Review by Liza Perrat
Having loved Company of Liars, I was excited to read Karen
Maitland’s next novel, The Owl Killers,
set in Ulewic, a 14th century village near Norfolk.
For centuries,
Ulewic has been ruled by both the lord of the manor and by the Owl Masters - a
predatory, pagan group empowered by fear, blackmail and superstition to
dispense a harsh form of law and order.
A group of
religious women settles in a beguinage outside the village and when their crops
succeed and their animals survive diseases, jealousy and conflict are brought
to a head in Ulewic.
The author uses a
multiple narrative voice flawlessly, each voice distinct and compelling. I engaged
with every one of the characters, whose lives are drawn out smoothly and
interwoven into the main story in an unobtrusive and enjoyable way.
Pagan and
Christian ways intermingle and clash, the story steeped in witchcraft, heresy, mystery,
suspense and tragedy. At times very dark and bleak, it also evokes human nature
at its best, and explores the power of faith.
The author has
vividly brought to life a medieval community where the mind was ruled by
religion and superstition. Through simple, lyrical prose, she builds the plot
to a conclusion that provides both resolution and the expectation of what might
have happened next.
Karen Maitland truly
knows how to write about what interests her, and I would highly recommend The Owl Killers to fans of historical
fiction and the supernatural.
Review by Liza Perrat - first published in Words with JAM
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