⭐️4/5 stars
📖 Length: 408 pages
📱 Format: Kindle
⏳ Read Time: 16 days
Synopsis
In the present day, Kate flees a traumatic relationship to the Cumbrian cottage she inherited from her great-aunt; but the cottage hides secrets of its own.
In 1942, Violet rebels against her father’s ideas of a ‘proper young lady’ … until he takes matters into his own hands.
In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft, implicated in the gruesome death of a local man.
Three women they tried to cage – but Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…
What I thought
Weyward was one of those books that I enjoyed, but not without a few lingering thoughts.
The story is told across three timelines, which is usually something I love, but here it didn’t fully work for me. While I could see why the structure was used and how it helped bring the story together, I often found myself questioning whether all three perspectives were really necessary. It worked in the end, but I wasn’t completely sold on the execution.
The historical sections had the strongest atmosphere and tension, but they weren’t always the most engaging to read. The present-day storyline felt slightly rushed, and the way it connected to the past sometimes felt a little overworked. Personally, I think the connection would have been more powerful if it had stopped at the idea of ancestry. The main protagonist didn’t need such a dramatic personality and style shift for the story to flow. I’d have definitely enjoyed more of the witch trial element.
In terms of plot, this was a fairly predictable read. Not in a way that ruined the experience, but in a “you can see where this is heading long before you get there” kind of way. Stripping it back to basics, it was good story, well written, but not one that constantly surprised me.
Overall
Overall, this was a 4-star read. Atmospheric, thoughtful, and enjoyable, but probably one I wouldn’t have been able to review if I hadn’t been scribbling notes in a notebook while reading it.
I’d still be interested in reading more from Emilia Hart, and I’d recommend Weyward to readers who enjoy witch-trial-adjacent stories, feminist historical fiction, and slow-burn narratives with interconnected timelines.
Interested in picking this up? You can get copies below.
On Amazon – here
Bookshop.Org – here
Until next time… 🖤
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