Burning The Witches by Penn Fawn

The horrific but gripping subject of women accused as witches being burned at the stake is set alight in Burning The Witches, the first installment of Penn Fawn’s probing historical fantasy saga, the Underworld Series. Following a young woman, Hespatia, living with her grandmother in an unspecified era, she struggles with accusations of witchery in the face of a growing league of various toxic belief systems and the rising powers of her time. The author has gone full throttle with world-building throughout the novel, but it does remain somewhat murky as to the history that forms the basis of the story. However, the writing style is intriguingly modern, with much polysyndeton throughout, giving it a curious slant to the likes of Stephen R. Donaldson and George R.R. Martin. All told, this is an impressive start to an original dark fantasy series with a vital subject at its core.