Review from Tenacious Reader: 3.5/5 starsRarely am I so unsure about how I felt about a book. I’ve let a little time pass (about a week) since reading this to see if I could better sort my thoughts on it. But I am still finding it hard. Slatter’s prose is simple, to the point, and yet somehow not plain or boring. She creates a very realistic narration for a well spoken and intelligent character. I would say her words are precise in the most interesting of ways, with little to nothing extra.Mistr...

Mistress Patience, from the short story "Gallowberries" returns in this novella/long story. This is what I like in my quick witch fiction, a tale that meanders through a moment but hands out bits of past and hints of future to form full characters in a relatively small space.Quick summary: Patience Gideon, nee Sykes, has been the local healer at Edda's Meadow for awhile and those who suspect her of witchcraft ignore it because she's helpful. However, a self-involved shapeshifter is found-out by

WHY haven't I known about Angela Slatter till now?I feel like the presentation of this book is aiming to attract fans of Patricia McKillip; and if so, it worked on me, at least. I wouldn't argue with that decision, but while this story contains the magical mix of fairytale and realism that McKillip's work does, this story is quite a bit darker, in some ways. Mistress Gideon is a witch, in a rural, medieval-esque world that punishes magic users with death. She's hidden her original identity and (...

Actual rating: 4.00

I received this as an ARC from the publisher.Firstly, LOOK AT THAT COVER OH MY IT IS A THING OF BEAUTY.Secondly, Margo Lanagan is right, as usual. This is a riveting read. Mistress Gideon, the narrator, is not a nice person. She's not a good person, either; she works for and wants the best for those she loves, and for that reason is a fierce and loyal friend... but she's not nice. And she's not good. She is terrible to her enemies. Mistress Gideon has enemies because she is a witch. Those of her...

A story that has left me curious regarding the author's previous works, especially since Patience (the main character in this book) has already appeared in Angela Slatter's fantasy world.Like other reviewers have mentioned, I also felt that someone was trying to appeal to Patricia A. Mckillip's fan _ look at this cover! _, however, if you're a Mckillip reader you know that only very rarely is the author able to tell a story in such a short amount of time: Mckillip takes her own sweet time wi

Much like Valente's stories, I came by Slatter's by coincidence and recommendation. Yes, I love stories about witches - the ones about great magic spells as much as ones about women who simply know how to heal with plants and are hunted for it. The ones I love most fall somewhere in between, like this one.We meet Patience Gideon, a witch. She can use all sorts of herbs for abortions, for healing, for killing, ... and mixes those herbs for things that need actual magic. There are many witches in

After reading A Murmuring of Bones earlier this year, I knew I wanted to read more of Angela Slatter's work. This witchy novella did not disappoint. It was smart and the writing was magical. I'm pretty sure I would like to be Mistress Gideon when I grow up. She was wise and a total badass! Slatter truly excels at writing complex morally gray characters. If you like witchy stories, this one is worth picking up.

It's nice to see witches who have the upper hand, not just die in fires.I need more Angela Slatter's stories.

I received an egalley of this novella from the publisher for review. Thank you to Tor.com Publishing! This review is my honest opinion. Patience Gideon is a witch, and she spends every day at Edda’s Meadow keeping this secret from her neighbors while trying to help them. If any of those who come to her for aid suspect that she’s a witch—and provides a safe house for others with supernatural abilities—they haven’t said. Then a young shapeshifter is caught, and all of Patience’s secrets might s

I'm at the point where I think I'll read any and all TOR novella ever published, because they have been knocking it out of the park. This is another great story. The setting feels early modern Europe and Slatter really nails the feeling of a village in the grip of a witchcraft scare - only, it's not just a scare. Patience Gideon is a fabulous character, tough as old boots, and a witch that you should never cross. The rest of the village is populated with quickly drawn but very real characters, a...

A tale of witches in a village reminiscent of the late 16th-17th century England or Scotland. With religious anti-witch movements becoming more popular, the local witch of Edda's Meadow Mistress Gideon has to be careful who she helps and how. When she and a witch she's harboring save a selfish local, her livelihood and life are threatened. Apparently, the characters in this novella reappear in other stories by Angela Slatter, and I enjoyed this enough to try more by her. I love witch stories, an...

I've been a big fan of Angela Slatter ever since reading Sourdough and Other Stories for the lyrical and gorgeous writing. Magic, shapeshifting, and truly magical worldbuilding surrounds these short stories and the others from the other collections.I cannot stress enough how much I love her writing. Evocative, triple-layered line-item goodies, wry, loving, hateful, despairing, vengeful, and deep.Every character is real in the way only the very best writers can make them. There's no bashing of se...

A wonderfully witchy story. Angela Slatter is on the radar! Do check this one out.

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2016/03/20/n...This is the first time I’ve read Angela Slatter, and now she’s gained herself another fan. Of Sorrow and Such is probably my favorite Tor.com novella of the ones I’ve read so far, a compact little tale that packs no small amount of emotional punch in spite of its length.In a small fictional village in a world reminiscent of Europe in the Middle Ages lives a witch called Mistress Patience Gideon. Ostensibly, she’s just a lo...

An interesting and ultimately fairly intense novella centered on a witch-hunt—but differing from the norm in that these witches are real, and willing and able to band together to fight back. Like most fantasy novellas, it’s a very quick read—even shorter than the page count would have you believe—but a satisfying story for its length.Patience Gideon is a 50-something witch doctor in a mid-sized town in what appears to be a medieval or Renaissance setting; it’s unclear from the book whether this

Will you forgive me if I just run around screaming amaze balls for a while? No? Fine! This writing is wonderful, I couldn't put it down. These characters are vicious and fantastic and won't take anyone's shit. Full story punch in a tight and addicting novella. Go get this and the entire backlist.

This was excellent and pretty damn dark.

The story of a witch in a parochial village set in the same world as the short story collections Sourdough and Other Stories and The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings. It was a bit of a surprise that Patience came from Bitterwood as I had thought this was a standalone. Very happy to hear otherwise as Slatter's Sourdough universe is a wonderful setting for these stories.This one is a story of hidden magic, unthinking youth and the situations women find themselves in these type of communities...

3.5 stars, rounded up because I know what's good for me when dealing with witches.