by Kate Hodges
SYNOPSIS
'Something wicked this way comes ...'
Inverness, 1769. On a freezing winter's night, astronomer Nancy Lockaby arrives at Blackthistle House, home to renowned Shakespeare scholar Caleb Malles, to assist him in his research. She hopes to forget all that has happened to her in London.
Nancy initially finds herself captivated by Caleb's eccentric mind and deep passion for Macbeth. So, when she is warned by three mysterious women that Caleb is keeping secrets from her, she is dismissive - after all, the women also claim to have lived many centuries and possess powers that defy any logical reasoning.
Yet, as Caleb's behaviour becomes more erratic, she begins to suspect that she has walked into a trap.
Offering a fresh, feminist perspective on literature's most infamous trio, The Wayward Sisters is an enthralling, intricately woven story of friendship, intrigue and magic.
REVIEW
I'll start with a confession. I love books about witches, I love gothic historical fiction and I love a good mystery. But... I do not have a huge knowledge of Shakespeare, so even though I loved the sound of The Wayward Sisters, I was worried that story might be lost on me. However, this was not an issue at all. The writing is beautiful and the story is full of magic, intrigue and mystery. It's the perfect book to pick up during these colder autumn nights and be completely transported to another time. I really did get swept away by this enchanting tale.
I was able to pick up on the link to the three witches from Macbeth and the Wayward sisters in the story, three women who were granted supernatural powers and immortality, are a really interesting set of characters. I really enjoyed reading about them but would love to look into Macbeth a bit more to try and improve my understanding of some of the finer details. As far as the protagonist is concerned, I loved the fact that Nancy Lockaby was ahead of her time and held her own in a male orientated world, refusing to give up after she is ridiculed for her belief in something unexplained.
I thought that The Wayward Sisters worked really well with its unusual mix of topics that blended astronomy, witchcraft, Shakespeare, feminism and elements of the supernatural perfectly together. This, together with the rural Scottish setting, created the ideal atmosphere for this type of story.
Thanks to Hodder Books - @HodderBooks & Kate Hodges @TheeKateHodges for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Hodder Books Genre: Mystery / Retelling / Historical Fiction
ISBN: 978-1529371529
Pages: 288pp
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