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Witches

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Witches

By: Tracy Borman
Narrated by: Maggie Mash
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About this listen

September 1613. In Belvoir Castle, the heir of one of England's great noble families falls suddenly and dangerously ill. Within a few short weeks he will suffer an excruciating death. Soon the whole family will be stricken with the same terrifying symptoms. The second son, the last male of the line, will not survive. It is said witches are to blame. And so the Earl of Rutland's sons will not be the last to die.

©2013 Tracy Borman (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd Europe Historical Fiction Fiction Magic Witchcraft Magic Users England

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Critic reviews

"Borman has expertly forged an absorbing biography from fragments of her personal history" ( Independent on Matilda)
All stars
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listen about witches it has me hooked from the start to the very end. The narrator was very good.

A fascinating....

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A bit of history I was aware happened but this book expanded my knowledge. My only niggle was that several quotations and facts were repeated and so I became frustrated on occasions. But generally an informative listen, not too heavy.

Interesting

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Being a history buff,I sometimes wonder if people had an ounce of common sense even among the elite and aristocracy,I read in a historical novel people fear what they don't understand,which is true enough,apart from that I enjoyed the book.

Witches.

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The book itself is fantastic and incredibly interesting. However, the narrator (Maggie Mash), has an odd habit of reading quotes in a weird and croaky voice... No matter whom she is pertaining to be - a judge, aristocrat, farmer, housewife or servant - she reads as if they have some sort of demented laryngitis that comes across as childish and ridiculous at times which is incredibly frustrating and off putting; not to mention that it undermines the academic value of this awesome book.

Brilliant Book, Irritating Narration

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Was really looking forward to hearing this as have come across the story in various Stuart history books and fancied listening to something a bit macabre in the run-up to Hallowe'en, not disappointed by the book itself but the narration has driven me a bit mad - Maggie Mash has a lovely voice but for some reason every single historical quote (and they happen very often as you would expect) is delivered in a strange croaky stage voice - often in regional accents - which I found deeply distracting and a bit ridiculous at times. Others may not find it an issue and it's quite possible I'm being fussy but I really did find the delivery distracting me from the words themselves which is a real shame.

Interesting story, distracting narration

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A riveting book mellifluously read by Maggie Marsh. A chilling indictment of the position of the vulnerable in the early 17th century and an intriguing insight into court and dynastic politics in the Jacobean court.

Fascinating and beautifully rendered

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Compelling story but always extremely grating when the narrator doesn't just do voices but does national accents as well. Feels about as sensitive as 'Allo 'Allo...

The voices!

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Tracy Borman's reputation is enhanced by this really in depth treatise on the Belvoir witches. I learned much about the history of witchcraft in England that was new to me and very thought provoking. Using the story of the Belvoir witches as an exemplar is a crafty way of telling the whole story without confounding the listener with too much detail. It is a shame that Maggie Mash wasn't really up to the task of reading the text. It would have been much better to have just read it, rather that putting on the phoney voices for anything in quotation marks. I found this quite distracting.

A great story spoiled by a poor narration.

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Nothing particularly special about this read; little information available on key facts so a lot left to conjecture. It feels pretty lengthy too and although it’s a subject area I should find fascinating, I lost interest a tad.

Other reviewers don’t like the narrator; I thought she was the books strength and I like her style.

A fair to middling read....

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This is a brilliant detailed book, a good summary of witch prosecutions in England as well as on the Continent incorporated into telling of a specific case. One learns a lot about the concepts people held at the time, how accusations arose and who were likely to be accused, as well as King James I's interest in the subject and the development of the belief in witchcraft throughout the rest of 17th century and beyond.

You don't lose, however, the story of Joan Flower and her daughters. Needless to say, none of the ever accused of witchcraft deserved death and the kind of treatment at the hands of justice system as they received, but I personally felt that their obnoxiousness, stealing from their employer and then promising a revenge in return for, fairly understandable, dismissal didn't help them either.

Maggie Mash is a great reader and I think she imitates the voices of the pompous male authors very well. She could have spared herself a bit this time though, as the quotes are numerous (as in any good historical work) and I almost worried for her voice and the strain she put herself under.

Excellent book

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