Are you familiar with familiars? Yes, I know. I’m part Scottish so these things are embedded into my DNA but for many, I now realize, they are not. A familiar is an animal that is close to a witch who does certain things for the witch. They can act as protectors, spies, a type of servant or, most often, a close companion. If you see one, you most often will see the other because they rarely are separated.

Fleetwood is seventeen and mistress of Gawthorpe Hall. She has been unable to carry a child to full term so when she meets Alice Grey, a young midwife, she begs her to help her have a healthy baby. Alice promises to help and this is the start of an unlikely friendship.I want to mention that the beginning is a bit slow. It takes time to immerse yourself in Fleetwood’s story and properly fall in love with it. So, if the beginning is a bit slow to you, I would recommend waiting it out. It does get better! The best thing about this book is the fact that it is loosely based on real events and real people. I decided to read this book because of the season as it is listed as gothic historical fiction, throw in some witches and I'm yelling "Take my money!" Man alive this book has some buzz and rightly so. . . it's got it all: The Pendle witch trials of 1612, female bonding, an addictive mystery and a story based on real events (always a winner). . . Enjoy, people, enjoy * Stylist Magazine * Mushens added: “Stacey’s writing goes from strength to strength and The Household feels like her best book yet." All in all, this was a very strong debut and it completely consumed me and took me to a different time and place. I will definitely be reading whatever Halls writes next!

Grimslade, a cruel bounty hunter who is enemies with Aldwyn. However, in the 3rd book, he was willing to help them against Paksahara and her Zombie revolution, which resulted in his death to a Zombie Crocodile.Orme said: “Publishing Stacey Halls has been a highlight of my career. Her books marry irresistible storytelling, captivating characters and incredible writing, as well as giving voice to women from history who lived on the very margins of society. So I’m excited to bring her many fans The Household next spring. It will be Stacey’s first new novel in three years, and is her very best to date. If the doctor was to be believed—and no doubt he was—the child was fattening like a conker in a spiked green shell, and eventually would split me open. A child was what Richard wanted more than anything, and where I had failed before perhaps I would not this time…but at the cost of my life? The Familiars is a series of children's fantasy books written by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. The Familiars is also the title of the first book in the series, featuring familiars, magical animal companions to a wizard or witch. The series consists of 4 books, published between 2010 and 2013 by HarperCollins.

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson (2010-09-24). " 'The Familiars' movie gets a director". TheFamiliars.com . Retrieved 2010-10-04. The story focuses on 17 year old Fleetwood Shuttleworth who is desperate to give her anxious husband Richard an heir to Gwathorpe Hall. As Alice is drawn into the witchcraft accusations that are sweeping the North-West, Fleetwood risks everything by trying to help her. But is there more to Alice than meets the eye? la autora ha sabido plasmar a la perfección la persecución real que hubo en aquella época contra las brujas, cómo empezó esa locura y todo lo que sucedió durante esos días, así como el miedo que había en la sociedad. Jardine, William (January 7, 2013). "UPDATED: Warner Bros. Looks to Rejuvenate its Animation House". A113 Animation . Retrieved January 9, 2013.

Diaries & Calendars

Halls, a journalist, grew up near Pendle Hill and was fascinated by the trials from a young age. Drawn from real-life figures, her novel tells the story of Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a 17-year-old pregnant noblewoman who finds herself caught up in the trials when her midwife, Alice Gray, is accused of witchcraft. Married at 13, and three miscarriages later, Fleetwood needs Alice to help her deliver a healthy baby. Not a fan of historical fiction? Prepare to change your mind... Fierce, feminist and properly fabulous * FABULOUS * Anethum graveolens.” She pointed from left to right. “ Calendula, lavendulan, camamelum.” I stared at her in bewilderment, and she laughed. “To you, and your cook—dill, marigold, lavender, chamomile.” It’s well developed, informative, but still frustrating with the parts show how the ignorance affect people’s minds and turned them into mentally blind. The fact that this novel was originally published soon after Doctor Who explored this time period last series seems like a happy coincidence, but this was the main reason why I wanted to read this debut novel.

A few days later Fleetwood has a disturbing conversation with Roger Nowell, an older family friend of hers and Richard. He speaks to her of familiars and witchcraft. A witch, according to Roger, can assume animal identities, take on a familiar spirit: “This witch is a dog, but they can appear as anything—an animal, a child.” When Fleetwood questions Roger further, he brushes her off, saying they need to catch up with Richard, who “will not be happy with me for lagging behind indulging you. This is what happens when women come on hunts.” Is it, or does Roger want to shut down the conversation? Is his obsession with persecuting witches a way to prove his loyalty to King James? Roger tells Fleetwood that, “This corner of the kingdom with its Catholic heritage causes His Majesty a great deal of anxiety.” Fleetwood points out the obvious, that “Catholics and witches are not the same thing,” but Roger pays her no mind. When I found out about the house, my first question was why would they do it? And my second was, did it go to plan?" Fresh, deliberately uncluttered writing typifies a strong, confident debut with a perennially absorbing subject as its focus * The Daily Mail * Sarah Davis-Goff, who runs independent publisher Tramp Press, agrees. “I do think that the #MeToo movement has been quite enabling for women in that it’s confirmed our worst suspicions,” she says. “There is something incredibly powerful about finding out that you are not alone, and what we’re seeing in a lot of upcoming fiction is authors working through this and really digging into their experiences.” The novel is based on true events, Pendle Hill Witch Trials, and most of the characters did exist, although it was the Author's imagination that directed their actions. The story revolves around a noblewoman, Fleetwood Shutterworth who is expected to provide her husband with an heir. She miscarages several times, and one day, when pregnant again, she meets a local woman, Alice Grey, who has a knowledge of the herbs and skills which may help Fleetwood during her pregnancy. The story seems simple, but the Author managed mastefully to create a novel which I couldn't put down. There are several themes in the novel which I found interesting: position and fate of woman in the early 17th centrury, prejudice against wise women which in consequence led directly to the accusations of witchcraft and then to stake, and the role children played during the so-called witchhunt. A very good atmospheric novel which I would recommend to FH lovers.

Summary

The Familiars is an intricate and sensitive portrayal of a brave, tenacious young girl carving her place in the world. A must-read novel * Heather Morris, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz * Fleetwood Shuttleworth is the 17 years old mistress at Gawthorpe Hall. The year is 1612, and she pregnant for the fourth time. The problem, however, is that she has yet to bring a child to term, something both she and her husband are concerned about, each for very different reasons. By chance, Fleetwood encounters a woman in the forest on her property. This woman, Alice Gray, claims to be a midwife and promises Fleetwood that she can help her give birth to a healthy child. They agree on terms and Alice is brought into Gawthorpe Hall where Fleetwood almost at once begins to feel better. There are problems, however. King James, as we all should know, is on a witch hunt and his minions who wish to stay in his favor will do whatever necessary to stay in the king’s good graces, including accusing innocent women of witchcraft. Fleetwood has the misfortune of living near Pendle Hill and one of her husband’s dearest friends and benefactor’s is just the sort of man to gather up innocents to appease the king – and that is exactly what he does – including Alice Gray.