I LOVE Paula Brackston. I read The Witch's Daughter sometime last year and loved it so, of course, I had to read more by Brackston. And I can tell you, I was not disappointed with this one, and I know I'll not be disappointed with the next 2 I plan on reading.
Brackston's novels are light, interesting, historical, sometimes funny, sometimes romantic, and always entertaining. I've found myself reading a lot of murder mystery and horror lately so I wanted to switch things up a bit, and I'll probably continue to do so for the next couple of books. Brackston is a great choice when you want to read something that's not quite so intense or necessarily hard to figure out.
Brackston makes it no secret after the first bit that Isolda is the bad bitch, I mean witch, in this book. Let it be known...I HATE Isolda and feel she got everything she deserved. And on the other hand, I love Morgana and feel she got everything she deserved...a husband who loves her, a home, and hopefully she got the family too. From the very beginning you can't help but sympathize with Morgana. She was traumatized by her father's disappearance and no longer had the will to speak. She was then thrust into an arranged marriage because her mother was deathly ill and needed to make sure her daughter would be well taken care of. Thank God Morgana caught the attention of a good man, Cai Jenkins. I love Cai. He is a good man who works hard and honestly tries to make a life with Morgana.
Morgana has a wild spirit and is honestly a bit of a spit fire despite her being mute. She loves the outdoors and can work with the livestock as good as any man. These are all qualities that endear her to Cai and eventually help them bond and fall in love. Then Isolda gets all power hungry and won't sit the fuck down somewhere.
Isolda tries so hard to ruin Morgana's name and honestly succeeds for a period of time. Everyone is so busy listening to the foul Isolda is spitting about Morgana that they don't see who the real evil is. Isolda was willing to do anything and everything to have the power of the cursing well but it all backfired on her...there's an English teacher's metaphor and theme in there somewhere.
I read this book and found myself, several times, yelling out loud...Get the fuck up off Morgana! or Why do you all hate Morgana? or Bitch, Please...you don't know who you're talking to. A few times I even thought Isolda was a little big for her britches with some of the assumptions she was making about Morgana being weak...little did she know how wrong she truly was. Morgana has a fierce spirit and determination to save the man she loves. She'll stop at nothing to save the people she loves, and the people who love her, even if it hurts her to do it. I honestly feel Morgana didn't want to have to kill Isolda but she forced her hand. Morgana has so many good qualities that I found myself honestly wanting to be her friend. I wanted to put myself in the time period and be someone on her side, someone who didn't follow the flock of persecutors. I'm so happy that Morgana and Cai got their happy ending.
I love the 'witchy' bits, the bitchy bits, the romance, and the entire story line. I have now become a serious fan of Paula Brackston and can't wait to read The Midnight Witch.
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