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Thaumatology #6
Hammer of Witches
Ceri Brent and Lily Carpenter, a sorceress and a half-succubus, are new to police work after becoming Special Advisors to the Greycoats, but when Ceri and her werewolf mate, Michael, find a charred corpse she finds herself frozen out of the investigation. As the bodies pile up they begin to investigate anyway, especially when their friends are threatened by the Witch Hunter’s widening list of criminals to be tried, convicted, and burned alive.
But the Witch Hunter appears to have divine help and Ceri’s faith will be tested to the limit before he can be finally brought to justice. What can a girl who stopped going to church at the age of seven have faith in when the country is invaded by angels?
But the Witch Hunter appears to have divine help and Ceri’s faith will be tested to the limit before he can be finally brought to justice. What can a girl who stopped going to church at the age of seven have faith in when the country is invaded by angels?
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2012
38 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Niall Teasdale
73 books292 followersI was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still loved the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
As of 2015, I have thrown in my lot with writing. After thirty years of being a computer programmer I am making enough money to quit the day job and write full time. Dreams, occasionally, come true. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 24, 2021
Entertaining books.
I started Mr. Teasdales' books with Cold Steel Heart, read the entire series and now working through this series. He keeps the pacing good and has really good character development and world building. I love his ideas on technology and magic. I will be a fan for a long time.
I started Mr. Teasdales' books with Cold Steel Heart, read the entire series and now working through this series. He keeps the pacing good and has really good character development and world building. I love his ideas on technology and magic. I will be a fan for a long time.
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September 18, 2021Excellent read, once again couldn`t put one of Niall`s books down.
October 26, 2023
Mind blowing even a few moments where my heart began racing because of the anxiety of the predicament of their situation❗
Overly anxious to begin the next book❗
Five🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❗
Overly anxious to begin the next book❗
Five🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟❗
November 28, 2020
ReRead 2020
In counterpoint to my initial review I rather like this installment and thought it one of the more interesting novels in the series. Tough the plot is somewhat similar to other book in this series, the resolutions, motivations and actions beyond that were different enough to form a new narrative.
The additional angle of religion, the science of magic and their interaction or contradictions with the divine makes for an unique plot and an expanded worldbuilding that characterizes Teasdales writing.
So on revision I'd give this novel 4 stars.
[For completions sake I will preserve my initial review even though I would consider it no longer my defenite opinion on this novel]
2.5 Still interesting, but least favourite thus far.
As advisors to the police Ceri and Lily help to investigates a serial killer who burns witches and almost seems to have divine assistance.
The world is still interesting, but this novel wasn't all that interesting on it's own. The world remains one of the most interesting pieces of this series and keeps expanding in well thought out ways in interesting ways. And that includes this novel, but the story itself seems rather recycled from a previous installments supplemented with a lot of adult scenes that distract more than the add to the story.
In short: Good worldbuilding/expansion, mediocre/ below average story
In counterpoint to my initial review I rather like this installment and thought it one of the more interesting novels in the series. Tough the plot is somewhat similar to other book in this series, the resolutions, motivations and actions beyond that were different enough to form a new narrative.
The additional angle of religion, the science of magic and their interaction or contradictions with the divine makes for an unique plot and an expanded worldbuilding that characterizes Teasdales writing.
So on revision I'd give this novel 4 stars.
[For completions sake I will preserve my initial review even though I would consider it no longer my defenite opinion on this novel]
2.5 Still interesting, but least favourite thus far.
As advisors to the police Ceri and Lily help to investigates a serial killer who burns witches and almost seems to have divine assistance.
The world is still interesting, but this novel wasn't all that interesting on it's own. The world remains one of the most interesting pieces of this series and keeps expanding in well thought out ways in interesting ways. And that includes this novel, but the story itself seems rather recycled from a previous installments supplemented with a lot of adult scenes that distract more than the add to the story.
In short: Good worldbuilding/expansion, mediocre/ below average story
September 17, 2013
Hammer of Witches: by Niall Teasdale, ASIN: B007YG2I44. I am “on the fence”. I like the author's style of writing and creativity, however, the sex scenes almost seemed to be more like “fillers”. In other words, it felt as if the writer did not have enough material to keep the story going, so sex filled up all the gaps. I would be willing to read more of this author. Perhaps, this series should have been put to rest before this particular book was born.
June 26, 2014
The series is still ok, not a whole lot of variety in plot. With the books being so similar, I've noticed that it is better to NOT read them one right after another. Space them out with 4 or 5 other books that way the series is nice brain candy and a light read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews