Hester Fox strikes again with A Lullaby for Witches, and what a deliciously dark and captivating novel it is! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one as this is the first novel of hers to be semi-set in the present day, but what A Lullaby for Witches contains is more than incredible.

Trigger warning: contains representation of a toxic relationship, restrictive self-imposed diet, and manipulative behaviour resulting in poor self esteem, rape (not on main characters). There are other warnings I have not listed, so please check before you read this novel.

The setting of Salem is a tried and true witchy venue, but the slight shift to a musuem within an old estate and the historian/curator perspective gives the town of Salem a fresh wash of curiosity and interest in my eyes. It is in part thanks to the attitude of our protagonist Augusta, but when the characters are interested in the location, it makes for a more vivid and appealing setting for the book. The eerie tone and paranormal happenings make it all the much more intriguing as our idyllic workplace turns into a haunted trap luring us and Augusta deeper inside in search for the truth. There are moments in the prose where the word choice and change of tone makes the paranormal horror aspects of the story richer and all the more engaging to read.

Augusta is an interest character with her situation, but also with her subliminal thoughts and interests. We see her grow as a person and face the challenges that come with such realignment in terms of her relationship with Chris. Throughout the book, Augusta displays signs of a poor relationship having moulded her perception of the world and of herself, and there are things that are unanswered that I found myself wanting to understand better. I won’t spoil the read for you, but I will note that there are trigger warnings, as mentioned at the start of this post. Some of the actions associated with the warnings aren’t given a clear reason, but I don’t want this to be a reason not to read A Lullaby for Witches. I have read many Hester Fox books at this point and I have yet to find a work of hers that has rubbed me the wrong way.

Margaret, similarly, is a character I don’t fully understand, out I don’t need to in order to understand the book. Margaret is from a time where women were less free, less important in the family (even though that’s a harsh way to put it), and were given little opportunities to be their own persons. Margaret, privileged as she was as the daughter of a wealthy white businessman, is not exempt from these social restrictions. Does that shape part of who she is and who she becomes? Absolutely. Do they intrinsically make her a bad person? No. Margaret is wronged by many people, and as a character I find her to be compelling and well fleshed out, even if some of that characterisation contains what are negative or bad qualities.

The historical setting with links to modern day feel seamless, as do the inclusion of themes and aspects of horror, paranormal, supernatural and thriller within A Lullaby for Witches. This novel isn’t heavy on any particular flavour, so to speak, so the blend of these all together in a rather succinct novel makes for an invigorating and refreshing afternoon read. Moreover, the connection to The Widow of Pale Harbor amused me, and while I don’t like that book as much as I did this one, I found the association to be a great inclusion to the story and Hester Fox’s story world as a whole.

A Lullaby for Witches is a book for all the witchy readers out there, as well as the ones who want a bit of a spooky read to finish up the month, or to fill out your autumn reading. I would recommend A Lullaby for Witches to those interested in YA historical fantasy, especially if you are a fan of gothic horror, paranormal fantasy, supernatural fantasy, or a simple YA historical fantasy romance. If you’re looking for a cute modern romance, well this has that too. A Lullaby for Witches really it a book with everything you could possibly want.