I found this book to be challenging and fascinating. It was a real intellectual treat. I studied the witch trials as part of my degree so I was gripped by such an accurate and deeply researched book.

I unreservedly recommend it.

Such a great book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this. A very good read that had me hooked, once started I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend

The Revels by Stacey Thomas is an absolute gem! The book brilliantly weaves together historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural, creating a truly captivating read. The characters are well-drawn, and the vivid descriptions transport you straight to the heart of 17th-century England. Thomas's writing is engaging and full of atmosphere, making it hard to put down. The story has a perfect balance of suspense and intrigue, keeping you hooked until the very end. If you enjoy historical novels with a bit of a twist, The Revels is definitely worth picking up!

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to HQ and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I wanted to love this book, I love books about the witch trials but this didn’t quite work for me.

Things happened in sudden and haphazard ways and then it turns out magic is real and some of them really are witches, but not really any of those accused. Also main characters were introduced quite far into the book but for me they didn’t integrate into the story well.

I do think the author can write well, I just think how the story was put together needed a bit more work.

I am often drawn towards historical novels and this one did not disappoint. A fabulous book written with much atmosphere and storytelling. I would recommend if you love a historical novel as I do

“The Revels” is a historical fiction novel that delves into the tumultuous period of England in 1645, amidst the backdrop of civil war and witch-hunts. The story follows Nicholas Pearce, an aspiring playwright who becomes an apprentice to Judge William Percival, a notorious former witch-hunter. Nicholas harbors a secret: he can hear the dead sing, a gift that could lead to his demise in an era rife with superstition and fear.

The novel opens with the death of Nicholas’s half-brother, which leads him to inherit the role of clerk to Judge Percival. As they travel to oversee the York assizes, the country’s division is palpable, with Catholics and Protestants, Royalists and Roundheads, all at odds. The tension is further exacerbated by the whispers of witchcraft. Nicholas’s ability to hear the dead provides him with insights into their secrets, but it also places him in grave danger.

In York, the pressure mounts as Judge Percival is coerced into overseeing a witch trial. Nicholas falls for the Mayor’s daughter, Althamia, who is later accused of witchcraft. The stakes rise when Nicholas and even Judge Percival become targets of another witch-hunter’s accusations. The plot thickens as they are summoned to Rawton, a village still haunted by the Pendle witch-trials, where another witch-hunter has begun to gather accusations against neighbors. In Rawton, Nicholas encounters Althamia’s cousin Grace, who may have hidden powers herself. The conflict between Nicholas’s true nature and his duties intensifies as he becomes complicit in the witch-hunter’s investigations, leading to a trial that could end in the execution of innocents.

Nicholas’s power to hear the dead could save the accused, but revealing his gift could also condemn him. The author keeps readers guessing until the very end whether Nicholas will muster the courage to speak the truth.

The novel is rich with historical detail, immersing readers in the 17th-century setting. The author skillfully captures the atmosphere of a community riddled with distrust, showing how grudges and petty spite can turn deadly. “The Revels” offers a unique perspective on the witch trials through the eyes of a male protagonist.

I wish I’d enjoyed The Revels more, as I find witch trials really interesting, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I liked the writing and the historical aspect, but I struggled to really form any connection with the characters. I just didn’t find myself invested in their stories, which is a shame as they were well-written.

Stacey Thomas has clearly done a lot of research surrounding the Pendle witch trials, and this book has inspired me to read more about it myself. I had no problem being transported back in time thanks to the accessible prose and historical inspiration, and it’s a period is time I would like to learn more about.

Although The Revels didn’t work for me at this particular time, I may revisit it in the future and see if my opinion changes. It’s by no means a bad book, and lots of other readers have enjoyed it, so I hope this review will be taken with my own personal feelings in mind.

I was so excited for this book, one of my most anticipated reads.
I have a small fascination for books about the witch trials at the moment.
The writing was just as I had hoped for- perfectly written and appropriate for the time the book was set in.
However, I did find the pacing slow in the middle, and probably should have been a little shorter.

A good read. I heard a lot about this book on social media prior. It was well written and felt very well researched. I am in to all these witchy books released lately and this didn't let down. I loved the main character, and I usually expect to despise a male character in a witchybook but he came across very well. Very atmospheric!

Arc review

*chefs kiss*
A dreamy historical fantasy novel - what’s not to love! I honestly struggled to put it down!
It’s definitely a book which I’ll read again in the near future to be able to appreciate the subtleties and cleverness of the plot!

I’d like to preface this by saying I am not a historical fiction fan at all. I am trying to branch out and read new genres and historical fiction released in 2023 was one of the prompts. That being said, I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the witch hunter lore, a witch essentially posing as a witch hunter and how many of the parts of the book are based on things that actually happened to accused witches in those days. I had never heard of knot magical and I’d be interested in learning more about it. I would absolutely recommend this book to historical fiction fans or non-fans alike.

I feel harsh giving this three stars as it's apparent that the author can write. I'm convinced she knows a lot about both the history of witch hunts and the fractures in society at the time of the English Civil War. She also clearly has a love of historical novels.

Even though I know a lot about how witch hunts were carried out, the author succeeded in making me infuriated when I read how the accusations of witch were raised against someone, and how the underlying reasons were almost always petty arguements. How they couldn't prove they were innocent except by dying during their tests, and what cold comfort that was in the end.

But the actual plot of the story didn't work for me. I'm not sure we had the best narrator - I think several others would have been better narrators.

I also didn't quite understand what we were meant to think about witchcraft and magic. Including the narrator's magic to hear the dead was a good idea but it wasn't used effectively. These scenes should have been an emotional core of the book but they just weren't evocative.

Then there were also those who weren't accused but clearly had powers and did use them for ill. This wasn't explained well and I felt it undermined the basis of the novel that all those accused of witchcraft were innocent.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Revels is a book that has a very interesting premise, but the execution doesn't quite measure up. Throughout this story I found myself annoyed by the oddly disjointed way this book is written - the prose will shift from one event or movement to another with no connective tissue, or will refer to events or feelings as if they have already been explained or shown, when they haven't. Speaking of feelings, the emotional arc and journey of the main characters seemed somewhat jumbled and hard to follow, as they kept flipping between liking and hating and trusting and not trusting each other with no real prompting. I noticed throughout the story that characters often didn't speak like real people, and there was a strangely generic feeling to the way the historical aspects of the setting were written, often giving me the impression we were in a different time period to the one in which The Revels is supposedly set. Although there were definitely some interesting ideas and events here - witches being real, the main character being able to hear the dead - this book felt like it was dragging, and none of the characters quite felt real. Eventually, I had to put this down just over halfway through.

Thanks to HQ for my copy here's my honest review from the heart.

If your a historical fiction fan I 100 % recommend adding this book to your collection.
What a fantastic atmosphere, and what amazing storytelling! I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but anything concerning the witch trials piques my interest, and this novel did not disappoint.
Set in 1645, at the height of the witch hunts, we follow Nicholas, who has been dragged into the realm of hunting after the death of his brother.

He's teamed up with a renowned hunter who wants to prove he's the finest out there. Nicholas, on the other hand, has his own secrets to protect, and as the novel progresses, we learn more about his compassion and the source of it.

As a result, this work is evocative and page-turning. Stacey Hall's world-building and character development make everything appear three-dimensional. As far as historical fiction goes, this one is going to leave you reading as quickly as you can and not wanting to put it down.
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Fantastically atmospheric and what wonderful storytelling! I’m not always a huge fan of historical fiction but anything about the witch trials I can’t resist and this book did not disappoint! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

If you are a fan of historical fiction you will LOVE this book.

Set in 1645, during the height of witch hunts, we follow our protagonist Nicholas who has been forced into the world of hunting after losing his brother.

He is partnered with an infamous hunter who wants to prove himself as the best out there. Nicholas, however, has his own secrets to keep and as the story goes on we begin to understand his empathy and the source of it.

This book is atmospheric and page turning as a result. The way Stacey Hall builds the world and her characters makes every thing seem three dimensional. As historical fiction goes this one will have you reading as quick as possible and not wanting to leave.

Thanks to net galley for the arc!

I am being drawn towards historical novels abd this one did not disappoint. A fabulous book written with much atmosphere and storytelling. I would recommend if you love a historical novel. Thank you for my eArc.

Stacey Thomas wrote an excellent historical fiction: well researched, dark, and gripping.
It's atmospheric and tense, the characters are fleshed out and the plot is tightly knitted.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While I liked the setting and the premise of a reluctant witch hunter who can heard the dead sing, I struggled through this one more than a bit. The writing was very florid, with some descriptions that just left me confused and pulled out of the story. I was not sold on the relationships and I felt the amount of references to people and politics of the time made me feel like I should have recognized them already, or almost like namedropping – where it added little to the actual story. It was horrible to be along during the trial and the malevolent attitudes towards those folk who did nothing worse than be outside the norm.