Review "The Familiars" by Stacey Halls

"Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have 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."

(blurb from goodreads.com)

Rating: 3/5 stars

I started this book thinking I would love it, but it did not quite do it for me in the end. It is a well-written, enjoyable piece of historical fiction. The setting and descriptions are atmospheric. It fits in with a certain trend of depicting female characters as finding themselves/new strength/a sense of completion through friendship with other women (rather than through romance). I liked the fact that all the characters were based on real people. 

However, several things bothered me a little. For some reason, the language used sometimes jarred a little, as if it was not quite right for the historical period. Maybe not so much the language as the thoughts and attitudes... It's difficult to describe but it read very much like something written now. 

Another aspect I found disappointing was the way witchcraft was dealt with. The author makes a vain attempt at creating confusion as to whether the women accused are witches or not, no doubt to reflect the attitude of people at the time. However, the accused "witches" themselves were portrayed as...witches, convinced of their power, making deals with the devil, and being thoroughly nasty characters. I was expecting a more sensible, feminist retelling of witchcraft in the 17th century. I did not get it. And I wonder why this book was called The Familiars, since have barely any role (or make any appearance). Perhaps I have missed something. 

One, minor thing that annoyed me thoroughly was the way horses were portrayed. My guess is that the author knows nothing about horses, and that is fine. But in that case, she should have done a little bit more research before making her character ride everywhere, use riding as a way to assert herself, and show a form of independence by riding. No self-respecting horseperson will call their horse "it." "He" if the horse is a stallion or gelding. "She" if the horse is a mare. No excellent and experienced rider (as the main character is meant to be) will try to grab the reins as a means to save themselves from falling when a horse is rearing. Moreover, bucking and rearing are not the same things. Those are just details but they pulled me out of the story.  

I was also midly bothered by how one-dimensional the male characters were. Like the witches, actually. I had hoped for a nuanced portrayal of those women but, maybe because their point of view was never given, they simply appeared, in most cases, as nasty characters, bent on doing evil, their physical appearance matching the darkness of their deeds.

This is not to say that this book is not enjoyable. Maybe I was disappointed because I expected a more literary work and did not like how manichean it was. Still, if you want a diverting, easy read, do give it a go!