Religion, the supernatural and the destruction of the environment collide on Dartmoor in 1316. Famine stalks the land, a holy well is struck by plagues, tin miners ravage the land, and the Sisters at the Priory of St Mary find their independence under threat. Karen Maitland weaves a detailed historical, supernatural novel which captivates through the strength of her storytelling.

Warnings: murder, blood and attempted rape

Karen Maitland is one of my favourite historical fiction authors and she wrote one of my favourite books Company of Liars. She really knows how to set the scene, everything feels so authentic and her notes at the end of her books always have interesting and detailed information about the time period she is writing about. There is always a dark and rich atmosphere, she brings the superstitions of the time alive. Her characters seem so real and multi dimensional. The way she weaves real historical events into her stories is fantastic.

I love books set in a claustrophobic setting like manor houses, moors and nunneries/monasteries in my historical fiction and I got 2 of those in this. The tension runs really high, especially between the Prioress and the Brother, historical religious politics are always interesting to read about.

The only thing I didn't enjoy as much as I would have liked was the magic with two of the female characters, I'm not that much of a fan of reading lots of description of trances and visions. However there were still elements of it that I enjoyed such as the mystery of the blind boy and the Wisht Hounds.

If you enjoy historical fiction with authentic atmosphere, superstition made real and characters that feel like they could have really existed give her books try.

Karen Maitland is the Queen of Medieval fiction, not least because her books always feature complex female characters (no Maid Marian-style damsels, thanks) A Gathering of Ghosts looks at the ecological and spiritual damage caused by rapid urbanisation. Maitland shapes a supernatural mystery around an event which seems to have a 'rational' explanation. It's interesting to view scientific events through the eyes of people with an all-encompassing believe in the power of the almighty. I would recommend this book to sociology students, or anyone with an interest in how people worked, lived and thought in other eras.

I LOVE Karen Maitland, she is hands down one of my favourite historical fiction authors. I love how well-researched her books are, with the extended explanations at the back. So when I saw that this new one had passed me by, I was aghast! I'm so thrilled to have received a review copy, many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley.

Maitland is one of those extraordinary writers who can transport you to anywhere, at any time. A Gathering of Ghosts is set on Dartmoor, a place I know from living in Plymouth some years ago, and the setting is beautifully conjured by Maitland's hand.

I recall an email conversation I had with her a couple of years ago when she was researching this, as I had just signed up to a Masters which would look at the history of witchcraft and the witch trials from a feminist perspective. I'm yet to actually embark upon this MA, but I digress. I remember how exciting her idea sounded, and I'm thrilled that she has executed it so perfectly. The strong female characters, so different from one another yet bound by a similar purpose, are gripping, and the plot is brilliantly paced and enthralling. Another triumph from Maitland.

An entertaining, well researched piece of historical fiction. The story quickly draws you in and keeps you engaged with fabulous characterisation. The author brings this period of history alive with her richly descriptive style of writing.

In this book, Maitland took me back to 1316 – a time of famine and unrest – to the isolated Priory of St Mary on the wilds of Dartmoor. Underneath which lies a sacred, ancient well, that people travel to, from far and wide, in search of healing. But now the Sisters of the Knights of St John find themselves and their home under threat. Not only from locals, who believe the well was theirs long before Christianity arrived, but also from the knights of their own order, who wish to control the well and its revenue for themselves. Then the well is hit by plagues of frogs, flies and blood soon after the arrival of young, blind boy. Is there witchcraft afoot? Or is the Old World fighting back at last?

Maitland shows the following trials and tribulations of the sisters, in the majority, through Prioress Johanne, the elected head of St Mary; Sister Fina, the young keeper of the well; Meggy, the lay gatekeeper and Knight Brother Nicholas, the agent sent to seek proof of corruption to bring the sisters down with. On the other hand, we have the gifted Morwen, the daughter of Kendra, the local cunning woman and former keeper of the well. As well as seeing the sad lot of the desperate, incoming tinners through Sorrell, a young disabled woman, who hears a voice calling her to the moors.

If that wasn’t enough, there is also a host of smaller part narrators and many other diverse characters for our narrators to interact with. I must admit it was hard keeping up and to make personal connections with so large a cast. However about half way through I think I had got a handle on the main characters and I did become fond of Prioress Johanne and Sorrell. And as with Maitland’s previous books, it is interesting to have a large range of people from the Medieval social spectrum. Although there is a distinct lack of people of wealth – emphasising this really is a tale of want on all sides.

Again I can’t fault Maitland for her eye for detail and her extensive research, which has gone into bringing this tale of suffering, superstition, fortitude and the supernatural vividly to life. On finishing the book, I was not surprised to discover in Maitland’s research notes that she took inspiration from real Medieval events, places, religious orders, superstitions, beliefs and weird natural phenomena. So while this was still darker and more depressing than I would prefer, I found myself absolutely gripped!

Overall, I thought A Gathering of Ghosts was another compelling, dark historical fiction, which I perhaps didn’t enjoy quite as much as The Plague Charmer, but did enjoy more than The Raven’s Head. I would definitely be up for reading more by this author.

In the early 14th Century on Dartmoor a small priory of nuns looks after a well said to aid the blind. However the local people have views about this based on their traditional views and are resentful of the nuns. When the Knights Hospitaler decide to take over the Priory there is some resentment but the arrival of three strangers in the neighbourhood sets in motion events that cause the old beliefs and the new to clash.

I haven't read any Karen Maitland books for many years and in reading this I was reminded why. Maitland writes interesting and well-researched medieval novels, there is no doubt of that. However I really find the supernatural elements off-putting and tended to skip through these.

The year of our lord, 1316 and a great famine sweeps the land. The queen of dark historical fiction, Karen Maitland, returns with another story of terror and superstition from medieval times. I have enjoyed all her works and this is no different. Gripped from page one to the end a great tale of the church and folklore.

I really enjoyed this book, even though in the end the title proved to be a little misleading, as there aren't any ghosts. It does however fit with the general theme of the author's other titles.

The story is set during the great famine of the early fourteenth century when persistent rain spoiled many crops. Throughout the book there was an atmosphere of fear, hunger and desperation of people driven to do things they would not normally attempt. Three women form the main characters Sorrel, Morwen and Johanne who stories become intertwined as supernatural forces play out.

It's a compelling read in which you are willing the protagonists to win, especially against the unsavoury males they have to deal with.

If I have any criticism is that it was over too quickly.

Karen Maitland proved again that she can create wonderful creepy historic fiction. I like her dark and atmospheric stories. “The Gathering of Ghosts” is about a clash of the old pagan and the Christian believes. The story is character driven. We see the story through the eyes of several characters. Actually, there is not much activity going on in the story. It is more about the situation, and the strong rules religions demand.

The book is settled during the Great Famine in England between 1315 and 1317. Due to extreme wet and cold weather Europe suffered from starvation. There are different narrators and it took some time until you get to know what binds them together.

The book captivated with its creepy atmosphere. But I have to say the book lacks a bit of a real story which leads us to somewhere. Most of the things are happening in the heads of the characters. There is not a huge development, not some kind of mystery to reveal. Well, the book says there is one but it is not really a big surprise. The book shows us how unimaginable horrible these times of starvation must have been. It shows us also how old pagan believes stayed alive right under the nose of Christianity. As always in Maitland’s books, there is a supernatural thing involved.

“Gathering of Ghosts” is a nice and entertaining read for lovers of historical fiction with a creepy touch.

3,5 Stars

I read my first Karen Maitland book – The Vanishing Witch – in 2016 and immediately upon finishing it added all her other medieval thrillers to my wishlist on Goodreads. I actually have a copy of The Plague Charmer sitting on my bookshelf unread (which is a crime in itself). My abiding impression of The Vanishing Witch was of the author’s skill in creating an intense atmosphere and sense of the supernatural, all combined with an intriguing mystery. I’m pleased to say this is equally evident in A Gathering of Ghosts which has atmosphere and elements of the supernatural by the bucket load!

The Dartmoor of the book is not a place for the casual sightseer but a wild place of wind and rain, and bogs waiting to trap the unwary traveller. It’s certainly not somewhere you want to venture late at night when it takes on a nightmarish quality and, as some of the locals believe, the spirits of the netherworld hold sway. As one visitor to the Priory observes, ‘…both sisters and servants had babbled about rampaging tinners and murderous outlaws, as if Dartmoor was to be found on the edge of the world among the isles of the dog-headed men rather than in the civilised realm of fair England.’

Set largely in the isolated Priory of St. Mary, cut off for months at a time due to winter storms and autumn rains, the author creates a unsettlingly claustrophobic atmosphere that seems to affect some of the Sisters more than others. (Shades of Black Narcissus here.) The arrival of one small boy creates an even more unnerving atmosphere, for reasons the reader will soon discover.

The presence of an ancient holy well beneath the priory chapel, now dedicated to St. Lucia but believed by the locals to belong to the pagan goddess, Brigid, is just one of the many oppositions explored in the book: religious belief versus superstition, pagan versus Christian, good versus evil. Whatever their beliefs, though, their adherents seem to share a similar conviction that, if they only make their appeals fervently enough, their wishes will be granted. On occasions, this doesn’t happen exactly in the way they were expecting. Another opposition in the book is male versus female but, happily, the men don’t always escape punishment for their actions and, in some ways, the female characters are seen as possessing if not superior power in this world, then the ability to call on superior power from the spirit world or from God.

The book contains some fascinating detail about the tin mines found on Dartmoor at the time and the so-called ‘stannary’ law that applied to their operation. For some, the tin mines are a vital source of employment and food in a time of famine or a refuge. Others see the excavations as a wounding of the land, upsetting the balance of nature. For some, the threat the tinners pose is more commercial. As one of the book’s narrators, Sorrel, finds out they certainly weren’t pleasant places to be, particularly for a woman. ‘But as we breasted the rise, the noise that burst in my ears made me stagger backwards: iron hammers smashing granite, stones crashing into buckets, the whinnying of packhorses, the shouts of men, the bellows of women and the yells of children… It was as if the ground had yawned wide before me and I was starting down into the pit of Hell.’

Readers who like a good dose of the supernatural in their historical mysteries will love A Gathering of Ghosts. Readers who like a strong sense of period atmosphere will likewise be more than happy. And all will no doubt appreciate the extent of the author’s research, as evidenced by the fascinating Historical Notes and extensive Glossary at the end of the book.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of publishers, Headline, and NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Since reading The Plague Charmer last year and Wicked Children, I've realised that Karen Maitland is one of my new favourite authors, even though I haven't read too many of her books but I knew that I would love her latest release. I was very kindly sent the gorgeous and gigantic paperback from the publisher Headline so thank you! However, I read most of it as an e-arc from Netgalley as I couldn't take the huge paperback travelling with me. I read the vast majority of this book in August while on holiday but finished it in September.

We follow three intertwining storylines with a range of characters which never feels like too much or confusing. It's set during a tumultuous time with poverty and famine a constant in England as well as religious tension and through this time we follow a poverty stricken wise woman and her daughters, a arrogant knight and Sorrel a crippled young woman, along with the other tinners as they endure backbreaking work for very little.

At first you don't see how the stories intertwine but they do and you feel the hardship, struggles and strife the characters have to go through in their own way. I adored the folklore and magical realism elements within this book as well as the atmosphere, mysterious and bleak setting and the characters of Morwen and Sorrel especially. It is a very bleak, dark and grim read with some very eerie elements and harder to read topics such as rape, miscarriage, abuse, poverty, mental illness, torture and loss. As I mentioned, I love The Plague Charmer and this one had the same rich, atmospheric writing that is compelling and easy to read but I think I prefer The Plague Charmer out of the two; however I did throughly enjoy (...that might not be the right word considering how melancholy, raw and dark both books are) this read. If you are a fan of darker historical fiction with magical, folklore and mysteries featuring spell binding writing and raw characters then look no further than the wonderful Karen Maitland - I can't wait to pick up another book of hers from my shelves.

This story takes place on the desolate Dartmoor in England in the early 1300s during the Great Famine. A few years after the destruction of the Knights Templar a group of Sisters of the Order of St. John reside at a Priory on the moor, watching over a sacred well that the Christian Order has dedicated to their own St. Lucia. However, the well was originally ruled by a much older goddess and it is the Pagan goddess that many of the pilgrims recognise and make their offerings to. A local family of women once protected the 'Bryde's' Well but they have now been cast out on to the moor by the Prioress and forbidden from setting foot in the Priory.

A Gathering of Ghosts is an incredibly well researched piece of historical fiction that describes the peoples beliefs and desperate living conditions of the time extremely well, and the supernatural elements blend with the history in a wonderfully eerily manner. A spine-tingly wonderful read.

Karen Maitland has carried out meticulous and indepth research for this piece of medieval historical fiction set in 1316 in Dertemora, or Dartmoor. The dark, visceral and claustrophobic action takes place amidst the background of the ravaging great famine, widespread starvation and King Edward II's contentious decree that allows tinners to dig on anyone's land with impunity to fuel his war efforts. Prioress Johanne, a woman with secrets, heads St Mary's Hospitaller's Priory, built around the ancient Bryde's well, but now overseen by the Christian St Lucia. Tensions exist with the locals who still believe in the older gods such as Brigid and Old Crockern. Johanne's rule is threatened with the arrival of the Knight Brother of St. John, Nicholas, and his groom, Alban, suspecting corruption and more.

The strange arrival of a blind and mute young boy triggers fear and sows strife with the death of the elderly blind Father Guthlac, who believed the boy was cursed and a danger to all. Johanne names the boy Cosmas and is dedicated to looking after him, her call to others to not heed the old superstitions is disregarded by many. Amidst the ceaseless rain and cold, the priory is deluged by the huge desperate skeletal masses in search of any morsel of food, including the forceful communities of tinners who push aside locals. The situation is exacerbated by trouble at the holy well, with its plague of frogs, flies, blood, and dries up completely, threatening a source of income from pilgrims. Ancient sacred sites are abused by tinners, whilst vast swathes of moorland is churned over, turning into mud in their search for tin. Practitioners of the old ways, such as Kendra, peddle their healing, charms and spells, whilst her daughter, Morwen, with powers of her own, is forced to operate below the radar. Sorrel, afflicted with a useless arm since birth, leaves home after hearing the call of an inner voice. The old gods clash with the newer religion as hunting horns presaging the spectral packs of marauding howling and yelping hounds roam the moors at night.

Maitland brings this period of dark history vibrantly alive with her rich descriptions. The clash of the gods as the old gods battle with the newer beliefs, is captured in the characters. The fearful and paranoid Brother Nicholas is terrified of the boy, feeling the need to hunt for his bezoar for protection. Death is everywhere, with the old folk walking away to die so that the younger ones will get any odd scraps of food. Serf hunters search for any runaways from the uncompromising feudal system, looking to make an example of them, seeking freedom really is a deadly crime as we see with Todde. Many are politically labelled heretics in a period of time that the Templar Knights are persecuted. The position of women made my stomach churn again and again with horror throughout the novel. This was a hugely compelling read that proves to be knowledgeable and informative of this time in medieval history. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.

Retribution

Every time I read a new Karen Maitland book I have this fear that the spell is going to be broken – well not this time. For me, Karen is the master of the medieval thriller with a twist of supernatural menace. England in the 12th century sits on the edge between religious belief and pagan superstition, nowhere is this more prevalent than on wild expanses of Dartmoor, or previously known as Dertemora (Moor in the Dart valley). A Gathering of Ghosts is a brilliant book full of atmosphere that takes you into an eerie, foreboding, superstitious world where legends and myths are all too close. Karen’s writing pulls at every physical sense that captivates you and keeps teasing with demonic forces that are terrifyingly close.

The central location of the story is the Hospitaller’s Priory of St Mary, in a remote location in Dartmoor and its surrounding area.

“Other side of that priory stands the most accursed hill on the whole moor. Old ‘uns called it Fire Tor, but some call it Ghost Tor. You can hear the dead whispering among the rocks.”

In the surrounding area, camps of ‘tinners’ are ferociously mining the landscape for tin to provide King Edward II with the materials he needs to build weapons for his wars.

“The King’s decreed that any man has the right to look for tin on anyone’s land as he pleases, without let or hindrance.”

This scenery is vividly brought to life and the weather-beaten conditions create a dark and dreary rain-soaked landscape, adding to the overall sense of damnation.

The history of the order of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, also known as the Hospitaller Knights Brothers and Sisters, is really interesting and although aligned with the Templar Knights, is not as well-known. Originally founded as a hospital in Jerusalem in 1080 they provided care and refuge for the poor, sick and injured pilgrims in the Holy Lands. Today St John Ambulance takes its name from the Hospitaller Knights.

The Priory, run by Prioress Johanne, houses an ancient well that the church is built on and they have dedicated it to St Bridget, although the locals originally know it as Bryde’s Well. Various unconnected characters have apparitions of a blood-drenched scene and are drawn to the Priory – for what, they do not know. One of these visions is seen by Sister Fina, the sister responsible for managing the well and the pilgrims that attend it. Flustered and terrified she leaves the underground well to find a deaf-mute boy standing alone in the church. Feeling he is abandoned they take him in and by way of discovering more take him to the blind priest in the hope, he may connect better. The priest’s response is alarming in that he warns them all that if the boy stays he’ll bring down a curse on all their heads. Next morning the priest is dead. Prioress Johanne must keep the superstitions and fears at bay as the priory is visited by Knight Brother Nicholas and his groom, Brother Alban, on a mission to investigate possible pilfering of priory’s monies. She has her own secrets to hide and the game of cat and mouse with Nicholas is full of suspense.

The other blood-scene apparitions are experienced by Sorrel, a poor girl disfigured at birth with a deformed arm, and Morwen the daughter of Kendra the former keeper of the well. Kendra is someone that can communicate directly with the spirits and conjure charms and spells. She will pass her gift to one of her daughters but Morwen is not expected to be the one. Morwen is, however, growing in strength as she can feel the spirits. All these characters are really well depicted and play a wonderful part in creating a totally immersive story of secrets, threats, superstition, and retribution from the Earth and the ancient world.

Karen Maitland undertakes deep research in the background to her books but doesn’t allow it to consume her story. As a way of providing insight into those details, she includes historical notes and a glossary of terms that I find adds fantastic value to the whole experience. I simply find Karen Maitland’s stories totally mesmeric and full of clever suspense.

I would like to thank Headline Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC version of the book in return for an honest review.

Karen Maitland is the single most reviewed author on this blog (one of the highlights of being a book blogger was the time one of my reviews made it into a proof copy of her last book). I’ve even interviewed her. Obviously I get excited when a new book comes out- and thankfully Ms. Maitland is a quick writer, so I never have to wait long.
Like her other novels, A Gathering of Ghosts is set in the Middle Ages, this time 14th century Dartmoor, a backdrop of poverty and famine driving the characters to commit desperate acts of survival.
A cast of seemingly disparate characters live within the pages of the novel: a prioress, saddled with a meddling knight; a young woman cast out of her village, fighting to find her way in the dangerous world of tin mining; the youngest daughter of a wise-woman who may be more talented than she’s given credit for; a little blind boy who has mysteriously found his way to the priory. All are seemingly connected to a holy well, usurped by the nuns from the traditional folklore- but how? There’s treachery, the battle between the old gods and the new, and the battle to just survive if you’re poor, old or a woman. Sometimes the Middle Ages can feel incredibly relevant in a society that feels like it’s teetering on a knife-age. What lessons have we learnt in 600 years, I wonder?
Like a skilled weaver at her loom, Maitland combines these narratives effortlessly- I felt the same as I do when I watch something like The Bridge. You don’t know how all these people will connect, but you accept that they will and so you go along for the ride, because you know it’ll make sense in the end.
And what a ride this is- religious fervour, superstition and a good old fashioned creepy kid thrown in for good measure meant that I was hooked from the get-go. No one in this novel was ever safe and that makes for a thrilling read and one that will envelope you into its world quite happily. I also appreciate the historical notes at the end of the novel, which made my little nerdy heart happy indeed.
Now I just have to wait until the next book.

I read this because I know next to nothing about the argument for UBI. This is probably not the most rigorously academic of texts on the subject but it is well reasoned, well thought out and well presented. It was a perfect introduction for me in fact, talking intelligently at a level that assumes you know little but can pick up the gist quickly. Lowry meticulously builds her argument rather than setting out her stall and spending the entire book saying ‘and here’s why I’m right’. It was fascinating and in many ways quite uplifting. If it is something that can be adopted for the future it would be wonderful. I am afraid to hope!

Dartmoor 1316. A hospital with a sacred well overseen by nuns from the Sisters to the Knights of St. John. Desperate human souls clinging to a pitiful existence in the face of famine and extreme weather. The moors being ravaged by man seeking tin and profit. There's no ripped Poldark rising up with his scythe to lighten the tone here. This is a world where the church - men and women - oversee the torture and abasement of their fellow men who fall short of expectations - or simply become expedient to their cause.

Three main narratives and a number of points of view wind their way through this impressive novel before drawing threads tight in conclusion. The tale of the hospital and priory set over an ancient well dedicated to Brigid, who local people still pray to despite the efforts of the church to cloak their beliefs in the mantle of Christ and St. Lucia. Here the tale is told through the eyes of Prioress Johanne as she struggles to care for her flock while protecting it from the wolves of the Order of St John. 

This is ultimately a tale about women - and their strengths, vulnerabilities and darkest fears becoming reality. About how becoming a widow could thrust a woman's future into uncertainty and poverty overnight. It is about power, and how the dice are weighted in favour of those with brute strength and money - or in this case food to fill the bellies of the starving. 

It is a tale of old Goddesses and their sway over the land; the songs they are sung by those who hear their voices. Of how folk secretly cling to those old beliefs while paying lip service to the new God imposed upon them (beautifully depicted in the character of Meggy, the priory gatekeeper). And there are indeed ghosts, though not perhaps as you expect them. 

I am in awe of the level of detail and research that has crafted this tale. A glossary and historical notes are a welcome inclusion, particularly for elements of folklore and witchcraft that I wasn't familiar with and I have bookmarked a number of these to research further, my interest being very piqued. 

The book is recommended both as a historical novel that shines a light on the harsh conditions endured by ordinary people in the 14th century, and also as a very well crafted piece of folk horror. While I did find the first section of the book a little long, I appreciate that it did put into place the narrative threads needed to draw the disparate characters together. I absolutely love the final quarter of the book when the folk lore elements began to come together in the most rewarding manner and gave a very satisfying conclusion. 

As someone who loves both historical and mystic / folk lore orientated fiction I am a little ashamed that this is the first Karen Maitland book I have read. It will not be the last.

With thanks to Netgalley, Karen Maitland and Headline Review for the ARC copy of A Gathering of Ghosts. The book is due for publication on the 6th September 2018.

All views expressed in this review are my own. #NetGalley #AGatheringOfGhosts

I have been a fan of Karen Maitland's books for a while now having read several. I was so pleased when the opportunity arose to read this one.

Set in 14th century Dartmoor, we see the clash between the Church and the old ways. The sisters of the Knights of St John have taken over the pagan well & dedicated it to St Lucia. Pilgrims come from far & wide to take its water & look for healing. On the moor Morwen, her sisters and her Mother abide by the old ways & continue to call for help from the spirits of the moor. On the other side of the moor it is being torn apart by the tinners. A famine is across the land & everyone is starving - regardless of their beliefs. Who are the strangers who arrive & what influence will they have with the pagan or Christian beliefs.

One of the big draws of Karen Maitland's books is the extensive historical research. Her use of language and attention to detail is brilliant throughout the book and there are interesting historical appendices at the back.

This book does become very mystical with much centering around the pagan beliefs and the calling of the pagan spirits. Towards the end this got really rather confusing and wild & I lost track of it all. The threads did all come together at the end and story was completed well but there was definite wobble for me - the night was dark, various people were stumbling around the moors, spirits were being raised, hounds were barking, there was a storm & it was all a little confusing.

This is not a cheery period of history so readers shouldn't be surprised by the lack of light relief throughout the books. The characters are well portrayed with detailed personalities but little in the way of light heartedness - life is a struggle everyday.

This is not my favourite book by Karen Maitland although I did still enjoy it. I shall be on the lookout for any future books & keen to read them.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.