Waking the Witch by Rachel Burge

Posted on 28 July 2022

I have never read any books by Rachel Burge before, but I am really happy that I read this one.

‘I tried to keep you safe, but I see now that I can’t. They won’t stop until they have you…’

When Ivy’s search for her mother draws her to a remote Welsh isle, she uncovers a dark secret about her past.

An ancient and corrupt power is stalking Ivy, and her only chance of survival is to look deep within herself.

For not every story in legend is true, and some evils are not what they seem.

A darkly spellbinding tale of female empowerment, steeped in Welsh mythology and Arthurian legend.

For some reason, the concept of the story really appealed, Arthur, Morgan Le Fey, Merlin and the tales that lasted through the centuries. Though part of me expected the novel to have aspects of books like The Ex Hex and Not the Witch You Wed, making it a more comedic and romantic story, I was happy to see that it was more about the characters and their experiences.

When I started to get further into the story I realised that this novel had a number of elements that gave me some ‘this could have been inspired by The Changeover by Margaret Mahy’ feelings. And if anyone has listened to my podcast, or read any past reviews you will know that it’s one of my all-time favourite books, and has been for over 35 years.

Ivy is 17 years old when she discovers that demons are real. Having been brought up in a series of foster homes since her mother abandoned her, she has spent her life trying to find that place to call home.

She’s also 17 when she meets her mother for the first time, but it’s under less than salubrious circumstances.

With a single phone call she’s made aware of two things:

Her mother has thought about her.
Her life is in danger and suddenly odd things she has noticed are starting to make sense.

Ivy’s discoveries come thick and fast after her mother calls. She is attacked by a suspicious man who doesn’t appear to be aware of his own actions, she loses her job at a butterfly museum, and she discovers that creepy Tom isn’t all that creepy, in fact, he’s actually a really nice guy!

What happens after this point would be a massive pile of spoilers that you know I won’t be revealing in this review, or any other. However, what I will say is that it’s gripping, involves cormorants, demon possession, young love, and a revelation that contributes to a very open ending.

That’s something I need to make clear at this point, this book is the start of a series. Granted, the series may only be two books, however, this book has an open ending.

The development of the characters and the slow growth of the bond between Ivy and Tom is wonderful to read. The book isn’t a flat-out romance, but it has a role to play in the story. However, as I don’t do spoilers in my reviews it’s not something I am going to go into.

I really enjoyed the mix of Celtic mythology and fantasy, the merging of Merlinian tale and strong women. It was interesting to see the way that the author managed to change the story enough that it wasn’t a simple re-telling. It’s definitely going to have me looking at alternative versions of the stories that I grew up with – because I am sure they’re out there.

I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to read something a little darker, a little less romantically focused and more about character development and story building.