy intent on destruction, but rather someone who has a real life. The book also addresses mental illness in a positive way, even making sure to show folks who both take medication and those who are looking at other methods. This book is great for folks who are interested in crime, witches, and Celtic mythology.
Witches of Ash and Ruin is available March 3, 2020 from Disney Book Group.
