31/365: The Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell (and vacation news)

Witches of Lychford by Paul Cornell Rating: ★★★½ Series: Lychford #1 Publication Date: September 8, 2015 Genre: gothic, supernatural Pages: 144 Project: Project 365 Traveler, Cleric, Witch. The villagers in the sleepy hamlet of Lychford are divided. A supermarket wants to build a major branch on their border. Some welcome the employment opportunities, while some object to the modernization of the local environment. Judith Mawson (local crank) knows the truth -- that Lychford lies on the boundary between two worlds, and that the destruction of the border will open wide the gateways to malevolent beings beyond imagination. But if she is to have her voice heard, she's going to need the assistance of some unlikely allies...

I’ve been meaning to read the Lychford series of novellas since 2015, when this first one was published. They combine a bunch of things I really like, especially in October – witches, English countryside, a distinct autumnal feel (fog, bare paths, leafless trees) and fiesty female lead characters.

This would actually have worked as a full-length novel, and in some ways I do wish it had been closer to 300 pages. The character development could have been deeper, but mostly I would have been able to live in the world of Lychford for longer. I really liked the vibes of the book, and I wasn’t ready for the story to end.

I am leaving on a road trip tomorrow morning, for the next ten days. So, while I will still have some time to read, I will be busy with adventures and probably won’t post again until I get back. I’m taking my kindle, so I’ve downloaded several short story collections that I checked out from the library. I also bought the collection of the Lychford novellas, so there are 4 more of those to keep me busy, and the next 3 of the Greenland Missing Persons novellas.