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Table of Contents
About The Book
PRE-ORDER THE CORN BRIDE, #5 IN THE THRILLING WARTIME FANTASY ADVENTURE SERIES, THE WITCHES OF WOODVILLE – COMING SPRING 2025
'Fast-paced, entertainingly creepy, laugh-out-loud funny, and genuinely moving' Michelle Paver
'Full of magic and delight' Rowan Coleman
‘A rural Ben Aaronovitch!’ C. K. McDonnell
The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . .
It's December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply.
Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way.
As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King’s spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction?
Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas?
For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the fourth novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . .
Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series!
#1 The Crow Folk
#2 Babes in the Wood
#3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn
#4 The Holly King
#5 The Corn Bride
'Fast-paced, entertainingly creepy, laugh-out-loud funny, and genuinely moving' Michelle Paver
'Full of magic and delight' Rowan Coleman
‘A rural Ben Aaronovitch!’ C. K. McDonnell
The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . .
It's December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply.
Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way.
As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King’s spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction?
Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas?
For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the fourth novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . .
Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series!
#1 The Crow Folk
#2 Babes in the Wood
#3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn
#4 The Holly King
#5 The Corn Bride
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (September 14, 2023)
- Length: 384 pages
- ISBN13: 9781398520806
Raves and Reviews
Praise for the Witches of Woodville series:
'Beautiful and engaging and clever and what more could you ask for in a book?' Manda Scott, bestselling author of A Treachery of Spies
'Warm, witty, witchy wartime fun. With Mark Stay as writer you're always guaranteed a magical read' Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries
'Enid Blyton filmed by Hammer' Talking Scared Podcast
'You'll love it: Doctor Who meets Worzel Gummidge' Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village
'Stay has brewed a cracking blend of charm and creepiness in The Crow Folk. A rip-roaring tale of bravery and witchcraft on the wartime home front, expertly told with lashings of wit and warmth' Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World
'A jolly romp with witches, demons, and bellringing. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, and Faye is a feisty and fun hero. Dad's Army meets Witches of Eastwick' Ian W Sainsbury
'A young witch to rival Tiffany Aching. Magic!' FMA Dixon
'Mark’s ingenious decision to set his magical saga not in some ancient realm of wizards and dragons but in a vividly recreated WWII-era rural England gives us the most lived-in and believable fantasy world. I wish I’d thought of it' Mitch Benn
'Mark Stay’s brilliantly written Witches of Woodville books are somehow funny, cosy, clever and disturbingly dark all at the same time. Terry Pratchett fans will LOVE em' Lucy Strange
'Extremely funny, full of imagination, verve and typical English "home counties" wit' Irish Independent
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Holly King eBook 9781398520806
