The Burial Witch by Cari Thomas

TGIF, everyone! Today I'm excited to be part of the Random Things tour for Cari Thomas's The Burial Witch, a novella set in the Threadneedle world (The Language of Magic series). 

Miranda has always fought to be the best. It's what's expected in her family. And yet, compared to her brother and sister, she feels like she's falling short. 

While researching a family history project she finds a suitcase she believes belonged to her maternal grandmother. They don't talk about that side of the family history much. She knows they emigrated from Nigeria to the UK. But their African history has always been a sensitive point for her mother. 

Inside the suitcase, Miranda finds a box that can't be opened. And it eats away at her. She starts having nightmares and becomes convinced this is a test from God. Raised an evangelical Christian, Miranda has always been strong in her faith and active in her church. But this box has raised questions she's not sure she really wants the answers to. 

The Burial Witch is a fun addition to the Threadneedle world. Very witchy and mysterious. I loved the Yoruba and Vodun angle. I especially loved the way Thomas explores faith and practice beyond Christianity. 

I should note too, this isn't a religious read by any means. It's witches. Witchy, witchy, witches! Miranda's family and their history and choices are a key part of the story, including raising said family within a Christian religion. 

This fits nicely in my latest reading trends to be honest. Beyond How to Kill a Witch, I've also been spending ample time in Angela Slatter's Verity Fassbinder and Sourdough worlds. I also think we're seeing a strong return to witches lately, which isn't unexpected all things considered. 

The Burial Witch is out now in the UK and will be available in the States later this summer. This is the second of four companion novellas to the Language of Magic series. 

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

Happy Friday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Threadneedle!

Anna has grown up with a magic she isn't allowed to use. 

Raised by her Aunt, Anna has been drilled endlessly on the danger of magic. It's why, when she's sixteen, she's to be bound to the Binders. In their eyes, magic is a sin. 

But Anna longs for more! And when Selene brings Effie and Attis on her next visit, Anna finally has her chance. 

Introduced to the wider world of the magic around her, Anna begins to finally come into her power. But the further she becomes drawn into magic, the more clear it becomes that there is something dark in her past. 

Threadneedle is great witchy fantasy fun!

First, the world building in Threadneedle is fabulous! The atmosphere of Anna's London is so imbued with magic through Thomas's words, but it's woven very subtly into the story.

Anna is a stubborn teen. She's lost her mother and her father and has been raised by an aunt who isn't affectionate or seemingly caring at all. One of the things Anna wants most is to practice real magic, but her aunt keeps her under such tight constraints that she knows it's likely never to happen. 

But then her mother's friend Selene arrives and Anna finally experiences a bit of freedom. More than that, she meets others who definitely don't feel the same way about magic as her aunt. 

The magic system in Threadneedle is a really cool one! In fact, it was probably my favorite thing about the book. And again, Thomas's descriptions were fabulous here!

Threadneedle is the first in the Language of Magic trilogy. It'll be really interesting to see what happens in the next installment.