Glunda the Veg Witch was the 7th place finalist in BBNYA 2024!
About BBNYA
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website or take a peek over on Twitter. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.
Book Details
| Length: 149 Pages Genre: Fantasy Age Category: NewAdult Date Published: October 31, 2023 Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/0PuM2ij (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/g53yea8 (UK) https://a.co/d/3rEJIWd (Canada) Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197178640-glunda-the-veg-witch The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b74b2904-09ad-46f1-a5ef-4454a7dcb72c |
Blurb
“A witch’s boots told the story of her life. They showed you where she’d been, where she was going, and what kind of a witch she would be when she got there. And, most importantly, they were proof that said witch was not someone to be trifled with. She was to be listened to, and obeyed, and yes sometimes even feared, because her wisdom was hard earned and her wrath swift and mighty. They would have to be, for her to have lived in such boots for so many a year. No one trusted a witch in brand new boots, and rightly so as far as Glunda was concerned.”
Glunda Ashwillow is on top of the world. About to become head witch, and the youngest ever Guardian of the Golden Key, the only thing standing in her way is her old enemy, the Drupe Mages. They have the key, and they’re not willing to give it up without a fight.
With a coven of quarrelsome witches to contend with, and a fief full of farmers on the verge of revolt, can Glunda beat the mages and get the key before she runs out of veg? Or is there a cold, hard, carrot-less winter ahead for all concerned?
A tale of heroism and hotpots, Glunda The Veg Witch is a fun fantasy adventure everyone can enjoy.
Author Bio
Born a stone’s throw from the Lake District, Keith studied filmmaking at university before moving to London to work in film and TV. After 20 years of doing other people’s bidding, he went around the world, trained as a yoga teacher, rode a camel, got a tattoo he doesn’t regret, and was finally able to publish his first novel, DEXTER & SINISTER: DETECTING AGENTS, something he has dreamed of since he was 8 years old and asked for a typewriter for Christmas.
Currently residing in Leeds, when he’s not up a mountain, Keith can be found trying to get his foot behind his head. He hasn’t managed it yet, but he’ll get there one day.
Keith has four books out, THE HAMMERSMYTH TALES, a steampunk series that includes two novels and a collection of short stories, and GLUNDA THE VEG WITCH, his first foray into cosy fantasy.
Keith can be found idling on social media at:
- https://x.com/keithwdickinson,
- https://bsky.app/profile/keithwdickinson.bsky.social, and
- https://www.instagram.com/keithwdickinson/.
You can find out more about him and his work at https://keithwdickinson.com/.
Review
In an amusing reflection of modern-day society, Glunda the Veg Witch is a fun and thoughtful premise highlighting injustice, elitism, ageism, and sexism in the fantastical world of Wellety Vale. The characters’ fears of a ‘peasant revolt’ was particularly intriguing, a cheeky nod to a potential Marxist uprising against the elite witches and mages who form the two-party system that dominates Wellety Vale.
There is even ageism amongst the witches, with Glunda, the ‘Keeper of the Cauldron’, being held in contempt for being a young leader.
“The witches had staked themselves out a spot to the left of the stage, whilst the mages had taken up most of the chairs to the extreme right, keeping as much distance between themselves and the women in pointy hats as possible. This was probably for the best as who knew what would happen if the two groups got within spitting distance of each other.”
The witches (on the left) are more thoughtful and care more about the Earth and the environment, while the mages (on the right) are greedy and money-orientated. However, both are in the end devoid of commonality. Both groups represent the elite and lack the understanding of the struggles of the common people (as Glunda very aptly states, “putting power into the hands of the wealthy few is a mistake”.)
“Helping people was a good and noble thing to do, but it paid to do something purely for yourself once in a while, otherwise what was the point? You became a slave to life, and such a person was no use to anyone.”
“I used to think that being a witch was about helping people no matter what, but it turns out that when the ‘what’ hits the fan that soon goes out the window in favour of helping yourself and sod everybody else.”
Keith W. Dickinson’s story very cleverly calls into question the role of our leaders and presents a thought-provoking narrative that explores the complexities of leadership and self-interest. It proposes many utilitarian questions, particularly the balance between serving others and addressing one’s own needs. Overall, Glunda the Veg Witch is a charming easy-to-read tale with a lot of heart and wisdom. It’s definitely a book I would revisit time and time again.
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