Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE: Season of the Witch

SERIES: Men of Lancaster County

AUTHOR: Eli Easton

PUBLISHER: Pinkerton Road, LLC

LENGTH: 286 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2025

BLURB:

This story is set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, but it features a new couple and can be read as a stand-alone in the Men of Lancaster County series.

Elijah fled his grandfather’s house one fateful night, choosing to leave the Amish order rather than submit to the old man’s commands. He finds refuge at Pig bottom Farm, a rescue run by a fellow ex-Amish, Samuel, and his husband. Elijah prays Samuel never finds out who he really is–a brujah, or practitioner of Amish folk magic, and grandson of the most powerful brujah in Lancaster County. Such practice is forbidden among the Amish, and Samuel would surely want nothing to do with him.

Jon has been a farmhand at Pig Bottom Farm for two years, ever since he left his home in Louisiana and the tragedy that happened there. He doesn’t like people, and he resents having a homeless nineteen-year-old hanging around, no matter how beguiling and mysterious the ‘kid’ may be. When Jon begins to find signs around the farm that remind him of the folk magic he grew up with, he knows Elijah is not the innocent farm boy he pretends to be.

Elijah left the Amish, but he can’t escape the spiritual gifts that are in his blood. Some will want to use his power, some will fear it, and one will be compelled to love and protect him. When bad brujah come, Elijah must risk everything to save the family that cast him out.

This story features faith healing, Amish folk magic, a feisty Cajun farmhand, lots of pigs and other rescued farm animals, enemies-to-lovers, found family, fate, and a happily ever after.

REVIEW:

Elijah has had to leave his family and his home and his Dawdi – grandfather – who was his teacher and mentor in the braucherie for his community.  They were the healers and Elijah has a powerful gift to see what is ailing both people and animals.  But he can’t help that he is not attracted to women and when he gets caught, the cannot stay.

He ends up rescued by Samuel and Eddie and comes to live on their rescue farm helping with the chores.  Joh, the current farm hand is a loner – healing from his own past – and he wants NO part of anyone else in his space.  He’s not at all welcoming to Elijah.  Elijah feels bad about that and he’s on tenterhooks as to how long this safe place will last for him  Winter is coming and he has no money, no job, no prospects, so he just tries to keep his head down.

When a pig has an injury and Elijah helps it heal with a salve that Jon doesn’t know, he becomes suspicious.  He follows Elijah and sort of outs him as a practitioner of well something.  He doesn’t know what.  Elijah is just trying to help an ill horse but Jon doesn’t like it.  He causes Samuel some fear around it being former Amish.  Elijah vows not to do it again.  But the vet shows up, confirms Elijah’s worries and Jon apologizes.

Jon and Elijah have sort of a truce going then.  Elijah is being bothered by some bad Amish brujahs who want to use his power to take down his Dawdi.  Jon chases them off, but Elijah is worried.

When Jon is injured and Elijah uses his sills, well things change.  For everyone.  Samuel and Eddie are shocked.  Jon is grateful.  Then Jon’s aunt shows up and she is a breath of fresh air.  She acknowledges Elijah’s gifts and helps him see that his skills can help a lot of people 🙂  There may be a place in the English world for him after all.  And Jon’s coming around too 😉

What a wonderful return to Lancaster County!  This story brings new aspects of Amish culture that I had never heard of and had no idea existed.  It was very interesting how humans have developed all these parallel paths to explain the unexplainable and harness the unseen.  Whether it’s voodoo or braucherie or laying hands or whatever the naming convention, the human experience is universal.  Elijah’s experiences and his life were completely different to Jon’s and yet, they are still more alike than different.  There is a lesson there, should we choose to acknowledge it 😉  I loved Aunt Jolie and the reveal of Jon’s past as well.  It was good to see Samuel and Eddie again too.  The rescue farm was a delight to revisit – especially some of the rescue animals too.  Elijah did not have malice in his heart despite his circumstances.  His vision of the future saved him for sure and I wish everyone facing the kind of family or societal abandonment had such a promise.  This slow burn, enemies to friends to more story arc I think really captured how Jon and Elijah both had things they needed to deal with and heal from in order to see a future.  As a long time Eli Easton fan, I was thrilled to see this book come out and have the opportunity to read and review it.  This series was a huge favorite from the first two books and this one is another gift.  Highly recommended.

RATING: 

 BUY LINKS: 

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