A review by hayhay321
Widdershins by Helen Steadman

3.0

This book was a little slow to start as the story focuses more on character development. I have not done any personal research into the events this book was inspired by, being (only slightly) more familiar with the witch trials that occurred here in the US, such as the Salem trials, etc. So it was interesting to hear about similar events occurring in other parts of the world at the same time. Though this was a work of fiction, it was interesting to hear how the author imagined characters such as John Sharp developing into the men who spearheaded such events. Some of the passages were infuriating to listen to as a modern woman, and the fear that must have been felt by women during this time was palpable. Steadman's research into the medicinal properties of various plants and herbs and the folklore surrounding them was clear and, personally, one of the parts of the story I enjoyed the most.

Spoiler

My primary complaint regarding the novel is that I wish some explanation had been given as to why/how John decided which individuals should be found guilty as witches. After the explanation of how the pricker worked and how he could determine the fate of such women simply by allowing the point to retract, therefore giving the impression she failed to bleed and leading to a guilty verdict, it would have been interesting to include some insight into his internal thought process regarding who he allowed to bleed and who he did not. The second pricking in which Jane bled, which led to her release and the discovery of John's deceit, it seems could have been avoided if he had simply let the blade retract. This specific instance, paired with the knowledge that John could influence the results, left me wishing Steadman had provided some kind of explanation regarding how John decided when to use the hidden switch in his device, and when he truly left the results "up to God".

I do plan on listening to the second book in this series and am curious to hear if it was also inspired by historical events, or is purely a fictional work to continue the story of the characters created for this novel.

I was given a promotional copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.