THE REVELS
Historical fiction can be hit or miss. Some authors can bore the reader with infodumps about the era, while others introduce modern-day anachronisms and lose authenticity. Stacey Thomas has managed to avoid both faults in her debut novel, which is set during the English Civil War, and that’s commendable. Unfortunately, however, The Revels’ plot could fit on the back of a postage stamp. Nicholas Pearce is apprenticed to a former witch-hunter turned judge who must decide whether a string of women accused of witchcraft are guilty. Awkwardly, Nicholas is a witch himself: he can hear the dead singing. It’s a fascinating scenario, but little actually happens except for endless repetitive conversations, and the book’s prose style is sometimes so disjointed that it’s easy to lose track of who’s speaking (re-reading of paragraphs is often required).