What do readers think of The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston? Write your own review.

This is the first book written by Paula Brackston that I've read and not the type I would expect to enjoy. After the Twilight and True Blood phenomena saturated the airwaves and bookstores I was suffering from supernatural burnout! The combination of historical fact and well written prose lifts this book beyond the stereotypical storyline and one dimensional characters that I've come to expect from this genre. The characters are well-developed and intelligent allowing the reader to enjoy the history and story without losing interest and to feel like they're experiencing something new.

Enjoyed reading this book. I liked the switch between narrators (Seren and Tilda) along with the switch back and forth between the past and present. The author did a good job of linking the two main characters across their different times and telling each story. A piece of Welsh history tied to present day along with some mystical and magical elements. Kept me interested and reading. More of a light read rather than serious fiction, but enjoyable nonetheless.

I am a huge fan of Paula Brackston's books, and was really looking forward to reading this one. The story is told in two connected narratives set years apart which is one of my favorite types of stories. It concerns two women who are both from the same line of witches. The ancient story was very well done and engrossing, but the modern day one didn't quite work for me. The events that occurred and the romance that developed didn't flow naturally for me and a last minute one line connection between the characters seemed tacked on at the end. I think there was a really good story here-it just needed to be fleshed out more. I will definitely continue to read this author, but this one just wasn't my favorite.

If you are a fan of the past/present kind of story this a perfect book for you. The past, in Welsh, between 850 and 950 AD where the Celtic belief in witches was an accepted fact of life, not yet dampened by Christianity. The present, a ceramic artist who has recently moved to to this magical lake and valley. She is recovering from her husbands death and has decided to live in the humble farmworkers cottage they purchased together. Also, there are Archeologists digging at the edge of the mysterious lake filled with legends and myths. Does all this sound like a bit magic and mayhem, read it and find out.

Ceramic artist, Tilda Fordwells, moves into a remote Welsh cottage only to discover she has "powers". The book alternates between present day and Celtic times of early 900 a.d. I enjoyed the supernatural elements and the suspense but it left me wanting more substance. It took a long time for the story to unfold. I loved the setting and the addition of a dog to the cast of characters. The plot was solid but lacked the depth of a really good book. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy a light fantasy read.

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?

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.

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.