Today on the blog Renny de Groot reviews His Last Witchhunt by Deborah C Foulkes, set in the midst of the English Civil War.
And there's a giveaway!
The author has kindly offered a signed paperback copy as a prize. To be in with the chance of winning, simply leave a comment below or on our Facebook page. Good luck!
It is 1646 and England is in the middle of a civil war, but
Matthew Hopkins is fighting another war. One against witches, but where he once
was seen as a saviour, now the tide is turning against him. Dying, Matthew has
no other choice to place his reputation into the hands of one girl, whose witch
trial could make or break him forever.
Jared Wilson has been sent across East Anglia to find Matthew Hopkins and
destroy his reputation. Too many have died at Hopkins’ hands and now it’s time
for it to stop. Tracking him to a small village, a young woman has already been
arrested for witchcraft and Jared makes a deal with her to help destroy Hopkins
in exchange for saving her soul.
Sinead Crowley is an outsider in Hopton Village. Hated and feared, by many, but
when her only friend dies unexpectedly, she finds herself accused of witchcraft
and face to face with the Witchfinder General. But Jared wants to destroy
Hopkins and with the promise of a clean soul, she now must decide on whose side
she will stand on for her freedom.
With this synopsis Deborah
Foulkes introduces us to the key characters in the historic drama of His Last Witch Hunt. I found the
characters intriguing and my heart went out to the young girl, Sinead in her
struggles to find love and acceptance in her small village. Ultimately those
common human desires are dwarfed by the even greater fight for her very life.
Accused of witchcraft, she finds herself a pawn between two powerful men and
must draw on all her resources to navigate her way.
I found the complex story
line interesting as Foulkes keeps the reader guessing until the very end about
the possible outcome. The male characters have been imagined well, embroiled in
the politics and power struggles of the times. As her end notes explain,
Matthew Hopkins was a true character that Foulkes has woven into a story that
will keep you turning the pages.
At times Foulkes created real magic, with images that
gave life to the characters and setting, such as this one:
“The cold river
chilled her bare legs as she waited for breakfast to make an appearance.”
With this introduction to Sinead, I immediately could
see the young girl, fishing for her breakfast. My sense of her unique‘one-ness’
with nature came across cleanly and set the stage for the trials to come.
I feel that the book would be enhanced
by a further editorial polish. There were times where I was pulled out of the
story by certain weaknesses that would be resolved by a strong editor; however,
I still enjoyed the read and learned something about a period in history with
which I am less familiar.
Thanks to the author for
providing me with a complimentary ebook.
About the Author: Deborah C
Foulkes
Books have been a part of my life as far back as I
can remember and I count Stephen King, James Herbert and the Brothers Grimms
as my literary heroes. I have a fondness for the macabre and a weakness
for the antagonist of any story. By day, I work in a public library and by
night or days off, I am hitting the keys of my lovely blue laptop.
Amongst all that I am a mother of a very mature
teenager, who acts older than I am and has an uncanny ability to talk to
animals. We all live together in a Victorian terrace with one depressive cat,
another dumber cat and two ghosts who make themselves known by smoking
woodbines every now and then.
Links: website; Amazon; Linked In; Blog.
Links: website; Amazon; Linked In; Blog.
About
the reviewer:
Renny deGroot is a first generation
Canadian of Dutch parents. Her debut novel, Family
Business, was shortlisted for the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, 2015. Her second novel, After Paris, has also been well received, with the current interest
in all things WW1. She is working on a
new Historical Fiction called Asunder
which is expected out for Christmas 2018. Renny has a BA in English Literature
from Trent University, Canada.
Renny lives in rural Ontario with her
elderly Chocolate lab, Great Pyrenees and young Golden Retriever.
I'd love to get a copy of this please!
ReplyDeleteMe too Paula, it sounds a great read
ReplyDeleteI also would love a copy. This is in the timeframe of my current interest.
ReplyDelete