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The Witchfinder

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A post-apocalyptic fantasy epic involving witch hunters, sorcery, and moral dilemmas.

The Witchfinder is a post-apocalyptic, epic fantasy. Due to environmental disasters and the actions of humans launching nuclear weapons, the world has regressed to a medieval state of living. Known as the Great Cataclysm, the people fear another reckoning. Now governed by the church, people have returned to observing the old faith, and witch hunters police the people. 


One of the highest-ranking officers for the Church, Malachi is a Witchfinder Imperator. When one of his prisoners escapes, Malachi goes on a hunt to recapture the heretic and bring him to justice. Unfortunately, dark truths about the church come to light during his pursuit, causing Malachi Thorne to question his ideals, morals, and loyalty. 


Riddled with classic epic fantasy adventure, our protagonist encounters witches and sorcery and confronts demons. There is romance, political intrigue, and ghastly fight scenes. As a character, Malachi is fulfilling. The moral struggles he goes through create a realistic arc and make him an interesting protagonist to follow. 


Also, Malachi is an average person. There's nothing special about him, no hidden powers to catapult him above any other character. That aspect made the story more grounded and the dreadful events from our past- burning witches and prosecuting people who thought differently- all the more terrifying. One downfall to the character development is the relationship between Malachi and Teska, which feels rushed or forgotten, like a side note. 


J.Todd Kingrea weaves a magical world, building a complex post-apocalyptic environment. The Witchfinder has the aesthetic and tone of the film Equilibrium with Christian Bale or the Korean comic book series Priest. It's a fantastic start to a complex and exciting story.

Reviewed by

A sometimes kind, sometimes evil hedgewitch on a crusade to create as many fantastical worlds and read as many stupendous adventures as I can. Currently living with three loyal hounds, an impartial cat, and my very own vampire husband.

Tekoya

About the author

An ordained pastor, I live with my wife just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, with our two dogs, plenty of 80s metal, and an ever-expanding movie collection! I'm the author of two non-fiction books and I contribute Blu ray reviews for "Screem" magazine. view profile

Published on September 23, 2021

Published by BHC Press

110000 words

Contains mild explicit content ⚠️

Genre: Fantasy

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