The briar book of the dead

The briar book of the dead

Angela Slatter

Book - 2024

"Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway. Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie's cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak... to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build"--

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Subjects
Witches > Fiction.
Magic > Fiction.
Family secrets > Fiction.
Witch fiction.
Gothic fiction.
Fantasy fiction.
Genres
Witch fiction
Gothic fiction
Fantasy fiction
Published
London : Titan Books 2024.
Language
English
Main Author
Angela Slatter (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
400 pages ; 20 cm
ISBN
9781803364544
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Slatter's gruesome and disappointing third novel set in the gothic fantasy universe established in Of Sorrow and Such tells the tragedy of the Briars, a witch family ruling autocratically over the town of Silverton. When both the Briar matriarchs die in the same year, nonmagical Ellie Briar nervously assumes the role of family steward, and Audra--Ellie's powerfully magical cousin--is appointed Briar Witch, serving as absolute ruler of both family and town. When Audra leaves Silverton on business, Ellie is left in charge and must balance the town's needs with her own duties. Things grow more complicated when her power finally awakens: she's a speaker, someone able to see ghosts and set to rest unsettled souls by resolving their unfinished business. Tragedy plagues both the living and dead as Ellie discovers Silverton is rife with abuse, murder, and horrifying secrets. Unfortunately, Slatter's blunt critique of power and corruption is hampered by wooden characters and a soap operatic plot that over relies on violence for shock value. This is best suited for die-hard fans. (Feb.)

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