The Winter Witch

By: Paula Brackston

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Length: 14 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Paula Brackston transports listeners to the windswept mountains of Wales in this enthralling tale of love and magic.

In her small early-19th-century Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana. She is small and quick, and pretty enough to attract a suitor, but there are things that set her apart from other girls. Though her mind is sharp she has not spoken since she was a young girl. Her silence is a mystery, as well as her magic - the household objects that seem to move at her command, the bad luck that visits those who do her ill.

Concerned for her safety, her mother is anxious to see Morgana married, and Cai Jenkins, the widowed drover from the far hills who knows nothing of the rumors that swirl around her, seems the best choice. After her wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving her mother, and wary of this man, whom she does not know, and who will take her away to begin a new life.

But she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the wild mountains that surround it. Here, where frail humans are at the mercy of the elements, she thrives, her wild nature and her magic blossoming. Cai works to understand the beautiful, half-tamed creature he has chosen for a bride, and slowly, he begins to win Morgana’s affections.

It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there - a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana, even at the expense of those closest to her. Forced to defend her home, her man, and herself from all comers, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything in this beautifully written, enchanting novel.

©2013 Paula Brackston (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Extremely frustrating book.

What would have made The Winter Witch better?

The characters were extremely flat, the whole book was continuous misunderstandings because they never bother to make their feelings known and any time either of them makes any personal growth with out fail the author immediately puts another road block up or another annoying easily avoided misunderstanding. Enough was enough!

What could Paula Brackston have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She could have moved the plot along while having the characters grow together and try to understand each other instead of one step forward three steps back. I feel the plot would've advanced just as well with the slow development of their relationship rather than the yoyo it was.

Would you be willing to try another one of Marisa Calin’s performances?

Perhaps.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger annoyance and disappointment

Any additional comments?

I would not recommend this book I love books about witches and supernatural but I did not care what happened to any of the characters and I could not wait to be done with them. Waste of a credit.

Responding to previous reviews

Any additional comments?

Somebody wrote a review complaining about the narrator's "English" accent.

The characters are WELSH. The narrator is using a Welsh accent, not English and the r's and vowel sounds are perfectly appropriate to this melodious from of the English language. I cannot believe someone would complain about this.

A Welsh Tale of Wit and Witches fight for Life

This is set back in a time when people where suspicious but not necessarily on witch hunts. It seems they suspect but don't immediately kill in this book. This is a battle for love, life, and an understanding of hard times mixed with magic in unusual ways. There is sorrow in this book, happiness, and mayhem in ways that only this time could convey.

If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy: Books by Deborah Geary, Witch Child, Born Wicked, Star Cursed, books by Gail Carriger, Thirteenth Child, and Shadow and Bone.

I enjoyed this book but you have to enjoy old world tales. This is not the story of rich courtesans but of people who are well enough off just getting by on the land and each other.

Took me back in time....

This book took me to the time in youth when you become completely engrossed in a story. Very imaginative. I think it would appeal to a younger reader. I enjoyed it enough. The narration is appropriate for this story but it is not a voice pattern I like in my ear. This is personal to me so don't let it hold you back. The story develops slowly. It is a lovely story that you may enjoy.

What an irritating heroine

I liked the first book in this series - but this one - i just want to smack the main character. I can only describe her as an idiot - and feel sorry for the man who takes her to wife . She is “dumb” by choice , but the trauma that has caused this is that her father leaves . Please - how many children lose a parent ? She is a disaster - her behavior & lack of initiative helps drag her new husband down with her. She is 18 but has the maturity of a toddler -she can’t cook, but decides to give it a go- and puts the stew on the fire - but leaves it bubbling on its own because she doesn’t want to tend it, ending up burning it to cinders , leaving ash & smoke engulfing the whole lower level of the house .

The author simply doesn’t create a story that pulls in the reader.
Honestly - don’t waste your time.

The secret to a good book is that the readers must love the characters . I can’t even like any of these characters .

Couldn't get enough!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved this book immensely! I also love the narrator! She was fantastic! I loved the character development and the storyline. I also was endeared by the fact that it was based in Wales. My mom always called me Carriad. I never knew why, now I know it means darling.

:) Great author and great book. I couldn't sleep for days until it was finished!

What other book might you compare The Winter Witch to and why?

All of these stories have similar feel to them.

The Witch's Daughter-same author
The Physick Book of Deliverence Dane-Katherine Howe
The House of Velvet and Glass-Katherine Howe

What about Marisa Calin’s performance did you like?

She was just excellent and I couldn't believe she could do all of those voices.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

both

Any additional comments?

Just excellent character development and storyline!

Good Performance. SLOOOW Story

This book took WAY longer than it should have. I had to fight from falling asleep several times. Mind you, the prose itself is lovely. However, the descriptions just go on and on. Really, it was very tiresome.

Drawn out and monotone character development.

The inside monologue of a mute teenager in rural Wales. It could have been refreshing but somehow the author makes it as boring as reading the telephone directory. The character swings between being unbelievably naive and then highly calculating with endless rationalisations for her behaviour and emotional reactions. The other people are only known through their conversations with her, which aren't many, and therefor remain both one-dimensional and static.
If you're interested in the painfully slow development of a moody teenager growing into a normal person, by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, save your credits and seek something else.

Morgana The Winter Witch

What did you like best about this story?

Excellent story & very interesting.

What does Marisa Calin bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Marisa Calina bought the charctors to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved this book and look forward to more.

Any additional comments?

Well worth your credit, you wont be disappointed.

disappointing

i can recommend this book to audible members but only if your between the ages of 12-15.
I found it extremely frustrating and tedious, it's one of those kind of books that make you want to be able to reach in and give the main character a good shake and tell her to wake up, or grow up, or to grow a set. the story line was the typical good witch vs. bad witch, so it was basically boring and obvious.
I also wish some one would explain to me why when one of the characters is initially described as being morbidly obese each and every time that character is referred to in the story some adjective pertaining to her/his size is also mentioned such as her "ample" breasts or his protruding belly. I don't get it, none of the other characters are ever continually described in such a fashion. the poor housekeeper in this story couldn't escape it even in death as an object had to be extracted from her "pudgy" fingers. What kind of "profiling" is that? i'm sorry i wasted the credit.
the narrator was way over the top with her annunciation and it became extremely annoying, english accents are soft, where amarican accents are hard, we use hard "r's" and "a's" and they use soft, not in this book, the sounds of her accents made me think she was practicing in front of a mirror.
disappointing on all levels.

Annoying accent

I bought The Winter Witch after listening to the sample and reading the reviews. I was not disappointed by the story. it unfolded quite poetically making the scenarios easy to visualise. There is a true feeling of the harshness of life for the farming community. i wanted to find out the next part of the tale and was loath to switch off. High literature it is not and maybe the target audience is younger than my middle years but the most disappointing thing was that about halfway through, the "Welsh" accent of the narrator began to grate. I checked and found that it is an American actor narrating! As if there are not enough good Welsh actors around! Although I enjoyed it to the finish, I have no desire to re-listen which I sometimes do two or three times with a good book. I might read the written version at some time in the future.

Great book

Great book with good historical detail. Would love to read more books by this author but do not seem to be available in the UK on audible.