I have received this book from the author in return for an honest review. Thank you, Mr. Oldfield. I can only hope I do your book justice.
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Once upon a time the almighty Dhia walked the realm of Earth, setting themselves up as gods over the humble mortals. Centuries have passed since their banishment and the Dhia have fallen out of human memory. The only connection between the Otherworld and Earth that remains is the crossing to Annwn, where the souls of the dead go to rest.
Odd, then, that Arawn, King of Annwn and High Lord of the Dead, has a mortal wife and stepson. The Dhia have turned a blind eye to this oddity for now, but Motoki is nearing the age of adulthood and his very presence in Annwn is dangerous. It would be wise for the Dhia to remember that High Lord Arawn is not to be underestimated when it comes to protecting his own.
Across the narrow divide on Earth the spirits of the dead are growing restless. Spirit Seeker, Louisa, is growing concerned, but none of the witches in her life seem to be too bothered by it. Louisa's suspicions turn into alarm when she runs into a young man from another world who needs her help to return to the Otherworld. But nothing is as it seems and hidden family secrets could, at best, get them killed and, at worst, could spark a war.
Witches of the Dead Kingdom is the first book of an exciting new Contemporary Adult Fantasy series by Australian author Ash Oldfield that blends Welsh mythology with modern day magic.
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I did like that we started out immediately with Gwydion stuck in a pickle. Of his own doing. He knew full well what he was doing when he went into the woods. I adored the novel. The story itself was amazing. I loved every minute of it. We start with Gwydion fab Don, whom we know is a powerful sorcerer of some sort, trapped in some sort of chains made of water or something.
After that, we are sent to Annwn. Here we are introduced to another character who will play an intriguing role in the story. A human who is stuck in Annwn because his mother was pregnant with him when she died. It was an interesting take on a portal fantasy.
He grows up there, not really ever leaving the family estate until he does by accident when someone on the mortal side opens a portal in their sleep. We then follow him as he learns the ways of the human world he would have come from and how to get back home again.
There were some parts I did not understand the inclusion of, such as grandma and the leader of another part of the Otherworld. As far as I could tell, aside from throwing a few of the characters into unrelated chaos, they served no other purpose. You could have replaced grandma with anything and Erin still probably would have just left. She didn't seem like the kind of person you could tie down for any amount of money.
I am curious to see where the flirtation between Louisa and Gil is going. That was just strange to have been included. I'm looking forward to the second book there to see if it is continued or left behind. In that same light, I kind of also now want to know why Gwydion was trapped in the first place and what he plans to do now that he's free. Is he going to try to take over Annwn or something? Is he going to seek revenge? The world may never know.
I did rather enjoy how protective the King was of the child that didn't belong to him in any way. How Arawn would make sure Motoki was safe no matter what, even though he had no kind of bond or tie to him other than he had married Motoki's mother. That was nice to see.
Overall I gave this book a 4/5. It was really interesting, but lacked something to give it that final star. Maybe if we had gotten a little more on the relationship between the cousins or a better explanation of Louisa's powers (or lack of) then I would have been more inclined.
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