Author: Celia Rees
ISBN: 0747550093
DDC: 823.914
See also: witchchild.com ; LibraryThing

The following manuscript is made up from a remarkable collection of documents termed ‘the Mary papers’.

Mary doesn’t know her parents, she has lived her life with her grandmother. But in 1659 a witchfinder comes to her village and her grandmother is found guilty of witchcraft, by virtue of the fact that she floats in water, and killed. Mary might be next, but she is rescued by a mysterious, rich, well-dressed woman, and sent across the ocean in the company of some Puritans.

This novel was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize in 2001, and I can see why. The first person narration, this is Mary’s diary afterall, allows us to see from her point of view. Yet despite this enough mystery remains over whether Mary herself is a witch. She doesn’t even know, not for sure.

But at the same time I was left wondering why exactly the diary format was chosen. A regular first person narration may have worked slightly better in places. But it does allow the author to pretend that this is a true story, so maybe that was the incentive?

Overall, it is a well told entertaining novel. Nothing spectacular, but worth a look.

The story is continued in Sorceress

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Author: Mary Gentle
ISBN: 00575072512
DDS: 823.914

According to the mathematic calculations of the Hermetic astrologer Robert Fludd, 1610 is the pivotal year in deciding the world’s future. It is the year that the King of England must die. And as his assassin he picks Valentin Rochefort, spy and duellist of no-little fame in France. He is also responsible for the death of King Henri IV of France.
That however was an accident of sorts, and now Rochefort is on the run. Already burdened with Dariole, a young arrogant duellist, Fludd’s interference is not what Rochefort wants.

Told from Rochefort’s point of view, with the odd historical document added to give a different perspective, this book has almost everything you could want. Violence, sword fights, duellists, conspiracies, sex, death, Samurai swordsmen, and the prospect of altering the future.

If you’ve read Gentle’s Ash: A Secret History then you’ll have an idea of the style of this book. Although here there is much less fantasy, and most of the novel is more of an historical one rather than a fantasy.

As with most books that I really love the characters here are utterly engaging and well-drawn. Rochefort and Dariole as the main characters are of course stars in the book, but the supporting cast are all excellent too. And the blending of historical fact with fiction is more than believable. This was a reread for me, but I only really noticed that King James of England is the son of Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, whose memoirs (by Margaret George) I read a while ago.

Not only is this a great fantasy/historical read, but there is also the issue of gender. And of sexuality. And of course honour and when is utterly ridiculous.

Believable, engaging and entertaining. Why haven’t you read it yet?

Scifi.com | InfinityPlus review | Simian studies’ review | The Wild Machines

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