Books: The Silver Witch
Exclusive interview with author Paula Brackston and a review of her new novel about Welch witches living at Llangorse lake
Rating Three Stars
“Llangorse lake has always fascinated me,” says The Silver Witch author Paula Brackston, of the principality’s largest natural lake, which is set amid the splendor of the Brecon Beacons and is the setting for her latest work.
“There are lots of legends and stories told about the lake, which is not surprising given that there has been a settlement on its shores for over a thousand years. There is thought to be a mythical creature living in the deep, cold water. The place has always attracted spiritual people and religious foundations. There are several churches and a retreat on its shores to this day. It seemed to me quite plausible that witches would also have been drawn to such a place.”
The Silver Witch is two stories in the same book. It moves back-and-forth between the past and the present, which can be confusing until you adapt to the book’s rhythm. The story of the past belongs to Seren, a shaman or witch. The modern story is about Tilda, a descendant of Seren who was drawn to the area when she and her husband bought a small home there. Tilda hopes to find solace in the calm surroundings after losing her husband in an accident. She starts seeing visions. Seren lived in the same area in an earlier time. She has visions. She warns a prince there’s danger to him in his own house.
“I grew up living on a farm on the hill a few miles to the east of the Lake,” says Brackston. “As a child I used to ride my pony across the mountain and look down on it. It was never the same twice. There was either mist, or ice, or sun glinting off it. Some days there were boats, other days a flock of geese, or some seagulls driven inland by storm. Even the colour of the water was ever changing…dark blue in summer, silver under low sun, opaque with ice some months, whipped up into waves at other times. There is a medieval record of it turning blood red.”
Brackston says she’s lucky to live close to the lake again, to make lots of visits for research. “I took heaps of photos, wrote down vital facts, drove about the area drawing maps, went into the church on the far side, studied the wildlife, and walked the paths around the lake. And sometimes I just went and sat by the water and watched and listened.”
The Silver Witch is Brackston’s fourth historical fantasy featuring witches. The others are The Witch’s Daughter, The Winter Witch, and The Midnight Witch. Under the name of PJ Brackston she writes a historical, crime fantasy series set in 18th century Bavaria about Gretel (of Hansel and Gretel) who is grown up and working as a private detective.
Brackston was shortlisted in the Crème de la Crime search for new writers. Her early book Nutters, written as PJ Davy, was shortlisted for the Mind Book Award. The Silver Witch has not yet been optioned for film or TV.
Brackston’s next book, being released in August, is Lamp Black, Wolf Grey, another story with a Welsh setting. She is currently writing the sequel to The Witch’s Daughter, her first witchy book. In September she’s writing book four in the Gretel series.
The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston. Hardcover: 320 pages, Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition (April 21, 2015), Language: English, ISBN: 978-1250028792 25.99
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