Review & Giveaway: Witch of the Wild Beasts by Catherine Stine


Witch of the Wild Beasts by Catherine Stine

Publication Date: March 11, 2020
Konjur Road Press
Paperback & eBook; 294 Pages

Genre: Historical Fantasy


When Evalina is imprisoned for witchcraft, will her supernatural bond with animals be her curse or salvation?

In 1854, Evalina Stowe witnesses the murder of her brother by Dr. Dowdrick, an enraged client at the tailor’s where they work. Desperate to stop him, she rouses a swarm of wasps that sting the doctor while she stabs him with scissors, and then flees. At a subsequent job when birds race to her defense, Evalina is declared a witch and sent to Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary.

While imprisoned, Evalina is horrified not only to learn that Dr. Dowdrick is still alive, but he’s experimenting on inmates. Determined to get inside his Eclectic Medical School, to expose his nefarious activities, she’s passionate about protecting fellow prisoners, especially Lewin, a child thief who knew her brother, and Birdy, a kind, resilient Welsh man serving time for a worker’s death while blasting granite for the railroad.

Evalina, her friends and her “wild beasts” work against time to unmask Dowdrick’s crimes when she participates with him in a symposium, showcasing Philadelphia’s premium doctors. If they fail, not only will the doctor’s evil deeds continue unchecked but Evalina and her crew will surely be hung. Actual historical figures such as Dr. Thomas Mutter and Charles Dickens spice up this fantastical thriller brimming with historical gems set in Philadelphia’s renowned penitentiary. Won a second place spot in The 2019 Valley Forge RWA Sheila contest.

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Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

As soon as I read that this book was set at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania I knew I just had to read it. When it was built Eastern State Penn was the most expensive and modern prison in the world and once housed Al Capone. It now sits unused but they conduct tours of the site and I greatly enjoyed visiting it years ago with my husband. It's creepy and spooky to walk the grounds and to look into the cells. I highly recommend checking it out one day if you are ever that way.

Evaline Stowe works with her brother making clothes for their clients. One fateful day a disgruntled client, a local doctor, becomes enraged at having to wait for his order and kills her brother. She attacks the doctor in revenge and finds out she has the power to command creatures - bees help her take down the doctor and she runs away, knowing she will be accused of his murder. While on the run she has to use her powers again to save herself, but this time she is caught and sent to Eastern State Penitentiary. It's there that she sees the doctor again, the one that killed her brother is still alive and is now conducting experiments on the prisoners. Using her smarts and her powers she convinces him that she will help him if he stops what he's doing, but he underestimates her and she works to get her revenge.

I thoroughly enjoyed Witch of the Wild Beasts! Evalina was a great protagonist and the secondary cast of characters were fantastic. The writing was smooth and easy to follow and I will definitely be picking up Stine's previous books. Highly recommended!

About the Author

Catherine Stine is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fantasy, paranormal romance, sci-fi thrillers and young adult fiction. She lives in Manhattan, grew up in Philadelphia and is known to roam the Catskills. Her most recent novel, Witch of the Wild Beasts won a second prize spot in the 2019 Valley Forge RWA Sheila Contest. Other novels have earned Indie Notable awards and New York Public Library Best Books for Teens. Before writing novels, she was a painter and children’s fabric designer. She’s a visual author when it comes to scenes, and she sees writing as painting with words. She loves edgy thrills, perhaps because her dad read Edgar Allen Poe tales to her as a child. Catherine loves spending time with her beagle Benny, writing about supernatural creatures, gardening on her deck, traveling and meeting readers at book fests.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 6
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 7
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Wednesday, April 8
Review at Books and Zebras

Thursday, April 9
Feature at I'm Into Books

Friday, April 10
Review at YA, It's Lit

Monday, April 13
Review at Captivated Pages

Tuesday, April 14
Guest Post at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, April 15
Review at Historical Graffiti

Thursday, April 16
Review at The Nerdy Bookworm

Friday, April 17
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, April 20
Review at The Magical Pages

Tuesday, April 21
Review at Momfluenster
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Wednesday, April 22
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Review at Foals, Fiction and Filigree
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a signed copy of Witch of the Wild Beasts + an eBook of Witch of the Cards + $40 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on April 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Witch of the Wild Beasts


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