Helpful Score: 4
Barry, a practicing witch, has collaborated with well-known SF and horror writer Strieber in this very uneven novel. In a sense the book is a spokespiece for witchcraftand is most interesting as suchnot black magic witchcraft, but the ancient wisdom of worshipping the earth and the seasons, of living with and respecting nature and the holy in people and animals. The story focuses on young Amanda Walker, who has come to rural Maywell to work with Constance Collier on her latest book. But Constance is really a witch, the spiritual leader of a large coven, and unbeknownst to Amanda she has picked the girl to be her successor. To complicate matters, Amanda's eccentric uncle George, who is involved in research in resuscitating the dead, has finally gone over the edge and is looking for a healthy young woman as his next subject. And Brother Simon Pierce, local fundamentalist preacher, himself quite mad, is determined to enforce the Biblical injunction, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
Helpful Score: 2
The story focuses on young Amanda Walker, who has come to rural Maywell to work with Constance Collier on her latest book. But Constance is really a witch, the spiritual leader of a large coven, and unbeknownst to Amanda she has picked the girl to be her successor. To complicate matters, Amanda's eccentric uncle George, who is involved in research in resuscitating the dead, has finally gone over the edge and is looking for a healthy young woman as his next subject. And Brother Simon Pierce, local fundamentalist preacher, himself quite mad, is determined to enforce the Biblical injunction, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent book and difficult to find now. This one has all the suspenseful and horror trappings to keep you going!
Helpful Score: 1
This book is on the off-side, but still enjoyable to read. If you like reading about magic and science, this is the book for you.
Pretty good, one spot was oddly written but it's still worth a read if you like this genre.
Before Whitley Streiber decided his life was being shadowed by extraterrestrials, he wrote straight-up horror tales like this one. Unfortunately, they weren't very good, and this tale of modern witches supporting efforts to defeat death is no exception. I tried. I really tried. Three days -- 68 pages. Nope. Not going to spend any more time on it.
Book-of-the-Month-Club Edition.
