'Kate has always been troubled by visions of the future. No matter what she does, her disturbing premonitions are always realized—often with terrible consequences. But Kate has swirling, romantic dreams of a strange boy, and a chance meeting in the woods.
'Oliver returned from the Great War disabled, disillusioned, and able to speak to the dead. Haunted by the death of his best friend and his traumatic memories of the trenches, Oliver realizes that his ability to communicate with spirits may offer the chance of closure he desperately seeks.
'Nora Jo’s mother and grandmother were witches, but she has never nurtured her own power. Always an outsider, she has made a place for herself in the town as Chatuga's schoolteacher, clinging to the independence the job affords her. But when her unorthodox ideas lead to her dismissal, salvation comes in the form of a witch from the mountains who offers her a magical apprenticeship.
'Rumours of a dark force stalking the town only push Kate, Oliver and Nora Jo onwards in their quest to determine their own destinies. But as they close in on their goals, each will have to consider whether what they seek is worth the price.'
Times of great upheaval are a wonderful setting for horror, it's why even some of the most small scale and mundane events used for horror stories tend to be some of the more stressful times in a persons life, such as moving home, having a baby, or losing a loved one. But there are some events that are so big that they change the entire world, and the scars left by a global war the likes of which had never been seen before feels almost tailor-made to explore the complexities of the human condition, and the things that frighten us.
Nicole Jarvis' latest novel picks the days following World War One as it's setting, taking readers to the American south of Tennessee to follow three characters whose lives have been touched, and forever changed, by the supernatural. Nora Jo is a young woman who's using the magics and small spells taught to her by her mother and grandmother to help people, but finds her own life in trouble when she's fired from her job as a schoolteacher when it's deemed inappropriate that a woman of her age to be unmarried. Kate is trying to make enough money to get her family out of their racist small town, but is plagued by terrible seizures that give her frightening visions of the future. And Oliver, the only son of a wealthy family, has recently returned home from the war having become disabled by the conflict, and with the ability to see ghosts.
Each of the three protagonists are facing personal demons, lives harmed by the expectations and limitations put upon them by society of the time. Whether that's ableism, racism, sexism, or queerphobia, the three of them are harmed as much as, if not more than, the supernatural realm that starts creeping into their lives. And the first part of the book spends a lot of time establishing this, with the book being something of a slow burn, giving its characters and setting time to settle in and breathe before things really start to ramp up. I enjoyed this structure, and whilst I'd have liked the three of their narratives to come together a bit sooner as one of the characters was on their own of a bit whilst the other two intersected, I liked being able to learn more about these people before the horror became more overt.
A lot of this first half was also given over to establishing the setting, from the ambiance of the change of seasons to the places that we'd spend a great deal of time. But Jarvis also played around with folklore a lot too, crafting a darker history to Chatuga that gets under your skin and gives the setting a feeling of disquiet that never quite leaves you. It has a quiet folk horror flavour that isn't always explainable, and relies on deeper fears that have been passed down for generations.
Because of the slower pace of story, the trio of lead characters, and the way that the horror creeps rather than jumps out at you A Spell For Change is a book that is best savoured rather than read in a single sitting. It feels like the perfect book to spend a lazy weekend reading, or something to take away on a quiet holiday with you. People might be looking for more historical horror right now, especially ones that put characters first and deal with themes of pain, trauma, and the ways in which society treats those without power. Sinners has ignited a discussion about such themes, and whilst I would definitely recommend a lot of Black written books that touch upon the specific themes of that film those who are looking further afield, and who are looking to read historical horror of any type, will certainly want to take the time to consider A Spell For Change.
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