A breathtaking debut about the power of women, witchcraft, fury, revenge and the ties that bind us. In 17th-century England, civil war rages and witches have become pawns in a plot to oust the king. Red-haired Evey does not want to be a witch, but she cannot deny the magick coursing through her veins. Finbar Hawkins is a visceral, lyrical, dazzling new voice in storytelling.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRANFORD BOASE AWARD NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL Set in the 17th century, a breathtaking debut, and a potential prize-winner, about the power of women, witchcraft, fury, revenge and the ties that bind us. After witnessing the brutal murder of her mother by witch-hunters, Evey vows to avenge her and track down the killers. Fury burns in her bright and strong. But she has promised her mother that she will keep Dill, her little sister, safe. As the lust for blood and retribution rises to fever pitch, will Evey keep true to the bonds of sisterhood and to the magick that is her destiny? Praise for Witch: 'A story that captures sibling rivalry so perfectly and tells its tale so beautifully I didn't want it to finish' JASBINDER BILAN 'Raw, mystical and beautifully told. A striking debut' KIRSTY APPLEBAUM 'An assured debut of sisterhood and fury' THE BOOKSELLER 'A book filled with enchantment, in every sense. Dark, exciting and pacy, Witch brilliantly balances magic and realism' ANTHONY MCGOWAN, author of Carnegie-winning LARK 'There is real magic here, though what leaps off the page is the creepy atmosphere and the raw emotion of a grieving, raging girl... Perfect reading for a dark, stormy night' IRISH TIMES WEEKEND

"An assured debut of sisterhood and fury" - The Bookseller

"Dark, spooky, and with beautiful lyrical prose, this is the ideal book to curl up with as the nights get darker and colder in the run up to Halloween" - BookTrust

"There is real magic here, though what leaps off the page is the creepy atmosphere and the raw emotion of a grieving, raging girl... Perfect reading for a dark, stormy night'" - Irish Times Weekend

"A gobble-it-up fiery and intense yet thoughtful debut novel about family, betrayal, and witchcraft. Opening the pathway to a fabulous historical fantasy series this calls out as a must-read for young adults... Witch is a read that fair on crackles with energy, it also encourages thoughts to both consider and soar'" - LoveReading

"Be enchanted by this dark, wintery and lyrical story. A powerful debut that will leave you gasping for the breath that you have held whilst reading it! A book packed with history, witchcraft, power and love" - Armadillo

"Hawkins' descriptive power is considerable" - Financial Times

"[An] adventure story where good triumphs over evil. The more perceptive and mature reader may well see echoes of the battle between patriarchy and the traditional ways of healing which were mostly the domain of trusted womenfolk. The lyrical prose and the attempt at an appropriate historical idiom are attractive" - The School Librarian

"Finbar Hawkins's debut novel is notionally a young adult title, but grown-ups will find it darkly satisfying – a brilliantly paced and compellingly atmospheric story of society's need to find victims, how fear spawns mania and how the 'other' is persecuted. Should sound familiar in 2020" - Time Out