- Hardcover: 509 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Press (29 Sep 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385341709
- ISBN-13: 978-0385341707
- Product Dimensions: 16.1 x 3.9 x 24.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,132,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Owl Killers
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
From the author of Company of Liars, hailed as “a jewel of a medieval mystery”* and “an atmospheric tale of treachery and magic,”** comes a magnificent new novel of an embattled village and a group of courageous women who are set on a collision course—in an unforgettable storm of secrets, lust, and rage.
England, 1321. The tiny village of Ulewic teeters between survival and destruction, faith and doubt, God and demons. For shadowing the villagers’ lives are men cloaked in masks and secrecy, ruling with violence, intimidation, and terrifying fiery rites: the Owl Masters.
But another force is touching Ulewic—a newly formed community built and served only by women. Called a beguinage, it is a safe harbor of service and faith in defiance of the all-powerful Church.
Behind the walls of this sanctuary, women have gathered from all walks of life: a skilled physician, a towering former prostitute, a cook, a local convert. But life in Ulewic is growing more dangerous with each passing day. The women are the subject of rumors, envy, scorn, and fury…until the daughter of Ulewic’s most powerful man is cast out of her home and accepted into the beguinage—and battle lines are drawn.
Into this drama are swept innocents and conspirators: a parish priest trying to save himself from his own sins…a village teenager, pregnant and terrified…a woman once on the verge of sainthood, now cast out of the Church.…With Ulewic ravaged by flood and disease, and with villagers driven by fear, a secret inside the beguinage will draw the desperate and the depraved—until masks are dropped, faith is tested…and every lie is exposed.
*New York Times Book Review
**Marie Claire
England, 1321. The tiny village of Ulewic teeters between survival and destruction, faith and doubt, God and demons. For shadowing the villagers’ lives are men cloaked in masks and secrecy, ruling with violence, intimidation, and terrifying fiery rites: the Owl Masters.
But another force is touching Ulewic—a newly formed community built and served only by women. Called a beguinage, it is a safe harbor of service and faith in defiance of the all-powerful Church.
Behind the walls of this sanctuary, women have gathered from all walks of life: a skilled physician, a towering former prostitute, a cook, a local convert. But life in Ulewic is growing more dangerous with each passing day. The women are the subject of rumors, envy, scorn, and fury…until the daughter of Ulewic’s most powerful man is cast out of her home and accepted into the beguinage—and battle lines are drawn.
Into this drama are swept innocents and conspirators: a parish priest trying to save himself from his own sins…a village teenager, pregnant and terrified…a woman once on the verge of sainthood, now cast out of the Church.…With Ulewic ravaged by flood and disease, and with villagers driven by fear, a secret inside the beguinage will draw the desperate and the depraved—until masks are dropped, faith is tested…and every lie is exposed.
*New York Times Book Review
**Marie Claire
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A pleasant addiction,
By
This review is from: The Owl Killers (Hardcover)
Having loved 'Company of Liars', I was determined to read this book, and, after ordering, can cofess was very excited about it arriving. I had to wait until evening, after work, to read it and so the apprehension just gathered ever greater. Initially, I was immediately intrigued by the events of the prologue, and then the first section. Then, I was a little wary of the fact that this was going to be told by lots of different characters in first person narrative rather than just the one. I thought this might make the story seem fractured and I'd lose interest as it switched between viewpoints.
This prooved to be a false belief. As I continued to read, I became use to 'seeing' through each character's eyes, finding one no less interesting than another. Indeed, I began to enjoy the tale as much as I had enjoyed 'Company of Liars'. Pagan and christian ways intermingle beautifully in some ways and clash spectacularly in others, all the way through. There's mystery, tragedy, suspense and a rather satisfying, though ambiguous, ending. And, of course, the notes at the end of the book aren't just worth reading, showing how much care is taken by the author in her research, but they are a joy to read. Truly, Karen Maitland knows how to write what she's interested in. And such enthusiasm shows through her pages, making her work a real joy to read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So hard to find narratives like this done so well,
By
This review is from: The Owl Killers (Paperback)
My Boyfriend bought me this after I had read Company of Liars and loved it - and this was just as good.
It's so difficult to find a book/novel that uses a multiple narrative voice so flawlessly and that deals with so many different issues, social magical and otherwise in such a way that it doesn't feel forced, but like you really are in the middle of an isolated village in the 1300's. The women in the beguinage is an interesting aspect of history too, but it doesn't read like a textbook like many historical fiction novels do. It's also interesting to read a fiction novel about a time early on when "Paganism" really was at odds with Christianity in Britain, as Christianity tried to loosen the hold the "old beliefs" had on those who lived before Christianity arrived, or those further out from the towns who needed to rely on local wise women rather than having access to more "modern" services... There are so many different lives woven into this story and yet every one is played out smoothly and interwoven in a very unobtrusive and enjoyable way. The other upside to the swapping between narratives is that the chapters are relatively short, meaning you can dip into it a few times a day if you're busy and still feel like you're getting somewhere! Would definitely recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of historical fiction, or the supernatural!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Owl Killers,
By Elrohir "of Tol Eressea" (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Owl Killers (Hardcover)
This is Karen Maitland's second novel which is set in a village near Norfolk called Ulewic, this village is being terrorised by a sinister group called the Owl Killers.
The Owl Killers reign by using pagan superstition and blackmail against the villagers who then denounce each other. Added to this is the arrival of a group of religious women who set up a religious house or (Beguinage) outside the community. This disturbs the status quo and when crops begin to fail and the religious community give refuge to a young martyr who dies a gruesome death, it's not hard to see where suspicion will fall. What ensues is witchcraft and heresy, but always in the background is the presence of the malevolent, shadowy, predatory Owl Killers. I loved the novel, the author puts across the sense of what it must have been like to live in such a community where the medieval mind was ruled by religion and superstition. All this makes for a very atmospheric novel. The novel is narrated through five different voices who are all interesting and bring something to the story and plot. Maitland certainly knows how to write a novel and this one is just as good as the first. For the keen eyed there is even a cameo from a character of the first novel.
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