Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "witchcraft"

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ira Levin's classic horror thriller is a masterpiece in plotting and suspense.

Rosemary's Baby is one of those stories that has developed to become mythology, a story that is so well-known that people know it without having read it, as part of a culture as folklore. It's a wonder it took me so long to finally read it. I loved it and couldn't put it down.

Having seen the equally classic 1968 film (the novel was published in 1967), I knew the plot well and the twists in the tale. Rosemary and her husband Guy acquire a highly sought-after apartment and soon become friendly with eccentric, elderly couple, Minnie and Roman Castavet. Their situation appears idyllic - a young couple moving into their new home, spending time with their interesting, kindly neighbours, Guy seeking his big acting break, Rosemary hoping for a baby.

Levin expertly layers the tension as the novel progresses, hinting at the witchcraft and Satanism twisted throughout the building's history and an apparent suicide that begins the young couple's relationship with the Castavets, who develop from harmless to unsettling, to sinister, to menacing. Soon it appears all the world may be conspiring against Rosemary and she struggles to know who to trust as the novel hurtles towards its nightmarish conclusion.

With underlying themes of religion with witchcraft as its enemy, with specific references to Catholicism, it is perhaps ironic that this modern scheme for the downfall of humankind is triggered by a man's greed and ambition leading to his betrayal of a woman and allowing her to be defiled and used for her body, as opposed to the concept of Original Sin where a woman made an error in judgement when tempted into betrayal by the same forces of darkness. In this novel, we know she would never be so foolish.

After fifty years, Rosemary's Baby remains relevant, authentic, and most of all thrilling, in its telling of a story of good versus evil, and the lengths human beings may go to in pursuit of their beliefs and desires.

The story continues in Levin's final novel, 'Son of Rosemary'.



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Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An enjoyable conclusion to the horrors that began with the classic 'Rosemary's Baby'.

Ira Levin's sequel picks up over thirty years following the conclusion of the original, with Rosemary awakening from a coma which appears to have been the result of a curse cast by the coven of the original novel. She soon learns that her son, Andy, has grown up to become the new Messiah - either a bizarre twist of fate or truthfully a False Messiah of prophecy.

Taking advantage of her celebrity status as the woman who awoke unharmed after decades lying in a coma, she connects with Andy on the global stage and gets to know her son all over again as the man he has become since she last saw him as a child. Some may find what follows a little slow, but as the novel progresses you realise Levin is subtly laying the foundations for what is to come later.

The conclusion to Part Two is a clever revelation, with the paranoia of the first novel now fully returning, with Rosemary unsure who she can trust, finding Andy has more secrets than she wished to find. This is explored more fully in Part Three, as Rosemary investigates her son and his colleagues and their organisation.

*SPOILERS*The ending completely took me by surprise. It has proved controversial, but I found it quite ambiguous. The obvious interpretation is that the events of both novels are an elaborate nightmare Rosemary suffers. This would sit well with the dream-like and nightmarish sequences of both novels, and perhaps doesn't take anything away from the masterful storytelling. My first thought when Rosemary awoke with Guy was that this was her version of Hell, seeing as she had been heading there with Satan at the conclusion to the previous scene. To relive her suffering over and over, never quite sure if it's real or imagined, would be Hell indeed.

There is also the suggestion that the events of both novels are a premonition, a dream telling Rosemary of the potential dangers and horrors of the future. When Hutch mentions the puzzle to solve the anagram of 'Roast Mules' which recurred throughout the novel - something Rosemary had not heard prior to her dream - it delivers a final cold shiver that perhaps she has not escaped her fate after all, that the events of both novels are yet to come.

As Levin's seventh and final novel, 'Son of Rosemary' is a solid ending to a superb body of work and a suitably discomforting follow-up to 'Rosemary's Baby'.



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Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


‘Into the Water’ is the second thriller by Paula Hawkins, author of ‘The Girl on the Train’, which was always going to be a hard act to follow considering its success. However, Hawkins’ second novel more than lives up to expectations – an enthralling mystery featuring an ensemble of characters which steadily submerge you in their stories.

At the heart of the novel is the Drowning Pool and the legends and mysteries that circle around it. There are the tales of alleged witches, drowned during trials determining whether they will sink or swim (an allegation of practicing witchcraft was a death sentence; surviving the test would only be held as proof they were in allegiance with the Devil); and speculation surrounding numerous suicides – a woman who murdered her husband, a mother whose son saw her jump, a teenage girl whose reason for taking her own life remains unknown. Legend says, if you go to the water at night or submerge yourself in its depths, you can almost hear its victims calling out to you...

As the novel begins, Nel Abbott is the latest whose life came to an end in the water, falling from the cliff above. But did she jump or was she pushed? Her sister, Jules, becomes convinced she must have been murdered, while her daughter, Lena, seems convinced she killed herself.

There are quite a few characters we get to know throughout the course of the book. As well as the Abbotts, we are introduced to the Whittakers, family of Katie, the teenage girl who took her own life; the Townsends, the DI investigating the case, his wife, and father; as well as several others. I particularly liked Erin, the DS who is new to the area, and all the scenes featuring Nickie, the town psychic, were incredibly entertaining. I almost immediately took a dislike to Patrick, though his obvious commitment to his family remained throughout his redeeming quality. With so many characters, every reader will take away something different from the story, which is undoubtedly one of the novel's strengths.

Told through each of the character's perspectives, the mysteries and secrets of the small town and its inhabitants, past and present, are unveiled, leading to the final revelation in the last few pages.

'Into the Water' proves to be as immersive as the Drowning Pool itself, a thriller that has you hooked to the very end and a perfect companion for a long train ride and sitting atop the cliffs beside the sea.



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To the Devil a Daughter (Molly Fountain, #1) by Dennis Wheatley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping occult thriller from the master of the black magic thriller.

Despite writing over sixty novels, many of them bestsellers, Dennis Wheatley is perhaps best known for his black magic novels, of which he wrote eleven (as well as a non-fiction book on the Occult). Perhaps the most famous of these was his first novel on the subject, 'The Devil Rides Out', a classic of the genre. Both 'The Devil Rides Out' and 'To the Devil a Daughter' were made into movies by Hammer Studios, the latter only loosely based on Wheatley's novel.

The novel begins in the South of France, where we meet Molly Fountain, a thriller writer awaiting a visit from her son. She becomes intrigued by the mysterious behaviour of her new neighbour, a young woman who spends her days staring out to sea, apparently doing nothing. Upon seeing her returning home in the middle of the night, Molly soon decides to introduce herself to the young woman, who introduces herself as Christina.

Christina soon breaks down and tells Molly the disturbing story of how her father has hidden her at the villa under an assumed name, seemingly to keep her safe from enemies she didn't know she had. Determined to help, Molly tells her son John the story on his arrival and they both endeavour to keep her safe. But they encounter many strange occurrences - as night falls, Christina's behaviour radically changes, leading Molly to draw the conclusion she is possessed by a demonic force.

Enlisting the help of Molly's old secret service colleague and friend Colonel Verney, John and Molly become Christina's protectors, coming up against a villainous Marquis and his son the Count leading a gang of criminals determined to kidnap Christina and smuggle her back to the UK; and the nefarious Canon Copely-Syle, Christina's godfather and, it is revealed, a Satanist with a diabolical scheme that will conclude on the evening of Christina's twenty-first birthday.

The action takes place between France and the UK as the group battle with criminals and Satanic forces to keep Christina safe until the danger has passed. With insights into the rituals and schemes of the Occult, Wheatley crafts a tale of diabolical tension that is both a gripping thriller and disturbing horror story. The final scenes in the Canon's crypt and the Cave of Bats are superbly realised, evoking strong images of the dark forces and those that dabble in them.

'To the Devil a Daughter' is a classic and a masterpiece of the horror and thriller genres and, particularly when you consider how shocking its subject matter and imagery would have been at the time of publication, proves why Wheatley's occult works have become the most famous of his legacy.



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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The beginning of an epic saga of love and war, set in a hidden world of preternatural creatures with supernatural abilities, steeped in history and secrets.

Diana is a historian, studying the history of science, specifically alchemy, researching texts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University. She is also a witch, one determined not to succumb to using her magical abilities or engaging in witchcraft to further her studies or her career, or even to make her life easier. In fact, she is determined to live a human life, much to the chagrin of the witches around her. But her denial of her nature and heritage is threatened when she comes across an ancient manuscript that she realises is enchanted.

Hurriedly, she sends it back, not wishing to study it any further. But it is too late to avoid attracting unwanted attention from multiple people. One of those people is Matthew, a scientist and fellow academic. Matthew is also a vampire. He appears to have developed a great interest in the manuscript and also in Diana herself.

Behind the veneer of ordinary human life hides a world of witches, vampires and daemons – three preternatural creatures which appear human, but are not; their existence hidden behind the myths and folklore that have developed over the millennia. But the attention of all three creatures is now focussed on Diana and the ancient manuscript, which may hold the key to the past and future, and the answers to questions that never cease to be asked.

Unable to deny their instant attraction and burgeoning feelings for each other, Diana and Matthew are drawn closer together and deeper into peril, until there may be no escaping the danger that their relationship and that ancient manuscript immerse them in.

A thoroughly absorbing and thought-provoking novel, ‘A Discovery of Witches’ begins Deborah Harkness’ ‘All Souls’ trilogy by introducing us to the two central characters and pulling us ever deeper into a world that is hidden all around us. The world-building is superb; no one is unfamiliar with witches, vampires or daemons, but here they are not quite as we recognise them in popular culture. The witches are perhaps the most recognisable, the daemons least so.

I became caught up in Diana and Matthew’s relationship – their forbidden desire for each other as they delve into the mysteries, while enemies circle around them. Each of the large cast of characters is drawn in refined detail, vampire Ysabeau one of my favourites. This is a novel driven in equal parts by character, setting and plot; rich in detail about all three. Harkness expertly crafts a journey that draws you in and refuses to release you from its spell.

The ending leaves us ready to dive headlong into the sequel ‘Shadow of Night’ – which promises to explore the late 16th century time period. ‘A Discovery of Witches’ is a tantalising beginning, leaving you yearning to further explore this world of danger and desire, magic and mystery.



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The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A deliciously devious supernatural murder mystery from the Queen of Golden Age Crime.

“And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him.” Revelation 6:8

Late one autumn evening, Father Gorman is summoned to the bedside of a dying woman to hear her confession. He is deeply troubled by what he hears, frantically recording a list to ensure he does not forget its contents. Before he reaches home, he is brutally murdered in the street, a crime that shocks the local community and leaves police baffled.

Historian Mark Easterbrook, after witnessing a brief incident between two women in a coffee shop, notices a familiar name in the Deaths column in the newspaper. He thinks little more of it, until a visit to the theatre and a subsequent conversation remind him. This is when he first hears mention of a pale horse. Synchronicity strikes soon after as he hears the term again. Then, while visiting the home of his late godmother, Mark runs into an old acquaintance, a police surgeon who is investigating a list found on the person of a murdered priest.

Finding himself drawn deeper into the case, Mark encounters a purported coven of witches, suspecting he may have uncovered a nefarious conspiracy wielding dangerous and unimaginable power. With the help of Ginger, a spirited art restorer, he endeavours to uncover the truth and ultimately solve the mystery behind the Pale Horse.

Agatha Christie is genius, her mysteries always clever and packed with twists, the solutions chilling and psychologically authentic. Her stories were amongst the first crime fiction books that I read, beginning with ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ at ten years old (having fallen in love with the ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ TV adaptations prior to this), and picking up the minor few stories I’ve not yet read many years later is always pure enjoyment. ‘The Pale Horse’ is no exception – gripping, enthralling and fast-paced; I devoured the story over Hallowe’en weekend. Christie wrote relatively few supernaturally-themed stories, so this novel is a gem – similar in tone and style to Dennis Wheatley’s occult novels. Though I worked out whodunit, this is nevertheless a fully entertaining and engaging mystery.

Though a standalone novel, ‘The Pale Horse’ features appearances of several characters who have appeared in other novels, significantly Ariadne Oliver, who assisted Poirot with several cases, the first being ‘Cards on the Table’, from which two other characters return. Mrs Oliver also references the events of another Poirot novel when discussing a village fete. Two characters from the Miss Marple novel ‘The Moving Finger’ also feature; long before the concept of fictional universes became mainstream, Christie subtly established one with her literary characters.

The novel has been adapted for television three times – first as a TV movie in 1996 by ITV. It was again adapted for ITV as an episode of ‘Agatha Christie’s Marple’, written by Russell Lewis (who would later create ‘Inspector Morse’ prequel ‘Endeavour’ and has also written the upcoming adaptations of Peter James’ Roy Grace novels). The most recent adaptation was for the BBC in 2020, a mini-series written by Sarah Phelps, this her fifth Christie adaptation for television.

The novel is also notable for having reportedly saved multiple lives, including a baby, and contributed to the apprehension of a serial killer – (*SPOILER*) due to its detailed description of the symptoms of thallium poisoning.

Thrilling, chilling, the perfect read of dark autumn and winter evenings, ‘The Pale Horse’ is a sublime collision between the worlds of crime and supernatural mystery.



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Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The second installment in the ‘All Souls’ trilogy; a magical journey back to Elizabethan England to uncover the history of the entwined lives of witches, vampires and daemons.

Picking up immediately following the conclusion of ‘A Discovery of Witches’, ‘Shadow of Night’ finds Diana and Matthew in Oxford in 1590, having travelled back into history in order to hunt for the manuscript that they believe holds the key to understanding the origins and evolution of witches, vampires and daemons, and to allow Diana to explore and harness her magic away from the threats of the present day. But the past is not free of dangers, with the added complication that their mere presence threatens to alter the future.

Soon travelling from England to Matthew’s family home in France, bringing Matthew face to face with his vampire father, the couple struggle to adapt to their new places in history. Having displaced his past self in the sixteenth century, Matthew must also ensure that his own timeline is not affected and that past actions continue to be adhered to, something that proves a challenge with his newfound affection for witches.

Returning to London and later journeying to Prague in pursuit of the lost manuscript, they know their time in the past must soon come to an end. Learning more about her powers and finally beginning to embrace them, Diana must face her fears in order to return them home. Enemies – vampire, witch, daemon and human alike – encircle them, as secrets are unveiled and they get ever closer to fulfilling their quest.

Since reading the first novel, I eagerly anticipated delving into this period in British history – fraught with the aftermath of religious upheaval and fears about witchcraft already igniting in neighbouring Scotland. Featuring a cast of historical characters, including cameo appearance from Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare, the novel is a blend of fantasy, historical, and romantic fiction, with a good measure of gothic drama to satisfy lovers of darker tales of witchcraft and vampirism.

Packed with detailed descriptions and vivid imagery of a long ago past, always reaching towards the future, this second novel in an epic saga effectively builds on the mythology of the first novel – a dizzying mix of allusions to history, science and spirituality, literature, art, and architecture; as well as plenty of emotional and dramatic moments, romance and mystery.

In ‘Shadow of Night’ we journey into the past and return to an uncertain future; the finale once again leaving us with tantalising threads that will lead into the conclusion of Diana and Matthew’s trilogy, ‘The Book of Life’.



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The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A bewitching gothic family saga crafted with history, horror and romance.

Dr Rowan Mayfair, adopted at a young age, is unaware of the legacy she stands to inherit when her birth mother, Deirdre, reaches the end of her life.

Michael Curry, after being rescued from drowning and a near death experience, finds himself with newfound psychic abilities, while his memories from the other side convince him he has a mission to fulfill.

Rowan and Michael are drawn to each other with a passion and emotion that envelopes and enslaves them, setting them on a path to discover the truth of the Mayfair dynasty and unravel the mysteries at its heart.

'The Witching Hour' is the first novel in Anne Rice's 'Lives of the Mayfair Witches' trilogy, a sublime work of gothic fiction, laced with philosophy, romance, eroticism and horror. Rice's rich and evocative gothic prose is almost lyrical and poetic, sublimely conjuring time and place in each scene and breathing life into the characters through their actions, thoughts and emotions. Dark and atmospheric, with a pervasive evil lurking behind every twist and turn, it lures you in from the beginning and then refuses to relent its grip.

Through a vast cast of characters, each impeccably developed and contributing to moving the narrative forward, we witness the history of the Mayfair family from the very beginning - with the persecution and witch trials in Scotland in the 17th century, travelling to France and Saint Domingue and New Orleans, through to the present day remnants of their legacy of witchcraft; a tale fraught with power, corruption, incest and tragedy.

Through the ages, there is one constant - an entity that is at once dangerous and destructive, charming and seductive. Lasher lurks forever in the shadows, perhaps a faithful familiar, perhaps something demonic with his own malignant motives, a constant companion and lover to the Mayfair Witches. This mystery stretches through the centuries, ever present through the trauma, drama and tragedy experienced by the family.

Deeply immersive, endlessly fascinating and provocative, the novel perfectly evokes the passing expanse of the centuries and the complex web of the characters' lives, culminating in a brutal and disturbing climax. With bursts of graphic imagery and raw emotion, squalour and desperation juxtaposed with glamour and indulgence, marinated in sin and debauchery, moulded with history and spiritualism, magic and science, while forever shrouded in a haunting and gothic atmosphere, this saga has everything you could wish for and more. I'm very excited to read the first sequel, 'Lasher', and also highly anticipating the upcoming TV adaptation.

Spellbinding and suspenseful, 'The Witching Hour' is a chilling and seductive masterpiece that takes you on an epic journey that leaves you exhilarated, fulfilled and gasping for more.



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Blood on Satan's Claw: or, The Devil's Skin by Robert Wynne-Simmons

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A bewitching folktale of terror.

The discovery of a skull buried in a field begins the horror that befalls the rural community of Chapel Folding.

The children begin to act strangely, their childish games and squabbles developing a more sinister nature, a cult forming around the girl who holds a vicious claw.

Now a disease is spreading throughout the village, visible by the fur growing on the skin. Evil, malignant and contagious, has taken root, the idyllic countryside blighted and cursed in a war for the soul.

'Blood on Satan's Claw; or, The Devil's Skin' is the novelisation of the 1971 film 'The Blood on Satan's Claw', a story of supernatural horror, devil worship, demonic possession and religious mania, and one of the forebears of the folk horror sub-genre. Written by Robert Wynne-Simmons, who wrote the original screenplay and co-wrote the reworked version alongside director Piers Haggard, the novel combines a vivid depiction of its rural setting and its inhabitants with slow-burning, ominous plotting to produce a vision of nightmarish, vintage horror.

Set in the early 18th century, this is a time when the beliefs and customs of folklore and old Paganism still held firm and Christian fears of witchcraft and Satanism were at the height of hysteria, beliefs combining and conflicting, with the English Civil War and England's witch trials still in living memory. Exploring the epidemic qualities of terror and hysteria, which we've witnessed so often throughout history and continue to this day, Wynne-Simmons crafts an atmospheric narrative of compelling and creeping dread.

Following a dizzying amount of characters, with the switch between narratives sometimes feeling a little disjointed, it has the feel of a story once told orally, transcribed on to the page from a tale around the campfire. At its centre is teenager Angel, who, under the influence of the devil, becomes sorceress and seductress, a pawn in his plan to return to the realm of flesh and bone. Meanwhile, surrounding the cult building around her are those who hope to combat the evil, yet many may fall before it is thwarted, as the superstition and horror mounts to a final crusading attempt to prevent Satan setting foot upon the earth.

A folk horror classic, 'Blood on Satan's Claw' creeps beneath the skin to explore the influence of superstition and the supernatural on the human mind.



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Blood Coven by Sabrina Voerman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A bewitching tale of empowerment and vengeance.

Red lives trapped by her family's abuse, only ever venturing outside to visit her grandmother's house deep in the forest.

Meeting a coven of young witches, Red realises there is far more to the world than her confinement, their allure hinting that her dreams of escape may be possible.

But when an ancient curse is enacted to sacrifice her to the werewolf of legend, Red finds herself colliding with her own destiny, faced with a fight to decide if she emerges as victim or survivor.

‘Blood Coven’ is the debut novel by Sabrina Voerman and the first in the ‘Blood Bound’ series. A dark fantasy reimagining of the classic fairy tale of Red Riding Hood, with a heart of feminist steel, we follow dual timelines - one in Red's contemporary Year of the Moon, and other four hundred years earlier in the Year of the Curse. Primarily we follow the narratives of Red and Matthias in each respective timeline, with other character perspectives at points adding to the account of the beginning and the culmination of a curse that spans generations.

Through lush and poetic gothic prose, conjuring the themes of witchcraft and the dark, brooding origins of our most beloved fairy stories, Voerman crafts an entrancing tale of deceit and revenge, of trauma and self-empowerment. Vivid descriptions draw us in from the first page, an aura of mystery and a twisting plot enrapturing us throughout. Bloodthirsty and emotive, evoking an underlying sensuality and connection with nature, as if the craft oozes between each line, there are elements reminiscent of Anne Rice’s ‘Tales of the Mayfair Witches’, and vibes of the TV series ‘Once Upon a Time’, while simultaneously building its own unique world.

The way the enchantment works out in unexpected ways for the coven is especially well done; the dynamic between Red and the Wolf leads to some thought-provoking discussion; and that hint of how love could come into Red's life, something she's never truly experienced, makes the tragedy ever more piquant. Following astutely developed characters and richly described settings, the non-linear plot maintains the pace and keeps us rivetted until the final pieces fall into place, telling a tale of victims reclaiming their own stories and fighting back against their abusers.

'Blood Coven' is a superb debut novel and opening chapter to the series; I'm very much looking forward to reading the second novel, ‘Ashen Heart’.



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