I wish I’d enjoyed The Revels more, as I find witch trials really interesting, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I liked the writing and the historical aspect, but I struggled to really form any connection with the characters. I just didn’t find myself invested in their stories, which is a shame as they were well-written.

Stacey Thomas has clearly done a lot of research surrounding the Pendle witch trials, and this book has inspired me to read more about it myself. I had no problem being transported back in time thanks to the accessible prose and historical inspiration, and it’s a period is time I would like to learn more about.

Although The Revels didn’t work for me at this particular time, I may revisit it in the future and see if my opinion changes. It’s by no means a bad book, and lots of other readers have enjoyed it, so I hope this review will be taken with my own personal feelings in mind.

I was so excited for this book, one of my most anticipated reads.
I have a small fascination for books about the witch trials at the moment.
The writing was just as I had hoped for- perfectly written and appropriate for the time the book was set in.
However, I did find the pacing slow in the middle, and probably should have been a little shorter.

A good read. I heard a lot about this book on social media prior. It was well written and felt very well researched. I am in to all these witchy books released lately and this didn't let down. I loved the main character, and I usually expect to despise a male character in a witchybook but he came across very well. Very atmospheric!

Arc review

*chefs kiss*
A dreamy historical fantasy novel - what’s not to love! I honestly struggled to put it down!
It’s definitely a book which I’ll read again in the near future to be able to appreciate the subtleties and cleverness of the plot!

I’d like to preface this by saying I am not a historical fiction fan at all. I am trying to branch out and read new genres and historical fiction released in 2023 was one of the prompts. That being said, I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the witch hunter lore, a witch essentially posing as a witch hunter and how many of the parts of the book are based on things that actually happened to accused witches in those days. I had never heard of knot magical and I’d be interested in learning more about it. I would absolutely recommend this book to historical fiction fans or non-fans alike.

I feel harsh giving this three stars as it's apparent that the author can write. I'm convinced she knows a lot about both the history of witch hunts and the fractures in society at the time of the English Civil War. She also clearly has a love of historical novels.

Even though I know a lot about how witch hunts were carried out, the author succeeded in making me infuriated when I read how the accusations of witch were raised against someone, and how the underlying reasons were almost always petty arguements. How they couldn't prove they were innocent except by dying during their tests, and what cold comfort that was in the end.

But the actual plot of the story didn't work for me. I'm not sure we had the best narrator - I think several others would have been better narrators.

I also didn't quite understand what we were meant to think about witchcraft and magic. Including the narrator's magic to hear the dead was a good idea but it wasn't used effectively. These scenes should have been an emotional core of the book but they just weren't evocative.

Then there were also those who weren't accused but clearly had powers and did use them for ill. This wasn't explained well and I felt it undermined the basis of the novel that all those accused of witchcraft were innocent.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Revels is a book that has a very interesting premise, but the execution doesn't quite measure up. Throughout this story I found myself annoyed by the oddly disjointed way this book is written - the prose will shift from one event or movement to another with no connective tissue, or will refer to events or feelings as if they have already been explained or shown, when they haven't. Speaking of feelings, the emotional arc and journey of the main characters seemed somewhat jumbled and hard to follow, as they kept flipping between liking and hating and trusting and not trusting each other with no real prompting. I noticed throughout the story that characters often didn't speak like real people, and there was a strangely generic feeling to the way the historical aspects of the setting were written, often giving me the impression we were in a different time period to the one in which The Revels is supposedly set. Although there were definitely some interesting ideas and events here - witches being real, the main character being able to hear the dead - this book felt like it was dragging, and none of the characters quite felt real. Eventually, I had to put this down just over halfway through.

Thanks to HQ for my copy here's my honest review from the heart.

If your a historical fiction fan I 100 % recommend adding this book to your collection.
What a fantastic atmosphere, and what amazing storytelling! I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but anything concerning the witch trials piques my interest, and this novel did not disappoint.
Set in 1645, at the height of the witch hunts, we follow Nicholas, who has been dragged into the realm of hunting after the death of his brother.

He's teamed up with a renowned hunter who wants to prove he's the finest out there. Nicholas, on the other hand, has his own secrets to protect, and as the novel progresses, we learn more about his compassion and the source of it.

As a result, this work is evocative and page-turning. Stacey Hall's world-building and character development make everything appear three-dimensional. As far as historical fiction goes, this one is going to leave you reading as quickly as you can and not wanting to put it down.
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Fantastically atmospheric and what wonderful storytelling! I’m not always a huge fan of historical fiction but anything about the witch trials I can’t resist and this book did not disappoint! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

If you are a fan of historical fiction you will LOVE this book.

Set in 1645, during the height of witch hunts, we follow our protagonist Nicholas who has been forced into the world of hunting after losing his brother.

He is partnered with an infamous hunter who wants to prove himself as the best out there. Nicholas, however, has his own secrets to keep and as the story goes on we begin to understand his empathy and the source of it.

This book is atmospheric and page turning as a result. The way Stacey Hall builds the world and her characters makes every thing seem three dimensional. As historical fiction goes this one will have you reading as quick as possible and not wanting to leave.

Thanks to net galley for the arc!

I am being drawn towards historical novels abd this one did not disappoint. A fabulous book written with much atmosphere and storytelling. I would recommend if you love a historical novel. Thank you for my eArc.

Stacey Thomas wrote an excellent historical fiction: well researched, dark, and gripping.
It's atmospheric and tense, the characters are fleshed out and the plot is tightly knitted.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While I liked the setting and the premise of a reluctant witch hunter who can heard the dead sing, I struggled through this one more than a bit. The writing was very florid, with some descriptions that just left me confused and pulled out of the story. I was not sold on the relationships and I felt the amount of references to people and politics of the time made me feel like I should have recognized them already, or almost like namedropping – where it added little to the actual story. It was horrible to be along during the trial and the malevolent attitudes towards those folk who did nothing worse than be outside the norm.

For someone who reads copious amounts of historical fiction I am surprised I have never read a novel set in the English Civil War. My History A level may have had something to do with that but I found it fascinating. I will admit I struggled at first and could not find the thread of where the novel was heading but it found its voice when the story turned to York. The political unrest, fear and distrust in communities made it easy for people to settle old scores or get rid of people that had served their purpose.

It put women and their experience at the centre of the story leading to a really satisfying conclusion. A really good debut novel and a novelist I will definitely read again.

This was an ARC received from netgalley and my views are entirely my own;.

Set in 1645 after the Pendle witch trials.
It tells the story of Nicholas Pearce, an aspiring playwright, who becomes an apprentice to a former witch hunter who is now a judge, William Percival.
Very atmospheric and captures the small town mentality of gossip and accusations, in a country torn apart by civil war with tensions between Catholics & Protestants and the hysteria of witchcraft.
A powerful, thought-provoking and educational read, showing the injustice of women falsely accused of witchcraft.
Loved the crime solving partnership between Nicholas and his love interest, Althamia and would love to see a sequel, to delve deeper into their relationship and character.
A spellbinding debut novel.
Thanks @staceythomaswrites @hqstories & @netgalley for the eARC

I desperately wanted to love this book. A dark witchy read is just my cup of tea but sadly I found this one quite slow. It had a lot of atmosphere and tension but it didn't hook me as much as I had hoped.

I thought this was very atmospheric and I loved the historical detail, it felt very well researched and counted up the fearful times very well.
It was slightly confusing to follow at times and sometimes felt like reading a draft, it didn’t quite reach its potential. Would read more of the author in future as there was some lovely writing.

England, 1645. Illegitimate son, Nicholas Pearce is called back home to the house of his wealthy merchant father to take on the role left behind by his recently dead half-brother Francis. Unaccustomed to the part he must now play, and unwilling to give up his life as an aspiring playwright, Nicholas is persuaded to comply in a bargain with his father that promises he will reveal the name of the mother Nicholas does not remember.

Nicholas finds himself apprenticed to the former witch-hunter, William Percival, who prefers to leave his notoriety behind in his present job as a judge - but the past will not leave him alone. Plagued with requests to resume his former life, Percival attempts to do what he can to clear women of false charges of witchcraft when he is called to stand in judgement of them, with Nicholas' help, but in these unsettled times it is a near impossible task - and Nicholas must watch his step at every turn, because his own talents make him a target for those out to make their name. For Nicholas can hear the dead sing...

The Revels is a compelling story of witchcraft and injustice, which breaks the mould by being set against a background somewhat later that the witchy novels I have read before. Stacey Thomas takes you beyond the menacing times under King James I, driven by his obsession with hunting witches, to an England torn asunder by civil war between the Royalist supporters of Charles I and the Roundheads, which feeds an all new tide of revenge provoked attacks on the innocent.

There is so much here that harks back to the former horrors of the spate of witchcraft trials that we have heard so much about, and Thomas plays beautifully with the shadows of the tragedy of the lives lost that still looms large over these later times - especially the story of the Pendle witches. She blends this with the atmosphere of suspicion that now pervades the land in the midst of civil war, channelling the division cased by warring factions and religious dissent into the mix, which makes for a glorious setting that is ripe for those looking for a way to gain personal advantage with a little bit of old fashioned revenge - including powerful manipulators who do not care how many innocent souls are lost in the process. And their weapon of choice? Accusations of witchcraft...

On a twist in what you normally expect from a book about with trials, there is another element here that adds real complexity, and cleverly muddies the waters, for some of our characters certainly have skills which many would claim to be Devil-sent. Thomas paints many of these characters in shades of grey, playing on themes of guilt, power, injustice, and complicity, which add intriguing depth to how the story plays out. My favourite element is the unusual crime-solving partnership that develops between Nicholas and his love interest, the unconventional Althamia, which was a joy - and gives rise to the prospect of a cracking sequel, should Thomas so wish. I am certainly not ready to let go of them yet.

If you love a witchy adventure then there is plenty in this stunning debut to please, and it offers some delicious departures to what you normally expect in a book about witch trials too - all while offering homage to the suffering of those who lost their lives as the result of hatred and fear.

The Revels is the debut novel from Stacey Thomas, which I was drawn to by the beautiful cover.

Set in England in 1645, the plot tells of the lives of witch hunters and the innocent women they accused of witchcraft. The twist is that the latest apprentice witch finder can hear the dead sing, something the accused women would definitely be sentenced to death for, and as a result, he tries to speak up for the women, thereby placing his own life in danger.

Atmospheric, well researched and beautifully written, I enjoyed the book but found it hard to get into initially and the ending was rather abrupt, but it was still an enjoyable read. 4*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Set in 1645, England, just 33 years after the pendle witch trials. Civil war is tearing the country apart and the profession of witch hunting is seeing a resurgence. Playwright Nicholas is apprenticed to former witchfinder William Percival. However Nicholas has a secret that could put himself in grave danger.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it's loaded with historical depth and detail which I love. However I feel this may have hindered the plot as I wasn't as engaged as I could have been. The narrative felt confused and hard to follow at times. It was almost as if I'd missed some important detail and I had to go back and reread parts.

Overall I found this book interesting enough to finish and think it would definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction.

Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to read and review.