Sarafina

Sarafina is the fourth book I have read by Philip Fracassi, and it is definitely my favorite so far.  Unlike many from my part of the United States (the "South"), I have never been a big Civil War buff, but the promise of supernatural witchiness encouraged me to read this, and now I encourage you to do so.
Sarafina is told primarily from the point of view of Ethan Belle, youngest of three brothers who desert the Confederate Army after a particularly tough series of battles in Tennessee and start making their way home to Mississippi. 
Exhausted, injured - with one brother suffering from a gunshot wound, and with the Home Guard on their heels ready to hang them for deserting, they find refuge with a mysterious woman called Sarafina and her son, Titus. Then things really get dark.
At first, it's easy to sympathize with Ethan. He's a literal child - barely seventeen years old, his mother died when he was a young child leaving him with a broken father and two older brothers who bully and abuse him, with only his twin sister Ellie for comfort, and now he's seen and done awful things fighting for the Confederacy. 
Speaking of Ellie - a handful of the pages are told from her perspective, which, for the most part, serve to shore up our sympathy of Ethan because of her love for him and by giving more insight into how their home life changed after their mother's death.
And the novel's namesake, Sarafina. I don't want to go into too much detail - spoilers! - but I will leave you with my favorite bit of her dialogue as said to Ethan, who at this point is a little infatuated with and very grateful to her, "You mistake my nature." I got literal chills when I read this.
Ethan - and we - soon have this mistake corrected as Sarafina's true nature - and eventually those of the whole Belle family - are revealed.
Sarafina is a deliciously dark novel, the characters are complex with layered motives, there are horrifying moments perpetrated by people, in and around the war, and by, well, not-people, and, surprisingly, there are some heartbreaking moments. I'm looking at you, Chapter 59. 
Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the advance copy for my unbiased review.