First Lines Review: Can These Witchcraft Horror Novels Hook Me?
First Lines Review: Can These Witchcraft Horror Novels Hook Me?
One sentence.
That's often all an author has to convince readers to keep going.
As someone who reviews indie books, I receive far more review requests than I could ever realistically read. That's why I started my First Lines series—a fun way to judge whether a novel earns the next page based solely on its opening.
I actually forgot about this series for a while until one of my viewers reminded me how much they enjoyed it. So, thanks for the nudge! Hopefully this becomes a monthly feature because it's one of my favorite ways to discover new books.
This time, I focused on witchcraft-themed horror novels. That's one of my favorite subgenres, especially when the magic feels grounded in real-world folklore rather than flashy fantasy.
Give me cursed objects, pentagrams hidden beneath beds, strange rituals, and unsettling folklore over magical wands any day.
Let's see which books passed the First Lines Test.
Shadow Witch: Horror of the Dark Forest
The opening sentence is:
"The cold rode the wind as a phantom flowing down from the white-capped Waverin Mountains."
Immediately, I knew this book was trying to establish atmosphere.
Unfortunately, that's usually not what hooks me.
I've realized after doing these reviews that I almost always connect with characters before settings. If a novel spends several paragraphs describing weather, forests, or mountains before introducing anyone, I start worrying that I'm about to read pages of exposition.
Fortunately, I kept reading.
The second paragraph introduces Tom Meeks, who is battling both the freezing wind and an unsettling sense of evil.
Honestly?
I would have started the novel there.
As soon as the story gave me a character to follow, I became much more interested.
Verdict: I'd keep reading—but only because the character arrives quickly.
Crows
The second book takes the opposite approach.
Its first line is simply:
"Artemis, I gotta talk to you."
Dialogue.
Instantly, I'm interested.
I don't know who Artemis is.
I don't know who's speaking.
But I know we're already inside a scene.
The second sentence confirms that we're reading from a first-person point of view, which immediately tells me whose perspective I'll be following.
There isn't a lot of mystery in the opening itself, but there's enough momentum to make me continue.
Verdict: Definitely reading another page.
The Summerland
This opening begins with a romantic scene:
"She inhaled his strong male strength..."
The sentence continues for quite a while, layering descriptions together before finally ending.
My biggest issue wasn't the romance.
It was clarity.
By the time I reached the end, I found myself wondering whose muscles were actually being described.
His?
Hers?
The sentence tries to accomplish so much at once that it becomes harder to follow than it needs to be.
Personally, I think splitting it into two shorter sentences would make the writing much easier to read.
Whenever I have to reread the very first sentence to understand it, I start worrying the rest of the novel may require the same effort.
Verdict: I'd probably pass on this one.
Blood, Salt, and Magic
This one wastes absolutely no time.
The opening sentence reads:
"My husband lay at my feet in three bloody pieces..."
Well...
That certainly gets your attention.
Immediately we know:
- The story is told in first person.
- Something horrific has happened.
- The stakes are already incredibly high.
There isn't any slow build-up or lengthy description.
The story simply throws readers into the middle of a gruesome mystery and lets curiosity do the rest.
For horror, that's a strong strategy.
Verdict: Definitely continuing.
The Secret Name
This book takes a slightly different approach.
Instead of traditional chapters, the story begins as journal entries.
That format doesn't bother me at all. Some classic horror novels—Dracula, for example—use journals and letters to tell their stories very effectively.
The first journal entry begins with one word:
"Finally."
By itself, that's not enough to judge.
Fortunately, the next sentence explains:
"It's for a private librarian position at some rich guy's house."
Now we've got a character.
A goal.
And what sounds suspiciously like the setup for something that probably isn't going to end well.
Private jobs in mysterious old houses rarely lead anywhere pleasant in horror fiction.
Verdict: I'd happily keep reading.
What I've Learned From Reviewing So Many Opening Pages
After dozens of these First Lines reviews, I've noticed that my preferences are surprisingly consistent.
The books that hook me usually:
- Introduce a character quickly.
- Start inside an active scene.
- Create questions instead of explaining everything.
- Use clean, readable sentences.
- Give readers a reason to care before describing the world.
One thing I've also realized is that setting isn't unimportant.
It just works better for me when it's woven naturally into the characters' actions instead of presented first all by itself.
Readers experience the world through characters.
Give me someone interesting, and I'll happily explore the setting with them.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was another enjoyable collection of indie horror novels.
The biggest surprise was Blood, Salt, and Magic. Its opening immediately throws readers into a gruesome situation that demands answers, making it the strongest hook of this group.
Crows also impressed me by jumping straight into dialogue and introducing characters without wasting time.
Meanwhile, Shadow Witch reminded me that atmosphere can absolutely work—but for readers like me, introducing the character just a little sooner makes all the difference.
That's why I love making these videos.
Every author approaches openings differently, and it's fascinating to see the many ways writers try to answer one simple question:
How do you convince a stranger to read page two?
Are you an indie author? If you'd like your novel featured in a future First Lines review, send your Amazon link to darkwhimsicalart@gmail.com. I especially enjoy horror, dark fantasy, paranormal fiction, supernatural thrillers, and weird fiction, so if your story leans toward the creepy side, I'd love to take a look.
What kind of opening hooks you the fastest? Do you prefer dialogue, action, mystery, or atmospheric world-building? Let me know in the comments! 👻📚