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

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Rising tension, boiling anger and atmosphere surrounded by paranoia create doubts on Fleetwood‘s mind for making a choice about who she could trust! Breathtaking, emotional and powerful in every sense of the word. The Familiars by Stacey Halls is a stunning portrayal of fear, friendship, truth and betrayal of power and I have no doubt that this will be on every 2019 book of the year list at the end of this year . . . The Familiars by Stacey Halls is a masterpiece and I cannot wait to read more from this talented author * Books of All Kinds * 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!" An outstandingly captivating book which weaves its magic around the reader throughout * Beady Jans Books *

Soon the two women's lives will become inextricably bound together as the legendary trial at Lancaster approaches, and Fleetwood's stomach continues to grow. Time is running out, and both their lives are at stake. While it is a work of fiction, The Familiars contains real characters and events from the early 1600s. It’s a darkly atmospheric tale of friendship, loyalty and witchcraft. A midwife’s role is to protect the life of mother and child so when Alice tells Fleetwood she can bring her and her unborn child safely to term, their lives are irrevocably intertwined. Why then does Roger imprison Alice? He claims that Alice is part of a family of witches. What does Roger fear from Alice? Alice states baldly that the King, and those who would please him, are afraid of wise women.

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There are times when I get absolutely giddy over a book that I’ve just finished, so much so that I start babbling to my neighbors, call up family members, talk about it to strangers in stores despite their strange looks as though I’ve lost my mind. That is exactly what I have found myself doing with Stacey Halls new book, The Familiars.

THE FAMILIARS is such a Powerful, Heart Breaking and Enthralling read, it Pulled me in and Got Under My Skin! This book is a perfect example why people should have an extensive knowledge about historical period they are writing about. Otherwise you will read about ladies in XVII century being surprised by the fact that a peasant cannot write, peasants forgetting themselves and yelling at the noble ladies, expectant mothers thinking about how they will gain a lifelong friend when their child is born (and forgetting about infant mortality rate), not going into the confinement 6 weeks before due date but riding a horse till the last moment, husband storming in to hold wife's hand during labor etc. You could easily see that author did not spent too much time on a research. The novel is based on true events, Pendle Hill Witch Trials, and most of the characters did exist, although it was the Author's imagination that directed their actions. The story revolves around a noblewoman, Fleetwood Shutterworth who is expected to provide her husband with an heir. She miscarages several times, and one day, when pregnant again, she meets a local woman, Alice Grey, who has a knowledge of the herbs and skills which may help Fleetwood during her pregnancy. The story seems simple, but the Author managed mastefully to create a novel which I couldn't put down. There are several themes in the novel which I found interesting: position and fate of woman in the early 17th centrury, prejudice against wise women which in consequence led directly to the accusations of witchcraft and then to stake, and the role children played during the so-called witchhunt. A very good atmospheric novel which I would recommend to FH lovers. If the doctor was to be believed—and no doubt he was—the child was fattening like a conker in a spiked green shell, and eventually would split me open. A child was what Richard wanted more than anything, and where I had failed before perhaps I would not this time…but at the cost of my life? The Familiars is a feminist tour-de-force, spiced with frissons of supernatural, brimming with local history, and opening up a fascinating female perspective on the plight of the woman who faced degradation and death in a dark corner of Lancaster Castle * Lancashire Post *So when Fleetwood meets Alice in the woods one day, she is convinced she can help Fleetwood deliver the baby and keep her alive, so she asks Alice for help. Even in life I had been the little ghost, and now I was consigned to death. I held my stomach, and imagined disappearing. It would come soon, no doubt, but it would not be gentle, like the light leaving the sky. It would be painful, and terrifying, and lonely, with no cool hand on my head, no amber eyes willing me calm. There would be a trial, and Alice would die, then I would die, both of us killed in an outbreak of misfortune.’ Weber, Rachel (October 10, 2013). "Angry Birds film signs Disney director". Games Industry . Retrieved December 15, 2013. In ‘The Familiars’ by Stacey Halls, our main character, Fleetwood, who was a young child bride, has by the age of seventeen had three miscarriages. Married to Richard Shuttleworth, who has an earring and a plush closet, she’s still deeply in love after four years of marriage. But, if she cannot bear his heir, then as a woman, what does she bring to this coupling? That’s the idea of the times. Women are mere possessions to be handed from father to husband along with any properties attached. Fleetwood does not think she’s very pretty, but it seems there is quite a bit of property that goes to Richard, a financial boon perhaps? One novel which does just that is What Red Was, 26-year-old Rosie Price’s debut, which draws on her experience of rape to examine the profound impact it can have on survivors. Price is wary of prematurely crediting #MeToo with changing the nature of stories being told, but hopes that as publishing continues to place women’s experiences centre stage, so “we will see a greater willingness to listen and to know that abuses of power can be far more nuanced and subtle than we might expect”.

A gorgeously written novel that I couldn't put down once I started it. . . I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, especially Laura Purcell's novels * Lyra Silvertongue Reads * The Familiars by Stacey Halls is a debut to look out for, one of these books that once you start reading, you cannot put down -- Galina Miteva * The Fountain * The fact that this novel was originally published soon after Doctor Who explored this time period last series seems like a happy coincidence, but this was the main reason why I wanted to read this debut novel. Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert, determined to save their loyals (the human companion of a familiar), go on a quest to free them. They experience many trials on their quest, vanquish a witch, defeat a mountain troll, pay a visit to Gilbert's homeland, and encounter the great Mountain Alchemist, who, along with Queen Loranella and Kalstaff, were the first 'prophesied three' 60 years ago. Finally, just before the third sunset when the protection spells around their three loyals fade, which will allow Queen Loranella to finally kill them, the three familiars arrive. Upon arrival, they realize that their real enemy is the Queen Loranella's familiar, a hare named Paksahara, who had imprisoned the real queen, and shifted into her likeliness. They also become aware that murdering Kalstaff and kidnapping their loyals was also really done by Paksahara under the guise of Queen Loranella. As the three familiars make desperate endeavors to rescue their loyals, Aldwyn discovers that he is in fact magical and possesses the power of telekinesis. With his newfound power, Aldwyn and his fellow familiars defeat Paksahara, who ultimately escapes. Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert free their loyals, and discover that the three real wizards that the shooting stars foretold are Aldwyn, Skylar and Gilbert, the three animal wizards. The Familiars is a historical novel set in the era when people who were a little different were accused of being witches and killed, not only in the UK but across the world too. One of the most famous and best-recorded witch trials in the UK was in Pendle, Lancashire, now dubbed the home of the ‘Pendle Witches’, where twelve people went on trial and ten found guilty.

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Fleetwood although only seventeen has been through some hard times. Not only is it illegal to get married at the age she did these days, but you just couldn’t comprehend a young girl of seventeen having been married for four years and not only being pregnant four times but losing three of her children before birth too. I found her character although a little weak minded at times, yet she was intriguing and I enjoyed watching her evolve as the plot progressed. It follows two girls at the home, Martha and Josephine, as well as the eminent figure of Miss Coutts, who privately is plagued with her own demons. The publisher says this is Halls’ “most ambitious and captivating novel yet”. Gilbert, a familiar to Marianne, a hapless tree frog with the ability to see visions of the past, present, and future in pools of water. Even though The Familiars is centered around the Pendle witch trials, in the end Halls steers the book away from witchcraft. This is very much Fleetwood’s story, her pregnancy, her marriage, her friendship with Alice. Did you agree with this decision? Would you like to have read more about the trials? The story to me, is a tale of impressive women and disappointing men, not unlike most stories from history! I loved the unlikely friendship and connection between Fleetwood and Alice that transcended class barriers. I liked the character of Fleetwood and found her to be a really realistic character. She made naive, rash and often immature decisions which further reminds the reader that although she is the mistress of Gawthorpe Hall, she is still a young teenage girl. I enjoyed her character development, from a meek, baby-making machine to a woman determined to use her voice and privileged status to help her friend.