The Great Witch of Brittany
A Novel
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Set in the late 1700s, a tale of magic and fate, triumph and heartbreak, and the powerful bonds between mothers and daughters unfolds in this spellbinding novel from a master storyteller.
Brittany, 1762
There hasn’t been a witch born in the Orchière clan for generations. According to the elders, that line is dead, leaving the clan vulnerable to the whims of superstitious villagers and the prejudices of fearmongering bishops.
Ursule Orchière has been raised on stories of the great witches of the past. But the only magic she knows is the false spells her mother weaves over the gullible women who visit their fortune-telling caravan. Everything changes when Ursule comes of age and a spark of power flares to life. Thrilled to be chosen, she has no idea how magic will twist and shape her future.
Guided by an ancient grimoire and the whispers of her ancestors, Ursule is destined to walk the same path as the great witches of old. But first, the Orchière magical lineage must survive. And danger hovers over her, whether it’s the bloodlust of the mob or the flames of the pyre.
Return to the world of A Secret History of Witches with the bewitching tale of Ursule Orchière and her discovery of magical abilities that will not only change the course of her life but every generation that comes after her.
For more from Louisa Morgan, check out:
A Secret History of Witches
The Witch's Kind
The Age of Witches
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Morgan's captivating prequel to A Secret History of Witches takes readers to an 18th-century Brittany where witch hunters are quick to burn those accused of witchcraft at the stake. Though the Orchière Romani clan once had a long line of witches, one hasn't been born for many generations—until Ursule Orchière's ancestors choose her as their next witch. To keep her clan safe, Ursule keeps quiet about her magical abilities. Then her mother, Agnes, is accused of witchcraft, and desperate Ursule uses magic to help her escape before she burns. Exposed, the women must flee, finding employment on a remote farm where they won't be recognized. Neither fully recovers from the trauma and both understand that hiding Ursule's powers is paramount to their safety—but Ursule also knows her true purpose: she must ensure the next generation of Orchière witches, even if her actions may have deadly consequences. Delivered in a moody, melancholy tone, the plot is simple, with little action, but at its center is Ursule's believable growth as she gains wisdom and becomes relentless in her mission to secure her family legacy. The result glides dreamily from start to finish; readers will be transfixed.