The Witching Hour
Edited by:
Megan Powell
Reviewed
By: Kara L Wolf
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Silver Lake Publishing
Publisher's
Web Site: http://www.silverlakepublishing.com/
ISBN: 1-931095-06-X (Electronic
edition) /1-931095-07-8 (Trade Paperback edition)
Publishing
Date: 2001
Publishing
Format: E-book/trade paperback
Price:
Trade Paperback $14.95 (available soon), CD $9.95, Disk $5.95, Download $3.95
The
Witching Hour is a collection of stories about witches in all their myriad
forms. Crones, hags, wise women, midwives and matrons all mingle together in
these tales to entrance, enchant, educate, and occasionally-horrify the reader.
Megan Powell has done a masterful job of gathering stories that are all well
written and enjoyable.
I
was particularly fond of the stories that presented the extremes that the word
'witch' is capable of conjuring. The author did not shy away from presenting the
Witch as reviled murderer; however, she also gives us stories of the Witch as
wise protector of the earth. In particular, I enjoyed the story Ophelia
Floating, for Ophelia has always been one of my favorite literary references. In
the story, she is given a new depth I had never seen before. Each tale
maintained that wonder-the joy of discovering new angles to view the Witch from.
All
in all, this collection of stories contains something for everyone. Romance,
horror, magic and mystery mix to present a satisfying read. I highly recommend
this book with a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It is very difficult to put down, and
yet, once you have finished the stories, you may find yourself going back and
reading them again!