Death’s Embrace

Sonnier expands on the universe of The Clockwork Witch in this inventive but slight prequel. Preteen Macaria has been raised to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a hedge witch in 18th-century Poland and is sorely disappointed that her magical abilities have not yet taken root. Then, at their village’s annual springtime ritual, Macaria encounters a bad omen that leads to a series of accidents culminating in the death of her pet cat. Through this loss, her true destiny is revealed: Macaria is a death witch. Her touch has the power to kill and to revive, but in order to control it she must leave her mother to study with the mysterious Joanna Lewandowski, who teaches Macaria to see the balance of life and death. Sonnier’s prose is characteristically fresh, and Macaria’s maturation over the course of her training is satisfying to witness but the tension of the setup drains as Macaria learns control and the story works its way to an underwhelming ending. Sonnier’s fans will appreciate the shading this novella adds to her witchy world but wish for a meatier tale. (May)