In this tale, we follow Megge as she grows from a 6 year old child who is afraid of ghostly whispers to a young woman who is prepared to stop at nothing to save the people she loves. Narrator Jen Cramer's voice skips along with a poetic rhythm through picturesque descriptions of the Cornish countryside and thoughtful tales of castles, sailors, medieval craftsmen and wise women. Along the entirety of the novel, one can feel the heavy weight of destiny that follows Megge in the secrets of her mother's magical book, which Megge is afraid to open. Tragic loss pierces the soft flow of a gentle childhood until Megge has no choice but to stand up and do something. What will she do? We don't know because apparently it happens in the second installment of this series.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half of it was nearly an idyllic bedtime story with soothing language and only the occasional discomfort as Megge's mother continued to push the child into a confusing and sometimes terrifying future. Somewhere around the middle of the book, things suddenly get a lot worse for the characters, and after the soft beginning, I felt that loss very acutely. This novel has a unique style that I found definitely worthy of thought but which I'm still struggling to make peace with. Rebecca Kightlinger definitely has a way with words, but I'm less confident in her way with parenting advice and plot formation. Although the main character is a child under 15, the themes of witchcraft, inquisition, parenting, crafting, loss and medical concerns plant this novel firmly in the adult category, mostly because even most teenagers wouldn't be comfortable grasping the subtleties in sensation that trickle through the pages.

A beautiful historical fantasy story set in the 13th century. A slow building start to begin with but I found I was captivated once the foundation was set.

We follow a young girl through her years as she comes to face the facts of her own family and what the entails. Megge discovers that she is the daughter of a healer and thus is expected to learn this way of life through the teachings of a family heirloom 'The Book of Seasons'... after an event in which frightens Megge, she turns away from these expectations and thus, turns her back on her family.
The story continues to follow Megge as she grows into a young adult, into her complicated world as she struggles with her identity, her place, and who she is to the world.

I wouldn't say this is a heavy read, but it would be beneficial to perhaps take note of what is happening. The plot is complex and complicated. I'm a note taker!!

I would suggest if paranormal, witchcraft is not your thing, than this book is not for you, personally I liked it!

Megge of Bury Down: The Bury Down Chronicles, Book One by Rebecca Kightlinger
Narrated by: Jan Cramer
Publication Date: November 9, 2018 - Available in book stores.
.
Description from NetGalley...
“In 13th century Cornwall, young Megge has just come of age to be apprenticed to her mother, the healer of Bury Down. But first, she must accept and vow to protect The Book of Seasons, an ancient tome that holds life-sustaining power harnessed centuries earlier by Murga, the first seer Bury Down.
.
At her vow taking ceremony, yearning to accept her inheritance and take her place in her family's long line of healers and seers, Megge reaches for the book. When she touches it, she feels something writhe within it and becomes convinced that the book is cursed and that she too will be cursed if she accepts it.
.
Despite her mother's pleas to protect the book from the one who would usurp its power, Megge refuses to even look at it. But when a Blackfriar abbot arrives in the village claiming to be under orders to root out heretics and imprisons the healer for refusing to turn over her "demon's book", will Megge finally summon the courage to take that vow?”
.
Thank you to @NetGalley , Rowan Moon, @ibpa for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
.
My thoughts...
The narrator was good. She was able to differentiate between the characters. And in this book, that was important. There were many characters that it got confusing at times. I felt the story was drawn out, too many subplots that unfolded very slowly. The first 3/4 just seemed like a story of day to day lives and just when it was starting to get interesting, the book ended. This is a historical fiction and the description of the Medieval village and life with magic entwined kept me interested. The book ended with a semi-cliffhanger.

3.5

This book felt very "A Day In The Life" until the story started happening; I think it could have used a clearer direction much sooner. That said, once stuff started happening though, I was totally invested.

Megge of Bury Down is a girl who is starting to learn and ask big questions about her family and destiny, and the answers are equally large. The book is set in the 13th century, so everyone is ridiculous and superstitious and very afraid of women. That's one thing the author did very very well: communicate religious misogyny. It was infuriating.

The narrator, Jan Cramer, did a pretty good job in creating the various characters and her voice was well-suited to the material.

Overall, it's a good, quick read and I would be happy to continue with the series.

I received a copy of this audiobook for free from NetGalley and Rowan Moon in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

3.5 stars

As a general rule, I do not read fantasy. I chose this audiobook for the historical fiction aspect.

Set in thirteenth century Cornwall, it is the story of a group of female healers including a young girl named Megge. The women are guardians of an ancient book of life-sustaining powers which Megge fears is cursed. The novel is narrated from her POV as she grows up in this family of women. Novels about women healers in the Medieval Period often do not end well for at least some of the women. As my expectations were about to be fulfilled, the author threw a twist into the story. The fantasy element focused primarily on witchcraft, which was my least favorite part. It became rather creepy, which other readers may enjoy more than I did. In places it felt like a ghost story.

There is a lot going on in this novel, and it tended to ramble and move slowly as the many subplots unfolded. For me, the well-developed details of Medieval village life were the highlight of this novel. Those who enjoy complex plots with a healthy dose of paranormal will probably find this a very satisfying read.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Megge of Bury Down is so beautiful! I loved the history that was wound into the story. We get to see the child's perspective, which gave a wonderful view of the world. I loved the writing, and I felt like it really drew me into the story!

I listened to the audio of this, and I found the narrator's voice to be captivating. She was perfect for this book!

It's been a long time since a book has made me openly weep. (it's a good thing I listened on my morning uphill walk. I could pass the tears off as sweat! LOL)

I hesitated to post a review, because I am the book designer (both the cover and interior) but I can assure you this review is completely unbiased. As a busy designer, I rarely have time to read my clients works. (And to be honest, I'm sometimes afraid to, since I work with a LOT of first time writers. *cringe*) About 99% of my jobs are created just on a synopsis. This one I made time for. It is skillfully written and a story beautifully told. Fabulously narrated too. I LOVED the slight nuances the narrator gave to each of the voices to let the listener know a different character was speaking. Very skillfully done, and best of all, not overdone.

I truly enjoyed this story. I laughed and cried and made snarky faces with the characters as they got snarky with others! I love it when a book drags me in. I can't wait for the sequel that (spoiler alert!) should be out soon.

This fascinating story takes place in 13th century England, where Megge is readying herself to take on her role as village healer for Bury Down. She is learning from her mother, but also from The Book of Seasons, an ancient book that holds the wisdom of Murga, the first seer of the village, centuries earlier. It will be part of Megge’s job to protect the book, but she has a potent fear of the book, that it will be her undoing and refuses to even look at it. It’s only when the Church sends an emissary to hunt down the “heretics and witches” and jail the owner of the book, that Megge will find the courage to accept and embrace her heritage. Cramer’s narration is spot on, clear and commanding, bringing this story of women’s power to life

need the second book in the series now! I could not stop listening to Megge of Bury Down by Rebecca Kightlinger!

Megge has reached the age to become an apprentice healer to her mother. Her mother keeps pestering her to protect the Book of Seasons, which Megge does not have a great encounter with. In fact, it is a bit lively. At times, the number of characters was overwhelming, but I found Kightlinger did a great job of reminding us why a certain person was important.

This was a beautifully written historical fiction novel mixed with some fantasy elements. I found it well paced, although the action starts about 35% of the way through.

Jan Cramer did a great job with the narration. I knew exactly who was talking. Her inflections were animated as well. I would easily listen to her again, and I hope she narrates the rest of the series.

If you enjoy historical books featuring healers and witches mixed with a little fantasy magic this book is for you. I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the series!

I received an advanced audiobook from Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

When I chose this book I thought it was more of a paranormal story about a young witch refusing to continue the family legacy and her mother’s book of secrets. It was nothing like that and when I realized it was more historical fantasy fiction, I had already become curious about Megge.

The writing style was beautifully written. Vivid and detailed without being overly wordy. I sometimes felt I was listening to a Juliet Marillier Sevenwaters story.

There were a lot of characters which worried me (the Kindle version has a glossary in the back) until I found the author’s website that listed the characters. This ultimately proved unnecessary because of the author’s clever writing. She used conversation(s) between two main characters to remind us who someone is. Not many authors are Thant considerate and it was greatly appreciated.

The loss of one star? It was for the drawn out, frustrating, anxiety over this particular book of her Mother’s. It was clear where some of the story was leading up to; though not to the degree it did. By the time said book was opened it was bittersweet. It ends in a partial cliffhanger; answering the mystery of the books but setting it up for a series. The narration was great. The narrator understood how to emphasize words without actually yelling.

This audiobook was free to listen to via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5.
Megge of Bury Down has a decent story, but it starts off very slowly. It feels like half the book is over before anything much happens. That said, I really enjoyed listening to the last half. The prose drew me in, and the weaving of the magical and the real kept me interested. This book sets up for a future story, which I will probably read.
As far as the audiobook goes, the narrator was well-suited for this story. Her voice has the right pitches and tones for the different moods.