For someone who reads copious amounts of historical fiction I am surprised I have never read a novel set in the English Civil War. My History A level may have had something to do with that but I found it fascinating. I will admit I struggled at first and could not find the thread of where the novel was heading but it found its voice when the story turned to York. The political unrest, fear and distrust in communities made it easy for people to settle old scores or get rid of people that had served their purpose.

It put women and their experience at the centre of the story leading to a really satisfying conclusion. A really good debut novel and a novelist I will definitely read again.

This was an ARC received from netgalley and my views are entirely my own;.

Set in 1645 after the Pendle witch trials.
It tells the story of Nicholas Pearce, an aspiring playwright, who becomes an apprentice to a former witch hunter who is now a judge, William Percival.
Very atmospheric and captures the small town mentality of gossip and accusations, in a country torn apart by civil war with tensions between Catholics & Protestants and the hysteria of witchcraft.
A powerful, thought-provoking and educational read, showing the injustice of women falsely accused of witchcraft.
Loved the crime solving partnership between Nicholas and his love interest, Althamia and would love to see a sequel, to delve deeper into their relationship and character.
A spellbinding debut novel.
Thanks @staceythomaswrites @hqstories & @netgalley for the eARC

I desperately wanted to love this book. A dark witchy read is just my cup of tea but sadly I found this one quite slow. It had a lot of atmosphere and tension but it didn't hook me as much as I had hoped.

I thought this was very atmospheric and I loved the historical detail, it felt very well researched and counted up the fearful times very well.
It was slightly confusing to follow at times and sometimes felt like reading a draft, it didn’t quite reach its potential. Would read more of the author in future as there was some lovely writing.

England, 1645. Illegitimate son, Nicholas Pearce is called back home to the house of his wealthy merchant father to take on the role left behind by his recently dead half-brother Francis. Unaccustomed to the part he must now play, and unwilling to give up his life as an aspiring playwright, Nicholas is persuaded to comply in a bargain with his father that promises he will reveal the name of the mother Nicholas does not remember.

Nicholas finds himself apprenticed to the former witch-hunter, William Percival, who prefers to leave his notoriety behind in his present job as a judge - but the past will not leave him alone. Plagued with requests to resume his former life, Percival attempts to do what he can to clear women of false charges of witchcraft when he is called to stand in judgement of them, with Nicholas' help, but in these unsettled times it is a near impossible task - and Nicholas must watch his step at every turn, because his own talents make him a target for those out to make their name. For Nicholas can hear the dead sing...

The Revels is a compelling story of witchcraft and injustice, which breaks the mould by being set against a background somewhat later that the witchy novels I have read before. Stacey Thomas takes you beyond the menacing times under King James I, driven by his obsession with hunting witches, to an England torn asunder by civil war between the Royalist supporters of Charles I and the Roundheads, which feeds an all new tide of revenge provoked attacks on the innocent.

There is so much here that harks back to the former horrors of the spate of witchcraft trials that we have heard so much about, and Thomas plays beautifully with the shadows of the tragedy of the lives lost that still looms large over these later times - especially the story of the Pendle witches. She blends this with the atmosphere of suspicion that now pervades the land in the midst of civil war, channelling the division cased by warring factions and religious dissent into the mix, which makes for a glorious setting that is ripe for those looking for a way to gain personal advantage with a little bit of old fashioned revenge - including powerful manipulators who do not care how many innocent souls are lost in the process. And their weapon of choice? Accusations of witchcraft...

On a twist in what you normally expect from a book about with trials, there is another element here that adds real complexity, and cleverly muddies the waters, for some of our characters certainly have skills which many would claim to be Devil-sent. Thomas paints many of these characters in shades of grey, playing on themes of guilt, power, injustice, and complicity, which add intriguing depth to how the story plays out. My favourite element is the unusual crime-solving partnership that develops between Nicholas and his love interest, the unconventional Althamia, which was a joy - and gives rise to the prospect of a cracking sequel, should Thomas so wish. I am certainly not ready to let go of them yet.

If you love a witchy adventure then there is plenty in this stunning debut to please, and it offers some delicious departures to what you normally expect in a book about witch trials too - all while offering homage to the suffering of those who lost their lives as the result of hatred and fear.

The Revels is the debut novel from Stacey Thomas, which I was drawn to by the beautiful cover.

Set in England in 1645, the plot tells of the lives of witch hunters and the innocent women they accused of witchcraft. The twist is that the latest apprentice witch finder can hear the dead sing, something the accused women would definitely be sentenced to death for, and as a result, he tries to speak up for the women, thereby placing his own life in danger.

Atmospheric, well researched and beautifully written, I enjoyed the book but found it hard to get into initially and the ending was rather abrupt, but it was still an enjoyable read. 4*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Set in 1645, England, just 33 years after the pendle witch trials. Civil war is tearing the country apart and the profession of witch hunting is seeing a resurgence. Playwright Nicholas is apprenticed to former witchfinder William Percival. However Nicholas has a secret that could put himself in grave danger.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it's loaded with historical depth and detail which I love. However I feel this may have hindered the plot as I wasn't as engaged as I could have been. The narrative felt confused and hard to follow at times. It was almost as if I'd missed some important detail and I had to go back and reread parts.

Overall I found this book interesting enough to finish and think it would definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction.

Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I realise I’m in the minority, but I really struggled with this. I was expecting similar to Stacey Halls books as this is mentioned on the description, however it is completely different to her writing and stories.

I didn’t engage with any of the characters or the plot and it all felt a bit messy and confusing. That said, I haven’t read witchlit before, so it may be that this genre just isn’t for me.

Thanks to Netgalley, Stacey Thomas and HQ for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Set in 1645, during the English Civil Wars, Nicholas Pearce reluctantly inherits his father’s estate in the wake of his brother’s death. However, the price he must pay for this acknowledgment is agreeing to apprentice to ex witch hunter, Judge Will Percival, a dangerous commission for Nicholas, whose gift for hearing the dead must be concealed from those quick to accuse.
Evoking the tensions of the times, the novel deals well with the gender power struggle where strong, intelligent women were met with suspicion, feared by men and treated as ‘other’. The attitudes towards class are similarly highlighted. Some knowledge of the period would be helpful as social and political circumstances are alluded to, though not explained.
Historical fact and fiction blends well to create an entertaining and enjoyable read.
There are some instances where the narrative seems to jump ahead and the reader has to quickly infer what has happened to understand what is going on. Additionally, the ending seemed to come upon you very abruptly. However, these issues are minor and did not detract from what was, in the whole, a great read.

First of all I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book!

I’d like to begin this review by pointing out that historical fiction is not a favourite genre of mine but the premise of this book was so intriguing I knew I had to give it a go! The book is set in England, 1645 amidst civil war, rising superstitions and tensions between Catholics and Protestants. The story follows Nicolas Pearce, a young man forced to apprentice a former witch hunter, Will Percival. With rumours of witchcraft rising, Nicolas and Will are pressured to join in the hunt. But Nicolas himself has a damning secret- the dead sing to him. The more the victims of the witch-trials sing to him of their innocence, the harder it is for Nicolas to stand by and do nothing- even if his own secret is revealed.

There are many things I loved about this book- the main one being the characters. Nicolas is our narrator and he is an incredible complex character who struggles with his dark gift. He is an extremely empathetic person and is often horrified at the injustice of the witch trials but he is consumed by fear of using his gift to protect the innocent but end up being put on trial himself. I must say, witch-themed books have been rising in popularity recently but having a male witch as the narrator made this book a particularly unique and interesting reading experience. All the side characters are extremely well written and have fascinating motivations and goals- I was particularly intrigued with Grace and Will. All the characters has so many layers to them and it was amazing how their stories intertwined.

I can tell that this is an extremely well-researched book. There were so many aspects of history woven into the story and the book was extremely atmospheric. I loved how part of the book is set in York as that is the city I am currently living in and I loved all the references to its landmarks. This book really elegantly shows one of the darkest periods of British history and the amazing writing style really evokes strong emotions in the reader.

Something that could be improved in this book is the magic aspect of this book. Nicholas’ power is fairly straightforward but there is no real explanation of how he gains control over it it just sort of happens in a sentence or two. I also feel like magic methods such as knots could be explained a bit more- they’re very intriguing but there aren’t many details on them. The pacing was a little slow at times but the story kept me interested enough to keep reading! Overall this was a fantastic debut and I am shocked how much I enjoyed it despite it not being anything like my usual reads. This was an amazing story and, in my opinion, a very unique addition to the witchy genre that I think fans of historical fiction and witches would enjoy!

Founded upon a rich historical background that is written beautifully. The exciting story captures the attention, impossible to put it down until the last page.
I have never re-read a book before, The Revels will be my first because you can never get enough of this book.

A gorgeous gothic novel set in the 1600s, this is a fantastic tale of an apprentice to an ex witch hunter. The setting and descriptions are so vivid, it comes to life beautifully. A fantastic read.

Tough at the start but it’s worth persevering. 3.5/5 stars.

I was initially drawn to the historical period this book is set in: most historical fiction seems to cluster around the World Wars and the Tudors, so it was great to see a release set during the English Civil War. Throw witches into the mix and a beautiful cover, and I was in!

I found the first 40% of The Revels a slog. The writing is very dense and poetic, perhaps in an attempt to capture something of the manner of expression of the period. But the downside of this is that it’s rather opaque and I struggled at times to tell who was speaking, where we were or what was going on.

However, a bit like watching a Shakespeare play, eventually I ‘tuned in’ to the language and it became easier to read. The plot also began to grip me around the halfway point when we get to the actual witch-hunting section. This is also when the romance plot starts to kick in, which is something always likely to capture my interest. The second half of the book is an intense read, with suspicion, paranoia and grievances flying about making a thick drama soup the main characters attempt to wade through.

So overall I did find The Revels to be a satisfying story, but you need to hang on for it to take off. I imagine this book will split readers between those who love it right from the first word, those who eventually enjoy it after persevering, and a group who will abandon the book through frustration in the first third.

Overall: a book which I think will appeal most to fans of historical fiction or those with an existing interest in the most intense period of the English witch hunts in the mid-17th century.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy to review.

This was an interesting, historical witchy story that followed the perspective of Nicholas, a young man who starts an apprenticeship with a retired and disillusioned witchhunter called Will as they try to save a village from being taken over by witch hysteria led by another upstart witch hunter called Rush. Lots of secrets, intregre, and thought have been put into the story to try and reflect what it might have been like at the time from all angles, even the uncomfortable ones. I did enjoy it overall and thought it came together well after a slow start. I would be interested in reading more from this author as it is a debut and do recommend for those that like witch stories but are after a bit of a different and darker tone.

3.8

The trials of the Pendle witches are still fresh in the memories in this book. The date is 1654, and innocent herbalists and midwives came under suspicion of causing deaths of people and cattle in the fields, and they were sentenced to death by Witch finders, the most infamous was Matthew Hopkins.
After the death of his much loved half brother, Francis, Nicholas, the illegitimate, unwanted, and disappointing son is apprenticed to the tutelage of Judge William Percival, who was a witch hunter. They are to go to York to hear cases of witchcraft, Nicholas is to be the clerk and recorder of these trials, but he hides a deadly secret. Nicholas can hear the songs of the dead, they sing to him and they try to tell him who was responsible for their demise. Nicholas has to guard his talent, or he could also be accused of witchcraft, but he find he cannot stand idly by and let innocent people be put to death. Thanks to the songs of the dead, justice can be done, but at what cost to Nicholas and to Judge Percival, who is also hiding a secret, which would put him at great risk in these troubled times.
The background to this story is the English Civil War, King Charles is on the throne, his Queen, Henrietta Maria, is a Catholic, and religion is inflaming the calls for war. The Divine Right of Kings, means Parliament and the King are at loggerheads, it was a very dangerous time to be different in so many ways.
Told from a mainly male perspective, it is a really intriguing historical read. It is sympathetic, no doubt due to the main characters having such enormous secrets to be kept hidden, but a sense of justice and fair play prevail throughout. A dark period in our history indeed.
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ publishers for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star read, and a debut novel and author to follow. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

Set in the aftermath of the Pendle Witch Trials, Nicholas Pearce has his own secret to hide; the dead sing to him.

After the unexpected death of his brother, Nicholas is sent by his disgruntled father to apprentice under Judge William Percival and heads north to investigate bubbling witchcraft accusations. All the while though, Nicholas is plagued by guilt surrounding the death of his brother and the fear of Percival discovering his secret.

The backdrop of the English Civil War, Pendle Witch Trials and the complex relationship between catholics and protestants, witch-hunters and the accused, Stacey Thomas takes us on a twisting and turning journey through accusations that could tear a community apart. Nicholas’ skills could help save the accused, but is it worth risking his own life?

Stacey Thomas has written a wonderfully tense tale of family, love, betrayal and the fight between right and wrong. The female characters were particularly well rounded and Thomas doesn’t shy away from showing the complexities of relationships and the human condition.

Full review post will be going live on History Belles on publication date.
https://www.instagram.com/history_belles/

A budding playwright, Nicholas Pearce’s life changes on the death of his half-brother, Francis. Sent to apprentice Judge William Percival, a famous witch hunter, Nicholas is thrust into danger where no-one is above suspicion.

The Revels is written with a modern perspective with the book illuminating the misogynistic injustice of the witch trials towards women and girls, which led to thousands of unnecessary deaths. I found the concept interesting and wanted to like it more but my attention kept slipping. I felt it was quite slow and flat in places and I didn’t engage with the characters or plot as much as I hoped.

I would recommend for fans of historical fiction, especially those interested in witch trials.

The Revels is a master class in historical fiction. There’s a texture to this novel, you can really taste, see, smell and feel the world that the witch hunter’s apprentice is stepping through. I will absolutely be reading Stacey’s next book! 5 stars!!

This book was definitely super interesting!
The writing was gorgeous, and made me feel like someone from the witch trials time period might have written it, making me believe the characters do exist.
This in-depth view of the atmosphere during the witch trials, and adding some fantasy elements to it, made it fascinating and definitely good food for thought.
I liked a lot of the characters, and still think about them as people that might have existed.
The main issues for me where that during many moments I felt like I was missing something, some information maybe, as if it was a sequel and I hadn't read the 1st book (it's not, it's a standalone book)? The pace was a bit off in the middle of the book, which to be honest I didn't mind that much as I liked the worldbuilding, but I also felt like the magic was under-developed and under-utilised in the book. I wanted more, to see more, understand more, and get a sense of what it feels like to hear the dead sing. We only read the lyrics for each song when Nicholas was hearing something, but it didn't feel real enough to me, so I was starved for more for most of the book.
That said, I enjoyed it a lot, it was different to a lot of books I've read so far and was really rewarding in the end.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for gifting me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

I am a huge fan of witchy books and, after reading the premise, I couldn't wait to read this.
I am pleased to say it did not disappoint. I found it utterly gripping.