Motheater

Appalachia comes alive in Codega’s atmospheric debut fantasy. Benethea “Bennie” Mattox is determined to bring down White Rock, the corporation that’s chipping away at Kire Mountain in the mining town of Kiron, Va. People have been disappearing in the mines in ones and twos for decades, and the most recent person to vanish is Bennie’s best friend, Kelly-Anne. While searching the mountain for evidence that White Rock is to blame, Bennie pulls a body from a river and is shocked to find the woman is still alive. She introduces herself as Motheater, but she has only the vaguest memory of who she is: an Appalachian Neighbor, a witch with deep ties to the region. She has been trapped in the mountain for a century and a half, since just after the first big mining company appeared in the area, but she’s ready to resume her crusade to protect both the town and the mountain. Together, Motheater and Bonnie work to save the place they both love. Codega weaves Appalachian magic and Southern cunning throughout their protagonists’ crusade and brings in an exploration of what it is to be queer in the South. Readers will find lots to love. Agent: Bridget Smith, JABberwocky Literary. (Jan.)

Correction: A previous version of this review used the wrong pronoun to refer to the author.