“You are not made out of needs, you are made out of your dreams and desires.”
If you found yourself enthralled by the eerie atmosphere, dark folklore, and gothic horror of Slewfoot by Gerald Brom, you might be on the hunt for your next unforgettable read. Blending witchcraft, superstition, and historical suspense, Slewfoot stands out asa haunting demonstration of modern folk horror and dark fantasy. Its unsettling tone, rich setting, and morally complex characters leave a lasting impression long after the final page. Thankfully, there are plenty of equally compelling books that capture the same blend of atmospheric storytelling, supernatural intrigue, and gothic fantasy. Whether you’re pulled toward stories about witches, demons, and forbidden magic, or you simply adore slow-burning, creepy novels rooted in folklore, this has something for you.
Slewfoot Summary
A spirited young Englishwoman, Abitha, arrives at a Puritan colony betrothed to a stranger – only to quickly become widowed when her husband dies under mysterious circumstances. All alone in the pious and patriarchal society, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp onto, while trying to stay true to herself and her past.
Enter Slewfoot, a powerful spirit of antiquity newly woken… and trying to find its own role in the world. But as the shadows walk and villagers start dying, a new rumour is whispered: Witch. Both Abitha and Slewfoot must swiftly decide who they are and what they must do to survive in a world intent on hanging anyone who meddles in the dark arts. Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror, as only a dark fantasy tale from Bom can.
The Year Of Witching – Alexis Henderson
First up on our list of books like Slewfoot is Alex Henderson’s dark feminist tale, The Year of Witching. In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow the Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.
But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow Immanuelle with a gift: the journal of her dead mother. Fascinated by the secrets of the diary, Immanuelle struggles to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But, when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realises the true threat to Bethel lies in its own darkness.
The Silent Companions – Laura Purcell
When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead, just weeks after their marriage, the new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home is a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure – a silent companion – that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie.
The residents of The Bridge are terrified of this figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as a simple superstition – that is, until she begins to notice the figure’s eyes following her. Like Slewfoot, The Silent Companions is a ghost story that evokes the most unsettling kind of fear, one that creeps into the consciousness in ways you least expect.
The Blacktongue Thief – Christopher Buehlman
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveller that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked out the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants. Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva’s. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force the thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honour is a luxury few can afford.
The Lighthouse Witches – C.J. Cooke
When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a century-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start anew with her three daughters – Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters vanish, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge.
Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, she’s initially ecstatic. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But, she doesn’t realise just how much the truth will change her.
The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray – Chris Wooding
Thaniel, just seventeen, is a wych-hunter. Together, he and Cathaline – his friend and mentor – track down the fearful creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. It is one of these hunts that he first encounters Alaizabel Cray. Alaizabel is half-crazed, lonely, and possessed.
Whatever dreadful entity has entered her soul has turned her into a strange and unearthly magnet – attracting evil and drawing horrors from every dark corner. Cathaline and Thaniel must discover its cause – and defend humanity at all costs.
The Boatman’s Daughter – Andy Davidson
Ever since his father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.
But dark forces are at work in the bayou, and when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe in this southern gothic horror novel similar to Slewfoot.
All The Murmuring Bones – A.G. Slatter
Long ago, Miren O’Mallery’s family prospered due to a deal struck with the Mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years, the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and has fallen into decline. Miren’s grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren’s freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them. It is a gothic fantasy by A.G. Slatter that you’re sure to love if you loved Brom’s storytelling.
In The House In The Dark Of The Woods – Laird Hunt
In this ingenious horror story, set in colonial New England like Slewfoot, a woman goes missing. Alone and possibly lost, she meets another woman in the forest. Then everything changes. On a journey that will take her through a wolf-haunted wood, down a deep well, and onto a living ship made of human bones, our heroine in this tale is forced to confront her past and may find that the evil she flees has been inside her all along.
Eerie and disturbing, In The House in the Dark of the Woods is a novel of psychological horror and suspense told in lyrical prose style. It is the story of a bewitching, a betrayal, a master huntress and her quarry. It is a story of anger, repression, revenge, and redemption; one of a haunting, one that forms the bedrock of American mythology, told in a vivid voice you will never forget.
Check Out Our Complete Guide To Gothic Horror
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
