Witch Ember
John Lawson
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
John Lawson has created an intellectually stimulating challenge to the
senses in his first novel, Witch Ember. Modern readers may find
themselves increasingly desensitized to violence and atrocities
propagated relentlessly by the media, making the novel with true shock
value a rare commodity. Look no further; the stimulation desired is
practically overflowing from between the covers of Witch Ember.
As the life of Esmeree progresses from an orphaned street child into a
hardened young witch with powers beyond even her own comprehension, the
reader is introduced to a medieval universe where warring territorial
factions enslave, rape, dismember, and murder anyone who strays within
their grasp. Homicidal species terrorize the general population and
magical warlords create a constant state of chaos. Esmeree's greatest
ambition is to become a rich noble's sellâria: basically a paid
mistress. It is a dark world with little hope and populated with
individuals following the most primal of instincts.
This is a comprehensive fantasy world created by a very talented
technical writer. Witch Ember is the first in the series, with The
Raven as a sequel. A prequel and concurrent release are in the works,
according to the author's blog. While The Raven is in my "to be read"
queue, I'm interested to see how it compares to Witch Ember, as it will
be a chronicle of the adventures of the knight Guiromélans, and
I have become quite attached to fiery Esmeree. The novels are not
compact light reading. At over 480 pages, Witch Ember may seem daunting
to the casual reader, but once absorbed into the story, it is difficult
to put aside. The author provides a glossary at the back of the book
for defining his own invented terms, which is very helpful in
correlating relationships.
Of course, the subject matter will be offensive to more sensitive
readers. Lawson's characters are put through incredible amounts of
torture and humiliation, and children are no exception. Because of the
anarchic state of the civilizations, moral lines are blurred in areas
and completely erased in others. The only hard rule is to do whatever
is needed for survival. Prepare to be jolted.