Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Familiars

Really fantastic book. I picked it up because I'd already read The Foundling and Mrs England and loved them but, having exhausted the witch trials during my history class a few years ago, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it.

I was completely wrong.

This book has an utterly compelling narrative, intertwining together the lives of Fleetwood, mistress of the manor, and Alice, a poor girl who lives in the village a little way away. Both women were fascinating characters and I enjoyed reading them.

The mystery surrounding whether or not Alice was a witch

and what exactly the other Pendle Witches were doing was crafted really well and I thought it a good ending that many questions were left unanswered or only hinted it.

I knew of the Pendle Witches but my school had focused on the Matthew Hopkins period, during the English Civil War, so I really had no idea about this particular witch trial until reading this book. I was surprised to find out halfway through, by Google, that all the characters were real historical figures from 1612, all either involved in the witch trial or living near it when it happened. Of course, this story weaved from this figures is made up and there's no evidence the real Fleetwood and Alice knew it each other, but knowing the characters were based on real people, made this already fascinating story even more so.

Having read The Foundling and Mrs England now as well, I've noticed Halls has a habit of placing two very different, well developed female characters together (often where one is in a position of power over the other) in a historical setting and having that relationship, with its shifting dynamics, guide the story. There are also very strong themes of motherhood and the mother/mother figure's relationship to their children, as well as feminism and what it meant to be a woman at that time in history. All of this I love and I think Halls' portrays these themes and characters excellently.

I'm so glad I picked this book up in the end; I absolutely devoured it and anxiously await Halls' next novel!

Content Warnings

hattiefrankie's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I found the natural imagery and storyline interlaced with history interesting and enjoyable. However, I found the behaviour and language of the characters not typical of the time period in which the book is set.

Content Warnings

emmasanderson's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Content Warnings

foxonabook's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

louisegraveyard's review against another edition

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emotional informative mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Content Warnings

wallflovver's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

there's something about this book that had me absolutely hooked, i was spending my days looking forward to unravelling more of this story as soon as i had the chance.

im a sucker for female friendship stories, especially ones where the two seemingly have nobody else and grow together, making their days less lonely and filled with light.

i especially loved the imagery of foxes following Fleetwood, to represent her bond with Alice even when they are apart.

i generally disliked the male characters, and felt great sympathy for the women in this story. as is true for women at the time, the society they lived in cost them their lives.

the mix of fiction and historical fact in this book was really interesting, i enjoyed the way it was presented.

the writing style was really nice and easy to consume, i got thru this book really quickly and had no issues with understanding the story and its plot points

overall i was completely gripped by this story and was pleased with the ending

Content Warnings

andrea_carroll123's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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