Reviews

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

stephintoadventure's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

fuchsschatten's review against another edition

5.0

Might've been a 4,5 rating but i'm rounding it up bc of the "bad" score it has bc what's up with that??

I really enjoyed reading it and it managed to have surprising turns without seeming too off about it and i'll definitely will check out more of Stacey Halls books eventually.

amyregina's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was different to what I thought it would be-but that is not a bad thing. I am someone who likes answers though and I don't like the "leave it up to the readers interpretation" thing but even though there is a bit of that I enjoyed it and will definitely be looking out for her next book.

katielovesbooks134's review against another edition

3.0

Hoopla audio. Fiction related to the witch trials. Alice was a real person.

hollymoeller's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Excellent historical fiction. Beautifully handled the theme of witchcraft. Loved the complexity of the characters. Dark and full of horror, but also soft and with warmth too. 

runninglaur's review against another edition

4.0

Probably would have liked this better as an audiobook, so I’m upgrading my stars a bit.

cleitch92's review against another edition

4.0

There was much less mystery in this novel than in "The Foundling," but I very much enjoyed the healthy dose of history regarding the English Witch Trails of the 1600s. This is where we meet our main female lead, Fleetwood, a young wedded woman heavy with child, who is determined to keep her mysterious new friend Alice with her at all costs. I found myself sympathizing with all of the female leads I was supposed to, and becoming enraged at all of the men in power. Overall, a book I would definitely recommend if you don't mind diving in to a little more of a dark tale, underpinned with great historical tragedy. Another easy 4/5 from me.

claire_p's review against another edition

dark 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? No

3.0

Historical fiction during the Pendle Witch Trails of Lancashire. Enjoyed the atmospheric setting and references to local history but felt the friendship between the two main charcters was unrealistic and intense from the start. The Witch trails felt secondary to the story. Pedominantly the book focused on themes of motherhood & friendship. Would have liked further exploration of the day-to-day lives of people during this period and the impact of witchcraft allegations.

poppyendlesstbr's review against another edition

not for me

dr_aimz's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0