The Sorceress is not quite as spell binding this time. (Sorceress - Celia Rees)

Member Name: Rhiana

Product:	Sorceress - Celia Rees
Date:	08/06/09 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Follows on with Mary's fascinating story, informative, thought provoking and interesting

Disadvantages: Agnes seemed a weak character, lacked some of the magic of the first book

I recently read a book which blew me away. Witch Child by Celia Rees tells the story of 14 year old Mary, whose only relative, her Grandmother has been hanged for witchcraft in 17th century England. The book, told entirely in diary form tells her story of escape on board a ship full of Puritans crossing the Atlantic, straight to Salem, onto Beulah, and ends with her fleeing the settlement she has made a home within, accused herself now of witchcraft and fearful for her life.

Witch Child is a fictional diary, told from Mary, apart from small fore and after words from a woman called Alison Ellman, who explains that the manuscript was found in a quilt 300 years old, and at the end of the book appeals for information on Mary and the families named within the book. This did have me wondering if the book was based on a true story, however I quickly managed to confirm it was not. This left me wondering at the point to these little notes at the beginning and end of the book, however that becomes apparent in Sorceress.

I hadn't realised Witch Child was a teenagers book when I acquired it, nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed it (I reviewed it previously if your interested in reading that). On finishing I immediately sought out the sequel to this fantastic book, Sorceress by Celia Rees.

Sorceress begins in the present day, introducing us to Agnes, a teenage girl of native American heritage. She is studying at college and has just read Witch Child and the appeal for more information. Agnes is convinced she knows something about what may have happened to Mary, but will Alison Ellman believe and be interested in the less conventional and spiritual way Agnes has to offer?

Together they embark on a journey to resolve Mary's story, one which will lead Alison to Canada and Agnes home to her Native American settlement. through Agnes's visions we learn of Mary's escape, being saved from death and adopted by a native tribe, her life as a healer amongst the tribe and wars between the natives and settlers. With many battles both personal and as part of the tribe, will Mary ever find a place to fit in and be happy?

Quite often a sequel never lives up to the high expectation placed on it following a fantastic book. I have to say, contrary to other reviews I have read on Sorceress, I was somewhat disappointed this time.

While Witch child is told in the first person, in the form of a diary written by Mary, Sorceress switches from third person when telling Agnes's story in present time, to first person during Agnes's visions for Mary's story. I found that the author writes so much better as Mary, in the first person. She manages to get right inside the character, so that Mary's thought's, feelings, sights and sounds of places and people around her are almost tangible. I found this continued in Sorceress, although felt it was somewhat diluted and lacked some magic.

Agnes, in my opinion was a difficult character. She was dour, untrusting and bitter. I got the reasons for this from the author, however I never felt we got to know her enough to be sympathetic and I think the reason is, as stated above, the author wrote better in the first person. Agnes is supposed to have such a strong spiritual connection with Mary, yet I never felt it, and was glad when the book switched back to Mary's story. Luckily for me, this was for at least three quarters of the book.

In Sorceress we are introduced to Mary as an adult woman, and as such it explores a more sexual side of Mary. While I applaud the authors ability to recreate Mary's life in every other way, I found this area a little weak. I realise this is a teenagers book, so consideration has to be taken here, and indeed it was. There are no graphic sex scenes or descriptions, just a suggestion. However I found the emotional feelings lacking and a bit cold, and what could have been an amazing and beautiful love story between two people of different cultures during very difficult times seemed a bit flat and contrived, almost just convenient for the story with no real feeling.

So far my review would suggest this is a terrible book, and it's really not. The detail the author sets surrounding Native American life at this time is fantastic. She introduces us to the customs in a fascinating way, it's obviously something the author feels very passionate about. Celia Rees studied American history at University.

Like Witch Child, Sorceress tackles issues such as prejudice and tolerance in a dignified and sympathetic way, which is easy to find relevance in today's Society. I particularly like the book for representing the hideous way in which we (the English) claimed a land as our own, with no respect for it's Native inhabitants, or Savages as they were known, and the arrogance of presuming superiority and enforcing beliefs on others. I think Celia Rees managed this in a truthful, balanced and informative way.

While failing to be truly magical, as I found the first book in the series, Sorceress is still a very good book which I did enjoy. Perhaps my opinion is tainted by having such high expectations, or perhaps I'm casting a too adult an eye over it, as others more representative of the books target market seem to have enjoyed this book as much as the first. Personally I think I would have preferred if the author just carried on with Mary's diary and left out Agnes. It's a great idea, but just felt she was so weak a character, she became unnecessary.

Sorceress is a sequel, and I would suggest it is important to read Witch child first. If you read this as a stand alone, then there is a lot of plot you wouldn't understand. Sorceress also ties up a lot of loose ends of the people featured in the first book, who don't appear in the second and would leave you wondering 'who on earth is that?'

At 300 pages this is slightly longer than the first book, however the writing constantly moves you forward at a quick pace, and again I managed to finish this book in less than 24 hours. I would heartily recommend Witch Child, as a fantastic breath taking story to anyone. So of course I have to recommend the sequel as you will be left wanting to know more, however I would caution you to go in slightly less optimistic as I did, and I am sure it will still be enjoyed by many.

Sorceress by Celia Rees
ISBN 0-7475-5568-0

WWW.Witchchild.com
www.Celiarees.co.uk

Summary: Concluding Mary's life, in 17th century England and America