ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Solstice by Helen Steadman
Solstice by Helen Steadman is available now in paperback, eBook and audiobook. I purchased my own copy.
It’s the third in a trilogy, following on from Widdershins and Sunwise. There’s also a guest post from Helen here about corn dollies (the one in the photo below was made by Helen).
England, 1673. Still a world of witches, witch trials and witchfinders.
When a new vicar arrives to take over the parish of Mutton Clog, the village finds itself in the grip of puritan fever, and suspicious eyes are turned on Rose Driver.
Rose’s mother, brother and grandmother were all put to death by the Scottish witchfinder, John Sharpe.
Almost quarter of a century after the Newcastle witch trials, Sharpe is no longer a threat. Rose should be safe in her quiet village, but is history about to repeat itself?
Find out in Solstice, the powerful conclusion to The Newcastle Witch Trials Trilogy, which tells the story of one woman’s struggle for survival in a hostile and superstitious world.
Solstice completes the Widdershins trilogy by Helen Steadman, following on from Widdershins and Sunwise. I’ve enjoyed all three but I think Solstice is my favourite.
It’s 1673 and a quarter of a century ago, Rose Driver’s mother and grandmother suffered a terrible fate at the hands of the witch hunter, John Sharpe. Rose is now grown up and is a skilled shepherdess in her home of Mutton Clog. It’s when new vicar, Reverend Leaton and his son and daughter, Earnest and Patience, come to the parish that Rose’s life starts to unravel and she must fight for her life.
The story is narrated by the two young women: Rose and Patience. Two more different characters you could not find. Rose is practical, kind and loved, whereas Patience is pious, fevered and puritanical. From the moment she arrives in Mutton Clog, Patience has an agenda and I found it terrifying how she twisted everything to fit in with her religious fervour.
I thought Solstice was written to perfection. Helen Steadman has done a wonderful job with this trilogy. Solstice follows the characters over the course of a year and packs so much into its 250 pages. I was completely transported to the 17th century, to the horrors that women had to face and the lack of understanding, and I was truly gripped by this exceptional novel, it’s fantastic characters and its compelling story.
Helen Steadman’s first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the 1650 Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf is about a group of master swordmakers who defected from Germany to England in 1687. Helen’s fourth novel, God of Fire, is a Greek myth retelling as seen through the eyes of Hephaestus, perhaps the least well known of all the Olympians. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword.
