Title: The Winter Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Morgana is a pretty, young woman. She could catch the eye of any young suitor. Except that the people in her village think she’s odd because of her magical skills. Morgana also hasn’t spoken since she was a child. Her mother finds her a suitor in another small town. Cai is her new husband. He is a farmer just outside of town. Morgana is nervous at first and keeps to herself. She quickly befriends the maid who shows her how to harness her powers. While she learns to control her powers, Morgana learns to trust Cai. In town, Morgana is still thought of as odd because of her silence. She is weary of the town’s priest and the wealthy lady in town who has her eye on Cai. Morgana senses something dark in the two of them. The rich lady seems to have everyone wrapped around her finger. Morgana digs deeper into the town’s secrets. She finds out more about the people’s dark past. This puts everyone she knows in danger. Can Morgana convince Cai and the town of this? Will she be able to save him? And the farm?
Rating: 4.0 – a great book with lots of twists and turns
Opinion: This was the first book that I read by Paula Brackston. This book was much better than I was expecting. There are lots of twists and turns in this book. Though I was suspicious of the bad guy/girl from the beginning. It still surprised me how dark the characters go and how far they are willing to go to keep their power. I enjoyed learning about small town Welsh life. It took me a little bit to learn how to say all of the character’s names, cause they’re all Welsh names. Paula Brackston does her research when it comes to history and magic. That and her well written mystery is why I keep reading her books. I also enjoyed learning about the natural magic system and how light and dark witches use their powers. Do I believe in the ways of natural magic? No, but it’s still good to learn about it. All Paula Brackston’s books include some form of natural magic, and this book is no exception. The magic is based on real magical practices. If you’re looking for a historical fiction intertwined with magic and mystery, then I’d highly recommend this book.
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