The Witch Hunter's Amulet: A Historical Novel of Greed, Hypocrisy and Persecution

by Marco Lobo

This historical novel follows Bartolomeu Andrade, the Witch Hunter, on a 16th-century journey through colonial India, armed with the Malleus Maleficarum. Oblivious to the true conditions of the world he has entered, he clings to old ways as he tries to create his own reality. After being poisoned, Bartolomeu searches sick and half-crazed for the jewels that he believes will restore his health, and in the process he blunders through a tiger hunt, works in the torture chambers of the Grand Inquisitor, and presides over a farcical witch trial gone wrong. Eventually, he too is thrown into the inquisitors’ dungeon to face trial for heresy.

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Doug Christi]

I usually do not read historical fiction, mainly because it reminds me of History class in high school. However, The Witch Hunter's Amulet by Marco Lobo successfully transported me back to the 16th Century and made me feel as if I was an integral part of the story, (albeit a bystander). Truly a wonderfully mastered combination of fact and fiction, Marco describes the Catholic Inquisition and the Hindu/Muslim wars of India with an uncommon ease that marks him as a one-in-a-million author. His descriptive voice is magic and his characters, (good and bad), convey depth and complexity. The story opened my eyes to a period I knew very little about and helped me understand the fragility and torment of man's faith in a Church seemingly bent toward ungodly pursuits. Reading The Witch Hunter's Amulet has made me a convert to historical fiction, at least when it is written by Marco Lobo. I look forward to future installments.