3.69 AVERAGE


I think, out of all of Paula Brackston’s books I’ve read so far (I only have one left!) this is my second favorite. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt fully immersed in a story like this, and it was surprising as I wasn’t holding out much hope for this one. However I was fully engaged and loved the entire thing!

This book, like most of Brackston’s others, has dual POV’s. The first is of Tilda’s in the modern day. Normally with novels like this the modern day POV is either boring or annoying, but because Tilda was such a well rounded character I was as interested in her POV as I was in the historic one. She had the full spectrum of emotions as the story went on, and there was never a point where her characterization felt forced or unfocused. Considering this is a very character driven story this made her journey so much more believable and relatable. Her romantic love sub-plot was not as central to the novel as her own journey of personal growth and self-discovery was. In many of Brackston’s other novels the romance takes center stage and doesn’t feel as believable as it did here. Seeing the main character’s growth was what made the story enjoyable.

The second POV was of Seren, which takes place in the 10th century (I think, thats the 900′s right?) From her POV we learned about a different type of witch. While this is also a common theme in Brackston’s books, in this one much more historic detail is placed on the importance of witchcraft. This is because it’s much earlier in time than her other historical fiction novels, so it’s refreshing. Reading from Seren’s POV reminded me of Bradley’s Avalon series. Also, this is the first time reading Brackston’s books that I felt I got a real education of Welsh history and mythology. With her other books I could’t really visualize Wales as well as I could with this one. I would love if she wrote a book that took place just in this time and place!

Overall this book was almost perfect. With the exception of some plot threads that don’t get resolved by the end, and some places where the story feels a little rushed here and there. This is nearly perfect. I’ll still give it 5 stars just because of how engaging it was. I recommend this to anyone interested in the Medieval/Dark Ages period of the UK, as well as people who enjoy mythology.
adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I don’t usually read a lot of books that have to do with magic but I read a review on this one and it sounded interesting, so decided to give it a try. I liked the Celtic angle and setting of this story! The duel story lines alternating between Seren and Tilda was fun. I liked how their stories meshed and complimented the other. I also loved the book cover! .

I quite enjoy the genre "sad-lady-moves-into-secluded-but-beautiful-house-and-becomes-less-sad-possibly-with-magic-bits".

I should make a shelf for it.

Finally got hold of this Kindle book today. I really like Paula Brackston. So far, 'Winter Witch' has been my favorite.
adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
adventurous dark hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
challenging reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The audiobook reader does a stellar job on this book. The plot moves pretty slowly and is focused more on the characters and the mysterious nature of their magic than on plot twists.

I enjoyed this book.

I found it slow to start, but it was truly enjoyable. I loved how you followed Tilda's self discovery, while missing pieces would be filled in my Seren. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I picked it up, but am I ever glad I did:)

I have added the other books by this author to my list!

This fits the category of "a book from multiple character POV's." There are two POV's that are in this book - Tilda in the present and Seren in the past.

Overall, I found this story to be a great way to introduce Welsh folklore to people unfamiliar with the legends of that area. While the ending was a little more fantastical than I was expecting, the plot wove itself very well between the 9th century and modern Wales. Adding the touch of legend into both time periods helped make the historical aspect real as well as bring the past into the present when Tilda was the focus.