An enthralling tale of modern witch Bess Hawksmith, a fiercely independent woman desperate to escape her cursed history who must confront the evil which has haunted her for centuries "My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. If you will listen, I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Let me tell you what it means to be a witch. " In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate: the Warlock Gideon Masters. Secluded at his cottage, Gideon instructs Bess, awakening formidable powers she didn't know she had. She couldn't have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life. In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life. She has spent the centuries in solitude, moving from place to place, surviving plagues, wars, and the heartbreak that comes with immortality. Her loneliness comes to an abrupt end when she is befriended by a teenage girl called Tegan. Against her better judgment, Elizabeth opens her heart to Tegan and begins teaching her the ways of the Hedge Witch. But will she be able to stand against Gideon--who will stop at nothing to reclaim her soul--in order to protect the girl who has become the daughter she never had? Praise for "The Witch's Daughter" "Lushly written with a fascinating premise and an enthralling heroine, "The Witch's Daughter" will linger long in memory after the last page has been savored. Highly recommended." --Sara Poole, author of "The Borgia Betrayal" "A beautifully written, brilliantly crafted page-turner that completely invests you in the lives and loves of the witch's daughter. A true reading event." --Melissa Senate, author of "The Love Goddess' Cooking School" "A lyrical and spell-binding time travel fantasy featuring an immortal witch who must summon all her powers to defeat the evil hounding her through the centuries." -Mary Sharratt, author of "Daughters of the Witching Hill" "With her first novel, author Paula Brackston conjures up a riveting tale of sorcery and time travel. By mixing feminine heroism with masculine might, Brackston successfully captivates readers with characters Bess, an immortal witch, and sinister dark lord, Gideon.... It's almost impossible not to root for the underdog in this magical twist on the classic David vs. Goliath tale. Plus, the skill with which Brackston weaves her characters through time makes this book a fascinating take on global history." -"Marie Claire" "Brackston's first novel offers well-crafted characters in an absorbing plot and an altogether delicious blend of historical fiction and fantasy." --"Booklist
""This pleasantly romantic historical fantasy debut flips lightly between the past experiences of ageless witch Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith and her present-day life in Matravers, England... Bess's adventures are fascinating." --"Publishers Weekly
""Stretching her tale over several centuries, British-based Brackston brings energy as well as commercial savvy to her saga of innocence and the dark arts.... History, time travel and fantasy combine in a solidly readable entertainment." --"Kirkus" "An engaging, well-written novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and fantasy alike." --"Portland Book Review" "Part historical romance, part modern fantasy, "The Witch's Daughter" is a fresh, compelling take on the magical, yet dangerous world of witches. Readers will long remember the fiercely independent heroine who survives plagues, wars, and the heartbreak of immortality to stay true to herself, and protect the protege she comes to love." --NightOwlReviews.com
""The Witch's Daughter" is a wonderful combination of historical fiction and paranormal. Brackston's story alternates between past and present as she mixes tales of Elizabeth's early life with the present day, tying in historical events including Jack the Ripper and the horrors of WWI... Overall, a really enjoyable read." --BookBitch.com
"Readers who enjoy historical fantasy built around an epic struggle between good and evil should enjoy this original take on the theme." --HistoricalNovels.info
"An enjoyable read." --Genre Go Round Reviews "This tale spans centuries and walks the line between good and the darker side of magic. Magic and those who possess it have been feared and persecuted throughout most of human history. Find out what it is like to live for hundreds of years, mostly in solitude, and have to struggle with having the power to help people, but being afraid to use that power." --Affaire de Coeur "Women will certainly love the independent, feisty female characters, but the narrative is wonderfully imaginative and the plot fast-moving and filled with action. This novel is highly recommended for witches and warlocks alike." -Historical Novel Society "The combination of stories from the past and the present meld nicely, and the author adds some clever twists so the reader never knows exactly from whom the next Gideon apparition will arise. Perhaps the best twist is the ending--leaving an opening for another book, but at the same time furnishing the reader with quite a satisfactory ending." --The National Examiner (UK) "Ambitious and thought-provoking, this book will lure you into vivid, visceral worlds where evil lurks at every turn. The beautifully crafted BOOK OF SHADOWS will be etched on my mind for a long time. What an action-packed, emotionally powerful film it would make too." Sally Spedding, author of STRANGERS WAITING "An unforgettable story by a highly original new writer." --Rebecca Tope, author of the Cotswold crime series
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读完这本书,我有一种难以言喻的满足感,但这种满足感并非来自一个完美无瑕的结局,而是源于作者对人性幽暗角落的深刻洞察。这本书最吸引我的地方,在于它毫不留情地揭示了那些被社会规范所掩盖的道德灰色地带。主角团的每一个人,都不是传统意义上的“好人”或“坏人”,他们的动机复杂、行为矛盾,充满了人性的真实。我尤其喜欢作者处理“背叛”这一主题的方式,它不是简单地将某个角色塑造成恶人,而是展现了在极端压力和既得利益面前,即便是最坚定的信念也可能发生微妙的倾斜。其中有一段情节,关于信任的瓦解,其心理刻画之精妙,简直令人拍案叫绝。它没有用大段的心理独白来解释,而是通过人物之间一次次微妙的眼神交流、一次次未说出口的试探,将那种从坚信到怀疑,再到最终心灰意冷的整个过程,描摹得淋漓尽致。这种克制而有力的叙事手法,远比直白的控诉来得更有力量,它迫使读者跳出既有的道德框架,去审视那些被生活磨砺后扭曲的真实。
评分这部小说的语言风格,简直就是一场华丽的文字盛宴,对于那些追求文字美感的读者来说,绝对不容错过。作者的词汇选择极其考究,似乎每一个形容词都经过了千锤百炼,精准地捕捉到了那一瞬间的意境。我常常需要放慢速度,反反复复地品味那些描述性的段落,它们读起来不像是在叙述故事,更像是在欣赏一幅层层叠叠、色彩浓郁的油画。特别是在描述那些超自然现象或者异域风情时,作者展现出一种近乎诗意的想象力,那些景象被赋予了生命和重量,而非仅仅是背景板。举个例子,书中对“时间凝固”场景的描绘,没有采用常见的冰冷或静止的意象,而是用一种近乎温暖的、充满颗粒感的视觉效果来呈现,这种出人意料的对比,极大地增强了场景的冲击力和记忆点。虽然有人可能会觉得这种文风略显冗长,但我个人认为,这种对细节和氛围的极致追求,正是这部作品区别于一般流水账式叙事的核心魅力所在。
评分这本书的叙事节奏真是让人欲罢不能,作者似乎深谙如何在高潮迭起和沉静回溯之间拿捏分寸。开篇便将读者猛地拽入一个充满古老秘密和错综复杂的人物关系之中,那种扑面而来的紧迫感,让人不得不一口气读下去,生怕错过任何一个细微的线索。我特别欣赏作者在描绘环境时所下的功夫,那些空气中弥漫着的潮湿泥土的气息,或是古堡内微弱烛光投下的摇曳阴影,都栩栩如生地浮现在眼前。这种强烈的代入感,使得我仿佛能真切地感受到主角内心的挣扎与抉择。然而,更令人称道的是,作者并没有将故事局限于宏大的冲突场面,在那些紧张的间隙里,穿插着细腻入微的情感描写,让那些复杂的人物情感变得立体可信。比如,某一个配角在关键时刻展露出的那种近乎本能的保护欲,虽然只是一闪而过,却为他后续的行为铺垫了坚实的情感基础。总的来说,这是一部在情节设置和氛围营造上都极具功力的作品,它成功地在读者心中种下了一连串的疑问,并以一种令人满足的方式逐步解答,同时又留下了足够的想象空间,让人回味无穷。
评分如果非要挑剔的话,这本书在处理群体互动时的张力,也许是它最让我感到惊喜又略有不安的一面。它不满足于描绘简单的同盟或对抗,而是深入探讨了在共同目标面前,不同派系之间微妙的权力平衡与暗流涌动的野心。书中那些不同群体间的谈判场景,简直就是一堂生动的政治博弈课。角色之间的对话充满了言外之意和潜在的威胁,空气中仿佛充满了看不见的刀光剑影。我喜欢那种紧张到几乎令人窒息的对话场面,它揭示了“合作”往往只是一种基于当下利益的脆弱共识。但同时,作者在处理某些次要角色群体的命运时,展现出了一种近乎冷酷的客观性,这种毫不留情的笔触,虽然增强了故事的真实感,却也让我这个读者在心底产生了一丝颤栗——在这个世界里,似乎没有绝对的安全地带,任何一丝软弱都可能成为被牺牲的代价。这种对残酷现实的直视,使得这本书的整体基调显得厚重而深刻,绝非一部可以轻松读完的消遣之作。
评分这部作品的内在逻辑和世界观构建,体现了作者深厚的功力,它的复杂性远超出了初看时给人的感觉。它巧妙地将一个看似封闭的微观世界,与一个宏大且运作严密的上层结构联系起来。起初,读者可能会被眼前一系列看似独立的事件所吸引,但随着情节的深入,那些散落在不同章节中的碎片信息,开始以一种令人惊叹的方式互相咬合,最终拼凑出一个逻辑严密、环环相扣的整体图景。我特别赞赏作者在处理信息释放上的耐心,她深知“慢工出细活”的道理,不会急于给出所有答案,而是像一个高明的魔术师,在关键时刻精准地揭示关键规则,每一次“顿悟”都来得恰到好处,既满足了读者的好奇心,又为后续的故事留下了更深层次的悬念。这种对世界观设定的严谨态度,使得即使在涉及到奇幻元素时,读者也能够心甘情愿地接受它内在的“科学性”,因为它所有的设定都有其清晰的因果链条支撑,绝非随心所欲的臆造。
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