Witches of Lychford

By: Paul Cornell

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Length: 3 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Traveler, cleric, witch.

The villagers in the sleepy hamlet of Lychford are divided. A supermarket wants to build a major branch on their border. Some welcome the employment opportunities while some object to the modernization of the local environment.

Judith Mawson (local crank) knows the truth - that Lychford lies on the boundary between two worlds and that the destruction of the border will open wide the gateways to malevolent beings beyond imagination. But if she is to have her voice heard, she's going to need the assistance of some unlikely allies....

©2015 Paul Cornell (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"At once epic and terribly intimate. This is the story of a village, not a city, and all the more powerful for that; not all big fantasy needs an urban setting. Beautifully written, perfectly cruel, and ultimately kind. This is Cornell at the height of his craft." (Seanan McGuire, New York Times best-selling author of the InCryptid and October Daye series)

"Rich in charm...local politics and witchcraft writ small and personal, but large in consequence. [Cornell] adeptly describes the emotion of magic; its effects and internal ignition of wonder. The feel of being exposed to magic for the first time and the feel of doing magic and having it done to you have never been better described in any story." (Bill Willingham, author of Fables and Down the Mysterly River)

"Masterfully creepy and sinister, all the more so for taking place in the beautifully drawn English countryside." (Jenny Colgan, author of Doctor Who: Into the Nowhere)

Disappointing

I bought this book because of all the great reviews. I liked it so much after listening for a while that I went and bought another book by the author. However, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT SPOILERS TO FOLLOW
just at the very moment I was thinking to myself "one of the many things that makes this book so great is that the author didn't feel the need to pointlessly torture some member of the animal kingdom" the author decided to do just that. I have had it with this sort of behavior from magical authors. There is no need for it, it's disgusting and pointless. A two star rating is probably harsh, because the story has many good points. It's well written, the characters are well defined and unique, and it posses great atmosphere. None of that matters to me because now I'm furious at the author for betraying my trust.
Also, there's a surprise at the end that I absolutely did not see coming and that depressed me quite a bit. It's possible that there's going to be a sequel and that the author plans to deal with these issues then, because there are many loose ends at the end of the story that don't get tied up.
The reader is perfect for this story and does a wonderful job.

Superb story and narration

This Novella is a relatively short listen but is well done in every aspect. The narrator is perfect for the story. If you like a good mystery where the protagonists discover that there is a world beside ours with occasional people crossing over in both directions you will enjoy this tale.

Witches vs. Fairy

I enjoyed the audible version of this modern fairy tale dealing with 3 women who join together to defeat some nasty fairy folk. One of the women is an older "witch;" one is a young witch who's interested in the science of the craft more than the magic; and the third is an Anglican minister who isn't sure what she really believes. All three are dealing with grief. It's the start of a trilogy, which I might continue. The writing and dialog are very good.

Audible 20 review sweepstakes.

Well done, just wish bks 2 & 3 were on audible

Though this may be fantasy, it is firmly entrenched in reality. Witchcraft, evil, faeries, spells, spirits, and the like may exist, but so do town halls, NIMBY debates, financial downturns, and the press of super stores and their promise of increased jobs and depersonalized service. Of course, here the super store in question would break ground and reroute roads, walls, and barriers that are there for a reason. I loved meeting some of the residents of Lychford, especially the titular witch (singular at the beginning, but plural by the end). The grounding of the fantasy/magic portions of the book in solid rules and the mundane details of village life worked very well. Cornell did a lot in a very brief length. My only complaint is that I wish the book were longer -- but with two more books in the trilogy at least I have something to look forward to.

Witches

An excellently created story with believable, interesting characters. While the story did fall out pretty much the way I expected it to, there was one moment where I genuinely sat open-mouthed in surprise. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an evening.

Loved the Narrator.

I liked the story. Very captivating and instantly pulled me in. I loved the twist.

The character’s voices, and the Fae

So so good!! My new obsession! Thanks Paul for your gift! Love love love this series

Excellent

Love his stories, narration excellent too. Can someone PLEASE pay him to finish Shadow Police?!?

Modern witches, ancient evil

This short listen had a lot going on underneath the surface. Paul Cornell managed to give his story the feel of an ancient fairy tale while keeping it rooted in modern-day concerns. His tale revolved around three appealing female characters of widely varying backgrounds, each with an intriguing history and a different set of beliefs to bring to their common cause of overcoming evil. I may have had a few minor quibbles about certain choices in the story, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and will soon listen to the sequel.

Insubstantial

Not the world, not at all. But I wish the author had given me more of a physical description of the three women. I has difficulty summing them in my imagination, but the story, brief as it was, was good enough for me to come back to this borderland village.