CBY Book Club: Guest Post & Giveaway - The Copper Witch by Jessica Dall

About the author Jessica Dall

Jessica Dall finished her first novel at age 15 and been writing ever since. She is the author of such novels as Grey Areas and The Bleeding Crowd, the Broken Line Series, and a number of short stories which have appeared in both literary magazines and anthologies. When not writing, she works as a freelance editor and creative writing teacher in Washington, DC.

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Guest Post: Themes of The Copper Witch

While I’ve always been a character-strong writer (a lot of the time I spend prep-time just character building and then throw them into a fishbowl and see what happens) The Copper Witch was a bit of a change for me—namely, it’s the first time I have ever based a story around an anti-heroine.

The Copper Witch’s main protagonist, Adela, was never especially made to be a likable character—I certainly didn’t write the story because I thought she was someone I would want to be friends with—but I found myself entirely interested in her life. She knew what she wanted and woe on those who got in her way.

As a woman willing to always go for what she wants, however, I have been asked once or twice if the book is meant to be feminist literature. I can honestly say that was never my intent writing it—perhaps namely because I never saw Adela as someone any reader should naturally want to emulate. In all honesty, it is more a story about the dangers of unbridled ambition and how that manifests itself when power is entirely based on family and inheritance. Adela doesn’t have a way to change her lot in life other than trying to manipulate others—and so that is what she has become very adept at doing.

Is Adela a “strong female character”? I suppose you could make that argument, but so is her daughter (the protagonist of Book 2: The Porcelain Child, which is currently heading into edits) and they are certainly nothing alike. They are both important players dealing with the world they have been thrown into, but it is rather than attempting to make them “strong women” they are really just characters who are reacting to be given both a privileged and disadvantaged station in life—and that’s what makes them interesting.

And so, rather than focusing on the fact that the characters are women, I think the true themes of The Copper Witch are ones based around family and politics, and how people fit into it all when the two are undeniably linked.

The inherent instability of such a system starts coming much more into play with Book 2.

The Copper Witch

Author: Jessica Dall
Genre: Historical Fiction, Alternate History, Romance
Series: Broken Line
Publisher: 5 Prince Publishing
Pages: 374
Language: English
Format: Print and eBook
Release Date: March 13th, 2014

Book Description:
Adela Tilden has always been more ambitious than her station in life might allow. A minor nobleman’s daughter on a failing barony, Adela’s prospects seem dire outside of marrying well-off. When Adela catches the eye of the crown prince, Edward, however, well-off doesn’t seem to be a problem. Thrown into a world of politics and intrigue, Adela might have found all the excitement she ever wanted—if she can manage to leave her past behind.

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