16 blockbuster September science fiction and fantasy releases to kick off Fall
By Lacy Baugher
September 2021 release: Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery – Brom
The latest novel from critically acclaimed dark fantasist author Brom, Slewfoot: A Tale of Bewitchery is a fascinating mix of horror, historical fiction, and revenge that recasts the traditional deal with the devil trope as a clash between paganism and Puritanism.
The story follows a young English woman named Abitha who is married to a man she barely knows in 17th century Connecticut. But when he dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances, she’s left to fend for herself in a deeply puritanical and often misogynistic society.
When she meets a powerful ancient entity known as Slewfoot, she and the creature – who goes by the name of Samson – join forces to try and save Abitha’s farm, as dying villagers prompt rumors that she might be a witch.
The official synopsis describes the story as follows.
"A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to become quickly widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in this pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past. Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken… and trying to find his own role in the world. Healer or destroyer? Protector or predator? But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumor is whispered: Witch. Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are, and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging any who meddle in the dark arts"
Slewfoot is available on September 14.