Witchcraft can be deadly... especially when the time is 1554
and the setting is England.
Meg Lytton has the power of witchcraft in a time when it
could mean her death. Her Aunt Jane has been instructing
her while Meg serves the exiled Princess Elizabeth.
Unfortunately, famed witchfinder Marcus Dent has his eyes on
Meg and is determined to have her, one way or another. Will
Alejandro de Castillo, a novice yet to take his vows of
priesthood, be Meg's friend or foe when lives are literally
at stake?
Victoria Lamb crafts vivid, even eerie images of the danger
and horror that befell anyone accused of witchcraft during
the 1500s. Some of the scenes are quite intense, even a bit
sinister at times. I like the way Victoria Lamb intertwines
the political intrigues with the fear of witchcraft that
pervaded the times to give a fresh perspective.
Meg, Alejandro, and Marcus are interesting characters. I
flat out despise Marcus and his overbearing, controlling use
of his power as the witchfinder. Meg is full of teenage
angst and torn between using her powers and doing the right
thing. She can be frustrating at times, as she blindly
rushes into things without considering the consequences.
However, the contrast between her and those blindly adhering
to their political beliefs lets us see her willingness to
protect and care for those she loves, even when good
judgment would encourage otherwise. Oddly, it was Alejandro
who was more of a blank to me. I would like to know more
about what drives him and why he makes the decisions he does
as oftentimes those decisions seemed random.
WITCHSTRUCK is a fascinating journey into the darkness that
befell England as two faiths battled for control of the
country. Victoria Lamb shows us the inner workings of a
third faith, witchcraft, and the condemnation and fear that
its followers experienced at that period in history.
WITCHSTRUCK is not a fast paced story but it is an intense
one. I eagerly await the second book in the series!
If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned.
If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.
Meg Lytton has always known she is different—that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne.
With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg's hand in marriage, and Meg's own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn't a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.
The Secret Circle meets The Other Boleyn Girl in Witchstruck, the first book of the magical Tudor Witch trilogy.