Deidra MacKay hates being a witch. She knows that it is her family’s legacy and that everyone in her family has special talents, but she hates what it does to her. Deidra’s special talent is being able to talk to the animals that surround her Scottish home. She speaks to them and they speak back to her. Unfortunately, the animals sometimes react with violence and several people have been hurt.
Then Deidra hears the story of the blood witch who made the original pact with her family that allowed them to be witches. She decides that if a blood witch gave them the magic, then maybe one can take it away. Fortunately, she knows where one might be hiding and sets out to see if he can help her.
Stephen Ross has been bitter ever since a bullet crippled him. He turned to the healers in the village and even sought out the famous MacKay healers, but no one could help him. He lives in constant pain that he tries to alleviate by using alcohol and poppy juice. He has retired to a secluded castle. Then one day Deidra appears asking for his help as a blood witch to remove the curse of magic. Stephen is not a blood witch, but decides to join Deidra on her quest in the hopes that the blood witch can help to cure his agony.
Along the way, Deidra and Stephen must outwit the witch hunter, Luthias Forsyth. He has been searching for witches across the country in the name of God and king. Luthias has waited a long time for Deidra to leave the protection of her father so that he can denounce and burn her.
This book had some good points and some weak points. Ms. Holling started out this story strongly. The storytelling was compelling and moved along quickly through the action. The story began to drag about three-fourths of the way through. I felt as though the ending took too long to tell and that things stalled. It seemed as though Ms. Holling wasn’t sure how to explain what she needed to and then dragged out things that could have been more succinct. The entire episode when Stephen actually meets the blood witch gives us minimal information about what a blood witch is and how she actually became one. Things are told in obscure ways and it is confusing.
I liked the development of the relationship between Stephen and Deidra. They have misunderstandings which lead to further complications. Each one must overcome his or her feelings of inadequacy. Stephen fears that he cannot be enough for Deidra as a cripple and that she only spends time with him out of pity. Deidra struggles with her gift and what it means to their relationship. I also enjoyed the historical context in which the book is set. It takes place in the 17th century. Ms. Holling talks about the laws against witchcraft and about the zealousness with which people hunted witches. She describes the burning of witches and touches on the idea that not all those accused were real witches.
