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The Witch's Daughter

(The Witch's Daughter #1)

Paula Brackston (Goodreads Author)

3.59 · Rating details · 29,037 ratings · 2,942 reviews

My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. Each new settlement asks for a new journal, and so this Book of Shadows begins.

In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate at the ...more

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Hardcover, 305 pages

Published January 18th 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published December 1st 2008)

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Nov 27, 2011 Farfished9 rated it liked it

I liked this book. I think it was well written and it moved along at a comfortable pace….like watching a movie that isn’t too slow or too fast. It wasn’t trying to be more than it seemed like it was meant to be…a feel good and entertaining book….not always sunny and bright…not always gloomy and dark…pleasantly imaginative and vividly told.

These kinda books are underrated…I’m not saying they should be overrated either—but there is something very respectable about an author knowing how to tell the I liked this book. I think it was well written and it moved along at a comfortable pace….like watching a movie that isn’t too slow or too fast. It wasn’t trying to be more than it seemed like it was meant to be…a feel good and entertaining book….not always sunny and bright…not always gloomy and dark…pleasantly imaginative and vividly told.

These kinda books are underrated…I’m not saying they should be overrated either—but there is something very respectable about an author knowing how to tell their story with balance and not a hint of ego. If you’re the kinda reader (be brutally honest with yourself—come oooon) that is teeming with ego yourself—don’t bother with this book—haha. You’ll no doubt find it droll and predictable…and you’ll no doubt have it all figured out from the get go. Surely the lurking inferiority complex murmuring in your ear will whisper—“WE could write a better book!” My advice to such readers is to do with out this book and to write your own…then you won’t be able to complain that you’re too smart for it because let’s face it—no one is smarter than you! =))

I never felt like the author was trying to impress me or convince me of anything…I didn’t feel like I was asked to take on any certain feelings or pressured into being moved along with how certain aspects of the story were presented. I felt like I was simply being told a story and asked only to listen—if I wanted to. I don’t like going into reading a book with the attitude of feeling like I am being intellectually challenged for the point of it or that I myself am challenging the writer to awe and inspire me…that’s bullcrap and noooo fun.

I like this rare feeling while reading a book because so often I feel manipulated by authors. Don’t get me wrong—I can totally appreciate being guided by an author’s words…and sometimes I am in the mood to be swept in whichever possible direction they’ve sought to carry me…there can be a relaxing quality in this too, if it is not overdone.

This book was an easy and relaxing read for me…which let me just…be. The story itself was just like that too…it just was. Thanks Ms. Brackston! Well done! En core! Have you written anything else?? I’m gonna check it out right now…=)
...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Small Review rated it did not like it

Shelves: g-historical-fiction, g-historical-lite

I was suckered into this book, despite the negative reviews, because the description sounded interesting and the cover caught my eye. Ugh, I should have listened to the reviews. Or, I wish the reviews had been more detailed as to why people didn’t like the book. I’m going to try to be detailed.

First things first, don’t believe that description. It’s sort of accurate, kinda, but it gave me the complete wrong impression. I was expecting to start out with her mother dead and then follow her as she I was suckered into this book, despite the negative reviews, because the description sounded interesting and the cover caught my eye. Ugh, I should have listened to the reviews. Or, I wish the reviews had been more detailed as to why people didn’t like the book. I’m going to try to be detailed.

First things first, don’t believe that description. It’s sort of accurate, kinda, but it gave me the complete wrong impression. I was expecting to start out with her mother dead and then follow her as she learned magic from a sexy bad boy warlock. They’d have a falling out of some sort and she would start running and he’d chase her through the centuries. Sounds good, right? Yeah, that’s so not what happens.

It takes forever for her mother to die and then we don’t watch Bess learn anything. All of her magic lessons are disappointingly glossed over. The part before her mother dies isn’t so bad, though it is a lot longer than I was expecting. You learn about Bess and her family living in the dark ages (literally) and dealing with plague and poverty. Ok historical fiction, but nothing that particularly stood out for me. I really tried to work up sympathy for Bess, but I never connected with any of the characters well enough to feel more than an objective recognition of her horrible situation.

The two other historical sections interested me less and had fewer historical details. I don’t really understand why those two parts of her life were highlighted. What was so special about them? The scenes mentioned but never shown sounded more interesting than the ones that were actually described. These flashbacks were all written in the third person. I felt very disconnected to the main character. I think this would have worked better for me if it had been written in the first person.

These historical flashbacks alternate with journal entries written by Bess in modern times. She talks about her growing relationship with Tegan. Tegan annoyed me. She didn’t feel like a genuine teenager. Instead she felt more like an adult’s forced and over the top attempt at sounding like a teenager. I also thought Bess was especially boring and pathetic in these parts. She was like a shadow of a person. All of her talk about not getting close to anyone kind of contradicted all of her flashbacks, too.

Bess was a likable enough character in the beginning. As the story went on though, I found myself getting more and more frustrated with her. She turned into the type of character I spend most of my time screaming at and wishing she’d stop being such an idiot. In the final 100 pages of the book I just wanted Gideon to kill everyone, Bess included.

There was one scene in the final flashback where I said to myself, “If she does X, I swear I’m not going to finish this book.” It was such a stupid thing that was completely unnecessary. Well, she did it, but I did finish the book. I had only about 50 pages more to go. I couldn’t stand not finishing the book after all that, so I skimmed the rest.

And the promised romance? Ugh, no. The warlock is creepy. Not creepy like a good ghost story, but creepy like a rapist. Which is what he is. Bess observes him raping a girl in a crude and unnecessary scene. This should have been a big warning for her, and while she is repulsed, a few chapters later she’s lusting after him herself. Um, yeah, I totally wasn’t getting on board with that.

Then there’s another creepy Satan/demon/eeew sex scene that leads to Bess running from Gideon. Ok, so rape didn’t scare her off but demon Satan sex did it? Whatever. Then Bess is raped in a really unnecessary and awkward scene. Did you see anything about this in the blurb? Because I sure didn’t!

There are more reasons I didn’t like this book, but do you really need any more? I don't mind reading about sex in a book, but the way it was done here isn't my thing. I also think my inaccurate expectations may have affected my enjoyment. There's also a lot of the "rah rah female sisterhood" thing going on here, and I don't tend to like that.

Originally posted at Small Review ...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Kara Babcock rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2011-read, fantasy, historical-fiction, from-library, british-historical

You’re just going about your daily business, healing people and whatnot, and then what happens? The plague. Suddenly everyone in town is accusing you of being a witch and clamouring for the witch-finder to hang you for consorting with Satan and dancing naked with demons and whatnot. Isn’t that always the way of things? Don’t you hate how people are just so close-minded, even in as enlightened an age as the 1620s? Just because someone might be a witch doesn’t mean she worships Satan! Witches can ...more

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Sep 23, 2016 Bark rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fiction

This review and the rest of the crap I write can be seen @ my blog Bark's Book Nonsense . Stop by and say hey.

I saw this book on Overdrive and chose it for my Halloween Bingo “Witches” square for no other reason than the title and I guess the blurb sounded vaguely interesting to me, even though the reviews weren’t great. Turns out it was a decent read if you can get past the slow as hell start, but I don’t know if it would’ve worked for me if I hadn’t listened to it as an unabridged audio. Pati This review and the rest of the crap I write can be seen @ my blog Bark's Book Nonsense . Stop by and say hey.

I saw this book on Overdrive and chose it for my Halloween Bingo “Witches” square for no other reason than the title and I guess the blurb sounded vaguely interesting to me, even though the reviews weren’t great. Turns out it was a decent read if you can get past the slow as hell start, but I don’t know if it would’ve worked for me if I hadn’t listened to it as an unabridged audio. Patience is a virtue that I don’t possess and I have too many books in the tbr pile to read before I croak.

But no one cares about all that.

After a slightly confusing and slow start with a distant narrator, Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith finally introduces herself and informs us that her current age is three hundred and eighty-four years. She’s apparently immortal and hiding herself away because something evil is after her. How did this happen? Well, hang in there because we’re about to find out eventually.

The book is told in journal form and skips around in time. I believe the current timeline was 2007 but my memory is crap so I’m not certain. It doesn’t really matter anyway. In the current day, she is making herbal remedies and incense and living a quiet life when a lonely teen named Tegan befriends her. Despite the fact that she never gets close to anyone for reasons, she starts to teach Tegan the ways of the hedge witch and begins sharing her life story with her. These stories, journal entries and whatnot flash us back to important parts of Elizabeth’s life.

The first flashback was my favorite. It takes place during the plague. I don’t know about you, but those dark, terrible times fascinate me. She suffers great loss and grief and I may have even almost shed a tear. It was here that she finally comes alive as a character and events happen that shape the rest of long life. The present day version of Elizabeth is muted and meh but the past version is easily relatable and I felt her pain. So, without spoiling everything, I’ll just say that she must learn her magic from an evil-doer named Gideon if she is to survive in the world. Gideon is a master of the dark arts and uses them to his advantage. He’s a rapist and a mind-wiper and an all around selfish son-of-the-devil. She’s not at all happy about things but one must survive, right? One night she spies him in the woods dancing with demons, as one will, and screwing a few for fun, and she is scandalized and horrified by the sight. I actually wanted more of the scene but much to my dismay, she runs. He wants her back because she has power. She changes her name to Bess and then later to Eliza but always keeps the Hawksmith. It might’ve been smarter to go with anything else but I’m not hiding from Satan’s minion, so what do I know? Gideon always ferrets her out and she is forced to flee yet again. This game goes on for years and years and yet more years and is still going on in the current timeline.

I thought Gideon was an interesting character. He changes shape and does repulsive things and he has no remorse. None at all. I kind of enjoyed this, probably because I read so much horror fiction, but I can also understand why most people find him disturbing. He is. My biggest fear as I went along in this book was that an awful romance was brewing between these two and it would be revealed that he had reasons for his atrocities and all would be forgiven. This didn’t happen and I couldn’t be happier. He’s just a beastly beast, there is no romance and that worked for me. This book is far more tragedy than romance.

I’d give this book a 3 ½ but it's not good enough to bump up to a 4. The ending, in the present timeline, didn’t thrill me. I found the past bits much more interesting. The narration was above decent and kept me in the story, even during the slow bits.
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Jan 17, 2011 Lolly K Dandeneau rated it did not like it

I had such high hopes, even ignoring the poor reviews that I should have heeded as warnings. The first few pages held promise, but then something happened, the character turned cold, and I didn't feel an intimacy at all in the writing. I do not have an issue, as some seem to, with stories written as a journal after all, my favorite books are Anais Nin's diaries, so long as the emotions are genuine. The only character I remotely liked was the evil villain, as he was the most interesting one. Woul ...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Julie rated it it was ok

It was decent enough that I finished reading it, but The Witch's Daughter was, above all else, formulaic and repetitive. Even though it was a book of 4 stories in one, they were all basically exactly the same, following the same pattern of A then B leads to C. "Plot twists" were predictable, especially after the first two internal stories finished. I kept finding myself asking the main character the question of, "Really? You haven't learned? You're supposed to have lived through all of these dif ...more

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Jun 08, 2017 Kerry rated it really liked it

This is the second book in the Shadow Chronicles series, however I feel both books stand alone and actually show no link in the storylines. I was a bit disappointed by this but enjoyed both books nonetheless.
This book had two separate narratives taking place throughout. One in the present day and in the form of entries into a Book of Shadows by Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith. The other is her memories as she tells her story of her lives throughout time whilst being pursued by a dangerous Warlock. She ...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Katie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

For starters I don't understand why people criticize authors for their writing style, it makes no sense. All writers write differently, end of story. Also criticizing a fiction book because of the fictional events in it?? Again pointless. Now onto the book review.

It started out dry.. Really dry but it picked up quick enough and by chapter 5 of Bess's story I was hooked and didn't want to put it down. It was very well written, easy to follow, easy to picture the places and characters and it was e ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Erica rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook, evil-creatures, fantasy, great-narration, mothers-and-their-kids, supernatural, uk, women-and-girls, dead-friends-and-family, famous-figures

Before I start, can someone explain this cover to me? What's with those shoes? I don't understand the shoes. They have nothing to do with the story and they look like 5-inch heeled booties. Well, not booties, whatever the next size up is called. Anyway in what time period did Bess/Eliza/Elise/Elizabeth wear 5-inch booties on a daily basis? Please explain to me the meaning of this cover! It's bothering me to no end!

So I started this and was madly in love by the end of the first chapter. It was ex Before I start, can someone explain this cover to me? What's with those shoes? I don't understand the shoes. They have nothing to do with the story and they look like 5-inch heeled booties. Well, not booties, whatever the next size up is called. Anyway in what time period did Bess/Eliza/Elise/Elizabeth wear 5-inch booties on a daily basis? Please explain to me the meaning of this cover! It's bothering me to no end!

So I started this and was madly in love by the end of the first chapter. It was exactly the witchy kind of book I eat up like Cookie Monster nomming chocolate chip cookies. I could not get enough.

The writing was enchanting, the story solid, the characters interesting, the plot fascinating, I loved it all. I even enjoyed the present day Elizabeth telling her backstory; in fact, I loved present day Elizabeth's little town and her garden and her stall in the marketplace and her unlikely friendship with a lonely girl from down the road.

But then I started to feel that maybe Elizabeth wasn't the sharpest spoon in the drawer. It was somewhere during her second story that I began to wonder how she kept getting tricked even though she'd lived, like, 200 years. By her third story, I was done with her. I mean, I've only lived 45 years and have not been chased around the globe by some demonic psychopath for the majority of my life and even I could see the ridiculous trap that was once again being laid for our dimwitted little witch. How did she just blunder into that...again? Present day Elizabeth seems to have her act a little more together, though she's still rather slow on the uptake when, really, she should have figured out what was going on way before I did.

By the end, the glamour had fallen away to reveal a solid story that had turned wobbly, like an apple that looks good but the backside it all rotten and squishy. I enjoyed a good 2/3 of it but was vastly irritated by that last 1/3. Had I read it, I would have been less inclined to give it more than 2 stars but the narrator for this is phenomenal and carried me through that last bit when I'd have faltered on my own.

I'm still going to read the rest of the series, although I can't find the next one on audio so I might skip it for now - it's about a different witch, anyhow - and go onto the 3rd or maybe straight to the 4th which looks like it picks up where this one left off.

Absolutely NOT recommended for Debbie. ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-reads

I just had the most lovely weekend lost in time. I participated in the Page Promise Read-A-Thon and I decided to have a Paula Brackston weekend. The first book I read is The Witch’s Daughter. This book introduces Elizabeth Hawksmith, a young girl who lives with her family in the year 1628. When a plague hits the village, her family is destroyed. However, the plague is not the worst to come through the village. A witchfinder comes to town and her mother pays the ultimate sacrifice for her. In ord I just had the most lovely weekend lost in time. I participated in the Page Promise Read-A-Thon and I decided to have a Paula Brackston weekend. The first book I read is The Witch’s Daughter. This book introduces Elizabeth Hawksmith, a young girl who lives with her family in the year 1628. When a plague hits the village, her family is destroyed. However, the plague is not the worst to come through the village. A witchfinder comes to town and her mother pays the ultimate sacrifice for her. In order to escape, she flees to Gideon who is a warlock. Not knowing the evil that is inside him, she becomes a student of the Craft. The powers would slow down her aging process. Three hundred and eighty-four years later, she has settled in a quiet town, when she meets a young girl named Tegan who shows interest and promise in the Craft. However, just because Tegan shows interest doesn’t mean she knows the danger that follows.

This book will transport readers to key moments throughout time. I loved the mix of historical fiction and fantasy. When she mentioned the Victorian era and White Chapel, I almost lost my mind. I knew exactly what event would take place…the Jack the Ripper murders. Also, I will never listen to Greensleeves the same way again! It is just the little details that made this book as a whole so special. The characters are also superb! Elizabeth shows strength and wisdom and a passion for healing and shows how beautiful Witchcraft is. I did not like that Gideon was a Satan worshipper, I feel that it does a disservice to who practice Wicca or Witchcraft. It is a common misconception that promotes stigma and stereotype. But I do understand that the author had to make him evil. Tegan is a complex character. I love her development. Since she is a teenager when she meets Elizabeth, she often goes through the want of acceptance and wants to find love, even though she does that blindly. Elizabeth and Tegan’s relationship make the book worthwhile and is extremely heartwarming.

The pace I found flowed smoothly even with the time period changes. The author excels at giving the novel a magical aesthetic and I often felt transported. Overall, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I would definitely recommend this book to those who love fantasy and historical fiction. ...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Racysteed rated it liked it

I feel like this author has a lot of potential, but it wasn't quite realized in The Witch's Daughter. The characters were compelling, yet I consistently found myself wanting more: more depth, more backstory, more understanding of their motivation. Ms. Brackston has a talent for creating characters who draw the reader in and I really enjoyed the beginning and the diary entry format. Even the flashbacks worked for me, although it's becoming a worn format at this point. However, she undermined her ...more

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Mar 27, 2017 BAM The Bibliomaniac rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, library, audiobooks

Book flips between several time periods because, you know, true witches don't die. Which reminds me of someone is going to turn me into a witch or vampire he or she better get a move on because I'm getting old
Anyway Bess makes a friend and an enemy
Practices her magic and does her best to avenge a wrong done. That's about it

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Sep 16, 2012 Paula rated it did not like it

I usually love books with this premise but I only finished it because it was a book club pick. The story has an intriguing enough premise: a witch, hundreds of years old, meets a present day young girl and shares the story of how she became a witch and hopes to train the young girl as an apprentice. Through tales told to the young girl, we learn the tragic circumstances of her life and how she is constantly on the run from the man who made her what she has become. Each of her histories becomes r ...more

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Nov 28, 2014 Dena (Batch of Books) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult-books, fantasy

I loved this book! It was captivating from start to finish. It was very dark, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that has qualms about witchcraft, magic, or the dark arts. Bess is a great character, who turns into a witch in a moment of desperation and spends the rest of her long life making retribution for it by caring for people. Gideon is a completely horrible person, and I loved how scary and relentless he was.

The book is told in alternatively from the present day journal of Elizabeth and ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Deanna Lynn Sletten rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

My 5 Star Review

In 1628, Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith (Bess) is a young woman when she loses her family to the plague and then watches her mother swing from The Hanging Tree, accused of being a witch. Scared and alone, she reluctantly follows her mother's wishes and goes to Gideon Masters' cottage in the woods to seek his protection and become his student. What Bess soon learns is that Gideon is a warlock—one who practices dark magic. Soon, a mob comes after Bess, proclaiming her to be a witch like ...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Mimi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, not-for-me, 2018, contemporary-fiction, paranormal, witches

Changed my mind. Not rounding up. But still interested in exploring Paula Brackston's other witchy books.

* * * * *

2.5 stars, rounding up because I did like a good chunk of it before the rest of it wore me out.

While I liked Paula Brackston's writing and her takes on the history of witches and modern hedge witches, I felt the book went on for too long, far past the point it should have stopped, and so things (particularly the plot and characters) got a bit boring and I lost interest. But I'm still ...more

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Mar 11, 2014 Mary rated it it was ok

Well this was a HUGE disappointment to me. I love historical fiction, witchcraft, the supernatural....but this wasn't thrilling, this was a SNOOOOOZE. It started off promising enough, and then went quickly downhill. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, especially meeting the adult Bess and hearing her tell of her poor tragic childhood. Tegan as her side kick just irritated me, made it a bit Charmed-ish for me. Once we left the days of the plague and ended up in Ripper time London, and then to wa ...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Erin Arkin rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-have-a-real-book, fairies-and-witches, historical

Having been a history major in college, this book was perfect for me. It is a wonderful mix of historical events, great characters, and a moving story. I really did like this book and if you enjoy a little bit of magic mixed in with real history, you may like this one too.

The book opens in 1628 and Elizabeth/Bess is the main character. In present time she is 384 years old but at this time she is the teenage daughter of a farmer and lives with her parents, her older brother, and younger sister. A Having been a history major in college, this book was perfect for me. It is a wonderful mix of historical events, great characters, and a moving story. I really did like this book and if you enjoy a little bit of magic mixed in with real history, you may like this one too.

The book opens in 1628 and Elizabeth/Bess is the main character. In present time she is 384 years old but at this time she is the teenage daughter of a farmer and lives with her parents, her older brother, and younger sister. As with anyone during that time period, life isn’t really easy but Elizabeth/Bess and her family appear to live life as best they can. Anne is Elizabeth’s/Bess’s mother and shares her knowledge of herbs and caring for people with Elizabeth/Bess. During this time, the catalyst to a chain of events that will change life for Elizabeth/Bess forever happens. The plague invades their village and people are dying…including her father, brother and sister. When Elizabeth/Bess catches the sickness, Anne makes the decision to do whatever she feels is necessary to save her. What that means is she goes to Gideon Masters.

As a reader we are never really given the backstory of Gideon – only introduced to him through Elizabeth’s/Bess’s eyes and although she never really knows who he is, she knows that he gives her a bad feeling when she crosses paths with him. With that said, I have mixed feelings about Gideon. He is definitely the “bad guy” of the story and is all about the power that he and Elizabeth/Bess could have together. I would have liked to learn a bit more about him but understand why Brackston didn’t put a lot of him in. The book was truly from Elizabeth’s/Bess’s point of view.

Once Anne goes to Gideon for help, things move fairly quickly – at least in this portion of the story. Anne learns about the dark magic from Gideon and he helps her to save Elizabeth/Bess – unfortunately at the same time, the witch hunts begin and there is a lot of anger and fear in the village. Because Elizabeth/Bess survives the sickness and others do not, some of the women in the village accuse Anne of being a witch. The inevitable happens and Anne is put on “trial” (notice the quotes…not really a trial if you know anything about these witch hunts) and sentenced to die. With that proclamation, Anne directs Elizabeth/Bess to go to Gideon for help once she hangs as she knows that the church and hunters will come for her next. This was probably the most moving part of the story for me as I had a clear picture of who Elizabeth/Bess was before the plague and Brackston takes the reader through everything that happens up to the point that Elizabeth/Bess escapes gaol and runs from everyone. Over that time I had the nervous butterflies because this was in no way an easy part of the story to read. There is death, anger, sadness, and some other terrible things that happen eventually leading to Elizabeth/Bess taking the final step to immortality and living the long life of a witch.

Brackston does a wonderful job of weaving the story of Elizabeth/Bess into some real historical events – The plague, witch hunts, Jack the Ripper and WWI – all have an impact on Elizabeth/Bess and help to progress the story. The back story is presented to the reader via Tegan who happens to be a teenage girl in 2007 who has become enamored with Elizabeth when she moves into her village. Hidden as a story of her ancestors (at first) Elizabeth tells Tegan all about her life. She shares how things began, how she has spent the last few centuries hiding and/or escaping Gideon as well as everything that has happened in between. Love, loss, success, and ultimately determining she would like to share her power with Tegan and educate her on how to use it.

I feel like I haven’t even started talking about what this book is about – so much happens over such a long period of time but I don’t want to tell you everything. Know that I have only touched the surface of everything that happens but I don’t want to summarize the whole thing and take anything away – I know my review won’t do the full story much justice. If you enjoy history mixed in with a great story, I have a feeling you will enjoy this book.
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Apr 07, 2020 Nancy Nettle rated it it was amazing

This book was excellent. The twists and turns really kept you on your toes. I would definitely recommend this to those of you who like this genre. :)

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Mar 30, 2013 Erica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, pagan, favorites

This story is about a solitary Wiccan named Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, turned immortal by the one creature she spends nearly her entire existence fearing and loathing, the warlock Gideon Masters. Nearly four hundred years old, she finds a new place to settle turning out to be near to her first home when she meets a young teenaged girl named Tegan. Unknowingly at first, Elizabeth becomes attached to her as if she were her own daughter. Tegan obtains a huge interest in the craft and all she's accom ...more

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Sep 07, 2017 Helen rated it liked it · review of another edition

I had this on audible and the narrator was very easy to listen to.

It started well but I felt it was somewhat drawn out. This could be due to my previous audio being witchy. I also watched something on the theme so perhaps badly timed. I will read/listen to more.

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Apr 18, 2020 Danyelle rated it liked it

Shelves: has-powers, own, ya, paranormal, historical, witches

I did enjoy this over all but found during the story I wanted to stay in the present and not go thought Bess's life thought flashback but it was still enjoyable.

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Dec 23, 2015 Angel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"If you will listen," I said, "I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Will you listen?"

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was hoping that I would like it but didn't really know what I was in for. This is historical fiction intertwined with supernatural wonder to birth a compelling story of a witch who is just trying to live her life but has been on the run for hundreds of year "If you will listen," I said, "I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Will you listen?"

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was hoping that I would like it but didn't really know what I was in for. This is historical fiction intertwined with supernatural wonder to birth a compelling story of a witch who is just trying to live her life but has been on the run for hundreds of years.

Bess escapes death in the days when hangings, beheadings, and burnings were a public spectacle that drew a large crowd. In order for her to slip away, though, she had to accept the dark magic into her soul. Knowing she couldn't go back to the man who put her on that path, she decides to run and continues to do so throughout the book. Bess slowly befriends a young girl, Tegan, who quickly becomes someone Bess feels protective of. During her time with Tegan, she tells her stories of her life although Tegan doesn't know they are about her at the time the first two are told.

Those three sections are probably my favorites of the entire book because they take place at different time periods in history including the European witch hunts, 1880's London with Jack the Ripper, and the First World War. It was interesting to see how Bess handled those situations while trying not to use her power. Even though it was dark magic, she did use it to do good but using it at all made it easy for Gideon to find her, so she was taking quite the risk.

One thing I really liked about Bess' character was the fact that she was practically a women's rights activist centuries before it became popular. Her mother raised her to express her own opinions which is something that rarely happened in the 1600's.

I kept feeling sorry for her every time she thought she had feelings for someone. I don't want to give away too much but because of her situation, it was never the right time. Therefore, it was a relief when she was finally able to confide in Tegan. Although not a romantic relationship, it was a relationship nonetheless.

If you like to read stories about witches or if you like historical fiction, I would recommend this book to you. ...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Kelly rated it liked it

I love historical fiction, especially anything about witches and witchcraft, so I was especially glad to find this book. It's similar to the Daughters Of the Witching Hill, The Heretic's Daughter and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, but less about the witch trials and more about the life of an immortal witch as she traverses through history in her 300-some odd years of life.

The first few chapters were slow and I wondered if the book would get better, which it did, only when the author star ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 ☽•☾-Grimalkin-☽•☾ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, favorites, fantasy, adult, witches

Wow! What a powerful experience reading this book was.
I will do a full review later on but I am almost moved to tears by now emotional Elisabeth's story is.
A really beautiful story, come back soon Bess. xxx
5/5

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Sep 16, 2011 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2011, witches

Decent story but the ending did disappoint. I kinda knew where the story was going but overall it kept me interested.

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Feb 03, 2013 Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Contemporary fantasy fans, people who don't mind inaccurate 'witchery' books

I'm...really torn about this book.

I was really impressed with it for the first 150 pages or so. The story starts with Elizabeth, an immortal witch who has just moved to a beautiful pastoral town in England. The setting and descriptions of the scenery and landscape are jsut absolutely gorgeous. The story starts out in the present, but then goes back and forth a bit for Elizabeth to recollect the different places and time periods in which she lived. Critical to her past, is her mentor Gideon, who ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Sadie Hartmann Mother Horror rated it liked it

I enjoyed this book for quite awhile. It gave me all these warm, cozy feelings perfect for a Fall read. It had this Little House in the Big Woods feel at first-with the protagonist of our story, Bess, moving into a cottage and gardening, getting her house all set up, etc.
I love stuff like that.
Then Bess meets Teagan, a modern day teenager and the stories of Bess' life over 300 years begin. The first story was *really* intriguing. We have a sleepy town, a family farm, the BLACK PLAGUE. We meet an ...more

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Apr 23, 2015 Nicky rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, fantasy

This reminded me quite a bit of Chocolat in the opening, but with a less personable main character. I didn't mind that so much, as I've been told this is a witch story where there really are dark powers, shades of grey, etc, etc. Once I got to the storytelling part, too, that was tolerable historical fiction, though not anything really surprising. (For a similar story about plague, for example, there's Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks.)

In the end, it just fizzled out for me. Which is unfortu ...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Donna rated it liked it

Shelves: witchery, read-in-2013

The Witch's Daughter was a fairly enjoyable read that made up in the evenly paced writing what it lacked in character and plot development. The writing flowed so beautifully that it was easy to lose myself in the story even when I felt that many of the characters lacked depth and the direction of the story was often confusing. For example, Gideon's obsession with Bess was never sufficiently explained which meant that his following her all of those years made little sense. It seemed beyond reason ...more

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About Paula Brackston

Paula Brackston

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Paula Brackston (aka PJ Brackston)is the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch's Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch(2014).

Paula has an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, and is a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Wales, Newport. In 2007 Paula was short listed in the Creme de la Crime search for new writers. In 2010 her book 'Nutters' (writing as PJ Da ...more

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