The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright | Book Review

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The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright
Published by Harper Teen on March 12, 2024
Genres: YA Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Death
Rating:

Magic is fading from Wales—choked off by King Offa’s Dyke, the enemy earthworks that spans the entire border. Even the dragons have disappeared. And now an attack is imminent. Prince Taliesin would love to watch magic die. Prince Dafydd fears it, and the throne. But when their father promises the crown to whichever son can destroy the dyke and restore magic to Wales, the brothers are forced into an uneasy rivalry. Ffion works hedgewitch magic for poor folk, not princes. Unlike the power-hungry Foxhall coven, she uses only what nature can spare. But when the coven’s greed costs Ffion everything, she will need power beyond her wildest dreams to get back what she’s lost. So when Prince Taliesin arrives, begrudgingly seeking a witch’s aid, Ffion agrees to help him—even if it means walking from one end of Wales to the other with the most use-less peacock she’s ever clapped eyes on. Even if it means striking a bargain with Dafydd behind Tal’s back. The fate of Wales depends on their quest . . . and so might the fate of Ffion’s heart.

I am a witch of Foxhall

And I've come to beg a boon

My house it is quite lonely

Yet we're also out of room

I'm come to Foxhall Forest

And I hope not to offend

I offer you this poppet

And I ask of you a friend

...I finished The Hedgewitch of Foxhall a couple of days ago and I keep going back and rereading sections and chapters because it was so good. This is a hard 5-star read for me and has me rethinking some of my previous 5-star ratings. The magic system, character building, and slow-burning romance have me in a serious chokehold and I'm not sure I will ever truly move on from this book. I am not one that usually goes back and reread books, let alone annotates them and I did both with this book. I recognize The Hedgewitch of Foxhall won't be loved by everyone, but it spoke to me on a deeply personal level.

So where do I begin? The Hedgewitch of Foxhall is told from three different points of view and while most of the book is in the present, there are jumps to the past that help develop the characters. It took time to really get to know the hearts of the characters because they failed to trust each other and themselves, which was conveyed in the writing extremely well. Ffion, Taliesin, and Dafydd (David) do a lot of growing and changing as the book progresses, helping to foster that connection with the characters we all crave. While I applaud the character building, I felt Dafydd's arc was the weakest of the cast, but he was also the one most unsure of himself. Bright's writing conveyed this confusion well.

What really captured my heart was Ffion, who reminded me very much of myself and my lived experiences. She is wild and free, headstrong and convicted, and she wants absolutely nothing to do with the Foxhall coven, the power-hungry witches under the hill. The Foxhall coven is an excellent allegory for modern capitalism. They take whatever they want with complete disregard for the impact this will have on the environment and others, charge absorbent prices for their services, refuse to help those in most need because it's not prestigious enough, and wish to keep the status quo. Ffion, in all her wildness, represents everything that opposes capitalism. She only takes what she needs, gives back to her community the best way she can, and purposely reduces her impact on the environment. As a practicing hedgewitch (you can read about it on my other blog Flying the Hedge) and animist myself, Ffion's approach to magic resonated with me as I practice the same way, not to mention we share the same familiar. Ffion sings to bring her magic to life, an act I also use in my own magic. I found each song beautiful and moving, especially the one quoted above, as Ffion always knew exactly what to sing to strengthen her magic.

Ffion's "love triangle" with Prince Taliesin and Prince Dafydd was not really a love triangle, in my opinion, and was sometimes awkward, but still enjoyable. Being teens, their love being awkward is expected and that came through in the writing. I'm not going to give anything away, but she definitely ended up with the right person, the person she was always destined to be with. The love is a slow burn, just like Ffion's magic, one that will leave you itching for more. The tension between all three of them is palpable and left me breathless on multiple occasions. There is no spice, so if you are looking for that here, you won't find it here. Remember, they are teens...

Last, but certainly not least, there is a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Usually, I can smell a twist or mystery a mile away, but I was not prepared for what happened in the last couple of chapters. I felt the ending was somewhat rushed, but battle always feels that way when it's happening, so it makes sense I felt that rush as well. There were some deaths I would have liked to have gotten some more closure on instead of "they died on the battlefield." There is one person in particular I can't believe was allowed to continue on their way after what they did as if they didn't just commit treason, but I am willing to forgive Bright for these trespasses because the rest of the book was perfection.

If you are looking for something to consume you, The Hedgewitch of Foxhall is the book for you. I don't know if I will ever be able to get it out of my head and I'm okay with that.