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The Plague Charmer

Karen Maitland (Goodreads Author),

Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

3.92 · Rating details · 936 ratings · 126 reviews

The Plague Charmer, by Karen Maitland, Queen of the Dark Ages and bestselling author of Company of Liars, will chill and delight fans of C.J. Sansom and Kate Mosse's Citadel in equal measure. 'A compelling blend of historical grit and supernatural twists' - Daily Mail

Riddle me this: I have a price, but it cannot be paid in gold or silver.

1361. Porlock Weir, Exmoor. Thi ...more

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Published October 14th 2016 by Headline Review

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Oct 23, 2016 Amalia Gkavea rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: british-literature, fantasy, mystery, magical-realism, myths-legends, historical-fantasy

''Owls know when death is coming.''

Yes, beautiful sentence. It hooked my attention from the start. However, it is said that first impressions are usually deceiving, and in the case of ''The Plague Charmer'' I was deceived and disappointed.

It is hard to write a review about a book that made you feel nothing. All the premises were there, after all. A mystery set in England during the era of the Great Pestilence, a strong heroine, a witch, a clever dwarf (Tyrion seems to have inspired one or tw ''Owls know when death is coming.''

Yes, beautiful sentence. It hooked my attention from the start. However, it is said that first impressions are usually deceiving, and in the case of ''The Plague Charmer'' I was deceived and disappointed.

It is hard to write a review about a book that made you feel nothing. All the premises were there, after all. A mystery set in England during the era of the Great Pestilence, a strong heroine, a witch, a clever dwarf (Tyrion seems to have inspired one or two writers...) That is why the disappointment was even greater.

There are four main points of view. Of course, every recent book of the genre has the ambition to follow on the steps of A Song of Ice and Fire, but let us face it, it will fail miserably. Anyway, here we have Sara, Will, Luke and Lady Christina. There is a common denominator that links the paths of these people, something which is revealed soon in the story. The central theme is prejudice. The well-known medieval prejudice of holy relics, the charlatanes that claimed to know how to drive the sickness away....

There are many elements of magical realism. Too many, in fact, that make me think we are rather on Fantasy ground here. It is quite far-fetched, it doesn't make the story better and I ended up not taking it seriously at all. It is a pity, really, because the beginning of the story leads the reader right into the action, and it's very engaging. However, the narrative stales after about the 50% mark. It seems we are stuck in the same place forever, watching the same debates, and the ending is predictable and anti-climactic.

The characters are nothing to write home about. Matilda and Eda win a rightful place in the squad of the most annoying characters, Luke and Christina have their own clichéd subplots, Will is the stereotype of the clever, mistreated dwarf, and Janiveer is a character that had some potential, but the mysticism associated with her was quickly turned into the Evil Witch. The character of Sara, though, was the reason I kept on reading. She is a well-written, strong heroine with strong principles and a fierce love for her sons.

The language and the dialogue were uneven. There were some examples of beautiful prose, but there was also much repetition, and many internal monologues that slowed the story down and not in a positive way. Too much length with no significance.

I feel this is a cold review, cold like the feeling I had when I finished the novel. It didn't stay with me,it left me distant and indifferent as to the fate of most of the characters, and this is never a good sign, right? So, if we look at it as an example of medieval fantasy, it may be interesting to some. However, seen under the light of the historical fiction genre, it falls short. I have read The Falcons of Fire and Ice by Karen Maitland and I had the same problems, though the Icelandic setting was a great advantage. Perhaps, this author isn't for me. ...more

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Jan 07, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have read all of Karen Maitland’s novels and enjoyed them – although none quite as much as her debut, “Company of Liars.” That said, this is an excellent return to an England when plague swept the land. Most of the story takes place in Porlock Weir, an isolated coastal village, and the nearby manor house – Porlock Manor, with an absentee lord, Sir Nigel Loring.

This is a long and involved novel, with several storylines. One involves Porlock Manor and Sir Nigel’s newly married niece, Christina, I have read all of Karen Maitland’s novels and enjoyed them – although none quite as much as her debut, “Company of Liars.” That said, this is an excellent return to an England when plague swept the land. Most of the story takes place in Porlock Weir, an isolated coastal village, and the nearby manor house – Porlock Manor, with an absentee lord, Sir Nigel Loring.

This is a long and involved novel, with several storylines. One involves Porlock Manor and Sir Nigel’s newly married niece, Christina, who has produced a son that nobody seems sure belongs to her husband, Sir Randel. Just in case her new husband is not found to be the father, she is sent to the manor while her family decide what to do. When plague arrives in London, Lady Pavia, Sir Nigel’s cousin, also arrives, along with a further guest; Sir Harry Gilmore. With the plague at the doorstep, it becomes harder to keep secrets and, indeed, doors everywhere are closing, even on their neighbours.

One of the most interesting characters for me was Will, an ‘artificial dwarf’ (whose existence I never knew about before reading this book), who was thrown out of the manor and has been living near the village of Porlock Weir, engaging in petty theft, including the tempting piglet’s which belong to Matilda (known locally as ‘the Holy hag;). Matilda is, despite the difference in time and place, a character familiar to everyone – a devoutly pious lady, who confuses religion with morality and who thinks she knows best about everyone and everything.

Another of the main characters is village woman, Sara; mother to Luke and Hob. One day, there is a storm and a strange woman is rescued from the sea. Janiveer says she knows how to save the village from the pestilence – as long as one of them have the courage to give her what she asks for. Her arrival seems to coincide with the return of the plague and this brings about some of the most memorable scenes in the novel as the villagers succumb to the disease.

With the plague, the storyline involving Christina and another based upon Janiveer’s character, plus an added thread about a group of people who we would probably term a ‘cult’ nowadays and you have a rich and involved novel. However, Maitland is adept at keeping the novel moving, even if it does get a little bogged down in the middle. Generally, you are kept involved, interested and have much sympathy with the characters. This is richly atmospheric, with a good sense of the period and of the local superstitions, folklore and beliefs. She weaves a really evocative world – with a creepy, abandoned local village, the realistic, and hasty, way the local priest abandons the villagers to scurry back to the perceived safety of the manor and the despair of the villagers as the plague overtakes them.

Overall, although this is not my favourite Karen Maitland novel, it is an excellent read and I really enjoyed it. Certainly, I will continue to read anything she writes, as she never disappoints and I have to say that she writes about this particular period of history very well. I also always enjoy the way that I tend to learn things in her novels, as she does endeavour to make her books historically correct.

...more

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Oct 29, 2016 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: medieval, historical-fiction, british-hf

4.5 stars
What makes a happy man sad, and a sad man happy? Why, time, of course, for all things pass. Just as the time of happiness passes, so does the time of sadness.

1361 the Great Pestilence returned after a 13 year reprieve. A different strain from the original appears,to which young healthy males were particularly prone, leaving communities of women and the elderly to fend without their menfolk.

Karen Maitland, the undisputed Queen, the Boss, the Bee's Knees of medieval fiction brings us anot ...more

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Mar 26, 2017 Evelina | AvalinahsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-of-2017, dark, owned-ebooks-read, netgalley, arcs-or-review-copies, historical, fiction, human-relationships, women, other-cultures

5 Reasons to read The Plague Charmer! You can also read the full post here on my blog.

Reason #1: The Atmosphere

Although it's hard to place yourself into the world of the story at first, simply because it's so dark, but still it pulls you in and overwhelms you. At times, it seemed I breathed the smell of the wet seaweed, felt the spray of the waves, sensed the cold gusts of wind. It's so incredibly atmospheric! I believe I have yet to read a novel about the middle ages that has pulled me ...more

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Jul 13, 2016 Tania rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-netgalley, historical-fiction

But we have little use for truth here. Truth is only one story among many.

Many moons ago I read Company of Liars by same author, and really liked it. So I may have gone in with high expectations. And to be fair the story had all the right elements: magical realism, religious fanatics, dwarfs and witches, yet I never felt totally drawn in. It may have been a case of too many characters and too many stories running simultaneously. The ending definitely picked up in pace, and I enjoyed the last 15% ...more

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Nov 01, 2016 Paul rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Not quite Company of Liars level but still a good tale all the same.
Some of the characters felt a bit more one dimensional than in Maitlands other books but Will the Dwarf was a great character, sort of similar to Tyrion in Game of Thrones, generally shunned but still with a good heart .
The setup was done quite well and I enjoyed the little cheeky take on the creation of folklore through story telling built in to the end.

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Jul 13, 2016 Zippergirl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, reviewed

"What I have to offer you cannot be bought with coins. I have a price, but it is not to be paid in gold or silver." She swept her sea-cold gaze around the circle of villagers huddled in the firelight. "I will save this village if just one among you has the courage to give me what I ask."

A brilliantly wrought fantasy--blissfully free of battle scenes--filled with the horrors of "The Great Pestilence," diviners, superstition, myth, charms, holy relics, and a banished court jester.

Will was not bor ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Wendy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The players appearing in this medieval theatre in Portlock Weir are simple folk and have absolutely no concept of what horrors the script of The Plague Charmer has in store for them.

As the Great Pestilence returns for the second time to this costal village it holds its ailing residents hostage and won’t release them from its grip. That is until they pay the price that has been asked by a mysterious stranger rescued from the churning tide, although they began to regret their good deed almost imme The players appearing in this medieval theatre in Portlock Weir are simple folk and have absolutely no concept of what horrors the script of The Plague Charmer has in store for them.

As the Great Pestilence returns for the second time to this costal village it holds its ailing residents hostage and won’t release them from its grip. That is until they pay the price that has been asked by a mysterious stranger rescued from the churning tide, although they began to regret their good deed almost immediately.

The arrival of the deadly infection coincides with a foreboding darkness in the form of an eclipse which signifies to some that the end of the world is nigh. This phenomenon creates the perfect conditions for a primitive survival mechanism to thrive. But barring your draughty door to your neighbour will not keep you safe from a vengeful conjuror who demands the impossible – one human life.

With a shortage of volunteers willing to throw their name in the ring to appease their unwelcome visitor, the gaggle of villagers and carefully selected supporting cast from outside Port Weir will immerse you in their layered, flailing world as they consider their options.

Depicted in a series of strikingly filthy and harrowing scenes as the sickness takes root, the alternating chapters are headed with the character’s name and are often accompanied by curious riddle. At first their stories appear disconnected, yet their individual challenges are united in one common cause – The Plague Charmer. Also stirred into the mix is malice, superstition, humiliation, vengeance, judgement, or far worse – becoming the focus of something inexplicable, or otherworldly.

Although this book has a higher than average page count to what I’m used to every one of them is worth savouring. And as an added bonus there’s an interesting glossary at the back of the book together with answers to the riddles posed in the chapter introductions. This is followed by a brief historical reference for some of the characters who step away from their place in ‘real’ world to make a guest appearance in The Plague Charmer.

The lyrical prose is impressive, yet feels so effortless. Without a doubt Karen Maitland is an author who spins the most wonderful words to create intricate historical tapestries for readers to feast their eyes upon.

(I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review, with my thanks.)
...more

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Feb 04, 2017 Veronica rated it liked it · review of another edition

I found "The Plague Charmer" by Karen Maitland a bit hard to get into but once I did then I found it to be a fascinating look at the Middle Ages, Black Death, and the superstitions small villages possibly had at that time.
It was an amazing historical read with quite a few separate story lines that eventually match up for a fantastic ending. The medieval era is brought to life so well and the characters are very well developed so much so that I could vividly imagine them.
Highly recommended for fa ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Stephen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

this book was given tome by netgalley and the publisher for my open and honest review
maitland brings the black death to live in this novel with people's beliefs shrouded in myth as the black death didn't care for class or wealth. this novel is based in somerset and like how the characters are inter linked in their misery and finding a way out but over shadowed by church and beliefs. ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historic-novel

This was the first book I read by Karen Maitland. It was recommended by a GR-list for books about the pest, that I looked up after reading and really liking Doomsday Book. I liked this one quite a bit as well, though I found the story contained a bit too many (mystical) elements. We experience the historical events through the eyes of several POVs who make a clear picture of the overall events. Every new chapter was introduced with a short medieval statement that was clearly related to the perso ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 Jo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: medieval, historical-fiction

In a small village on the coast of southern England a mysterious woman is washed ashore. She asks for a sacrifice in order to prevent the plague coming to the village. There are various strands running through this novel which sees various people in and around Porlock Weir attempting to survive and protect their loved ones from the plague that swept England in 1361. At times it did feel there were too many storylines but otherwise this was a tantalising glimpse into medieval plague times.

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Oct 31, 2016 Shaz Goodwin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2016/1...

The Plague Charmer may be a ‘dark’ read however Karen Maitland has created colourful and interesting characters.

There are several narrations – from Weir folk Sara and Matilda we have life from the perspective of fisherfolk who need the land to provide for them to live. I loved the contradiction of how a village can pull itself apart but also work in collaboration; in Porlock Manor I was drawn in by the astute Lady Pavia, intriguing Christina, underhanded S ...more

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Jan 31, 2016 Elspeth G. Perkin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-goodreads-find, 14th-century-england-setting, a-netgalley-title

Has its own certain charm waiting for the right reader

The Plague Charmer is one dark atmospheric story that bubbles and churns with elements of: chilling history, folklore, damaged characters and enduring medical mysteries that all become nearly impossible to look away from or difficult not to gather some bauble of trivia to tuck away long after turning the final page. These types of tales that not only amuse but strangely enlighten the reader about poignant eras of the past are ones I always ho ...more

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Feb 11, 2018 Margaret rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

Southern England, 1361. The plague is back and life in the small Somerset fishing village will never be the same again. This is a historical fantasy, very dark in parts. The history is well researched and as right as it ever can be. The fantasy, in many ways could be explained, but not quite all. Superstition is rife and ignorance abounds. A strange woman, sea witch, arrives and allegedly brings the plague because there is something she wants from the village. A dwarf (not natural, but manipulat ...more

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Jun 20, 2016 Janette Fleming rated it it was amazing

'Something was approaching, something evil, I could feel it. As if in some distant land the devil had just unfurled his wings and was even now flying over the sea towards us, his shadow reaching out before him to cover the land.'

With Karen Maitland you know what you are going to get, evocative writing which brings the medieval world to life, wonderful, empathetic characters all wrapped up in a bewitching tale.

It is hard to believe the brutality of life, the hardships and poverty endured by
the pe ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Clayton Owen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a timely read, given current events.

This is the first Karen Maitland book I have read and I shall definitely be reading more. The blend of medieval Christianity and paganism is fascinating and clearly shows the fragile grip that Christianity had in Medieval England.

The story is well-researched and weaves actual historical events into the lives of ordinary people. I also found a lot of similarities between the rumours that surrounded the plague and the current situation. The stories of p ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Carol rated it really liked it

This book is very dark in its story line it illustrates the devastation the plague brought to a relatively stable village and the way various characters behaved during this time. It also explores apocalyptic cults, belief in witches and the courage of the least in hard times. I won’t say it is a book for those seeking light reading or happy endings but it did hold my attention and was not a disappointment

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Oct 20, 2016 Jaffareadstoo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Set in 1361, and with a clever blend of mysticism, superstition and folklore, The Plague Charmer looks at the catastrophic effects of a great pestilence which is sweeping England and as it moves inexorably towards Porlock Weir an impoverished fishing village on the edge of Exmoor, so does the threat of impending doom. The villagers eke out a lowly existence, reliant on land and sea for their meagre survival, and so when an enigmatic stranger emerges from the sea and offers them a deadly bargain Set in 1361, and with a clever blend of mysticism, superstition and folklore, The Plague Charmer looks at the catastrophic effects of a great pestilence which is sweeping England and as it moves inexorably towards Porlock Weir an impoverished fishing village on the edge of Exmoor, so does the threat of impending doom. The villagers eke out a lowly existence, reliant on land and sea for their meagre survival, and so when an enigmatic stranger emerges from the sea and offers them a deadly bargain which will keep them safe from the plague, well, therein lies their dilemma, to acquiesce, or not, is a decision they must make for themselves. However, the menacing gloom which emanates from this stranger is enough to deepen their sense of growing unease.

I’m deliberately being reticent about the story content because if you are familiar with this author’s writing, you will know that her work is incredibly difficult to review without giving too much away, but what I will say is that The Plague Charmer bears all the usual hallmarks of this talented writer. She infuses her novels with such glorious historical detail, that it becomes difficult, on looking up from the book, to adjust to life in the 21st century.

Life in the fourteenth century didn’t happen in a rush, and this is reflected in the way The Plague Charmer is allowed to evolve ever so slowly, but as always time and place is captured to perfection. There is so much historical detail that it truly reads like a medieval travelogue, not that you would want to return to Porlock Weir in 1361, but by the time you have finished The Plague Charmer, believe me, you will feel like you have been there and witnessed at first hand the blend of horror, superstitious terror and medieval chaos which this author brings so vividly to life.

The riddles and proverbs which head each chapter are fascinating and cleverly combine folklore and superstition into the narrative. The author’s complex historical detail, which is given at the end of the novel, shows just how much attention to detail goes into the story content. Even if I didn't know much about Karen Maitland as an author I would buy this book just for the cover, which tantalisingly, offers something deliciously dark. ...more

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Aug 13, 2016 Vikki Patis rated it it was amazing

Review coming soon!
https://dracarya.wordpress.com/2016/0... ...more

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Oct 11, 2018 Serene Morticia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

"First, you take a lusty infant - they must be strong to survive the moulding - and fit with an iron frame over its baby head and face. One of the iron bars with hooks on either end goes in that little toothless mouth to stretch the lips into a permanent wide grin. Dwarves are supposed to look cheerful, and it spares us the effort of having to fix our mouths into a grin in company. It wouldn't do for that smile to slip, now, would it?

"The other iron bars of the bridle flatten the baby's

"First, you take a lusty infant - they must be strong to survive the moulding - and fit with an iron frame over its baby head and face. One of the iron bars with hooks on either end goes in that little toothless mouth to stretch the lips into a permanent wide grin. Dwarves are supposed to look cheerful, and it spares us the effort of having to fix our mouths into a grin in company. It wouldn't do for that smile to slip, now, would it?

"The other iron bars of the bridle flatten the baby's button nose and squeeze its skull so that the forehead bulges with wisdom and intelligence. Next you must rub the infant spine daily with the fat of tiny creatures - shrews or doormice, bats or moles are thought to be the most efficacious. Finally you strap the infant in its iron bridle into a snug, stout box, open at the front, of course, for you don't want to suffocate your little homunculus - think of all that wasted time and money ... as the baby grows in its box, it will be compressed and deformed, squished and squashed ever tighter until it emerges from its mould, formed like a gingerbread manikin into the squat little dwarf that lords and ladies so desire."

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The book is set in a town called Portlock Weir in 1361, thirteen years after the infamous Black Plague. Luke, brother to Hob and son to Sara, discovers an unusual box in the sand when the tide is out. Shortly after, a strange woman is pulled from the sea. Up in Portlock Manor, Lady Christina has given birth to a son but concerned of the prospect of scandal, her family has isolated them both in a tower with only the spiteful hag, Eda, for company. These story lines are only the starting point as different perspectives of the events unwinds the tale and branched out into a stunning conclusion.

Haunting, chilling, bewildering - The Plague Charmer was like this from start to finish. For a book that is 500+ pages long, you can guess it will probably be a slow burner. However, right from the beginning, I was intrigued by the scent of deceit and corruption. I would LOVE to know how Maitland develops her character-building - each were so three-dimensional with the worse of them always getting a rise out of me. The atmosphere of the entire was so on point - despite the fact summer was only just around the corner and the characters were suffering through a drought, the premise still made you shiver. The different narratives throughout made for some vivid storytelling, seething with grime, magic, malediction, brutality and heartbreak.

And I don't say heartbreak lightly - (view spoiler) . The beauty of these books is the author has put so much passion and energy into them. She has found the most sinister yet tantalising pieces of our history and has put them into such a platform that is interesting to learn. I would highly recommend this book to all historical fiction and horror fans - you will not be disappointed! ...more

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May 18, 2017 Toast rated it it was amazing

WOW KM is good! Just the right mix of witchery, folklore and mud! I loved it! I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't stop turning the pages. It was mucky, dirty and raw. The story gripped: there was a murder (several all told) but that didn't get you - the plague was front and centre; there was a child - whose?; two lost boys; a fire; a quest; a flood; a storm. A village ripped to shreds, dripping in fear. Brilliant just brilliant. There was no let up in the writing. The human and the historic ...more

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Oct 18, 2018 Adele rated it really liked it

A fun, easy read. Lots of interesting historical detail that really gave a sense of time & place to the novel. I liked the range of characters & that the short chapters were often written from particular characters viewpoints.
Would have liked to give three & a half stars rather than four as it wasn’t a novel that I’d read again, but if you’re simply after a good read, this is worth a look.

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Aug 13, 2016 Margaret rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, fiction, historical-fiction, 2016, fantasy

Karen Maitland is a great storyteller.

The Plague Charmer is a fascinating medieval tale full of atmosphere and superstition. It’s a long but an unputdownable book, bringing the medieval world to life in all its brutality and hardship. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is set in Porlock Weir in 1361 where a village is isolated by the plague when the Black Death spreads once more across England. Following an eclipse of the sun, as a storm rages along the coast, a ship is blown ashore bringing a da Karen Maitland is a great storyteller.

The Plague Charmer is a fascinating medieval tale full of atmosphere and superstition. It’s a long but an unputdownable book, bringing the medieval world to life in all its brutality and hardship. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is set in Porlock Weir in 1361 where a village is isolated by the plague when the Black Death spreads once more across England. Following an eclipse of the sun, as a storm rages along the coast, a ship is blown ashore bringing a dark stranger, Janiveer, to the village. She warns the villagers that the plague, raging in other parts of the country will soon spread to their village and offers to save them – but for a terrible price.

It’s a complex story, told from different characters’ perspectives, following the lives of Will, a ‘fake’ dwarf, Sara, a packhorse man’s wife and her family, Matilda, a religious zealot, and Christina at nearby Porlock Manor amongst others. It’s a tale of folklore, black magic, superstition, violence, torture, murder, and an apocalyptic cult – and also of love. As the plague spreads and more horrendous deaths pile up bringing fear and hysteria, families are broken up, and hostilities surface as the village is isolated, left to fend alone.

I thought Will a fascinating character. He was not born a dwarf, but was subjected to horrific treatment as a baby, strapped into an iron bridle, compressed and deformed as he grew to form a squat little dwarf. He is remarkably free of bitterness and capable of more humanity than most of the other characters. Sara, too shows strength of character as she perseveres in her search for her two missing sons.

I like the Historical Notes, providing more detailed information about the period, the people and the location, as well as the legends, and the answers to the medieval riddles that head Will’s chapters. I particularly like the information about the plague and the various religious cults of the period. The Glossary is also invaluable, helping to flesh out the detail.

The Plague Charmer is a superb combination of historical fact and fiction. I really enjoyed reading this detailed and chillingly dark atmospheric book. It’s a memorable story with a colourful cast of characters, full of suspense and drama.

My thanks to Headline for providing a proof copy via NetGalley and Lovereading. ...more

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Jan 19, 2017 Angela Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, historical, supernatural

This is the third Karen Maitland book that I have read to date and so far I think it is my favourite one. It has an interesting cast of characters that you either love or hate according to their personality. I definitely found it a page turner and that is not always easy with historical fiction. There is a list of the people in the book just in case you need it, but I found I didn't as most of them were memorable in their own way, none more than Will the dwarf, purposely deformed at birth in a c This is the third Karen Maitland book that I have read to date and so far I think it is my favourite one. It has an interesting cast of characters that you either love or hate according to their personality. I definitely found it a page turner and that is not always easy with historical fiction. There is a list of the people in the book just in case you need it, but I found I didn't as most of them were memorable in their own way, none more than Will the dwarf, purposely deformed at birth in a cruel cage to stunt his growth and twist his limbs.

Most of the story takes place in Porlock Weir a small harbour village dependant mainly on it's crops and fishing and whatever they can trade. A great storm one night causes a ship wreck. The villagers use Will (not that he has any choice) to rescue a woman who appears to all intents and purposes, dead. Will pulls her up anyway, risking the wrath of the sea by taking what is hers.

They take the woman to a cottage of one of the villagers and to their surprise she revives. There is something strange about the woman (Janiveer) though as she tells them that a great disaster is coming to their village and the only way to avert it is to give her the life of one of them. They refuse to pay the price and she leaves. The next day (or so) the bodies of two children tied together wash up on the beach.

Sara, the mother of two young sons, Luke & Hob take the dead children into her home, unable to think of them being thrown back into the sea. As they are prepared for burial, to her horror she finds they are victims of the plague. The children are hastily buried, but the harm is already done and the occupants of the cottage are sealed up together by the rest of the village to see if they are infected.

What follows is death, a fight for survival and the best and worst of human behaviour in troubled times. The villagers are desperate to find Janiveer, the woman whom they saved and who cursed the village at the same time. There is supernatural happenings, superstition and brutality, but for me the heart of the story was the dwarf, Will. He is short of height and has twisted limbs but he is the bigger man of all of them. ...more

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Jul 10, 2016 The Irregular Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, mystery, british-history, disasters-and-disease, european-history, netgalley

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The year is 1361 and the sun has disappeared. The residents of tiny Porlock Weir can only watch in horror as the sun is swallowed up by a black disc, turning the afternoon sunshine into night. When the sun reappears a few minutes later, they are hardly comforted: this can only be a bad omen. That night, a storm rages along the coast, wrecking a ship upon the rocks outside the village. A sole survivor is pulled from the sea ...more

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Oct 05, 2016 MrsCappuccina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Plague Charmer, I actually grabbed this book because I was intrigued by the cover. Yes, I choose books by their covers.

I would probably not have read it by the blurb. Historical Fiction and Fantasy is not really what I go for in books. So, I am glad I choose it because of it’s cover.

The time I travelled to is 1361 and the start of the book gave a detailed description how dwarfs are created to be sold and serve the more weal ...more

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Oct 17, 2016 Stephanie rated it really liked it

The Plague Charmer is the first book that I have read by Karen Maitland and also the first that I have read that is set in the 14th century.
It is set in Porlock Weir, an area of Exmoor and features several people. Will, a ‘manmade dwarf’, Sara, a wife and mother and Matilda, otherwise known as the ‘Holy Hag’ are the main characters. When the village is cursed by Janiveer a woman who was rescued from the sea and the plague decimates the village population all three are affected. They all survive ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 Ruth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

2016: FWFTB: Exmoor, hysteria, dwarf, locked, saint. Yay! As far as I am concerned, Ms Maitland has rediscovered her mojo. This was so much better than the last couple of books that I have read by her. The Daily Mail is quoted on the front cover:"Dark and woven with the supernatural" which is true to an extent but it is so much more than that. It is well-plotted, characterful and with a real sense of time and place which I think that Ms Maitland excels at. Interestingly, the publishers decided t ...more

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Jun 22, 2018 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A really well researched tale of the 1361 that weaves in a great deal of the human experience and emotion in times of crisis.

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About Karen Maitland

Karen Maitland

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Karen Maitland, who also writes as KJ Maitland, lives in the beautiful county of Devon and has a doctorate in psycholinguists.

Her new historical thriller, 'The Drowned City', is set in the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, in 1606 and is the first of a new series featuring the character, Daniel Pursglove. For this Jacobean series, Karen is writing under the name of KJ Maitland,

Her first stand alon ...more

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“They say despair is a terrible thing, but hope is worse: it keeps you shackled for ever, like a dog in a wheel, always running, but never able to go anywhere, save round and round.” — 1 likes

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