*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author, Harper Voyager UK and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: An enchanting new novella set in the magical world of Sunday Times bestseller Threadneedle and The Times bestseller Shadowstitch
“The unopenable box. A mythical object that appears in fairy tales and folklore across all cultures around the world. Sometimes the box can only be opened by the right person at the right time, such a rightful heir, and in other tales it is considered a warning. A test given to the protagonist who are typically forbidden from opening the box. When they eventually succumb, what they unleash cannot be put back in.”
At home one memorable summer, Miranda unearths a mysterious suitcase in her attic that once belonged to her late grandmother. Inside, she finds a strange and unopenable wooden box.
Determined to discover what’s inside, she ends up enlisting the help of Maya, the owner of a local spiritualist shop, and is drawn into a world of witchcraft, magic and temptation.
As she tries to keep up appearances as the perfect daughter, her discovery threatens to tear everything apart, putting everyone around her in danger.
Can she find a way to stay in control or would the box have been better left buried?
Taking place before events in Threadneedle and Shadowstitch, this is a perfect read for not just fans of the series, but for anyone who loves to be transported by magical fantasy.
Review: I really loved the first book in this series, Threadneedle, but Miranda was one of the side characters that didn’t stand out for me as much compared to the rest of that novel, so I was really intrigued to read this novella based entirely in her backstory and find out more about what makes her tick!
Set before the events in Threadneedle, The Burial Witch explores the coming-of-age struggles of Miranda Lambert in a deep character dive. Living in a perfectionist, religiously zealous family has left Miranda feeling isolated and inferior, full of both religious doubt and self doubt. So when she finds a mysterious unopenable box and finds she has hidden depths to herself and buried secrets in her family tree, you might think she would be excited to have finally uncovered her own special ‘magic’.
Unfortunately, Miranda’s upbringing and type-A personality ensure that instead of wonder, she reacts with fear and horror to the ‘darkness’ she perceives her magic to be. There are obvious analogies to be drawn here too, in terms of her mother’s desperation to assimilate with Britishness and thus suppress her Nigerian roots, and in Miranda’s plan to get a ‘respectable’ boyfriend and firmly squash any thoughts she has about her new friend Sarah and her beautiful blue eyes.
I really did empathise with Miranda for most of the story, despite the fact she is intentionally difficult to like – she deliberately sets out to ostracise herself from her peers with abrasive behaviour and performed zealotry, rather than risk trying to be likable and being rejected. Not only did I understand that rather illogical logic but it made me like Miranda more and wish she could lower her defences and let someone in to what was happening to her.
I was a little surprised that this novella concluded with Miranda firmly rejecting all of the growth she had achieved and determinedly reverting back to her walled-off, anxiety-wracked state, but then, this is a small part of a wider story and a prequel too, so that further character development I was looking for is likely to be found in other volumes in the series.
I did really enjoy the beautiful writing and the almost-horror vibes of the box, the magic shop and Miranda’s ‘dark’ magic, so I am definitely going to need to read the rest of this series now to see how it all turns out for her (and Anna, Rowan et al!).
Hiding in the dark corner of the suitcase was one last object.
What looked like some sort of box…
Miranda reached for it, holding it up to study it. It was compact – a little longer than the length of her hand – made of smooth wood painted a jet black. There was a curious weight to it, as if something were inside. She turned it over and heard a thump, feeling something move within. It was not empty.
– Cari Thomas, The Burial Witch
Purchase Link: The Burial Witch on Amazon
About the author
Cari Thomas has always loved magic, inspired by her upbringing among the woods and myths of Wales’s Wye Valley. She studied English and Creative Writing at Warwick University and Magazine Journalism at The Cardiff School of Journalism. Her first job was at teen Sugar magazine, where she ran the book club and quickly realised she wanted to be the one writing the books instead. She went on to work at a creative agency, spending her spare time researching magic and accumulating an unusual collection of occult books. She wrote her first novel, Threadneedle, while living in London, wandering the city and weaving it with all the magic she wished it contained. She now lives in Monmouthshire with her husband and son, who bears the appropriately Celtic name of Taliesin.
Website: https://www.carithomas.com/
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Don’t forget to check out the other blog stops on the tour for more great reviews and content (see the poster below for details)!
