A River Wide by Amanda J. McGee
Interstellar Flight Press (September 7, 2026)
Reviewed by Rowan B. Minor
Horror and fantasy writer Amanda J. McGee is a poet and novelist who resides in Southwest Virginia. Her work has been featured in Artemis Journal, Roanoke Rambler, Luna Station Quarterly, and other venues. McGee is the author of books Mother of Creation and Daughter of Madness from The Creation Saga, as well as the novella Viridian, which is featured in A Sinister Quartet alongside authors C. S. E. Cooney, Mike Allen, and Jessica P. Wick. McGee’s debut standalone horror novella is A River Wide from Interstellar Flight Press. 
A River Wide is a 98-page Appalachian murder ballad that depicts violence against women through the lens of the witch trope. Main character Rhia Blackburn is a water witch from the hollers of Appalachia whose magic has been passed down through a long line of women. After her adopted sister Amey supposedly murders a no-good man, she is kidnapped, and Rhia must unveil the magic and secrets she’s suppressed most of her life. Can Rhia negotiate with the river and use her spellwork to find Amey in time?Continue Reading
