Elizabeth Grey is one of the nation’s best witch-hunters. From the opening of the novel we are told just how hard she has trained to earn her place working alongside Caleb, her childhood friend. Yet we are also told just enough to suspect that things with Elizabeth are not quite what they seem.
When she is rescued from prison – and certain death – by Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia, everything she holds dear is called into question.
Elizabeth may or may not be the only one who can save Anglia from Blackwell, a man determined to hide his true nature as he plots to rule the country. She has to rely on the help of those she would previously have hunted, as she hunts for a cure for the curse placed on Perevil.
Some of the reviews I’ve read of this book criticise Elizabeth’s obsession with Caleb and John. I can’t help but feel this is a little harsh; the ‘love stuff’ is certainly no more distracting than the Bella/Edward/Jacob triangle in ‘Twilight’ or any other ‘teen’ read.
The depiction of 16th-century England will interest some, and the focus on witchcraft will appeal to others. I’ve no doubt that this series will have its fans, and may even make it to the screen. I enjoyed it, and will probably read the rest of the series, but I’m not sure it’s one I’d go back to.
