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Witch Child #2
Sorceress
It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
74 people are currently reading
3409 people want to read
About the author
Celia Rees
44 books1,136 followersCelia Rees (born 1949) is an English author of children's, YA and Adult fiction.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
She was born in 1949 in Solihull, West Midlands but now lives in Leamington Spa with her husband. Rees attended University of Warwick and earned a degree in History of Politics. After university, she taught English in Coventry secondary schools for seventeen years, during which time she began to write.
Since then, she has written over twenty YA titles. Her books have been translated into 28 languages. She has been short listed for the Guardian, Whitbread (now Costa) and W.H. Smith Children’s Book Awards. She is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. She has been Chair of the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Group and on the Society of Authors’ Management Committee.
Her first book for adults, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook, was published by HarperCollins in July, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 323 reviews
October 13, 2010
Sorceress didn't live up to Witch Child for me. It picks up where Witch Child leaves off except the book starts with a modern day girl who has visions from Mary (Witch Child diarist). I didn't think it was very effective because I didn't care about the modern story and the modern characters were nowhere near as interesting for me as the characters during Mary's time.
I also wish the story wasn't presented as real. I like historical fiction and have no need for it to be called "true", that just feels like lying. I do appreciate the respect Celia Rees gives the Native American people and some of the French and Englishmen in both stories. I gained new insights about what it must have been like during that period that I haven't found in other historical fiction novels of the time period.
The second part to Mary's story is as interesting as the first part was and worth it for readers who want to know what happened to Mary after Witch Child ended. But don't expect it to be as good as the first.
I also wish the story wasn't presented as real. I like historical fiction and have no need for it to be called "true", that just feels like lying. I do appreciate the respect Celia Rees gives the Native American people and some of the French and Englishmen in both stories. I gained new insights about what it must have been like during that period that I haven't found in other historical fiction novels of the time period.
The second part to Mary's story is as interesting as the first part was and worth it for readers who want to know what happened to Mary after Witch Child ended. But don't expect it to be as good as the first.
August 19, 2014
My Mary and Jaybird : ) ....
"Sorceress" is the sequel to "Witch Child" and the continuation of Mary Newbury's story.
In "Sorceress" we follow Mary, who's recently been forced to flee from the Puritan settlement Beulah, and who's saved from certain death by Jaybird, a young Native American man, who we briefly got to know in "Witch Child". My absolute favourite aspect of this story was the blossoming relationship between Mary and Jaybird. It was great to see how easily Mary was accepted into the Native American community - you think that finally, after sailing to the New World to find it, Mary's found her safe haven, where she is loved for who she is, who she really is. Unfortunately though, Mary doesn't get the happy ending she deserves and her and her family have to endure some truly awful things, that made for really difficult reading at times.
Powerful and haunting - "Sorceress" is a great read!
"Sorceress" is the sequel to "Witch Child" and the continuation of Mary Newbury's story.
In "Sorceress" we follow Mary, who's recently been forced to flee from the Puritan settlement Beulah, and who's saved from certain death by Jaybird, a young Native American man, who we briefly got to know in "Witch Child". My absolute favourite aspect of this story was the blossoming relationship between Mary and Jaybird. It was great to see how easily Mary was accepted into the Native American community - you think that finally, after sailing to the New World to find it, Mary's found her safe haven, where she is loved for who she is, who she really is. Unfortunately though, Mary doesn't get the happy ending she deserves and her and her family have to endure some truly awful things, that made for really difficult reading at times.
Powerful and haunting - "Sorceress" is a great read!
February 20, 2016
I wasn't thrilled with the first 100 pages, but what a turn right on Page 101. It's like reading two different books. From Page 100 onward, I was immersed in a great adventure, and while the book as a whole wasn't as strong from beginning to end as With Child (prequel), the adventure that takes place from Page 101 to about Page 330 is incredible and far surpasses anything in Witch Child.
Furthermore, while the notes at the end likely required a lot of research, the ending would have been SO strong without them. You go from "Wow ... That was awesome!" to ... "I have to read notes."
Overall, this two-book series is highly recommended. I have never read a book that understood colonial times and native traditions so well. I actually felt like I was there.
Here's the best indicator in regards to the quality of this book series: I never leave reviews this long.
Furthermore, while the notes at the end likely required a lot of research, the ending would have been SO strong without them. You go from "Wow ... That was awesome!" to ... "I have to read notes."
Overall, this two-book series is highly recommended. I have never read a book that understood colonial times and native traditions so well. I actually felt like I was there.
Here's the best indicator in regards to the quality of this book series: I never leave reviews this long.
August 10, 2010
I really loved Witch Child, but the climax of that story was supposed to be wrapped up here, in its sequel. It wasn't. At least not in the normal way of a sequel. First, it took nearly 100 pages to even get back to Mary's story, which was an incredibly frustrating wait. The story of the historian who discovers Mary's journal and the descendent that pieces the rest of the story together is interesting in theory but not so much in execution: these parts ramble on way too long while the reader is chomping at the bit to learn more about Mary. I figured there must be some kind of pay-off, some parallel climactic scene that would justify these extensive contemporary scenes. There wasn't. Some of the explorations of Native-Americans' approaches to history really are fascinating, though. Then there's the Mary story, which is much better but also unsatisfying. Mary's travels often skipped over years and there was no strong ending. An ending that tied these two narratives together and helped to justify the contemporary scenes would have made the book much stronger.
Overall, I have to respect the approach of the author as someone who was trying to be historically accurate and very respectful of Native-American cultures. That intent is great, but the result came out quite heavy-handed and at times felt more like a lecture or a documentary more than a novel. For any fans of history, though, this book along with Witch Child is a fascinating take on the historical novel (I love the history lesson at the back of the books!). This sequel, unfortunately, really falls flat. Witch Child on its own is excellent... except for the open ending.
Overall, I have to respect the approach of the author as someone who was trying to be historically accurate and very respectful of Native-American cultures. That intent is great, but the result came out quite heavy-handed and at times felt more like a lecture or a documentary more than a novel. For any fans of history, though, this book along with Witch Child is a fascinating take on the historical novel (I love the history lesson at the back of the books!). This sequel, unfortunately, really falls flat. Witch Child on its own is excellent... except for the open ending.
December 31, 2018
A great follow up to Witch Child, I was happy to continue reading Mary's story and in a fun way! The ending was slightly lack luster though, causing me to remove one star from the rating.
November 21, 2012
This book takes up where Witch Child has left off: Mary Newbury has fled from the Puritan community of Beulah, after being accused of witchcraft and scapegoated as the cause of the "madness" affecting many of its young girls. As the book begins, Mary is lost and alone in the frozen wilderness. On the verge of death, she is discovered -- and rescued -- by Jaybird and White Eagle, two Native Americans whose stories (and fates) will be woven together with hers.
In Witch Child, author Celia Rees uses the device of diary (sewn into a quilt) to tell Mary's story. Although the reader realizes that the story is being revealed as a historical document, most of it unfolds chronologically -- without distraction, or much authorial intrusion. In this novel, Rees makes the decision to move between the continuation of Mary's story (set in Colonial America) and a contemporary time period. Academic Allison Ellman is attempting to discover what happened to Mary after she left Beulah, and with the help of Agnes Herne -- a descendent of Mary's, who is able to "become" Mary when in a trance-like state -- the continuation of Mary's story is thus pieced together. Although it is an interesting idea, these constant jumps between the three female characters, and the different time periods, can be confusing -- and definitely distracts from the story that we really care about (that being Mary's). Mary's voice gets diluted, and the reader has to accept that Agnes can somehow tune into Mary . . . and, well, it didn't totally work for me. Still, it is interesting to discover what happens to Mary. A noble, if somewhat flawed, literary experiment.
In Witch Child, author Celia Rees uses the device of diary (sewn into a quilt) to tell Mary's story. Although the reader realizes that the story is being revealed as a historical document, most of it unfolds chronologically -- without distraction, or much authorial intrusion. In this novel, Rees makes the decision to move between the continuation of Mary's story (set in Colonial America) and a contemporary time period. Academic Allison Ellman is attempting to discover what happened to Mary after she left Beulah, and with the help of Agnes Herne -- a descendent of Mary's, who is able to "become" Mary when in a trance-like state -- the continuation of Mary's story is thus pieced together. Although it is an interesting idea, these constant jumps between the three female characters, and the different time periods, can be confusing -- and definitely distracts from the story that we really care about (that being Mary's). Mary's voice gets diluted, and the reader has to accept that Agnes can somehow tune into Mary . . . and, well, it didn't totally work for me. Still, it is interesting to discover what happens to Mary. A noble, if somewhat flawed, literary experiment.
June 15, 2015
Sorceress is the sequel to Witch Child, and picks up where Witch Child left of…kind of. Agnes, who is also known as Karonhisake (or Searching Sky), is a college student who reads Witch Child. She thinks there might be a connection between herself and Mary Newbury; she thinks Mary might be one of her ancestors, a medicine woman whose personal belongings are treasured by her family. Agnes contacts Alison, the person who edited Mary’s journal and published it. It goes back and forth between the past (Mary’s story) and the present (with Agnes finding answers).
I didn’t like it as much as Witch Child. While I was curious about what happened to Mary at the end of Witch Child, I didn’t particularly care for the two distinct storylines, even though they fit together rather well. I didn’t like Agnes, and found her rather boring.
I was also a little bored with Mary’s story after fleeing Beulah, although her first section (the 1st couple pages) were really interesting. After that, though, it was hard to care about mary and what happened to her. There was also little mention of her former life as the story continued, which does make sense, but you’d think that would be something that stayed with her.
My Rating: 1.5 out of 5. I’m fine with Mary’s story as it was at the end of Witch Child, and hope her story would have been more interesting.
I didn’t like it as much as Witch Child. While I was curious about what happened to Mary at the end of Witch Child, I didn’t particularly care for the two distinct storylines, even though they fit together rather well. I didn’t like Agnes, and found her rather boring.
I was also a little bored with Mary’s story after fleeing Beulah, although her first section (the 1st couple pages) were really interesting. After that, though, it was hard to care about mary and what happened to her. There was also little mention of her former life as the story continued, which does make sense, but you’d think that would be something that stayed with her.
My Rating: 1.5 out of 5. I’m fine with Mary’s story as it was at the end of Witch Child, and hope her story would have been more interesting.
February 2, 2022
Wow. This was amazing. I was so happy that there was a sequel to "Witch Child", and it didn't disappoint. It was a bit sad a some points; I admit I cried when Mary's daughter died, and then when Jaybird died, but I admired how Mary was able to go on.
The part that made me cry the most : "Instead I prayed fervently that Jaybird would stop in his own journey along the way of the dead. That the thongs of his moccasins would snap, and as he bent to mend them, his Speckled Bird would come to him, a quick flying thing. He would sweep her up and carry her on his shoulders, as he had so many times in life, so now in death, and they would go forward together to Kiehtan's great door."
The part that made me cry the most : "Instead I prayed fervently that Jaybird would stop in his own journey along the way of the dead. That the thongs of his moccasins would snap, and as he bent to mend them, his Speckled Bird would come to him, a quick flying thing. He would sweep her up and carry her on his shoulders, as he had so many times in life, so now in death, and they would go forward together to Kiehtan's great door."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2008
This is the continuation of "Whitch Child" as seen though one of Mary's descendants. I didn't find this book as gripping as the first, but I'm not sure why. It's quite a different story, as she makes her home with a Native American clan. It shows the huge diffence between how the Natives treated her "gifts" as opposed to the English. The story takes us into some of the wars between the Indians and settlers, and shows us the perspective of these people who were struggling to hold on to thier homelands and keep to thier traditions in the midst of sweeping, unstoppable change.
June 25, 2018
To be fair I did not finish this book. I was getting tired of waiting around reading all this other stuff Inbetween and i just skipped to Mary's parts in the book and even then it didnt hold my attention unfortunately. I really really loved the first one. I did not like how it suddenly became all modern. I feel like it didn't need to turn into this whole other thing when I was so hoping it would mostly focus on Mary and her journey then on. It is atleast worth a sample read for people to see if it will hook them or not, but I cant see myself finishing this. :/
April 23, 2011
This book is the sequel to Witch Child but I am having a hard time getting into it. It takes place many generations after Witch Child but it is written differently and I find it boring so far. For crossing guard today, I didn't want to take it so I was desperately looking for something else and I grabbed one of the boys' books about Han Solo. I didn't get far in that one either and it is now back on their shelf. I'm going to the library tomorrow.
June 11, 2009
this book is the follow up on which child. it tells what happend to the main character in witch child. how she survived and how she cooped with what life throw at her.
in this book the main character has dui gavo all the time so do i.
this book is for people wo read anything in front of them.
in this book the main character has dui gavo all the time so do i.
this book is for people wo read anything in front of them.
September 6, 2022
Seguito di Il Viaggio della Strega Bambina, questo romanzo mi ha sorpresa per essere stato in grado di ribaltare le percezioni che avevo avuto leggendo il primo romanzo: ha cancellato con un colpo di spugna l'ambiguità, quel non sapere se il soprannaturale fosse vero o solo frutto della superstizione dell'epoca che tanto mi era piaciuta, ma al tempo stesso è riuscita ad aggiustare e giustificare quel modo di raccontare che mi era parso poco credibile in un "found footage" letterario.
Agnes, giovane nativa americana ai primi anni di college, inizia ad essere perseguitata dalle visioni appartenenti allo spirito di una fanciulla inglese vissuta Quattrocento anni prima: si tratta di Mary, la protagonista del primo romanzo, fuggita dall'isteria del suo villaggio del Massachussets che la crede una strega.
Confusa e spaventata da queste visioni sempre più insistenti, Agnes troverà aiuto nella zia sciamana e in Alison, la ricercatrice universitaria a capo delle ricerche sul manoscritto originale di Mary. Grazie al sostegno di queste due donne Agnes troverà la forza di abbandonarsi completamente ai ricordi di Mary, seguendo la sua storia tra amore, morte, guerre e pericoli di ogni genere, fino a svelare il messaggio della donna: un segreto che la riguarda molto da vicino.
Agnes, Mary, zia M e Alison raccontano una bella storia ambientata in Nord America a cavallo tra il Seicento e i giorni nostri, con una interessante prospettiva dal punto di vista delle comunità indiane e capace di toccare con delicatezza e incisività argomenti importanti come il razzismo (passato e attuale), il rispetto, la guerra e l'importanza di andare avanti e affrontare le avversità senza mai arrendersi.
Agnes, giovane nativa americana ai primi anni di college, inizia ad essere perseguitata dalle visioni appartenenti allo spirito di una fanciulla inglese vissuta Quattrocento anni prima: si tratta di Mary, la protagonista del primo romanzo, fuggita dall'isteria del suo villaggio del Massachussets che la crede una strega.
Confusa e spaventata da queste visioni sempre più insistenti, Agnes troverà aiuto nella zia sciamana e in Alison, la ricercatrice universitaria a capo delle ricerche sul manoscritto originale di Mary. Grazie al sostegno di queste due donne Agnes troverà la forza di abbandonarsi completamente ai ricordi di Mary, seguendo la sua storia tra amore, morte, guerre e pericoli di ogni genere, fino a svelare il messaggio della donna: un segreto che la riguarda molto da vicino.
Agnes, Mary, zia M e Alison raccontano una bella storia ambientata in Nord America a cavallo tra il Seicento e i giorni nostri, con una interessante prospettiva dal punto di vista delle comunità indiane e capace di toccare con delicatezza e incisività argomenti importanti come il razzismo (passato e attuale), il rispetto, la guerra e l'importanza di andare avanti e affrontare le avversità senza mai arrendersi.
October 19, 2018
In sorceress readers follow the story of Mary Newbury now she has left her people behind and been taken in by Native Americans.
She carves a life for herself, finds love, peace and a sense of belonging but these are times of war and when danger looms she is forced to leave with her new people.
Cleverly fused with the modern day with Mary's story being channelled by a Native American girl, Agnes and being documented by historian Allison Ellman.
These novels give a sense of immediacy to history through fiction blended with some fact on the history of witchcraft and Native American beliefs and way of life.
She carves a life for herself, finds love, peace and a sense of belonging but these are times of war and when danger looms she is forced to leave with her new people.
Cleverly fused with the modern day with Mary's story being channelled by a Native American girl, Agnes and being documented by historian Allison Ellman.
These novels give a sense of immediacy to history through fiction blended with some fact on the history of witchcraft and Native American beliefs and way of life.
February 17, 2026
The sequel to Witch Child, but written in a different style this is an enjoyable read, although it didn't really grip me until about half way through.
In this book a new character, Agnus, a Mohawk Native American contacts Alison Ellman with information about Mary. We learn the story of Mary's adult life through Agnes's visions.
It's a good story, with a good ending and diverse and interesting characters. At the end 'notes' and journal entries fill the reader in on the lives of other characters which is interesting.
In this book a new character, Agnus, a Mohawk Native American contacts Alison Ellman with information about Mary. We learn the story of Mary's adult life through Agnes's visions.
It's a good story, with a good ending and diverse and interesting characters. At the end 'notes' and journal entries fill the reader in on the lives of other characters which is interesting.
October 17, 2018
One of my favorite YAs I have read in a long time :)
March 1, 2019
Didn't enjoy this as much as Witch Child. It was good but got rather fanciful at times.
February 5, 2022
This is YA so it was a fairly easy read. I think if you hadn't read the first book you may struggle a bit.
Read
March 2, 2024Dnf at page 70
Might return
Might return
September 25, 2024
3.5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 24, 2025
This was great. I think I enjoyed it even more than the first book.
January 10, 2022
This sequel is as good as witch child. Filled with stories of history, adventure development and the acceptance of others. The story of Mary continues through visions and we get to follow her life as adventurous as ever work the tribes. Amazing story I thoroughly enjoyed every moment
September 28, 2021
Comment 2021
I wanted to reread this book so much! But I couldn't find an English audiobook version of it, so I thought I'd maybe give the Norwegian one a shot, as I originally read this book in Norwegian when I was a teen. So I borrowed it through this library* app that I have, but unfortunately the quality of it was pretty bad. There were a lot of sounds in the background, I could hear the narrator flip pages, the pacing was uneven to the extreme, and the narrator kept smacking her lips! On top of that, she wasn't really all that good. All her voices sounded the same, although I'd only heard 3 voices by the time I gave up at page 55.
*The reason I marked this is because it may explain why the book had such poor quality, and it leads into why I couldn't just read the actual book to begin with.
The library app I used is an official system put in place for people who, for different health reasons, can't read physical books. This app/organization have all Norwegian published audiobooks, but is one of the few places where there is legally OK to post your own readings of these books, because you don't earn any money from it and the org is official or something like that. I'm honestly kinda iffy on the legal mumbo jumbo, I just know that it's OK - for some reason - to upload other people's works to this organization. They are very meticulous as to who gets access, tho, that has to be said. They actually needed a form from my Dr before they approved me.
Sorry for rambling, my point is that maybe someone actually uploaded their own version of this audiobook, because it was never officially published.
Either way, the quality and the poor narration leads to me DNFing this book before it's ruined for me. There is some hope now that I may be able to read again soon, but at this point in time I don't know, and I honestly don't dare try reading in case it doesn't work, as I'm not in a mental state where I could handle that.
Sorry, that got personal...
I wanted to reread this book so much! But I couldn't find an English audiobook version of it, so I thought I'd maybe give the Norwegian one a shot, as I originally read this book in Norwegian when I was a teen. So I borrowed it through this library* app that I have, but unfortunately the quality of it was pretty bad. There were a lot of sounds in the background, I could hear the narrator flip pages, the pacing was uneven to the extreme, and the narrator kept smacking her lips! On top of that, she wasn't really all that good. All her voices sounded the same, although I'd only heard 3 voices by the time I gave up at page 55.
*The reason I marked this is because it may explain why the book had such poor quality, and it leads into why I couldn't just read the actual book to begin with.
The library app I used is an official system put in place for people who, for different health reasons, can't read physical books. This app/organization have all Norwegian published audiobooks, but is one of the few places where there is legally OK to post your own readings of these books, because you don't earn any money from it and the org is official or something like that. I'm honestly kinda iffy on the legal mumbo jumbo, I just know that it's OK - for some reason - to upload other people's works to this organization. They are very meticulous as to who gets access, tho, that has to be said. They actually needed a form from my Dr before they approved me.
Sorry for rambling, my point is that maybe someone actually uploaded their own version of this audiobook, because it was never officially published.
Either way, the quality and the poor narration leads to me DNFing this book before it's ruined for me. There is some hope now that I may be able to read again soon, but at this point in time I don't know, and I honestly don't dare try reading in case it doesn't work, as I'm not in a mental state where I could handle that.
Sorry, that got personal...
Read
August 14, 2013 I really did not understand this book until the middle and the end, but it is this girl named Mary that from the seventeenth-century who was self-professed witch,and the book was telling her story, mean while it is a girl named Agnes that was born centurys later, and Agnes read a book about Mary that asked if anyone knew her please contact the author.and Mary was dying in the forests where it was snowing, but she rescued by a man named Ephraim.on the other hand Agnes decided to investigate how Mary died with the help of a lady named Alison.Agnes had knew her aunt m had knew something about Mary,so she wanted to go to new York where she and her aunt m lived, but she was in Boston for college, and she had no way to go see her aunt m, until Alison volunteered to take her.her aunt had artifacts that used to be Mary's.also while Agnes was in Boston she had these flash backs about Mary well it like she was living in events from the long ago past she is the kind of girl who likes to investigate.this book reminds me of a time when I was younger about six year old I did not really know my mom so i started asking my family about her and I even got to see her.also Alison want to know why Mary died.and Agnes has this special powers where she can live the events of the past and Mary was using her to tell her story.I like the character Mary but I do not know why I like her. I want to all the sorceress books.the book leave s you asking a question.well me. I really recommend this book for the people that like sequels.but I do not think this book is is easy for someone like me that's in the 8th grade
October 15, 2010
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
As the latest in a long line of Mohawk women gifted with Medicine Power, college student Agnes Herne knows better than to dismiss the vision. She'd been poised at her computer, debating whether or not to respond to the plea in the afterword of the book she'd just read - the account of Mary Newbury - when the vision hit. Suddenly, she was Mary, running for her life after being accused of witchcraft in seventeenth century America.
Although Agnes knows that her Aunt M., the keeper of the tribe's artifacts, would never allow outsiders access, Agnes tells her story to Alison Ellman, the researcher who has developed a near-obsession with Mary's story. As she is planning a follow-up publication to "The Mary Papers," Alison has collected information on nearly every player in the diaries of Mary Newbury...except Mary herself.
Can Agnes find a way to convince her aunt to let them examine the one crucial piece of evidence that may prove of Mary's survival after her harrowing escape from the settlement of Beulah? Or will Agnes find out firsthand how Mary fared through this strange connection she seems to have with the admitted witch?
I enjoyed discovering Mary Newbury's fate through this sequel, and felt that excellent attention had been paid by the author in being true to the socio-historical issues of Mary's time. However, I stepped away from the novel knowing very little of Agnes Herne or her story, and can't help but feel that the true heroine had been ignored somewhat.
As the latest in a long line of Mohawk women gifted with Medicine Power, college student Agnes Herne knows better than to dismiss the vision. She'd been poised at her computer, debating whether or not to respond to the plea in the afterword of the book she'd just read - the account of Mary Newbury - when the vision hit. Suddenly, she was Mary, running for her life after being accused of witchcraft in seventeenth century America.
Although Agnes knows that her Aunt M., the keeper of the tribe's artifacts, would never allow outsiders access, Agnes tells her story to Alison Ellman, the researcher who has developed a near-obsession with Mary's story. As she is planning a follow-up publication to "The Mary Papers," Alison has collected information on nearly every player in the diaries of Mary Newbury...except Mary herself.
Can Agnes find a way to convince her aunt to let them examine the one crucial piece of evidence that may prove of Mary's survival after her harrowing escape from the settlement of Beulah? Or will Agnes find out firsthand how Mary fared through this strange connection she seems to have with the admitted witch?
I enjoyed discovering Mary Newbury's fate through this sequel, and felt that excellent attention had been paid by the author in being true to the socio-historical issues of Mary's time. However, I stepped away from the novel knowing very little of Agnes Herne or her story, and can't help but feel that the true heroine had been ignored somewhat.
February 25, 2013
More 2.5*, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Witch Child which I gave 3*, so it's got to be two. Which is kinda a shame, because it's not like it was a bad book or anything. It was an interesting look into the Native American way of life and all the associated ceremony and code of life. But for me, there was too much about not-Mary. Indeed, it wasn't until reading this book where it isn't all about her that I realised how much I liked her voice. The bits about her were my favourite, but all the rest just didn't work. With Witch Child you could actually believe it might have happened, but I didn't get the same sense at all with Sorceress.
Part of the problem is that none of the modern day characters have much chance to develop, even the two central ones. You lose Agnes in Mary, and we don't see much of Alison Ellman at all: she only has about two chapters. So why have them there at all? I have the feeling it was to pad out the book some; that we were seeing Mary's story through Agnes' eyes seemed like a device purely to get them in there, but there isn't a whole lot done with them when they are. For me, the book would have worked better if they were either cut out entirely or developed a bit more.
As I said, not a bad book, and it was nice to see the path that Mary took (and find out about the futures of some of those she met in Witch Child) but I think it could have been done better.
Part of the problem is that none of the modern day characters have much chance to develop, even the two central ones. You lose Agnes in Mary, and we don't see much of Alison Ellman at all: she only has about two chapters. So why have them there at all? I have the feeling it was to pad out the book some; that we were seeing Mary's story through Agnes' eyes seemed like a device purely to get them in there, but there isn't a whole lot done with them when they are. For me, the book would have worked better if they were either cut out entirely or developed a bit more.
As I said, not a bad book, and it was nice to see the path that Mary took (and find out about the futures of some of those she met in Witch Child) but I think it could have been done better.
January 28, 2014
This is the sequel to Witch Child – the story of Mary, a young girl who is forced to leave England because her grandmother was hung for being a witch and fears that she will also be accused. Ironically, she boards a ship to America with a group of Puritans and eventually finds herself in the same predicament and must flee into the forest to keep from being killed. This is where the first story ends and second one picks up.
In this book, Mary’s story of survival is told to us through the eyes of Agnes, a young 20th century Native American woman who finds herself experiencing Mary’s life through visions. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining these two women’s lives and sharing the exciting story of how Mary joins and weds her young friend Jayhawk. They are forced to move further and further north due to the constant war between the Indians and the settlers. I was completely enchanted with the telling and felt like I experienced an important yet sad bit of American history. My only criticism of the book would be that the ending was a little bit of a letdown. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I didn’t feel it did justice to the rest of the story. But other than that, I loved the book and would definitely recommend it!
In this book, Mary’s story of survival is told to us through the eyes of Agnes, a young 20th century Native American woman who finds herself experiencing Mary’s life through visions. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining these two women’s lives and sharing the exciting story of how Mary joins and weds her young friend Jayhawk. They are forced to move further and further north due to the constant war between the Indians and the settlers. I was completely enchanted with the telling and felt like I experienced an important yet sad bit of American history. My only criticism of the book would be that the ending was a little bit of a letdown. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I didn’t feel it did justice to the rest of the story. But other than that, I loved the book and would definitely recommend it!
June 11, 2023
Book 87 - paperback - finished: 14th December 2021
Sorceress by Celia Rees
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
‘It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.’
This is the novel that follows on (kind of) from Witch Child. It is set more in the present day and is about a girl called Agnes and her connection to Mary. She has these visions of Mary and what happened to her and is able to discuss it with a researcher and her aunt.
This was a nice book to read. It wasn’t taxing and I know I should have read this at 12 like I read Witch Child because I would have been obsessed with it. It was easy to follow, the characters were very lovable and I was really impressed with how the novel ended. I’m glad Mary got an ending and we found out what happened to her.
Sorceress by Celia Rees
🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
‘It came to Agnes unbidden: a vision of Mary Newbury, a young woman driven from her Puritan settlement, accused of being a witch. It is an image of a life about to change radically, as Mary defies all accepted norms — embracing independence, love, and loyalty to a Native American community that accepts her as one of their own. The two women’s lives are separated by almost four hundred years, but they are linked by more than blood. For, like Mary, Agnes has special powers — powers that Mary seeks to ensure that the rest of her story is told.’
This is the novel that follows on (kind of) from Witch Child. It is set more in the present day and is about a girl called Agnes and her connection to Mary. She has these visions of Mary and what happened to her and is able to discuss it with a researcher and her aunt.
This was a nice book to read. It wasn’t taxing and I know I should have read this at 12 like I read Witch Child because I would have been obsessed with it. It was easy to follow, the characters were very lovable and I was really impressed with how the novel ended. I’m glad Mary got an ending and we found out what happened to her.
July 19, 2009
This book is much better than Witch Child which seems more like a preamble to this one that a separate story.
I don't understand why these two books weren't combined into one great story instead of two. This one, the story of Mary is completed and her tale is very compelling, I wanted to know what happened to her when she left the settlement.
What I didn't really care for is that it is told through the visions of a descendant of Mary's in our time. I don't really understand why the story was told this way as it didn't add to the enjoyment of the story and seemed to be more of a disctraction than helpful. The modern day characters seem to be there simply as props for the story with no real development of the characters and none of their stories are really told. I guess we aren't really supposed to be interested in them but then, why tell the story through them?
I have a hard time deciding how many stars to give this because while I loved the story of Mary, I truly felt the way it was told wasn't well done. I'm somewhat disappointed.
I don't understand why these two books weren't combined into one great story instead of two. This one, the story of Mary is completed and her tale is very compelling, I wanted to know what happened to her when she left the settlement.
What I didn't really care for is that it is told through the visions of a descendant of Mary's in our time. I don't really understand why the story was told this way as it didn't add to the enjoyment of the story and seemed to be more of a disctraction than helpful. The modern day characters seem to be there simply as props for the story with no real development of the characters and none of their stories are really told. I guess we aren't really supposed to be interested in them but then, why tell the story through them?
I have a hard time deciding how many stars to give this because while I loved the story of Mary, I truly felt the way it was told wasn't well done. I'm somewhat disappointed.
September 17, 2013
In this sequel to Witch Child, the writing and story is just as good. Unlike the first novel, we learn about what happened through Mary Newbury through Agnes; a new college student who has a spiritual connection with Mary. We get to see Agnes as she deals with this new information of seeing what happened to Mary throughout her lifetime. In the first book, the author portrayed it as if Allison – the woman who finds the diary pages in the quilt – had written the book and was asking for further information. We get to see Agnes and Allison connect and together continue to tell Mary’s story through this second book.
I enjoyed this sequel as much as the first book. It wraps up all the burning questions from book one (basically, what happens to Mary next) and sums up the rest of her life in a creative way. We get to see Agnes and her aunt, the people who’s medicinal knowledge was probably passed down by Mary and see how Mary affected the lives of so many.
Now I have to find Rees’s other works and give them a read.
I enjoyed this sequel as much as the first book. It wraps up all the burning questions from book one (basically, what happens to Mary next) and sums up the rest of her life in a creative way. We get to see Agnes and her aunt, the people who’s medicinal knowledge was probably passed down by Mary and see how Mary affected the lives of so many.
Now I have to find Rees’s other works and give them a read.
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