A book review: The Familiars
Title of the book: The Familiars
Author: Stacey Halls
Publisher: Zaffre
Publication Date: 7th of February 2019
Genre: Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Why I picked up this book:
So, to start this one off on a slightly more cheery note than the previous two posts – how fabulous is the weather we have been having in the UK? Whenever the sun even makes the slightest appearance I am ready to run outside with a book and a picnic blanket to make the most of it. Pair that with the fact we now live on the water, no really, our apartment literally hovers above a private dockland overlooking the river Mersey, and you’ve got the perfect combination in my opinion.
I picked up this particular book because it is actually set in the local area. Growing up in the Netherlands it was extremely rare to find books that had a connection to where I am from. Now that I live in the UK that is less of an issue and it’s strange. Now whenever I pick up a book that plays out near me, I feel a greater connection to it. The tinges of recognition whenever a place is mentioned where I have been, a place that I might know off all create a closer bond with the characters I am reading about.
It also helps that this book is about witches – of course.
About the author:
Stacey Halls grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire, as the daughter of market traders. She has always been fascinated by the Pendle witches. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and moved to London aged 21. She was media editor at The Bookseller and books editor at Stylist.co.uk and has also written for Psychologies, the Independent and Fabulous magazine, where she now works as Deputy Chief Sub Editor. The Familiars is her first novel
Synopsis:
Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies has borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance, she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.
Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.
Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James, I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or “familiars,” were suspected of dark magic) by capturing “witches”—in reality mostly poor and illiterate women.
Review of the book:
This has to be the first time I genuinely struggled to write a review about a book. If a book is bad, I can write about that. If a book is great, I am more than happy to sing its praises. The Familiars? It’s…ehhh. Which sums it up perfectly. The book has barely made an impression on me. It wasn’t memorable, it wasn’t exciting, it wasn’t poorly constructed, it wasn’t confusing. It was just…ok.
Let’s start with the biggest elephant in the room, the story sells itself as being based on the Pendle witch trials. Yet other than an overzealous magistrate and a woman wrapped up in a scandal it feels barely relating to the historical events. Sure they are mentioned in passing, but for the most part that is where the relationship ends. Put it this way, had Alice Gray been caught up in a scandal of a different order say stealing, trespassing on a Lord’s lands or fathering a bastard child to the wrong high placed official, the story would have been entirely the same. It feels like the Trials were chosen for convenience, rather than to make an actual compelling story.
The only scenes where the trial truly came to the forefront were when our main character visits the jail or castle. Which to me were some of the most interesting parts of the story. To read about the treatment of these ‘wise women’, that’s what made the story great. That’s the part that made my blood boil with righteous indignation. Alas, it was over after a couple of short pages.
Moving on. The characters were neither frustrating nor awe-inspiring. Some of them I liked, whilst others I have completely forgotten. What was the name of Fleetwood’s husband again, Richard, right? Right!?
If we then look at our main character Fleetwood herself. She’s not great, at times it is frustrating to follow her inner monologue, at others, she seems the budding feminist fighting for her rights we can’t help but root for. She flops from one side of the line to the other so effortlessly it is hard to feel a connection to this woman in the 16th century. Although could we even call her a woman at 17 years of age?
I fully appreciate women at the time were supposed to be seen, not heard. That girls were kept in the home, like darling porcelain dolls until the day they were whisked away by their husband. Well, those in high society at least. So to think of Fleetwood as a woman of the world who understands how things are done, would be naïve on my behalf. However, if that is what you are going for, properly lean into it! Don’t give her an impromptu spiritual awakening to freedom just because *spoiler* her husband has an affair. Which lord didn’t have a few mistresses tucked away in the country at the time, I suppose half the English gentry made up of bastards in those days. It is again, too convenient. The story is made to fit the plot, rather than there being a natural progression.
The pacing wasn’t all there either. The first part of the book was a drag. Reading about Fleetwood and her fussing over this letter she has found was plain boring. Yes, it introduced us to the wider cast of characters but at what cost? At one point I was seriously considering putting down this book.
The second part then significantly picks up speed, with the conclusion ultimately being rushed. It feels as if all was sacrificed to have this ‘happily ever after ending. Yes, there were some pieces of ash to make it feel gritty, but we can all see it for what it truly is. I had almost wished we ended with Fleetwood finding herself. Having her child and leaving her husband. Living her life in her mother’s home, now that she has a newfound understanding of what the woman has been through. Alas.
All in all, I don’t hate it but I don’t exactly love it either. It’s not bad but it’s not good. It’s not boring neither is it exciting. I was expecting something different and ultimately was disappointed. Which may say more about me, than it ultimately does about the book.
