Witchy Eye (1) (Witchy War)

Craft an alternate world history up through 1815 (with a failed English colonial Revolution in North America), stir in deep (and often dark) magic, add a second human race (considered to be 'soulless' by some members of the first), and sprinkle in a few more surprises along the way -- that's Witchy Eye in a nutshell (acorn, most likely). The characters are complex, believable, memorable, imperfect, and distinct; the action starts quickly and seldom lets up, while the 'world' keeps expanding not just for the characters but for us the readers as well.

That last point is important. With F/SF/alt-history novels, the world setting tends to be laid out early, often telegraphing where the story arc will have to go. With Witchy Eye, the world setting keeps getting larger and more detailed, all the way through to the end of the novel, with much merely hinted at or noted in passing. Butler promises (at least) two more novels, but I wouldn't be surprised to see other authors ask to play in this sandbox as well; there is so much that could be done.

And it's a fun read. I got my copy out of the mailbox in the morning, started reading, and finished the novel late that night. I plan to re-read it soon. Highly recommended.

What to say about D.J. Butler’s most recent novel?

Well, initially and most obviously, it is massive. The word has a number of meanings, the first being “lengthy, substantive.” At over 550 pages, it fulfils that definition perfectly, although paradoxically the reading experience is so smooth, so fluid so masterfully paced that it seems much shorter.

Beyond that, however, it is massive in its fundamentals: "impressive or imposing in quality, degree, or scope." In this re-imagining of at least three centuries of European and American history—with extended forays into myths, into legends, and into the most surprising antiquities (including suggestions of pharaonic Egypt resurrected in nineteenth-century Louisiana and a number of ancient traditions surrounding Adam’s two wives)—Butler’s bewitching story of magic, politics, adventure, and maturation is extraordinarily massive in its ambitions; its enormous cast of characters, human, beastkind, and, notably, the walking dead), its facility with language and languages, real and imagined; its varied landscapes, meticulously drawn, balancing modern reality and fictive concepts perfectly; and above all its humor, integral to every page and appropriate in its eruptions at moments of heightened tension.

All managed with grace and skill, as one has grown to expect from the author of such works as the near-future dystopian tales Crechling and Urbane; the rousing, horrific, and uproarious Rock Band Fights Evil series; the YA adventure, The Kidnap Plot (The Extraordinary Journeys of Clockwork Charlie; and above all, the steampunk classic, City of the Saints. Butler is prolific; and he has steadily gained in proficiency with each succeeding novel. Witchy Eye is no exception.

And it is just the first installment in the story of Sarah Calvin/Carpenter/Penn, a fifteen-year-old Appalachian witch thrust into affairs of great weight, longstanding contentions among powerful men and women. Physically maimed since birth, she struggles to understand herself, her world, and the extent of the powers that are only beginning to manifest through her. Her quest for understanding—and for three talismans of power—take her from the mountains of Appalachia through the wilderness to New Orleans, then back up the Mississippi River toward the Ohio…and her destiny. Along the way, she gathers about herself a growing collection of unique individuals, ranging from a love-besotted fellow Appalachian, to a mystic priest with unaccountable powers, to a former soldier fallen on evil times who is willing to risk all to aid her, and the talking deaf-mute who serves him.
Her companions are strong—and so are her opponents: the Emperor Thomas Penn, who does not appear directly in Witchy Eye but whose influence controls much of the action; a second religious figure who is willing to risk his soul in service of his master, who turns out to be a Lazar, one of the living dead; and the Captain of the Imperial troops whose instructions are to find and capture Sarah and who does nothing without first consulting his Tarock cards, an invention of Benjamin Franklin.

These—and more—clash over nothing less than the soul of America, as it has been, as it is, and as it shall be.

At this point, Witch Eye reminds me of nothing so much as another quintessentially Western alternate-America series, Orson Scott Card’s superlative Seventh Son series. Butler’s theological underpinnings are more extensive, more scholarly, perhaps, and often less overt than Card’s, but both writers use their backgrounds, their belief structures, and their inimitable storytelling abilities to transform history into a medium for speculation, possibility, and hope.

More expansively than Card does, Butler twists new strands of old knowledge into his tale. Familiar names—people, places, events, things—appear, and are at once both familiar and unrecognizable. Robert Hooke; Thomas, Lord Fairfax; Oliver Cromwell; the Penns, father and son; George Washington; Franklin; the southern-states Calhouns; Andrew Jackson, one-time King of Louisiana; and a host of others seamlessly infiltrate the story. Scarcely a page passes without reference to something Butler has re-fitted for Witchy Eye, yet almost never do the references, however passing, cause hesitation or uncertainty in the reader. He has so completely worked through the minutiae of is world that they seem inevitable in their new contexts.

All of this is to say that, incomplete as it is (although it comes to a nicely satisfying conclusion of its own stated purposes), Witchy Eye is a challenging, reward, stimulating fiction that leaves one grateful that, after turning the final pages, there will be more to follow.
Strongly recommended.

Witchy Eye by D.J. Butler is a wildly imagined and unique alternate history with wizards, undead, and hillbillies set in colonial America. I’ve never read a book like it. The large cast of characters, historical details, and inside jokes will delight American history buffs. The novel, told from many different points of view, has a bit of the flintlock fantasy vibe, but this timeline is wildly divergent from our own.

The world is very complicated and filled with many different factions vying for control. Keeping all the details straight was a big challenge for me. There are a lot of terms to remember and this novel needs to be studied. The choice to write out the accents was a bold move, and it made it difficult to read sometimes, but the characters came through. I know the audio book will be hilarious and I would highly suggest people look into listening to Witchy Eye, as this text needs to be performed.

D.J. Butler is a storyteller of an epic scale and this is his magnum opus.

If you love complicated world building, backwoods characters, and a unique take on American history blended with fantastical elements, you will love Witchy Eye.

A review of Witchy Eye by Dave (DJ) Butler

From the inside cover: Sarah Calhoun is the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Elector Andrew Calhoun, one of Appalachee’s military heroes and one of the electors who gets to decide who will next ascend as the Emperor of the New World. None of that matters to Sarah. She has a natural talent for hexing and one bad eye, and all she wants is to be left alone—especially by outsiders.

But Sarah’s world gets turned on its head at the Nashville Tobacco Fair when a Yankee wizard-priest tries to kidnap her. Sarah fights back with the aid of a mysterious monk named Thalanes, who is one of the not-quite-human Firstborn, the Moundbuilders of the Ohio. It is Thalanes who reveals to Sarah a secret heritage she never dreamed could be hers.

Now on a desperate quest with Thalanes to claim this heritage, she is hunted by the Emperor’s bodyguard of elite dragoons, as well as by darker things—shapeshifting Mockers and undead Lazars, and behind them a power more sinister still. If Sarah cannot claim her heritage, it may mean the end to her, her family—and to the world where she is just beginning to find her place.

I truly enjoyed Dave’s book... so much so, that I was disappointed when I had to go to work and could only get to read bits and pieces when I took a quick break in a quiet area to go disappear back into it. I found myself craving more and more and when the book ended, I was devastated because I want more! I am totally looking forward to the next in the series. I found Witchy Eye to be exhilarating, intriguing, and interesting. One of the most intriguing things about this book was that is set in an America… just not the America that you’re used to. I found that concept really unique and refreshing. It took me a little bit of getting used to, but once you’ve got it down, it’s way easier to orient yourself and know where things are. It’s an America that a slide-step to the left of modern day or even historical America, but it works wonderfully. (I’ve included a map, courtesy of Amazon to help readers get an idea of just how different and unique it is.) As a reader, I like to look at the first maps and try to orient myself so that I don’t have to flip back and forth when a new place is named.

Also, because I am admittedly proud geek when it comes to learning new things (for example, I keep an etymological dictionary on hand pretty much everywhere I go because I like to know the history and origins of words), I got an opportunity to do just that when reading Dave’s book. Outside of getting to learn more history contained within the covers of his book, I started wondering what if was a difference between the genres of alternative history fantasy and historical fantasy… Turns out that there is. Completely something that I hadn’t ever considered before and Dave’s book was the impetus for the thought crossing my mind and going to good old Google helped me learn what the differences were. So, I got to learn new words to add to my vocabulary, I got to learn more history, and I got to learn about different genres of fantasy writing. I count that as a win in all categories.

The concept and overall story kept me utterly engaged and left me wanting more, more, more as I was always looking forward to finding out what happened next. A couple of other things I absolutely adored with this book.

A) This book is chock full of history (alternative history in some cases, history that doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline of true world history {i.e. it is accurate but jumped forward/backward in a historical sense} but there is a heap-ton of history none-the less;
B) I utterly fell in love with the main characters as well as the supporting characters. My absolute favorite supporting characters were: Catherine, the lady of the night who, through strength of will and utter determination, managed to maintain her sense of self, dignity, grace, poise, and class even when circumstances lead her to needing to work in the worlds oldest profession. I also found William’s drunken, honorable bumbling quite endearing, which led him into many unexpected, and dangerous situations that he somehow managed to scrape through with limited damage. And, then there was the honorable, non-sexual, restrained courtship (for lack of a better term) between Catherine and William. This courtship had all the hallmarks of unrequited romantic tension. I kept rooting for them each to bend just a little and give into the feelings that they both had for each other but kept hidden for proprieties sake.
C) Cal, with his stalwart support and care for Sarah which was a constant, but not overbearing theme…it was always there, but quietly blooming like a seedling ready to break through the soil. Even with his semi-romantic devotion, he was always ready to act in Sarah’s best interest. Hell, even Obadiah grew on me with his man/child mentality and later on, his devotion (albeit through a hex) to Sarah.

Finally, Sarah’s growth from a spitting hell-cat into a young woman who gradually let her guard down to show some vulnerability, uncertainty, and fear was really refreshing. Personally, I loved how Sarah’s hard-as-nails exterior began to develop cracks that allowed her vulnerability to show through. Don’t get me wrong, I love strong female characters, but sometimes, that same strength of will detracts from character development. In those cases, you find yourself thinking, “Oh great, here she is again, fighting the powers of darkness, but when do we get to see her absolute melt-down when the fight or flight instinct suddenly disappears?” I believe that the breakdown after all the action is over is essential to adding depth and texture to a character so why not let us see it so we can identify a little more with them? It’s almost like some author’s can’t/won’t allow their characters true vulnerability and weakness, which can be utterly unrealistic We readers go through our own trials and tribulations and have our breakdowns and crying jags, so characters in books should get the same allowances because we want to be able it identify with them on an emotional level as well. That not the case with this book… The characters are easy to identify with and they resonate well with the reader on a mental and emotional spectrum.

The book was well edited and lacked the spelling and grammatical errors that readers occasionally find (I think I found one spelling error that somehow got overlooked, but to be honest, it could have been less spelling error and more an intended use of specific vernacular). I’ve got to give it to Dave, his editors, and his beta readers, because they kept the grammar clean and tight, the prose flowing smoothly, and the spelling correct as the OCD in me goes bonkers if there are spelling errors in books! As with most books that I review, when I refer to spelling error, I’m not referring to conversations between characters… I refer to the standard spelling outside of that arena. It’s (at least by me) expected that grammar and spelling rules can be played with fast and loose in conversations between characters that have different accents, dialectics, and backgrounds).

The overall pacing and progression of the book: This book starts strong and progresses at a breakneck pace, but not so fast that it loses the reader or the reader gives up because they can’t follow along. The beginning sets the stage with enough background that the reader doesn’t feel dropped into the middle of a whirlwind, and proceeds to pick up speed from there, building on the background and acclimating the reader nicely to the overall story. The depth and intensity in this book was amazing. The basic infrastructural framework was really sound and grew in structure from basic get-you-prepared to an awesome understanding right through alternative American and British history very well. In fact, as a history buff, I was thoroughly enraptured from the get go, once I got down where places were at and what they were called in this alternate America.

I’m going to break the assessment of the prose into a couple of categories so that any reader of this review doesn’t get overwhelmed. These categories are world building, description, and flow.

Dave’s world building was absolutely amazing. I can only assume that the he had reams and reams of notes with which to refer back to. I can tell you that I would have been utterly lost if I had tried to keep a work of this magnitude and detail all in my head!

Description: There’s description and then there is over description. I’m way not a fan over over-description. This book had an utterly fine balance, which stayed constant throughout. It was fast, but not to fast. There was definitely no Goldilocks syndrome here. It wasn’t too hot, nor too cold. It was just right, which I adore in a book.

Flow: The flow in this book was seamless. There were no disjointed sharp edges that took away from the overall story, plot, or character development.

Ultimately, I can’t wait to get my hands on his second book!

The author came with HIGH recommendations, and so I grabbed the book, even though the genre of magical fantasy isn't my favorite.
If I read many more books like this, though, I may find myself opening up my selection criteria a bit.
It's immersion history. We discover what the world is like by being placed in the middle of a market day, with hucksters and pot-bellied farmers swinging loads of cured tobacco, and stray dogs running between the mules' feet. And noise, and conflict.
A person with more expertise than I possess in early American history would have a BLAST with this book, highlighting all of the points of divergence. I was not able to identify the exact point in history where this line splits off from our own, but there are delicious clues sprinkled in like chocolate chips in a cinnamon cake.Ben Franklin was a bishop, as well as an inventor; Voltaire was a defender of the Faith. Oliver Cromwell is referred to as the Necromancer. And Andrew Jackson's body is suspended in a cage following his death (or execution, not sure which) in an attempt to set himself up as King.
The language is beautiful. The heroine, Sarah, is coming to terms with her hidden identity as well as with her magical powers. She encounters the Mississippi for the first time, and is amazed at the power of the magical aura of the river. (Earth magical power is revealed in 'ley lines.')

"Its color, too, was distinctive. It was multicolored like the Natchez Trace ley line, but the Trace ley was predominantly white, whereas the river ley luxuriated in shimmering deep green. Was that… river energy? The spiritual tracks of thousands of years of catfish?"
[D. J. Butler. Witchy Eye (Kindle Locations 3764-3765). Baen. Kindle Edition.]

Is that not glorious? 'The spiritual tracks of thousands of years of catfish.' That's just not a phrase you will find in just any book. And, if I had any remaining reservations about whether I was a fan of the book, that line eliminated them.
Sarah and her band of supporters set of on a Grail-like quest, while being tracked by nasties, both earthly and ghastly. Along the way, she has to get settled in her own mind about the kind of marriage she wishes to make. In the process, she transforms from a semi-trashy hillbilly type to a queen, with regard for her duties and responsibilities to her followers. They also find transformation in the process; a drunkard thug becomes a knight; a hooker becomes a lady. That sort of thing.
Plenty of plot items are resolved, so it's not REALLY a Grail-like quest, even though I said it was earlier. However, it's clearly the beginning of a great story arc, and I have no idea how many more volumes will follow. Hopefully, the number of chocolate chips has not been exhausted.

You'll fall in love with the world of early American alt history. What would the world be like if magic worked? If England turned pagan during the fight with Oliver Cromwell the undead sorcerer? If there was no United States, but rather an American Emperor along with a patchwork of kingdoms and other powers covering the Eastern half of not-the-US, under the Emperor? Take a ride down the Mississippi seeing this strange and yet hauntingly familiar land through the eyes of the motley crew travelling with the girl with the witchy eye. Fall in love with a down on his luck gentleman, exiled from home and family, making his way as a hired thug and holding his loyalty to a murdered king in spite of it all. See some of the most horrifying dead men ever depicted chase our heroes, a mysterious power befriend a condemned man, secret societies fight eldritch forces, and more! Fun, fascinating ride!

This is one of those books that fills a gap you never knew existed before. As soon as I opened this alternate history / epic fantasy / action-adventure I thought, where have you been all my life? It's jam-packed with folk magic, American legends and oddities, and ancient myths and what-ifs. Totally unlike anything else I've ever read before, but hopefully there will be more like this to follow. Awesome!

This novel is set in an alternate history, somewhere around 1800, in a world where the 13 colonies achieved independence from Britain, but never came together to make the United States. The stuff of folktales is commonplace, with beast-headed folk, practitioners of all sorts of magic, and even the Lazars, servants of the necromancer Oliver Cromwell, walking the earth.
The cultures of each small nation are rich with details rooted in historical fact, but blossom from there into new and imaginitive directions. The writing is intelligent, not shying away from esoteric terms, but giving the reader enough information to understand them. I learned quite a bit of history by looking up names with which I was unfamiliar, getting the real historical context so I could understand what changes had been applied in the story.
The story comes together in an enjoyable and compelling way, following a handful of characters as they converge into a delightful mess. The characters' personalities are strong and flavored, and we see them each evolve as the story progresses. There were a few moments in particular where I had to shake my head in admiration for the striking details and folklore flavor of the direction the story headed.
At the end, I was left itching for the next one. I am excited to see how the events which started to snowball in book 1 will sweep across the Mississippi and Ohio, devastating the balance of power.

Butler sets his paranormal flintlock novel in an alternative version of 1815 America. Our hero is 15-year-old Sarah Calhoun, whose appearance is marred by a wounded eye. Being raised among the Calhoun clan in Appalachee, she's tough, rustic, and fiercely independent. So when she's kidnapped by a northern preacher and his hawker, she uses her wits and developing magic powers to escape--for a time.

For 560+ pages, Sarah works with a team of supporters to outwit and outrun Rev. Ezekiel Angleton and a cast of bad folks--some who are plain criminals, some who are powerful sorcerers. As Sarah learns who she can trust and who she must fear, she learns more about the source of her magic and the history of her ancestors.

Butler densely populates his story world with people from all walks of life, all manner of nationalities, and various degrees and kinds of magic. The dark arts are alive and breeding--except when they are undead and festering. Follow Sarah from the mountains to the bayou, but keep looking over your shoulder for the bad ones and brush up on your colonial and frontier history.

D.J. Butler is one of my favorites, and this book does not disappoint! An unforgettable read!