The new audio book of Widdershins is narrated brilliantly by talented actor, Christine Mackie, from Downton Abbey, Coronation Street, Wire in the Blood, and so on.
The first part of a two-part series, Widdershins is inspired by the Newcastle witch trials, where 16 people were hanged. Despite being the largest mass execution of witches on a single day in England, these trials are not widely known about. In August 1650, 15 women and one man were hanged as witches after a Scottish witchfinder found them guilty of consorting with the devil. This notorious man was hired by the Puritan authorities in response to a petition from the Newcastle townsfolk who wanted to be rid of their witches.
Widdershins is told through the eyes of Jane Chandler, a young woman accused of witchcraft, and John Sharpe, the witchfinder who condemns her to death. Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane soon learns that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his father’s beatings to his uncle’s raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witchfinder and save in-nocents from the scourge of witchcraft.
My Review
This book is the kind that, if you have a physical copy, you don’t want to put down, and if you have the audio copy, you do not want to press pause. I generally stay up far too late reading, and I thought that listening to an audio chapter may help me put the book down, but I found myself reaching for the pause button very slowly, and the next chapter would start before I could pause it, so I had to listen to that one as well, since it had already started.
There are two characters that this novel follows, and I only liked one of them. Jane Chandler is such a lovely young woman, and the kindness of her heart is crystal clear. I absolutely loved her chapters and I found myself checking how long was left until another of hers. The other character, John Sharpe, is arguably the character I dislike most out of all of the books I have ever read, and of all of the villains I have met in other stories. John is a despicable man, and I hated him. I really REALLY hated him.
The historical setting of this book is one that I am not overly familiar with, but I did not find myself lost at any time. The setting has been depicted so clearly I may as well have been watching a movie instead of listening to an audiobook. In particular, I was fascinated with the use of herbs for medicinal purposes. I know that chamomile tea has a calming effect, and peppermint tea can help with digestion, but other than tea, I know little. Jane introduced me to a world of herbs and plants that saved so many lives that would have been lost without the help of nature.
There are some truly awful scenes in this book, and a very large majority of them include John. The narration of this book really brings the book to life, and I couldn’t help but imagine the horrible things that so many women suffered and how awful it must have been to be accused of being a witch.
This book is both chilling and gripping, and I honestly could not stop listening to it. The author has done a masterful job of creating a world that you never, ever, want to imagine visiting, and the narrator has brought this world vividly to life. It was truly wonderful.
Buy this Book (you really should)
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