Motheater

Linda H. Codega
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In this nuanced queer fantasy set amid the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the last witch of the Ridge must choose sides in a clash between industry and nature.

After her best friend dies in a coal mine, Benethea “Bennie” Mattox sacrifices her job, her relationship, and her reputation to uncover what’s killing miners on Kire Mountain. When she finds a half-drowned white woman in a dirty mine slough, Bennie takes her in because it’s right—but also because she hopes this odd, magnetic stranger can lead her to the proof she needs. Instead, she brings more questions.

The woman called Motheater can’t remember her true name, or how she ended up inside the mountain. She knows only that she’s a witch of Appalachia, bound to tor and holler, possum and snake, with power in her hands and Scripture on her tongue. But the mystery of her fate, her doomed quest to keep industry off Kire Mountain, and the promises she bent and broke have followed her a century and half into the future.

And now, the choices Motheater and Bennie make together could change the face of the town itself.

This Week in the Book World:

• Onyx Storm. It's here. After almost a year of pre-orders and constantly emailing my publishing reps to ensure I had enough copies, Onyx Storm is finally on shelves and here's a bit about how that journey went:
  • Midnight Releases: This week was full of nostalgia and packed bookstores. Special shout out to all my fellow indie owners, I hope you all are getting some rest. While most folks seemed to have a great time at the events, there was some chatter about how disappointing the B&N events were. Shocker, that a giant corporation didn't put a ton of extra effort into creating a special community experience.
  • Target: This is by far the biggest fumble of the entire release and I'm just shocked by how this all played out. There was a last minute Target exclusive edition announced just a few short weeks ago that promised exclusive art throughout. They did not take preorders and apparently some stores got as few as 7 copies total. From what I can gather from the internet buzz folks waited in line for hours only to have the first few individuals buy all (or most) of the available copies. Those that were lucky enough to snag a copy found out that the "original" art was just slightly altered stock art.

This week's publishing news:

• Publishing deals I'm excited about:
  • We're getting new Rebecca Ross!! And it's set in the Divine Rivals universe!! Wild Reverence will be a standalone about a goddess and a human lord.
  • We also got an announcement about a new Sarah Beth Durst! I haven't had a chance to read The Spellshop yet, but I know it is beloved by many. This new one, Sea of Charms, is about "a sailor, a musician, a sea serpent, and a sentient shrub." Sign me up.
  • A debut that caught my eye: The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko. Pitched as "a sapphic horror set in the Appalachian wilderness about a remote therapy camp haunted by a shadowy monster". I love nothing more than queer Appalachia.

This week's new releases:

• Motheater by Linda H. Codega (Adult, fantasy)
• We Do Not Part by Han Kang (Adult, literary)

What I read this week:

• Elatsoe (Finished)
  This was such a unique take on fantasy and I loved the way it seamlessly blended all of our favorite creatures, stories, and lore into a modern world while keeping Lipan Apache history and culture front and center. My very favorite thing, however, is that we got to see a main character who is CONFIRMED asexual, rather than just one that has to be inferred. Oh, and there were so many good dogs!!!
• Fagin the Thief (Finished)
  This one didn't make me cry quite as hard as A Tip for the Hangman, but it got close. Epstein has the unique ability to take a well-known character from history and pull them right into the heart of a modern day reader. Fagin the Thief adds depth and richness to the original Dickens character, casting him in a new light while still keeping the nuances of the original tale.
• Onyx Storm(86%)
  I heard there was a cliffhanger. I'm going to riot.
• The Will of the Many (56%)
  We had part 1 of our fantasy book club for Will of the Many on Monday. We were supposed to read to the 50% point, but we heard from a few folks who finished the book that something wild is about to happen. I cannot wait to keep reading and see what comes next.

What I bought/shelved:

• The only thing I bought was the Onyx Storm audiobook this week, but I did shelve the following:
  • Keep It In the Dark by Justin Arnold (Teen, paranormal romance)
  • When Blood Meets Earth by E.A. Noble (Adult, fantasy)

Other musings:
Strongly recommend having a craft weekend with your friends where you make charm necklaces and iron on patches on matching sweatsuits. I may not have gotten as much reading done, nor posted on insta as much as I wanted to this week, but I'm feeling rested after a very busy week.