Book review: Samantha Grosser, The Sorcerer’s Whore

The Sorcerer’s Whore
by Samantha Grosser

Publication Date: July 16, 2019
eBook: 330 Pages

Series: Pages of Darkness, #2
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Fantasy

 

 

A cursed child, a dangerous path, and a price to pay…

Six-fingered Mary Sparrow dreams of escape from the brothel that is the only world she knows. But when a mysterious old man drives her friend to madness, she begins to fear for her life.

Toby Chyrche also hopes for a better future, away from the confines of the tailor’s shop where it seems his fate is set in stone. So when a chance meeting with an old man at the brothel offers him a different path, he is only too eager to accept. Then the discovery of an ancient book of magic throws a new and shocking light onto the past – his mother had a brother, and that brother was a witch.

As the old man’s shadow over Bankside lengthens, Mary is drawn into the growing web of darkness. Unable to escape its reach, she turns to Toby for help. But Toby has daemons of his own to face. Will possession of the book be enough to protect them from the old man’s power? And what price will they have to pay for victory?

For the Sorcerer’s Whore, nothing is as it seems …

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Review

I haven’t read the first in this series, Shakespeare’s Witch, but having read and enjoyed this second book, I’m definitely going to go back and do so (I just downloaded it this morning, to make sure I don’t forget!). Back to the current read though, and it really is excellent. Told from two perspectives, that of Mary, stuck in the dreary life of a Bankside brothel, and the recently-bereaved Toby. Both want away from their current lives, something better than what fate seems to have in store for them.

The arrival in their lives of Alexander brings with it a host of temptations and torments; can each have the life they crave, and what will the price be, if they get it? Is it really worth the risk?

This was a fascinating read, drawing such a ‘real’ sense of time and place, in the 1600s, where magic and witchcraft were part and parcel of everyday life, part of peoples’ mindset. Toby and Mary’s acceptance of it shows this, and the belief in how magic could potentially bring you what you wish for, as long as you were willing to pay the price. It is dark at times, which is unsurprising given the subject matter, but such an enticing read, you won’t be able to leave it be. The story stays with you, calling you back, and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to anyone who loves their historical fiction with a hint of magic…

About the Author

Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.

Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.

Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 12
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Wednesday, August 14
Review at Passages to the Past

Sunday, August 18
Feature at Diana_bibliophile

Monday, August 19
Review at Pencils & Pages

Tuesday, August 20
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Thursday, August 22
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of The Sorcerer’s Whore! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US & UK only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Sorcerer’s Whore

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