Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

Witchstruck (Tudor Witch Trilogy, #1)

by Victoria Lamb

Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake.

Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn - despite their very different attitudes to her secret.

Thrilling and fast-paced, this is the first unputdownable story in a bewitching new series.

Reviewed by Angie on

2 of 5 stars

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I received an ARC through NetGalley.

Witchstruck is a book that I was very excited to read. I love historical settings combined with paranormal elements, so I was sure that I would enjoy it. Unfortunately, upon finishing the last chapter I was underwhelmed. The awkwardly tacked on epilogue also left me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I'm glad that it was added because there are some things that I absolutely loved about it. On the other, it seemed added to make room for a sequel and there was one thing that made me internally scream "oh, hell no!" The story follows Meg, a young witch, who is also a servant to the exiled princess, Elizabeth Tudor. Of course, there's plenty of political and religious intrigue as Elizabeth waits out her sentence and longs to return to the comforts of court. Meanwhile, Meg is simultaneously trying to expand her skills as a witch while also hiding her gift.

Something strange about my experience with Witchstruck was that I really enjoyed it while I was reading. However, whenever I put it down, I'd promptly forget about it. Then picking it back up, it would take me a moment to remember what had just happened, but I'd be sucked in again almost immediately. I hate that this was a largely forgettable book, since I do think it's quite good. It just doesn't stick in my mind at all. I also felt like there were two completely separate plots happening. One with Elizabeth trying to go back to court and have her charges of treason dropped, and the second being Meg and her witchcraft. Both are interesting on their own, but they felt very disconnected. Meg is our only narrator, so we never get Elizabeth's thoughts and feelings on her exile, even though it plays a large role in the book.

What I really loved about Witchstruck was the romance. It's very different, and not dominant at all. There's also no love triangle, unless you count the heinous witchfinder who's infatuated with Meg as a love interest. I certainly don't, but I found Marcus' interest in Meg to be fascinating and disturbing. He's twice her age and desperate to marry her, despite his suspicions that she's a witch. He goes to great lengths to secure her hand, and I was always interested in seeing what he had planned next. However, Alejandro--a priest in training--catches Meg's eye. I was super curious how this would work out, since he has to uphold certain chastity requirements and seems steadfast in his beliefs. Meg and Alejandro's story disappears for a little while toward the end, but it's the focus of that confusing epilogue. Parts of it I loved and parts of it I hated it. Overall, I am curious to see where their relationship goes.

In the end, I liked Witchstruck, but I'm certain I'll forget most of it by time this review goes up. Nothing about it really stuck out to me, except for maybe Marcus. He's delightfully creepy, but he disappears from the story too early. I really don't have much to say in regards to Witchstruck. It's interesting but forgettable. I'm sure lots of fans of historical fiction, especially the Tudor era, will enjoy this take on history though.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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  • Started reading
  • 13 September, 2013: Finished reading
  • 13 September, 2013: Reviewed