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Product Description
Review
“Maitland is a marvellous storyteller. . . . The Owl Killers is absolutely her best so far.” —Globe and Mail
“This powerful, enthralling story of treachery and magic is multilayered, atmospheric, and complex.”—Tucson Citizen
“Highly recommended . . . taut, compelling.”—Historical Novel Society
“Gripping . . . a real page-turner.” —Library Journal
“This powerful, enthralling story of treachery and magic is multilayered, atmospheric, and complex.”—Tucson Citizen
“Highly recommended . . . taut, compelling.”—Historical Novel Society
“Gripping . . . a real page-turner.” —Library Journal
Product Description
In 1321, the English town of Ulewic teeters between survival and destruction, faith and doubt, God and demons. Against this intense backdrop, a group of women have formed a beguinage, a self-sustaining community of women. Led by the strong-willed Servant Martha, these women are committed to a code of celibacy and prayer, hard work and charity that is unsanctioned by the all-powerful church. Still, the villagers have come to rely on this remarkable group of women for their very lives. And seeking shelter among them now is the youngest daughter of Ulewic’s lord, a man who holds power over them all.
But when a series of natural calamities strikes, the beguinage’s enemies make their move, stirring the superstitious villagers with dark rumors of unspeakable depravities and unleashing upon the defiant all-female community the full force of their vengeance in the terrifying form of the Owl Killers. Men cloaked in masks and secrecy, ruling with violence and intimidation—the Owl Killers draw battle lines. In this village ravaged by flood and disease, the women of the beguinage must draw upon their deepest strength if they are to overcome the raging storm of long-held secrets and shattering lies.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transported Away,
By
This review is from: The Owl Killers: A Novel (Paperback)
I picked up this book just because I like historical fiction and had not heard about it before. I read the whole thing in a weekend as I was so drawn in to the intrigue and the great characters that Karen Maitland creates. I particularly liked the setting of the Beguines and how a group of women would dare to thwart the male dominated church. A wonderful read!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!,
By
This review is from: The Owl Killers: A Novel (Paperback)
At least as good as A Company of Liars. This book solidified Karen Maitlands place in my favourite authors list, which was already pretty secure after reading her other book.Read A Company of Liars first if you are interested in this author. There is a reference to that book at the end of The Owl Killers that put a very happy smile on my face.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (16 customer reviews) 13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very, very good (4.5 stars),
By K. Huff - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Owl Killers: A Novel (Hardcover)
Set in the English village of Ulewic (fictional, but placed somewhere near Norwich) in 1321-22, The Owl Killers is the story of a village fighting against forces both known and unknown. At the story's center is the town's beguinage, a community of women originally from Bruges who came to England to lead lives independent of marriage or the convent. When the town suffers from flood and plague, and the women are unaffected, the people in the town start to suspect them of harboring a holy relic. Meanwhile, the village is controlled by a group of men called the Owl Masters and haunted by the specter of the Owlman, who delivers nothing but death and destructionto the places and people he visits.The story is narrated by a number of characters, including the beguinage's leader, Servant Martha; the angry and bitter beguine named Beatrice; the town's self-righteous priest, Father Ulfrid; Osmanna, daughter of the lord of the manor who is sheltered by the beguines; and one of the village children. The novel contains a curious and intriguing combination of pagan belief and Christianity, witchcraft and superstition. I don't normally read books with supernatural themes, but The Owl Killers grabbed me from page one and refused to let me go. One of my favorite things about this book is the characters; each narrator has their own strong, unique voice (my favorite was the sensible, practical Servant Martha). Maitland shows the middle ages as they really were, and she does so perfectly. Maitland delivers the symbolism a little heavy-handedly (of the "a candle blows out and someone dies" variety), but I nevertheless enjoyed this novel. Read it, and you'll never feel the same way about owls or men in masks again. 8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Be Prepared To Stay Up Late,
By annie "earthboundmisfit" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Owl Killers: A Novel (Hardcover)
Maitland's second novel has a healthy dose of all the things that make a book worth your time. Folklore, mystery, history, all combine to bring the rigid, oppressive, superstitious-steeped time period to glorious life. It's never easy to 'buck the system' and in Medieval times it could be down-right deadly, as the Beguines learned. The many interesting, complex characters will elicit sympathy, disgust, anger, or compassion and you'll remember them long after you finish the final page. I hope Karen Maitland is hard at work on her third novel; I'm patiently waiting.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Atmospheric medieval tale,
By Linda A. Slott "Ladyslott" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Owl Killers: A Novel (Hardcover)
The Owl Killers is a story set in 1300's England where both Christianity and paganism are fighting for a foothold in the tiny village of Ulwich. The village is torn between the Church's demanding of their share of their meager earnings, the payments to the lord of the manor and the Owl Masters who use terror and superstition to try bring the people back to ancient pagan ways. Into this mix comes a group of Christian women who live in their own beguinage, a community where they live without men as celibates but without taking the veil. When the village is struck by disaster after disaster both the Church and The Owl Masters seek to blame the women for all the bad luck coming their way, this despite the fact that this self sufficient group has shared their food, cared for the ill and sheltered those in need. The tension slowly ratchets up until the dramatic conclusion.Maitland is quite adept at rich details that make you see and feel the desperation of this small village and the conflict between different factions that takes no heed of those in desperate need. The story is told in alternating voices, those of the women of the beguinage; Father Ulfrid- the inept village priest; the young daughter of the manor; one of the poor children of the village; an embittered member of the beguinage; each provides a distinct point of view of the village and the events occurring around them. My one complaint is that the story sometimes weaves between brutal reality and witchcraft blended with the supernatural; I would have liked a clearer point of view. What I really appreciated where both the glossary of medieval terminology and the author's notes that provided a wonderful explanation of the climate changes that occurred at that time as well as the background into the formation of the beguinage- which existed in many parts of Europe right through 1927. Well researched, well written and very atmospheric. Definitely worth the read if you enjoy medieval historical fiction. |
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