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There are currently 26 member reviews
for The Silver Witch
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Kathy H. (Richmond, VA)
Witchy women?
The Silver Witch started out quite nicely - I liked the characters of Tilda and Seren, and the way Brackston switches the narrative between the two. I appreciated the tension Tilda experiences as she struggles to accept/believe, understand, and then harness, her new found powers. I really enjoyed the glimpses of 900 A. D. Celtic life and the present day environment of life around a lake in Wales. But Brackston lost me when Tilda does battle with the ghost of a witch, and screams "Seren says hi." Really?
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Vicki O. (Los Angeles, CA)
Fantasy is not for me
My review is a little biased because I am not a fantasy/magic novel fan and reading "The Silver Witch" did not change my mind even though I found it very well written and easy enough to read. It was interesting the way the story alternated between the women in the present and the past: Tilda, the potter who moves to an isolated Welsh cottage, seeking solace after the death of her husband; Seren, the ancient witch who inhabited the lake in Celtic times. Their lives connect through magic, visions, prophecies, and that's when it loses me. For fantasy novel enthusiasts, this is probably a good read. It's just not for me.
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Alice S. (East Haven, Ct)
Interesting story idea
The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston had an interesting historical fiction storyline. Maybe because I did not read Brackston's other 2 "witching " novels I was missing something but the book seemed a little repetitive. The chapters go back and forth between the story of Seren in 10th century Wales and Tilda living in current times.
It does offer a lot to think about though, about witches and witchcraft, magic and archeology, and how they could all be intertwined.
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Jeanne W. (Columbia, MD)
A serviceable romance novel
This is the third in Paula Brackston's series of witching novels. Tilda has moved to a small cottage by a lake in Wales after her husband's unexpected death. Soon she discovers that whenever she's around fuses blow out, light bulbs burn out and clocks stop working. Eventually she begins having visions. She discovers a possible link to a shaman/seer, Seren, who lived in the area 1,000 years ago. Along the way she finds a new love. Tilda's story is told in alternating chapters with Seren's.
Something about this book made me think of Nora Roberts' novels. I think the author is trying for a more "literary" version of a romance novel. It's well written and well-told if a little repetitive in spots.
I felt most of the characters were rather one-dimensional without a lot of personality, even Tilda, the main character. The Tilda-Dylan romance felt perfunctory to me, as if the author was checking off items on a list of requirements for a romance novel.
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Rosanne S. (Franklin Square, NY)
Witchy Women
So I requested to read The Silver Witch because it intrigued me. While not my usual read, I really appreciated the opportunity to get a taste of Paula Brackston's witchy novel.
Brackston writes beautifully and perhaps that kept me moving through the novel more than the subject matter. A mix of historical fiction and fantasy it delivers something for everyone. The chapters alternate between the time of Seren in 10th century Wales and current times with Tilda. As Tilda discovers the link between she and Seren the historical facts as well as a love story unfold.
I can now say I "gave it a try" and though I enjoyed what I read I doubt that I will try another.
