An absolute cracking adventure about a young girl who discovers she is a powerful witch, she's had her powers bound by her mother and we meet her as all hell breaks loose when the binds break. I really liked the fact that the story isn't told from her perspective, instead there's a more mature feel. The main characters are a 30 year old woman who recently discovered she also has powers, a reformed bad guy, and also the young witch's father. Another bonus is the amount of time spent in Devon and Cornwall.
The basic premise is that some women have power, most men don't and typically the women are rounded up and killed. This sort of thing has been done, but this works well on the whole. I liked the whole set-up, the different types of witch, the bad guy twist and the fact that it gets quite gritty at times. I also really liked some of the details, especially the hypocampus explanation.
My only downside is some of the repetitive descriptive especially "rogue Sentinel" and there is a slightly unpolished feel which is a great shame.

Esta novela es una muestra excelente de cómo intercalar fantasía, distopía, feminismo y lograr un resultado orgánico. Si bien mucho de la trama de brujería no es novedoso, dado que existen cientos de libros que abordan la temática, no deja de lado para nada el eje más central: el poder femenino.

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Aquí tenemos numerosas mujeres que son víctimas de un sistema gobernado por hombres, unas que se rebelan, otras que bajo las sombras se manifiestan, etc. Usando de excusa la brujería, el gobierno de USA crea una red de centinelas que van acoplándose al resto de los países del mundo. Éstos se encargan de mantener en orden a las brujas y sus poderes. A veces solo por el simple hecho de ser hijas de una bruja, van presas. Y sí, siempre son mujeres las oprimidas.

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En medio de todo este caos, tenemos a nuestras 2 brujas principales: Chloe y Adelita. Este libro está narrado desde estas perspectivas y una 3ra visión de un personaje “X”, cuya identidad no voy a revelar pues sería spoiler. Una recién aprende a utilizar sus poderes, la otra es prófuga de una prisión. Al transcurrir la trama, sus caminos se cruzarán y darán vida a una leyenda sobre “la elegida”.

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La novela tiene capítulos cortos, al ir intercalando entre visiones se hace mucho más llevadero pero es una lectura que se siente rápida. Cuando lo empezas, no paras hasta que avanzas un montón. Avanzas y ya queres llegar al final porque engancha muchísimo. La mejor parte es que es autoconclusivo(?

All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/

After many years of living relatively peacefully side by side, the President of the US declares all witches should be voluntarily imprisoned for their safety and for others. The Sentinel are charged with rounding up those who don’t present themselves and they’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done. But a good few thousand miles away, in the city of Exeter, nineteen year old Chloe Su is about to come into her powers. With the help of her father, a newly escaped crystal witch, and the Sentinel Agent who broke the witch free, Chloe takes the first step on a journey which will take her across international borders and into more danger than she ever thought possible…

Powerful, gutsy women lead the cast in a thrilling, non-stop race against time. Bloody marvellous! Fry has created a dark, edgy thriller in an alternative world where some of the female population are considered by non-magical folk as the scourge of the earth. All because the big guy in the White House says so! The men reign supreme. The divide between the genders – which includes the non-magical women who are labelled by the menfolk as ‘Goody’s’ – is vast. Fry has created such a strong divide between the genders that it made my blood boil at points. But in the best way possible. I have read other dystopian novels where the storyline centres around a similar male/female divide but Fry outshines them all with The Coven. I was angry for the women, I wanted justice and recognition for them. I wanted them to escape from the oppressive misogynistic regime they were forced under thanks to the Sentinel. It’s safe to say I was rooting for them 100%.

The Coven is a fast paced, thrill-ride of a story which doesn’t let up until the nail biting conclusion. Along the way we meet several interesting, well-written characters. Some I warmed to, others not so much (they’re kind of despicable, horrible human beings – but again, very well-written). My favourite character was Daniel, Chloe’s father, who is thrown into a world he knows nothing about with a ferocity that would leave others running for the hills. (I should mention at this point that not all male characters in the book are crazed zealots out to destroy womankind – only some of them!!) I also really liked Ethan who, despite being on the wrong side for so long, realises his mistake and does absolutely everything he can to make amends. My heart went out to Chloe who, at the age of nineteen, suddenly has the weight of the world on her shoulders. It’s a pretty hefty cross to bear when you’re only just starting to learn who, or what, you are yourself.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Fry’s feminist debut is a thrilling, beautifully intense tale which I struggled to tear myself away from. I was drawn into this alternate world from the get-go and what a ride it was! I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with these intelligent, fearless, fiery women and I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for us next. Fans of dystopian thrillers featuring strong female characters will adore this gripping read. Recommended.

Patiently awaits Emily Andras to make this a TV series.

4.5

This was so much fun. Great concept and an enjoyable villain. Begging for a film adaptation.

A DNF from me