The Crow Folk cover art

The Crow Folk

The Witches of Woodville, Book 1

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The Crow Folk

By: Mark Stay
Narrated by: Candida Gubbins
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About this listen

 'Beautiful and engaging and clever and what more could you ask for in a book?' Manda Scott, bestselling author of A Treachery of Spies

'A story that is full of magic and delight that will thrill readers of any age' Rowan Coleman, author of The Girl at the Window

‘A rural Ben Aaronovitch!’ C. K. McDonnell, author of The Stranger Times

As Spitfires roar overhead and a dark figure stalks the village of Woodville, a young woman will discover her destiny . . .

Faye Bright always felt a little bit different. And today she’s found out why. She’s just stumbled across her late mother’s diary which includes not only a spiffing recipe for jam roly-poly, but spells, incantations, runes and recitations . . . a witch's notebook.

And Faye has inherited her mother’s abilities.

Just in time, too. The Crow Folk are coming. Led by the charismatic Pumpkinhead, their strange magic threatens Faye and the villagers. Armed with little more than her mum's words, her trusty bicycle, the grudging help of two bickering old ladies, and some aggressive church bellringing, Faye will find herself on the front lines of a war nobody expected.

For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes this delightful novel of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . .

Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series!
#1 The Crow Folk
#2 Babes in the Wood
#3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn
#4 The Holly King
#5 The Corn Bride

Praise for THE CROW FOLK

'Stay has brewed a cracking blend of charm and creepiness in The Crow Folk. A rip-roaring tale of bravery and witchcraft on the wartime home front, expertly told with lashings of wit and warmth' Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World

'Warm, witty, witchy wartime fun. With Mark Stay as writer you're always guaranteed a magical read' Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries

'You'll love it: Doctor Who meets Worzel Gummidge' Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village

'A jolly romp with witches, demons, and bellringing. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, and Faye is a feisty and fun hero. Dad's Army meets Witches of Eastwick' Ian W Sainsbury

‘Mark Stay’s brilliantly written Witches of Woodville books are somehow funny, cosy, clever and disturbingly dark all at the same time. Terry Pratchett fans will LOVE em’ Lucy Strange

'Extremely funny, full of imagination, verve and typical English "home counties" wit' Irish Independent ©2021 Mark Stay (P)2021 Simon & Schuster UK 20th Century Coming of Age Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Humorous Village Witchcraft Funny Witty Magic Users

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All stars
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Wasn’t sure about this one at first as it sounded a little bit childish, but once I got used to the narrator i actually started to enjoy it.
It is a clever storyline that develops throughout and that is based on a novel concept that is a bit different to the normal kind of fantasy stuff that I read. Sometimes another ghost story for example can just sound a bit unimaginative and so it is good to come across something that hasn’t been redone 1000 times!
I wasn’t initially convinced by the narrator, but as the book progressed I actually started to like how she delivered the book and she actually did a good job of it. Just take some getting used to.
If you decide to go for this then stick with it as it does improve quite quickly. I have no hesitation in recommending it and I’m a grown bloke! Happy listening.

A clever story and a bit different!

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Warm, funny, kind and wise. This is the perfect comforting book for our troubling times.

Really good

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I think I was persuaded to go for this beard on the ‘lovers of Terry Pratchett’ and while I tried to find an age range - at the time of purchase - it wasn’t there. I bought two of these as part of a start a series offer so didn’t use a credit - had I used a credit I would have returned it I think but I’m going to listen to the second one anyway while I’m doing housework or something. Not a bad story just a bit predicatable and juvenile for my taste

It’s a young teen novel

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This was a fabulous book it kept me entertained from the first word to the last and the skills of the narrator Candida Huggins just bought it to life I really hope another one comes along

Wonderful

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What a lovely book! Think WW11 era with some scarecrows and witches thrown in for good measure. It was at times creepy, at times funny, tugged a bit at the heartstrings and it was full of gorgeously nostalgic historical detail. It reminded me of something I might have read as a youngster.
This is a wholesome book, one that doesn’t depend on gore, sex, violence, etc. for its appeal. That makes it a rare gem and suitable for anyone aged about 12 and upwards. The audiobook is beautifully narrated.
Really looking forward to the sequel, “Babes in the Wood”.

Just Gorgeous!

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I have to start by saying I loved this book so much! I decided to take a chance even though it isn't my usual genre because I was pulled in by the gorgeous cover, and was absolutely enchanted by the lovely whimsical fantasy set in a small village in Kent during WW2.

It is the coming of age story of 17 year old Faye Bright, who finds her late mother's diary and discovers that she was a witch. When unwelcome visitors - scarecrows and the creepy 'Pumpkinhead' - invade the village Faye and two other witches from the village battle to stop them.

Faye is an engaging heroine who is smart, courageous and resilient, and the other characters are all realistic and full of life, especially pipe-smoking witch Charlotte and the imposing Mrs Teach. I enjoyed the backdrop of WW2 Britain in a small village with rationing, the ARP and the Home Guard. The book reminded me of so many things - Worzel Gummidge, Doctor Who, Charmed, Dad's Army - and I loved the humour running through it. There's also a creepy darkness emanating from the gloomy woods.

The ending certainly left me wanting more and I was pleased to find out that this is the first in a new series, and I will be first in the queue to buy book 2 when it is published later this year.

The narration by Candida Gubbins was perfect for the book and helped make this one of my favourite listens of 2021.

Amazing - one of my favourite listens this year!

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I heard about this set of books when I listened to a podcast with mark stay and the white haired Irishman. This is a delightful book to listen too and can’t wait to start the next one.

Great little book

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You can see there’s a bit of a Tiffany Aching vibe going on in this book. Great for YA readers. Almost cartoonish in humour & reads like a TV show / perhaps a Worzel Gummidge Halloween special! Cosy & fun 🤩 enjoyed immensely 👍

Reminded me of Tiffany Aching

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I've heard people say that "The Crow Folk" would be appreciated by fans of Sir Terry Pratchett (May he rest in peace). So I decided to pick this up (That and i can't resist a nice book cover)

And sure, i love the Discworld series above most things.
But just slapping the "it reminded me of Discworld" sticker on it does neither the book or it's author any justice.
Mark Stay has created something new, refreshing, funny and simultaneously serious.

And i love it.

The narrator also does a bang up job on this book.

Absolutely fantastic.

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Suitable for children and adults alike, the story is well-written with engaging characters and a good plot. Light and enjoyable, a little bit eerie, and hitting on more serious subjects at times. The narrator did an excellent job for most of the characters, but in some chapters Faye sounded like a primary school child instead of a 17 year old. I still enjoyed the narration though.
I can only assume that the person who compared The Crow Folk to Terry Practchett has only ever read Sir Terry’s Tiffany Aching series. You could argue that both protagonists are strong girls who go against society’s expectations, but that is the only similarity. This novel is strong enough to stand on its own, laboured comparisons are not necessary.

Fresh and witty

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