Rhys Shaw’s Kirkyard Moon links Scottish witch trials to women’s power

Rhys Shaw’s historical fantasy Kirkyard Moon draws on Scotland’s witch-hunt history to explore how women were punished for independence, silence, and resistance. The book spans 18th-century Scotland and 20th-century Edinburgh, using a cross-century friendship to connect past persecution with modern questions about power and identity.

Why it matters: - Kirkyard Moon uses Scottish witch-trial history to frame a larger argument about how women’s autonomy has been policed across centuries. - The book connects historical persecution to modern questions about who gets to define a woman’s role, voice and place in society. - Shaw’s work taps a growing audience for fiction that reexamines overlooked women’s history through fantasy and historical storytelling.

What happened: - Author Rhys Shaw released Kirkyard Moon, a historical fantasy set between 18th-century Scotland and 20th-century Edinburgh. - The novel follows Janet Murray, a socially awkward young woman, and Elspeth, an 18th-century woman whose spirit lives within Janet. - The story centers on Elspeth’s abuse, her accusation of witchcraft, and a friendship that develops across time and death. - Shaw says the novel grew out of her interest in women whose stories were overlooked or shaped by other people’s decisions.

The details: - Scotland saw nearly 4,000 witchcraft accusations between 1550 and 1700. - Historic Environment Scotland reports that about 85% of the accused were women. - Many of the accused were executed. - The Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 created the legal framework for persecution and remained in force until 1736. - Janet Horne, executed in 1727, is recognized as the last person executed for witchcraft in Britain. - Scotland formally apologized in 2022 for the persecution of people accused of witchcraft. - Shaw also writes the four-book Welexia Series, which begins with Someone’s Daughter and continues through A Daughter Rules, Weight of Her Crown and A Queen’s Wisdom. - Shaw says the series follows Princess Alaria through betrayal, grief, political intrigue, survival and leadership. - Kirkyard Moon is available through bookstores and online retailers. - The book is listed on Amazon. - More information is available at welexia.com.

Between the lines: - Shaw is positioning fiction as a way to recover women’s history, not just retell it. - The recurring theme across Kirkyard Moon and the Welexia Series is women confronting systems that limit power, independence and self-determination. - The Scottish witch-trial backdrop gives the novel a factual anchor that broadens its appeal beyond genre readers.

What’s next: - Shaw is expected to continue building around the themes of women’s agency, historical memory and power across her books. - Readers interested in Kirkyard Moon can buy the book now and follow Shaw’s broader work through the Welexia website.

The bottom line: - Kirkyard Moon turns Scotland’s witch-hunt history into a story about how women survive control, erasure and fear.