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The Vanishing Witch by Karen Maitland (view source)
Revision as of 09:16, 7 August 2014
, 09:16, 7 August 2014no edit summary
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Fans of British author [[:Category:Karen Maitland|Karen Maitland]] (and there are many) will know she adores all things mediaeval, a love that began after she visited the beguinage (city of women) in Bruges. Therefore it's not surprising that this, her sixth novel and fifth set against the Middle Ages, shows that her talent is as enduring as her affection.
As was the case in her last book [[''Company of Liars by Karen Maitland|Company of Liars]] '' Karen picks an historical event and augments it with an other-worldly presence. Indeed, ''The Vanishing Witch'' is narrated by a ghost who watches over all the proceedings with a dead ferret. (Nice touch!) Gradually as the plot unfolds, we realise their identity and eventually the full connotations of their death hits us.
I won't say too much about some of the characters as our perceptions of them changes over the story and I wouldn't want to spoil anything. Let's just say that Karen's devotion to period detail coupled with her talent for conveying emotion (particularly fear and panic) provides a sturdy skeleton on which to build a strong story with some unexpected twists and gasps.