By skyforbes 
Wherein some women maybe turn into dogs
Book: The Hounding Author: Xenobe Purvis Publication Date: August, 2025 Genre: Supernatural
The Hounding is author Xenobe Purvis’ debut novel and I found it a very promising start by a unique new voice. Set in 18th-century England, it uses its dark, almost gothic, atmosphere to explore some very modern themes.
Spoiler-Free Review
If you haven’t read the book yet, this first section won’t spoil anything for you. I highly recommend that you read the book, then come back and finish reading the rest of this article.
This book takes us to a quiet village in the English country side near the end of the 18th century. It’s the type of small village where everybody, for better or worse, knows everybody else and their business. The peace of the village is disturbed when the ferryman alleges that he’s seen the Mansfield sisters turn into dogs. This allegation spreads through town like wildfire and things soon spiral out of control.
Despite the 18th century setting, the novel clearly has very modern sensibilities. It tackles themes of othering those who are seen as different (especially women), toxic masculinity, and mob…
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