The Familiars: The dark, captivating Sunday Times bestseller and original break-out witch-lit novel

Product Information

To keep herself and unborn child from certain death, Fleetwood hires the midwife of her choosing, a young woman named Alice Grey. Fleetwood knows that Alice’s methods are unconventional, but she is desperate, willing to try anything. But, when Alice is accused of witchcraft, Fleetwood will do whatever it takes to free Alice, but time is of the essence. Having read Stacy Hall’s The Foundling I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Familiars and it certainly didn’t disappoint. As their old mentor Kalstaff was dead, the three loyals and familiars are completing their studies with Sorceress Edna. All of a sudden, when human magic mysteriously disappears from the land, Queen Loranella is rendered powerless, and is thus unable to stop the impending army of the Dead led by Paksahara which is about to invade the land. Hence, it is once more up to the familiars to save the land of Vastia.

The Year 1612, Pendle, Lancashire. Seventeen-Year-Old Fleetwood Shuttleworth has been married for four years and in that time she has been pregnant three times too, losing each child before their birth dates. Fleetwood is once again pregnant and hoping to make it to full term with her child so she can give her husband an heir to carry on the Shuttleworth name. Unfortunately, she comes across a letter from the local physician which was written after she lost her third child which states that if she would be to fall pregnant again it is unlikely that she will survive. I simply adored all the Witch references and the eerie yet heart breaking storyline, was Compelling yet Poignant.The Familiars is an incisive account of the brutal way women were treated by a patriarchal society in thrall to magic and the supernatural. From the king down, a fear of the unknown, of the dark arts, was used as a way to subjugate, villainise and murder women. I can’t say enough nice things about this one. Right now, historical fiction is one my very favorite genres, and then add in these unmistakable Gothic elements- a genre that is hands down my favorite of any genre, then how can I go wrong? The Familiars is an intricate and sensitive portrayal of a brave, tenacious young girl carving her place in the world. A must-read novel * Heather Morris, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz *

So this is two women’s amazing fight and friendship story against all ignorance, superstition, judgmental and biased minds! Fleetwood is afraid of losing her baby after three miscarriages at young age, she is only 17! She reads physician letter written to her husband and understands this is her last chance to give a heir to him. It’s well developed, informative, but still frustrating with the parts show how the ignorance affect people’s minds and turned them into mentally blind. Other real- life props and events are scattered throughout the novel capturing the atmosphere of the times perfectly. The story is a Gothic lover’s dream, with the suspense building and building, becoming nearly unbearable. But the story is also one of courage, of hope, determination and of friendship and unbreakable bonds forged out of desperation. The best thing about this book is the fact that it is loosely based on real events and real people. I decided to read this book because of the season as it is listed as gothic historical fiction, throw in some witches and I'm yelling "Take my money!" Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism project, is the author of a powerful young adult debut The Burning, which draws parallels between social media-shaming and historical witch hunts.

Corcoran, Sorcha (August 25, 2011). "IADT graduate to co-direct big budget animated feature in LA". SiliconRepublic . Retrieved September 14, 2011. Her face was long and narrow, her eyes large, their color unusual even from a distance: a warm gold, like new coins. There was something fiercely intelligent, almost masculine, in her gaze, and though she was crouched down and I standing, for a moment I felt afraid, as though I was the one who had been discovered. What a fascinating time period for this intriguing historical fiction tale. Rife with political and theological goings on, 1612 was a hotbed of science and superstition. Work on the translation of The King James Bible began in 1604 and was completed by 1611. Not to mention a treatise, ‘Daemonologie,’ published in 1597, on the study of demonology and uses of witchcraft and magic, authored by King James himself. His stature gave added authority to attempts to weed out witches and sorcerers and he would become known as a most notorious witch hunter.