This was a bit of a tough read for me
I liked the story however there were a little bit too many historical references in there which made it slow and it was just a bit too much for me.
But the darkness and witchyness of it all I really enjoyed.

2.5*
I don’t know why I keep trying to read novels based on witch trials - they just aren’t my thing.
As with most of the books I’ve read in this genre, I found it very hard to get into the book. By the end I enjoyed it more, but overall it felt quite slow to me. I think in general I just don’t enjoy the subject matter though.

England, 1645. Illegitimate son, Nicholas Pearce is called back home to the house of his wealthy merchant father to take on the role left behind by his recently dead half-brother Francis. Unaccustomed to the part he must now play, and unwilling to give up his life as an aspiring playwright, Nicholas is persuaded to comply in a bargain with his father that promises he will reveal the name of the mother Nicholas does not remember.

Nicholas finds himself apprenticed to the former witch-hunter, William Percival, who prefers to leave his notoriety behind in his present job as a judge - but the past will not leave him alone. Plagued with requests to resume his former life, Percival attempts to do what he can to clear women of false charges of witchcraft when he is called to stand in judgement of them, with Nicholas' help, but in these unsettled times it is a near impossible task - and Nicholas must watch his step at every turn, because he has a secret that also makes him a target for those out to make their name. For Nicholas can hear the dead sing...

The Revels is a compelling story of witchcraft and injustice, which breaks the mould by being set against a background somewhat later that the witchy novels I have read before. Stacey Thomas takes you beyond the menacing times under King James I, driven by his obsession with hunting witches, to an England torn asunder by civil war between the Royalist supporters of Charles I and the Roundheads, which feeds an all new tide of revenge provoked attacks on the innocent.

There is so much here that harks back to the former horrors of the spate of witchcraft trials that we have heard so much about, and Thomas plays beautifully with the shadows of the tragedy of the lives lost that still looms large over these later times - especially the story of the Pendle witches. She blends this with the atmosphere of suspicion that now pervades the land in the midst of civil war, channelling the division caused by warring factions and religious dissent into the mix, which makes for a glorious setting that is ripe for those looking for a way to gain personal advantage with a little bit of old fashioned revenge - including powerful manipulators who do not care how many innocent souls are lost in the process. And their weapon of choice? Accusations of witch craft...

On a twist in what you normally expect from a book about with trials, there is another element here that adds real complexity, and cleverly muddies the waters, for some of our characters certainly have skills which many would claim to be Devil-sent. Thomas paints many of these characters in shades of grey, playing on themes of guilt, power, injustice, and complicity, which add intriguing depth to how the story plays out. My favourite element is the unusual crime-solving partnership that develops between Nicholas and his love interest, the unconventional Althamia, which was a joy - and gives rise to the prospect of a cracking sequel, should Thomas so wish. I am certainly not ready to let go of them yet.

If you love a witchy adventure then there is plenty in this stunning debut to please, and it offers some delicious departures to what you normally expect in a book about witch trials too - all while paying homage to the suffering of those who lost their lives as the result of hatred and fear.