This is not a supernatural novel as the title may suggest, although during the time it's set - late 1500s & early 1600s - superstition was rife.

Anyone who's interested in the persecution of witches during Elizabethan & Jacobean England should enjoy this. Ms Plaidy does a great job of evoking those superstitious times and the horror that arose for many women, plus a few men, who lost their lives for reasons that seem utterly preposterous in this age.

The author also highlights the hypocrisy of the Puritan religion and how its cruel punishments administered to those who (in their eyes) sin are nothing less than absurd.

The girl many believe to be Satan's daughter is Tamar; a beautiful brunette who thinks she possesses the dark powers that others say she has, yet many of her kind actions contradict the evil spirit that supposedly dwells within her.

As a character Tamar is strong and likable. Her confrontations, and such like, with Bartle - the hero, or perhaps anti-hero, depending on your viewpoint - are all entertaining.

I liked the first third of the book best when Tamar is growing up from the age of about six to twenty. That's not to say it goes downhill after this section, but I did enjoy the earlier scenes and the development of Tamar's character best of all.

A very good read. ( )

Tamar was conceived on midsummer's night. When asked who the father was her mother would not say but if pressed would say it was the devil.

This book was first published in 1952 so it is what it is. The story is a bit of a rags to riches, cinderella type story but with the theme of witchcraft and the persecution of witches. At times the story is a little flowery as there is a romance to it also. I did feel at times that the story lost the witchcraft element, then all of a sudden it came back into the story.

The story was a little dated and it would be good to see it reworked and to be made a little darker. Miss Plaidy for me is a well respected author and her historical novels are a pleasure to read. This book was ok and to a certain degree I did enjoy it, although it was a little bit dated. ( )