I'm not sure what made me buy this book as its not usually something I would read. That being said I am interested in the witch trials era so that must have done it! Plus the cover is so pretty!
Fleetwood Shuttleworth is 17 years old and on her 4th pregnancy (I know..!). She hasn't been able to bring a baby to full term and has found a letter saying if she were to fall pregnant again she may not survive. Terrified she seeks out a midwife to help her and she falls across Alice Grey. They become an unlikely duo as Alice promises to help Fleetwood deliver a healthy baby. Meanwhile Alice gets caught up in a witch trial, accused of being a witch. Can Fleetwood trust her? Can she help her?!
So I cant wait put my finger on what drew me in to this book but I absolutely loved it! It was so gripping I couldn't put it down! It is very much set in a time where women were property, which is made extremely clear through Fleetwood's upbringing. Luckily for her she seems to have found a nice husband who she loves but politics and her own strong will cause friction to those around her. We know she is trying to save the life of her and her unborn baby but also the way she acts is very modern in terms of taking ownership of things, speaking before being spoken to etc. I really enjoyed it! I did keep forgetting that Fleetwood is only 17 years old! But as a main character I really enjoyed following her through this drama.
I also liked the other characters, her husband and Alice although I mostly preferred her interactions with Alice. But there wasn't really anyone in the book that I groaned about when they came into action.
I also didn't feel like there was much down time. When I say I couldn't put it down I really couldn't! Because there was always something happening. Either people being introduced, a witch trial, some more vital information being shared. It was all drama, drama, drama and it was brilliant!
I think what also made it quite a special book was that the character names and places were in fact real. These people existed! Of course this story is a work of fiction but to know there was in fact a Fleetwood who married Richard Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe I felt even more connected to a piece of history. Like I said this book is of course fiction but I did love the little addition the author added in relation to them being real people.
To also learn this is the debut novel by Stacey Halls, well I will definitely keep an eye out for her other works.
Overall I would highly recommend this book. It didn't quite make 5 stars but it was very close! You do not need to be into history to enjoy this book. It had great characters, twists and enjoyable moments that I think a lot of people would like.
The Familiars by Stacey Halls
Pages - 344
Goodreads Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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