Hunt for witches
Hannah is a young witch who lives in Salem. Due to historical conditions, the town is associated with witch trials and burning them at the stake, which the author repeatedly emphasizes in the pages of her novel. Contemporary Salem, however, is a quiet place where – apparently – you can live happily. The local shop with magical items, known as the Night Flight Cauldron, is the workplace of the young heroine, the Element Witch. Hannah can control earth, air, fire, and water. The elements protect her body, but not her mind. Unfortunately, in private life, the protagonist has recently split up with her partner Veronica and is now trying to take care of herself by spending time with friends – regas (i.e. non-magical people, Rowling’s Muggles).). Everything changes in one day. The blood ritual that takes place during one of the events organized in the forest can be a signal that the Blood Witch has appeared in the city, posing a threat to all Salem residents.
Abracadabra
The world of magic and witchcraft presented in the book is not boring. These witches do not burn read quickly and with each subsequent chapter the plot draws more and more. It is worth paying special attention to the introduced LGBT themes (Sterling heroes are mostly non-heteronormative). They should not surprise the reader, because the author confesses her love to her wife in the first pages of the book and she dedicates her debut to her.
Proposition These witches do not burn should not be called infantile, but simply simple plot. The romance theme is intertwined with criminal and detective elements, which, combined with the fantasy concept , gives an interesting effect. Despite the many twists and turns, the book is unfortunately very predictable. The author leaves only one possible alternative and the reader gets to know the ending too early. It is worth noting that Sterling’s proposal is dedicated to teenage readers (YA genre) and they will like it the most. The older ones, on the other hand, will surely notice some inaccuracies in the plot and simplification. However, they do not affect the perception of the content itself.
What in the future?
The publishing house We need Ya surprised me positively. The book These witches do not burn has a beautiful cover (I like it more than the original in English). The idea for the publication is consistent and although the proposal does not contain any illustrations, many readers will not be disappointed, if only because of the story concept. The publisher has also included a tab. The book These witches do not burn is the first part of the series to be published in Poland. In 2021, a sequel appeared in bookstores.
