This retelling of Hansel and Gretel is not for the faint of heart. The witch is different than expected, and I found the story changes refreshing and imaginative, especially the victims being men and not women. The inclusion of beasts, a werewolf, a town terrorized by a witch, were all perfect for this moral tale. I especially enjoyed the mentality of a community when in the grips of fear; how easily neighbour can be persuaded to turn on neighbour. How easy it is to fall under the sway of someone, if it means understanding something so foreign and frightening. This was a well written take on how religion plays a role in creating fear, juxtaposed with the witch also creating a realm of fear. Both ask for devotion from their flock, whether it be the men seduced by the Shrike, or the priest asking the parishioners to blindly follow this newfound faith he has brought. The Shrike and the Church work to undermine relationships within the village, to pit neighbour against neighbour, to cast out those who are different. The Shrike will kill men who stray from the path, the Church will redeem those who stay on the path. Hans and Greta are outliers and therefore dangerous to both the witch and the Church, making them prey no matter where they turn. Greta was strong, trusting, lonely; she is the reason her brother and her have survived for so long. Hans is childish, irresponsible, and relies too heavily on Greta. I loved the underlying tension between them, something lurking in their relationship that causes a separation and allows the Shrike to attack. The bond of family is strong, and Greta and Hans must realize this to survive the woods. There were many unexpected twists and turns. Just when I thought the novel was going one way, it veered off. Most of the time this worked well for the overall narrative, a couple times I felt maybe it would have been more effective another way. I wanted to know more about Greta and Hans family; what really happened to their mother, their father's illness, their strange relationship. I suppose that will be coming in the next installment, and I am eager to learn more. I recommend this dark read, especially this time of year.
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