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Before I try to convey what an absolute fucking treasure SLEWFOOT is, I just wanted to talk about Tor Nightfire for a minute.

I can just remember how buzzy things felt in the horror community, both on Twitter and Bookstagram, when this new horror imprint from Tor was announced back in 2019. There was just so much buildup & anticipation, as one book after another was announced. It almost started to feel like these books (at least the full length/physical ones) would never really be here, like it was all just too fucking cool to be real.

And then POW! They just all start coming out, one after another this fall. The advanced praise for some of these books has been unreal, particularly THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET (which I’m hoping to read soon!)

Either way, these books have all been extremely appealing to me in one way or another, and I think Nightfire is bound to be an imprint that I geekily collect.

So, SLEWFOOT.

This is the first Brom book I’ve read, and I just loved every single thing about it. From the unusual size of the book, to the beautiful illustrations (by the author), to the weird-witchy-spooky and ultimately heartwarming story, this was such a perfect October read. SLEWFOOT is a book that surprised me time & time again, and I adored it.

This is the story of Abitha, an Englishwoman living in Connecticut (hey, I live there too!) It’s 1666, and Abitha has been married off to a Puritan man named Edward. And as arranged marriages go, theirs is…kinda ok? Edward is generally kind & thoughtful, although still a product of a profoundly misogynistic way of life. Their marriage is somewhat unconventional for the times, which has a way of putting a target on Abitha. Abitha is fierce, passionate, whimsical, and extremely bold. These are not qualities that are much appreciated by the other residents of Sutton, CT.

Sadly, Abitha loses Edward under extremely dark & mysterious circumstances, and our story begins. We meet Samson, otherwise known as Slewfoot, and even Father to some. Is he the Devil himself? Or just a lonely magical forest creature struggling to find himself?

With SLEWFOOT, Brom delicately balances many different elements. It’s unequivocally a horror novel, but one that blends in elements of fantasy & historical fiction. The book also tackles some heavy themes like religious zealotry, and colonization. And it ultimately fits rather perfectly in the feminist/“Good for her” style of horror, which is my fucking favorite.

This is a bloody, whimsical, and emotionally raw tale about love, hope, survival, death, retribution….SLEWFOOT is gory & triumphant & full of surprises…just a PERFECT spooky season book! I loved this so goddamn much & I’m really excited to read more of Brom’s work going forward!

Endless thanks to Tor Nightfire for the copy!!