Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb

Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb
ISBN UK - 9780552566117
          US - 9780373210978*
Publisher UK - Corgi Childrens
                US - Harlequin Teen*
Release date UK - July 5th 2012
                     US - September 24th 2013*
Find - Book Depository/Goodreads

'Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake.

Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn - despite their very different attitudes to her secret.' - Goodreads

Witchcraft and Tudor history? Sign me up! Meg is lady-in-waiting to an imprisoned Elizabeth and, along with her aunt, are instructing & aiding Elizabeth with magic. Things take a turn for the worse when a Catholic priest and his young apprentice are sent to Woodstock, not only because Meg is a witch but because Alejandro just might be the one thing to bring everything crumbling down around her. The return of the witch-hunter,Marcus Dent, also sends Meg's life into a tail-spin and having been told by her aunt that a traveller would bring danger. The witch-hunter is determined to have Meg as his wife and to her horror this is encouraged by her father & brother.

Although mostly a tale of romance, the historical and witchcraft aspects of the book were fascinating. I really felt how dangerous it was for Meg to be a witch in the 1500's and just how one wrong move in front of the wrong person would bring everything tumbling down. Meg was a great character, strong, wilful, independent and fiercely loyal. Like most girls her age though she was also capable of making mistakes and in those times the penalties were much more severe.

The biggest part of the story though, is the romance between Meg & Alejandro, between a witch and a soon-to-be Spanish Catholic priest. You don't get a much more risky romance than that! I liked how it was Alejandro that was more open to the idea of being with Meg, that Meg was so obviously falling in love with him but couldn't/didn't want to see that, didn't want to have to give up everything she held dear. The tension and chemistry between the two was palpable, the sexual tension especially leapt off the page and I for one can't wait to find out what happens in Witchfall which comes out in the UK on July 4th!

*This is the US cover