Review: Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser


Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser

Publication Date: March 20, 2019
Sam Grosser Books
eBook & Paperback; 358 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction


Love, Witchcraft, Sorcery, Madness.

A fortune told …
When Sarah Stone foresees Will Shakespeare’s latest play has opened doors to evil, she begs the playwright to abandon it. But Will refuses, aware the play is one of his best. And so rehearsals for Macbeth begin.

Forbidden desires …
After her vision, Sarah fears for her life – she has never known the shewstone to lie, and she turns to her brother Tom for comfort. A strange darkness seems to haunt the playhouse, and when Tom sets out to seduce John Upton, the boy actor who plays Lady Macbeth, the boy sees the hand of witchcraft in his own forbidden desires for men. Then Sarah weaves a spell to win the love of the new lead actor, and John, terrified for the safety of his soul, begins to make his accusations.

The Spirits have spoken …
As rehearsals continue, Sarah and Tom must struggle to convince John he is mistaken and that his sins are his own – their lives and the fortune of the play are at stake. But the Spirits have spoken – will the fate that Sarah foresaw come to pass or is their destiny their own to decide?

Set against the first production of Macbeth in 1606, Shakespeare’s Witch is a seductive tale of the origins of the curse of the Scottish Play.

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Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Madness, the supernatural, magic, and passion combine in this dark and chilling novel, Shakespeare's Witch, the latest from author Samantha Grosser.

Wow, I have a massive book hangover today and it's all due to Shakespeare's Witch! For the past few days I have been immersed in Grosser's captivating novel set around Shakespeare's play, Macbeth.

Set in the early 1600s, Will Shakespeare is about to start his new play, Macbeth, and asks Sarah to consult the spirits and see into the future. What she sees frigtens her and she begs Will to not put on the play. He doesn't listen, and the performance goes forward.

'The play has conjured evil spirits,' she said. 'These are what haunt your dreams. Your words have opened doors to them.'

Sarah and her half-brother Tom work with Shakespeare at his theater despite their Puritan father's disapproval. Their mother taught them magic and they both dabble in the occult, which leads them to trouble. Witchcraft is highly illegal at the time and the punishment is hanging.

Despite my initial misgivings on a particular ascpect of the novel (sorry for being vague, I don't want to give too much away), once I finished the book I could see that's what made the book work so well. I feel it captured the macabre atmosphere of Macbeth play perfectly.

I am a huge fan of unique reads, so I definitely enjoyed Shakespeare's Witch! Grosser's writing talent is stellar and I stayed engrossed the entire time. Only when I reached the end did I realize I was holding my breath. It's one of those books that when you finish, you just sit back and have to finish digesting it all. The power of the book really hits you at the end.

For those that enjoy their reads on the darker side and don't mind some sexy scenes, this is the book for you!

Disclaimer: This book contains graphic sex, incest, and the occult.

About the Author

Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.

Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.

Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, March 20
Review at Passages to the Past

Thursday, March 21
Review at Book Reviews from Canada

Friday, March 22
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Saturday, March 23
Feature at Broken Teepee

Monday, March 25
Review at Amy's Booket List

Tuesday, March 26
Feature at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, March 27
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Friday, March 29
Interview at Passages to the Past

Sunday, March 31
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All

Monday, April 1
Review at For the Sake of Good Taste

Tuesday, April 2
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, April 4
Interview at Hisdoryan

Monday, April 8
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Tuesday, April 9
Review at Bibliophile Reviews

Wednesday, April 10
Review at Macsbooks

Friday, April 12
Review at A Book Geek

Monday, April 15
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Tuesday, April 16
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews

Wednesday, April 17
Review at Bookramblings
Review at Coffee and Ink

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of Shakespeare's Witch! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on April 17th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US & UK only.
– Only one entry per household.
– No sweepstakes accounts please.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Shakespeare's Witch


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