The Owl Killers review

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the company of liars by Karen Maitland earlier in the summer and found it very haunting. I was really looking forward to reading the Owl Killers and I wasn't disappointed. The novel is set in the 14th century like company of liars and draws on some similar themes. The harshness of medieval life is illustrated in all it's gory detail yet Karen Maitland also shows a real human and humanitarian side to her characters which doesn't feel out of place.

The owl killers focuses on belief and power as the church clashes with paganism and non conformist Christians. The realities for women in the harsh 14th century and those of disabled people are shown unflinchingly. The story has multiple narrators which brings variety and a freshness to the book and the plot is generally moved along speedily by the different voices.

I look forward to reading Karen Maitland's latest book the Gallows Curse.

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