What Time Period Is 'The Year Of The Witching' Set In?

In 'The Year of the Witching,' the protagonist is Immanuelle Moore, a young woman caught between two worlds—her oppressed life in Bethel and the dark legacy of her mother’s witchcraft. Immanuelle isn’t your typical heroine; she’s fierce yet vulnerable, grappling with the weight of her lineage while navigating a puritanical society that shuns her. The novel paints her as a storm of contradictions: devout yet rebellious, fearful yet courageous. Her journey unfolds like a shadow creeping across a moonlit field, slow but inevitable. What makes Immanuelle unforgettable is her raw humanity. She doesn’t wield magic like a weapon at first; it simmers beneath her skin, tied to her emotions. The woods call to her, the same way her mother’s journal whispers secrets. Bethel’s atrocities force her to confront her power, but it’s her compassion—her refusal to abandon even those who hate her—that truly defines her. The story molds her into a figure of reckoning, but never loses sight of her heart.

I dove into 'The Year of the Witching' expecting a standalone dark fantasy, but it left me craving more—thankfully, it’s the opening act of a duology. The sequel, 'The Women of the Witching Wood,' continues Immanuelle’s battle against Bethel’s twisted puritanical reign. The first book’s cliffhanger—her coven’s fate hanging by a thread—demands resolution. Henderson’s world feels too rich to abandon after one book; the sequel delves deeper into the coven’s lore and the monstrous Darkwood’s origins. What’s brilliant is how the duology structure mirrors Immanuelle’s duality—human and witch, outcast and savior. The first book sets the stage, the second burns it down. Fans of atmospheric horror and feminist revenge tales will find both books essential. The pacing rewards patience; the sequel answers lingering questions about the Mothers’ prophecies and the coven’s buried history. It’s rare for a sequel to surpass the original, but this one does—more witches, more blood magic, more defiance.

In 'The Year of the Witching,' the main conflict is a haunting clash between rigid religious dogma and forbidden dark magic. Immanuelle, our protagonist, lives in Bethel, a puritanical society ruled by the Prophet’s iron fist. The tension ignites when she discovers her link to the witches of the Darkwood, whose legacy the church demonizes. As Immanuelle uncovers her mother’s bloody past and the town’s hypocritical secrets, she’s torn between loyalty to Bethel and the pull of her ancestral power. The witches’ curses—plagues, blood rain—mirror the town’s sins, forcing her to choose: uphold the oppressive order or embrace the wild, dangerous truth. The conflict isn’t just external; it’s a visceral battle within her soul, questioning what’s truly monstrous—the witches or the men who fear them.

I've been following the buzz around 'The Year of the Witching' closely, and from what I gather, author Alexis Henderson hasn't officially announced a sequel yet. The novel wraps up its main arc pretty definitively, but there's plenty of room to explore Immanuelle's world further—especially with the rich, dark lore of Bethel and its surrounding woods. Henderson's interviews suggest she's open to revisiting the setting if inspiration strikes, but for now, she's focused on other projects. The book's cult-like followers (pun intended) are definitely hungry for more, though. The blend of horror and feminist themes left a lasting impression, and the ending hints at unresolved tensions in Bethel's society. If a sequel does emerge, I'd bet it delves deeper into the witches' history or introduces new threats from the Darkwood. Until then, fans can dive into Henderson's other works or similar gothic fantasies like 'The Once and Future Witches'.

'The Year of the Witching' delves into witchcraft with a raw, feminist lens, painting it as both a curse and a liberation. The protagonist, Immanuelle, inherits a legacy tangled with dark magic—her mother’s witchcraft stains her existence in a puritanical society. The forest, a recurring symbol, isn’t just eerie; it pulses with ancient power, where witches commune with vengeful spirits. Their magic isn’t sparkly spells but blood rituals and whispers that twist fate. The book contrasts patriarchal religious oppression with the wild, untamed force of witchcraft, suggesting rebellion is woven into its very essence. What’s striking is how witchcraft mirrors societal fears. The town’s hatred of witches reflects real-world persecution, yet the narrative flips this—their magic becomes a tool for truth-telling, exposing hypocrisy. Immanuelle’s journey isn’t about mastering spells but embracing her identity, even when it terrifies her. The coven’s magic is visceral: storms brew from anger, curses manifest as plagues. It’s less about cauldrons and more about the cost of power, making witchcraft feel urgent and deeply personal.

I get a little giddy whenever the shop window dims the lights and leans into that midnight vibe—witching hour aesthetic is basically a merchandising goldmine. Think wearable items first: velvet cloaks, oversized cardigans in charcoal and plum, moon-phase scarves, and cropped black leather jackets with embroidered constellations. Jewelry tends to be a big draw—delicate crescent-moon necklaces, chunky obsidian rings, charm bracelets with tiny cauldrons and tarot suits, and hairpins shaped like moths or tiny keys. Home goods are where I lose hours. Candles poured into matte black tins or skull-shaped jars, beeswax spell candles in deep indigo, incense bundles with names like 'Midnight Graveyard' or 'Witch's Market', and apothecary jars labeled with dried lavender, mugwort, or rose petals. Wall decor includes moon phase tapestries, brass crescent wall hooks, and vintage-style botanical prints—bonus points if they come framed with distressed wood. For people who love fuzz, there are plush familiars: black cat plushies with embroidered eyes, little owl cushions, and mushroom-shaped pillows. Nerdy merch overlaps a lot: tarot decks with occult art, enamel pins of pentagrams and tarot suits, tarot cloths with velvet and fringe, grimoires and lined journals with occult embossing, and tea blends packaged like potion kits. If you enjoy media tie-ins, you’ll find items inspired by 'Little Witch Academia' or moody gothic games like 'Bloodborne' that lean into the same color palette. I have a shelf of mismatched candles and a little moon lamp that comes on at 11:11—quirky but perfect for late-night reading sessions.

In 'The Witching Hour' by Anne Rice, the relationships between characters are deeply intertwined with themes of family, legacy, and the supernatural. The Mayfair witches, particularly Rowan and Michael, form the core of the narrative. Rowan, a neurosurgeon, discovers her witch heritage and is drawn into the mysterious world of the Mayfair family. Her relationship with Michael, a contractor with psychic abilities, evolves from a chance encounter to a profound bond as they uncover the dark secrets of the Mayfair legacy. Rowan's connection to her ancestors, especially Lasher, a powerful spirit tied to the Mayfair family, adds layers of complexity. Lasher's influence over generations of Mayfair women creates a tension between love, control, and destiny. The relationship between Rowan and Lasher is particularly fascinating, as it blurs the lines between protector and manipulator. Meanwhile, Michael's role as a protector and his growing love for Rowan bring a human element to the story, grounding the supernatural elements in relatable emotions. The novel also explores the dynamics within the Mayfair family itself, with its long history of power struggles, secrets, and tragedies. Each character's relationship with the others is shaped by their shared history and the weight of their legacy. The interplay between past and present, the living and the dead, creates a rich tapestry of relationships that drive the narrative forward.

Nighttime has always felt like the part of the day that fiction borrows to get mysterious, so the 'witching hour' is one of those flexible storytelling tools that authors and filmmakers bend to their mood. For a lot of classic folklore and Victorian-era tales, midnight — the exact turn from one day into the next — is the canonical moment. I tend to picture a slick streetlamp flickering at 12:00, a cat padding across a windowsill, and then everything that’s ordinarily hidden slipping into the open. You’ll see this in countless gothic novels and older horror films where midnight equals the thin veil between worlds. On the other hand, modern horror and pop culture sometimes pick 3:00 AM — the so-called 'devil’s hour' — because it’s the ironic mirror of 3:00 PM, the traditional hour of Christ’s death in Christian lore. That inversion gives 3 AM this creepily specific potency in shows and books that want demonic or anti-sacred overtones. Then again, many urban fantasy writers ignore a clock entirely and go for atmospheric timing: an hour after dusk, the first sigh of moonrise, or the witching period around Samhain (All Hallows’ Eve) when the veil is said to be its thinnest. I love that flexibility because if I’m writing or explaining a scene, I can choose what the hour represents — ritual precision, eerie loneliness, or cultural dread. If you’re crafting a story, decide whether the moment should feel ritualistic (pick a sharp time like 12:00 or 3:00) or more mood-based (use moonrise or the last hour before dawn). Personally, I like the ambiguity; it lets me keep one foot in folklore and the other in whatever weirdness I’m dreaming up that night.