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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for an honest review.
Tilda Fordwells is still not used to living in her new house alone. The electricity never seems to stay on and her phobias prevent her from going too far from home, but her pride keeps her from moving back in with her parents. However, as she begins to meet her eclectic neighbors, she finds that she has a lot to learn about the ancient lake that she lives by.
Woven through the novel is the story of Seren Arianaidd, a witch from the area in 900 AD. Seren is met with much disapproval from her village on the crannog (a man-made island), but she is only interested in serving Prince Brynach. When she has a vision of the crannog under fire, she warns of a betrayal of those closest to Prince Brynach.
Tilda and Seren’s lives are somehow woven together, but it’s up to Tilda to figure out why strange things are happening around her — before someone gets hurt. “The Silver Witch” is a Celtic paranormal fantasy with twists that will leave you reeling.
Tilda Fordwells is still not used to living in her new house alone. The electricity never seems to stay on and her phobias prevent her from going too far from home, but her pride keeps her from moving back in with her parents. However, as she begins to meet her eclectic neighbors, she finds that she has a lot to learn about the ancient lake that she lives by.
Woven through the novel is the story of Seren Arianaidd, a witch from the area in 900 AD. Seren is met with much disapproval from her village on the crannog (a man-made island), but she is only interested in serving Prince Brynach. When she has a vision of the crannog under fire, she warns of a betrayal of those closest to Prince Brynach.
Tilda and Seren’s lives are somehow woven together, but it’s up to Tilda to figure out why strange things are happening around her — before someone gets hurt. “The Silver Witch” is a Celtic paranormal fantasy with twists that will leave you reeling.
There is something about this author that hooks me into her stories. I her descriptive writing style. This book was entertaining.
3.5/5 stars, me thinks.
Ok, starting this review of with saying that this is a prime example of how audiobooks in some cases are better than not. This is a book that would have found rather slow if I tried to read it, but listening to it didn't give me that problem. There is a lot happening, but not much action, and a lot of it is history related or relationship related - not something I usually like reading about, but I've come to realize I don't mind listening to books like this.
THE SILVER WITCH is a standalone in Paula Brackston's SHADOW CHRONICLES-series. As far as I can gather, these books are all about witches in different eras in Britain, most of them are stand alone, and they are written for adults.
I do enjoy the writing style. It is easy to picture these stories finding place in Wails. The writing also has an easy flow, and when there are multiple POVs, the writing has a subtle difference that gives a deeper impression of the characters.
I really do enjoy the characters in these books as well.
I've only listened to two so far - this one and [b:The Winter Witch|15702859|The Winter Witch|Paula Brackston|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388629796s/15702859.jpg|21363505] - but I've noticed the diversity in the MCs. There is one that don't speak, and one that has albinism. I think the author has done a good job of describing how the world reacts to that - even if I can't relate - and I like that he as so much focus on the mental aspects of it.
I'm really looking forward to finding out what her other characters have to deal with.
Also, I'm not big on historical fiction, mostly, but this historical fiction I do enjoy. I've always been interested in the story of witches, and I love how they are written in this series.
Ok, starting this review of with saying that this is a prime example of how audiobooks in some cases are better than not. This is a book that would have found rather slow if I tried to read it, but listening to it didn't give me that problem. There is a lot happening, but not much action, and a lot of it is history related or relationship related - not something I usually like reading about, but I've come to realize I don't mind listening to books like this.
THE SILVER WITCH is a standalone in Paula Brackston's SHADOW CHRONICLES-series. As far as I can gather, these books are all about witches in different eras in Britain, most of them are stand alone, and they are written for adults.
I do enjoy the writing style. It is easy to picture these stories finding place in Wails. The writing also has an easy flow, and when there are multiple POVs, the writing has a subtle difference that gives a deeper impression of the characters.
I really do enjoy the characters in these books as well.
I've only listened to two so far - this one and [b:The Winter Witch|15702859|The Winter Witch|Paula Brackston|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388629796s/15702859.jpg|21363505] - but I've noticed the diversity in the MCs. There is one that don't speak, and one that has albinism. I think the author has done a good job of describing how the world reacts to that - even if I can't relate - and I like that he as so much focus on the mental aspects of it.
I'm really looking forward to finding out what her other characters have to deal with.
Also, I'm not big on historical fiction, mostly, but this historical fiction I do enjoy. I've always been interested in the story of witches, and I love how they are written in this series.
I enjoyed this book. As I was reading this, and comparing it with the last book I read, I finally realized that my taste in books has shifted from younger adult books to truly adult books. However, I am very happy to see that that shift in taste doesn't mean I have to give up the genre of books I love, witches, magic etc because there is plenty of it in the adult book world as well. :) I like how Tilda was able to find and feel that connection with an ancient and magical past. I think that is something that a lot of us book nerds would find so cool, and yet it is all realistic. The only thing that isn't just as the world is now is the magic and who knows... :). I also like that Brackston made the magic of Seren completely realistic and accurate for what it would have been in the past.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The dual narratives of modern day Tilda, and tenth century Seren worked well in this book. It also felt well researched in terms of Welsh history, Celtic mythology, and where it touched on archeological references. It fell rather short on overall Pagan history and myth.
A sluggish plot and unnecessary details (how many times do we need to know of Tilda's plaited silver hair and Seren's red cloaks?) made the first 3/4ths of this book too plodding. The last quarter of the book felt rushed, leaving major events to be described in one or two sentences. Thistle came back to life, good girl, let's go!
The characters. Most of them are firmly in the "meh" category, with the main man/love interest being completely devoid of personality and without a distinctive voice. Reading his dialogue was exactly like reading Tilda's. The budding romance and ultimate relationship was a complete snooze fest.
Some of the 10th century dialogue is rather eye-rolling and ridiculous. Imagine a middle school production of Lord of the Rings from tweens who haven't read Tolkien and watched a few LOTR movie clips on TouTube. There you have the dialogue from this book.
I did enjoy the animals in this book, both mythological creatures and every day animals. Thistle the faithful dog, the sea creature, and wild hares were written in a very charming way.
Overall, if you're looking for a well-written and witchy read, there are much better books to be found. This is the first of the authors' books that I've read, and I will likely try another before giving her a pass.
A sluggish plot and unnecessary details (how many times do we need to know of Tilda's plaited silver hair and Seren's red cloaks?) made the first 3/4ths of this book too plodding. The last quarter of the book felt rushed, leaving major events to be described in one or two sentences. Thistle came back to life, good girl, let's go!
The characters. Most of them are firmly in the "meh" category, with the main man/love interest being completely devoid of personality and without a distinctive voice. Reading his dialogue was exactly like reading Tilda's. The budding romance and ultimate relationship was a complete snooze fest.
Some of the 10th century dialogue is rather eye-rolling and ridiculous. Imagine a middle school production of Lord of the Rings from tweens who haven't read Tolkien and watched a few LOTR movie clips on TouTube. There you have the dialogue from this book.
I did enjoy the animals in this book, both mythological creatures and every day animals. Thistle the faithful dog, the sea creature, and wild hares were written in a very charming way.
Overall, if you're looking for a well-written and witchy read, there are much better books to be found. This is the first of the authors' books that I've read, and I will likely try another before giving her a pass.
It took a bit to get started, but this was my second favorite Brackston book so far, The Winter Witch being my first. The relationships weren't forced and took time to grow with the characters. The incorporation of Celtic paganism was wonderful and well researched. Seren is by far Brackston's best character yet. Strong, intelligent, and fearless. The ending was slightly abrupt but the epilogue made up for it.