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Matthew Corbett #1
Speaks the Nightbird
The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies, and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal.
After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.
After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.
792 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
About the author
Robert McCammon
162 books5,284 followersPseudonyms: Robert R. McCammon; Robert Rick McCammon
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Seven Shades of Evil, is the ninth book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats in October 2023.
Leviathan is the final novel in the Matthew Corbett series. It will be released in December 2024 by Lividian Publications.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
Robert McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
His newest book, Seven Shades of Evil, is the ninth book in the Matthew Corbett series. It was published in trade hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats in October 2023.
Leviathan is the final novel in the Matthew Corbett series. It will be released in December 2024 by Lividian Publications.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,522 reviews
July 14, 2020
My name is Robert McCammon. I don't write novels--I write masterpieces.
We need to talk, you and I. You're preparing to read a book called SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, and we need to get a couple of matters straightened out before you proceed.
First of all, there'll be no need for other books while you read mine. That's right; you’ll want to be monogamous.
Not ready to make that commitment? I suppose I should explain something.
You don't have a choice.
Yes, that's right. Once you begin this tale of mystery and murder, you won't have need of other books. This is because you'll be transported to Fount Royal for the next couple of weeks. Haven't heard of it? Yes, it's a rather surprising place full of sordid dealings and shady characters and--excuse me, I ought to allow you to discover the tale for yourself.
But before you do, there's one more thing I should mention.
Remember that request for monogamy? It's a wish I don't utter lightly. I know how many great books there are out there, I know how many wonderful writers. Believe me, I wouldn't ask you for exclusivity if not for the following fact:
I will deliver everything in this book. Horror in lurid red gushes. Romance in electrifying blue glances. Humor in bright orange bursts. Sadness in somber gray brushstrokes.
And if these ingredients aren't enough for you, I'll also provide rollicking adventure, dialogue that crackles, passion that seethes, and injustice that infuriates.
And when it's all over, you will have known what it's like to exist in another time, in another place. And like my protagonist Matthew Corbett, you'll be changed by the experience.
My name is Robert McCammon, and it's time for us to take a journey together...
We need to talk, you and I. You're preparing to read a book called SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, and we need to get a couple of matters straightened out before you proceed.
First of all, there'll be no need for other books while you read mine. That's right; you’ll want to be monogamous.
Not ready to make that commitment? I suppose I should explain something.
You don't have a choice.
Yes, that's right. Once you begin this tale of mystery and murder, you won't have need of other books. This is because you'll be transported to Fount Royal for the next couple of weeks. Haven't heard of it? Yes, it's a rather surprising place full of sordid dealings and shady characters and--excuse me, I ought to allow you to discover the tale for yourself.
But before you do, there's one more thing I should mention.
Remember that request for monogamy? It's a wish I don't utter lightly. I know how many great books there are out there, I know how many wonderful writers. Believe me, I wouldn't ask you for exclusivity if not for the following fact:
I will deliver everything in this book. Horror in lurid red gushes. Romance in electrifying blue glances. Humor in bright orange bursts. Sadness in somber gray brushstrokes.
And if these ingredients aren't enough for you, I'll also provide rollicking adventure, dialogue that crackles, passion that seethes, and injustice that infuriates.
And when it's all over, you will have known what it's like to exist in another time, in another place. And like my protagonist Matthew Corbett, you'll be changed by the experience.
My name is Robert McCammon, and it's time for us to take a journey together...
December 29, 2019
What a wonderful book, loved it. This is a historical novel set in 1699 South Carolina. Eight hundred pages of dense prose in the language and syntax of the time period. Just enough for spice, though. This is a murder mystery, and romance wrapped up in a wonderfully long novel. Did I say I loved it?
The author does a brilliant job establishing, “the fictive dream,” and holding me there. It tells the story of the early years of South Carolina, life’s hardships, and what it took to settle a hostile environment. But it’s also about a woman mistaken for a witch and how the ignorant are intolerant of things they don’t understand and their method of dealing with the perceived problem. It’s told in mostly two, third person points of view and although they are distant third person it works well. This eight-hundred-page tome immersed me in the story and became a good friend I carried around physically and in my thoughts. You cannot ask more of a book. After I ponder this one for a while it might well be elevated to the top five favorite books of all time.
But most of all, I think this book finally helped me figured out why my favorite novels are lengthy historicals. This is kind of book becomes a part of me, a friend who is close during the quiet times and who constantly whispers in my ear, the wonder of storytelling.
If you like historical novels, I highly recommend.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
The author does a brilliant job establishing, “the fictive dream,” and holding me there. It tells the story of the early years of South Carolina, life’s hardships, and what it took to settle a hostile environment. But it’s also about a woman mistaken for a witch and how the ignorant are intolerant of things they don’t understand and their method of dealing with the perceived problem. It’s told in mostly two, third person points of view and although they are distant third person it works well. This eight-hundred-page tome immersed me in the story and became a good friend I carried around physically and in my thoughts. You cannot ask more of a book. After I ponder this one for a while it might well be elevated to the top five favorite books of all time.
But most of all, I think this book finally helped me figured out why my favorite novels are lengthy historicals. This is kind of book becomes a part of me, a friend who is close during the quiet times and who constantly whispers in my ear, the wonder of storytelling.
If you like historical novels, I highly recommend.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.
November 4, 2012
Somehow McCammon slipped through the mass popularity cracks back in the horror heyday of the 80's. Despite writing many of the best genre novels of that era (and certainly the definitive werewolf novel ever written, "The Wolf's Hour"), he never achieved the cult status of King, Koontz, or Rice. Those who read him were avid fans and I remember the early 90's word of mouth buzz that passed from devotees in used bookstores. "If you like horror, you gotta read McCammon." Then came "Boy's Life", a book with horror elements, but a novel that marked his departure from strict genre writing. What should have been his coming out party and graduation to the literary elite became instead a dead end road. His desire to branch out cost him a publisher and he offially retired. I remember the sadness I felt when I came upon a farewell message he had written before the closing down of his once webpage. Clearly suffering a form of depression, he was shutting it down. It appeared the last book we would get from him would be the southern gothic 1992 release "Gone South." I checked the horizon periodically over the years to see if he ever resurfaced, but alas, ten years went by with nary a word. Then, out of the blue, in 2002, McMammon published a large tome via a small publisher named River City Books out of Montgomery, Alabama. I tracked down a copy almost immediately. It was a huge book and the sleeve spoke of a historical tale involving the witch hunts of the late 1600s. The reviews were sparkling, but strangely I found myself hesitant to read it. Perhaps the odd title, "Speaks The Nightbird," had something to do with that. So it sat on my shelf, appreciated for what it represented (McCammon's return to publishing), but remained unread. That is until, I myself, acted in community theatre production of "The Crucible." The subject matter which had never compelled me previously suddenly took on life. So I read "Speaks The Nightbird." Well, that doesn't do it justice... I DEVOURED the book.
Could the writer of such classics as "Swan Song," "Boy's Life," "Blue World," and "The Wolf's Hour" trumped even those novels? Amazingly, yes. It was the book of the year for me in 2010. The finest read I had enjoyed in a long time.
Could the writer of such classics as "Swan Song," "Boy's Life," "Blue World," and "The Wolf's Hour" trumped even those novels? Amazingly, yes. It was the book of the year for me in 2010. The finest read I had enjoyed in a long time.
December 29, 2019
5 AMAZING STARS!
Where do I start to explain why this book is so great?!
Speaks the Nightbird is the first book in the Matthew Corbett series.
And I have a confession to make…
It’s the first book that I’ve read of Robert R. McCammon.
I know!! I can see you all shaking your heads, tsking me and you have every right to do it.
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read his work. His writing and characterization is bloody fantastic!! I’m so happy to finally experience his writing and storytelling. It’s about damn time.
Speaks the Nightbird is part historical fiction, horror elements and mystery. And it’s all greatness! The main character of Matthew Corbett is (and likely will be) one of my favorite characters of all time. He’s smart, logical and believes in doing the right thing even when everyone else is not doing it. He does not let his fears sway his emotions, common sense or actions.
I felt like I was on an epic journey to 1699 when England was still ruling America and the colonies were fighting “made up witches” and spewing the word of God on a lawless and savage land.
The setting was great in this book and the mystery was complex and well thought out.
I’m so excited to continue this series. In fact, I plan on buying them all in the next week or two because the 1st book was that good!
If you love historical fiction with a side of horror and mystery, THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU!!!
Where do I start to explain why this book is so great?!
Speaks the Nightbird is the first book in the Matthew Corbett series.
And I have a confession to make…
It’s the first book that I’ve read of Robert R. McCammon.
I know!! I can see you all shaking your heads, tsking me and you have every right to do it.
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read his work. His writing and characterization is bloody fantastic!! I’m so happy to finally experience his writing and storytelling. It’s about damn time.
Speaks the Nightbird is part historical fiction, horror elements and mystery. And it’s all greatness! The main character of Matthew Corbett is (and likely will be) one of my favorite characters of all time. He’s smart, logical and believes in doing the right thing even when everyone else is not doing it. He does not let his fears sway his emotions, common sense or actions.
I felt like I was on an epic journey to 1699 when England was still ruling America and the colonies were fighting “made up witches” and spewing the word of God on a lawless and savage land.
The setting was great in this book and the mystery was complex and well thought out.
I’m so excited to continue this series. In fact, I plan on buying them all in the next week or two because the 1st book was that good!
If you love historical fiction with a side of horror and mystery, THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU!!!
May 20, 2019
ALL THE STARS!!
This is is only my second Robert McCammon novel and I have to confess I didn't love Swan Song. However I have been known to have a bit of a penchant for the historical fiction/ detective mash up and thought I'd give this a go.
Some one should have warned me I would get nothing else done in the 5 days I've been reading this. It was so good I didn't even commit my worst personal reading crime of book hopping (well- mostly). Now I've read some others' reviews I realise the warnings were there all along...
This was a long book. Normally when some one notices this it means there were passages in the story that might not have been missed. Not here. There was not one word here I could have done without. I've ordered the second in the series already; I normally read e books but for some reason the Queen of Bedlam is only in paperback. When it arrived I was amazed at what a door stopper it was, only then realising how longs Speaks the Nightbird is, so engrossing, absorbing and immersive is the experience.
We are treated to a large cast of well drawn characters, including an insane preacher, a rat catcher, a medical quack, pirates. We have dark and gritty descriptions, humour, superstition and an absolutely cracking plot.
I really can't recommend this one highly enough. But make sure you don't have much to do for a few days- no urgent work deadlines, no lengthy to- do lists, because this book will grab you and won't put you down until the last page.
This is is only my second Robert McCammon novel and I have to confess I didn't love Swan Song. However I have been known to have a bit of a penchant for the historical fiction/ detective mash up and thought I'd give this a go.
Some one should have warned me I would get nothing else done in the 5 days I've been reading this. It was so good I didn't even commit my worst personal reading crime of book hopping (well- mostly). Now I've read some others' reviews I realise the warnings were there all along...
This was a long book. Normally when some one notices this it means there were passages in the story that might not have been missed. Not here. There was not one word here I could have done without. I've ordered the second in the series already; I normally read e books but for some reason the Queen of Bedlam is only in paperback. When it arrived I was amazed at what a door stopper it was, only then realising how longs Speaks the Nightbird is, so engrossing, absorbing and immersive is the experience.
We are treated to a large cast of well drawn characters, including an insane preacher, a rat catcher, a medical quack, pirates. We have dark and gritty descriptions, humour, superstition and an absolutely cracking plot.
I really can't recommend this one highly enough. But make sure you don't have much to do for a few days- no urgent work deadlines, no lengthy to- do lists, because this book will grab you and won't put you down until the last page.
October 31, 2014
The interview with the accused witch is intense. Wow. The author knows how to make a story compelling.
mage:
This book was extremely well written and professional. Clearly this is writing in the hands of a master. Matthew Corbin, a young scribe, accompanies a magistrate to a settlement in North America that is barely getting on its feet and is dealing with a woman accused of satanism and witchcraft.
Matthew quickly decides she is innocent, but there may be another witch in town. The suspense is great and the characters memorable.
This is definitely one of the books I will remember for a long time. The pacing moves quickly with suspense and tension building to a taut pitch, then slows again. There are a few times it seemed the book moved a bit too slowly, but when I got to the end it was evident it was necessary and worth it.
The author has a keenly insightful view of human nature and speaks directly to the human heart in this book. Each of the characters seems to remind me of someone I know and of situations which are archetypal and timeless.
Superstition meets science meets the hands of a horror author with a talent for setting and atmosphere. The characterization of the protagonist and the main characters is nearly perfect. This book reads like something that was planned and polished long before it saw print. Each detail is worked out in symbolic and professional fashion. A university class could easily make a study of symbolism (the nightbird, for example) and human nature (exg.-Rachel, the blacksmith).
Overall this is a book that I am glad I read. If you have interest in historical fiction, murder mysteries, suspense and/or quality writing in general, this book is probably for you.
Five stars.
October 27, 2014
This first rate murder mystery is damned near perfect!
McCammon conjures an imaginary village that lives and breathes and seethes with a fear of supernatural forces. His characters, even the minor players, are richly drawn, complicated souls, many holding secret identities and unusual peccadilloes.
Bombastic preacher, Exodus Jerusalem, a lecherous holy crusader who seeks to cure witches with his "mighty sword" and a "laying on of hands" is a new favorite character for me. It is hinted that he may return to plague our protagonist in later volumes, and I'm hoping this promises to be true. He is a welcome, though frequently infuriating, bit of comic relief.
The book was a joy to read and I thoroughly recommend it.
McCammon conjures an imaginary village that lives and breathes and seethes with a fear of supernatural forces. His characters, even the minor players, are richly drawn, complicated souls, many holding secret identities and unusual peccadilloes.
Bombastic preacher, Exodus Jerusalem, a lecherous holy crusader who seeks to cure witches with his "mighty sword" and a "laying on of hands" is a new favorite character for me. It is hinted that he may return to plague our protagonist in later volumes, and I'm hoping this promises to be true. He is a welcome, though frequently infuriating, bit of comic relief.
The book was a joy to read and I thoroughly recommend it.
August 20, 2016
People who sometimes pay attention to my humble opinions here on Goodreads might guess that Robert McCammon’s Matthew Corbett series is possibly my favorite detective series. But, sadly it seems like it’s still a bit underrated. I think it’s one of the most consistently enjoyable book series and full of fantastic entertainment.
This book is where it all begins, originally conceived as a historical mystery standalone in two parts. It takes place in 1699, and introduces one of my favorite book characters, Matthew Corbett, who begins the book as a young clerk traveling with and assisting Magistrate Woodward, who has traveled to the small town of Fount Royal in the Carolina colony and is overseeing the trial of a local young woman accused of witchcraft. To everyone, Rachel Howarth’s guilt seems pretty cut and dry, but Matthew has doubts and sets out against the magistrate’s wishes to save Rachel from execution.
As well as being an historical fiction mystery, it's even more rewarding as a coming of age story, as it's a pleasure to witness the character not only fall in love for the first time, but also stand up for what he believes is right, and come out from under the shadow of the magistrate. Matthew Corbett is a great creation. He's smart, dedicated, but also sensitive and has a knack for reading people and situations. Unless you have a heart of steel, it's impossible to read this and not want to root for him as he stands up to an entire town for what is right and just. And one of the great things in this series are the baddies, and in this novel, fire-and-brimstone preacher Exodus Jerusalem is a great example.
Definitely read this series. The rest of the books are even better than this one! But read the series in order and start with this! It has romance, adventure, mystery, as well as history about American colonial life. It's a blast!
This book is where it all begins, originally conceived as a historical mystery standalone in two parts. It takes place in 1699, and introduces one of my favorite book characters, Matthew Corbett, who begins the book as a young clerk traveling with and assisting Magistrate Woodward, who has traveled to the small town of Fount Royal in the Carolina colony and is overseeing the trial of a local young woman accused of witchcraft. To everyone, Rachel Howarth’s guilt seems pretty cut and dry, but Matthew has doubts and sets out against the magistrate’s wishes to save Rachel from execution.
As well as being an historical fiction mystery, it's even more rewarding as a coming of age story, as it's a pleasure to witness the character not only fall in love for the first time, but also stand up for what he believes is right, and come out from under the shadow of the magistrate. Matthew Corbett is a great creation. He's smart, dedicated, but also sensitive and has a knack for reading people and situations. Unless you have a heart of steel, it's impossible to read this and not want to root for him as he stands up to an entire town for what is right and just. And one of the great things in this series are the baddies, and in this novel, fire-and-brimstone preacher Exodus Jerusalem is a great example.
Definitely read this series. The rest of the books are even better than this one! But read the series in order and start with this! It has romance, adventure, mystery, as well as history about American colonial life. It's a blast!
June 7, 2021
"Tell me. What is the point of life, if truth is not worth standing up for? If justice is a hollow shell? If beauty and grace are burnt to ashes, and evil rejoices in the flames?"
Speaks the Nightbird by Robert R McCammon...an absolutely imperious murder mystery set in 1699 South Carolina. This book is absolute proof that this author is so much more than a simple horror author and certainly up there with the likes of Stephen King. The book followed a ten year absence from the literary world from McCammon and a break from his past exploits as he tried something completely different. It's safe to say that the Matthew Corbett series, which starts with this book, is his true passion as he has poured his heart and soul into every page.
The story centres around a witch trial, where all is certainly not what it seems. It's set a few years after the Salem witch trials and McCammon captures the era perfectly. Emotions are running high, logic is out the window and the burden lies heavily on one young man to discover the truth. The fear and paranoia created in that society and the social commentary is fantastically done.
"the paradox of Man was the fact that one might have been made in the image of God, yet it was often the most devilish of ideas that gave action and purpose to the human breed."
Theres a plethora of reasons to read this one but we'll start at the top. The writing here is absolutely gorgeous. McCammon crafts each sentence with a sense of beauty, whilst maintaining a purpose that drives the narrative. His use of description gives you enough to vividly paint the humid landscape in which this one is set without overdoing it. Something a lot of the more celebrated authors fall foul of. Robert McCammon is an expert craftsman and certainly my pick for the most underrated author out there.
While we're on the subject...the setting of Fount Royale, that the story unravels in, is brilliantly realised. All the components McCammon utilises with the characters and environment give it a living, breathing feel. This one's dark and brooding with a sinister undertone. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
"Love. What was it, really? The desire to possess someone, or the desire to free them?"
And those characters, that are multifaceted, unique and realistic, really are McCammon at his magnificent best. In Matthew Corbett, he gives us his greatest and best realised character at the onset of his career. As you then progress with the series it really is fantastic to look back and see the foundations that are put in place for the development that comes later. Plus this one is absolutely loaded with a stupendous supporting cast.
The only negative I can come up with is that this is a slow burn. If you're wanting non stop action you're not going to get it. Yes there is some fantastic action, but this is a nine hundred page novel that has amazing depth. So if lightning fast pacing is what's important to you, this may not be the book for you. I'd certainly give it a chance though.
Honestly, I've read some amazing books this year but this up there with anything I've read. With this being part of a series, I know exactly what I'll be doing for the foreseeable future. Thank you Robert R McCammon for this amazing story. You've rounded off my year in fantastic fashion.
July 25, 2022
A definite winner for me!
February 22, 2022
4.5/5
Wielowątkowa powieść z genialnie wykreowanymi bohaterami.
Główny bohater - Matthiew jest świetny. Podobała mi się jego dociekliwość, ironiczny charakter i chęć dążenia do odkrycia prawdy.
Literacko - książka jest wspaniała. Pięknie napisana. Totalnie nie ma się do czego przyczepić. Czytanie jej było przyjemnością :)
Wielowątkowa powieść z genialnie wykreowanymi bohaterami.
Główny bohater - Matthiew jest świetny. Podobała mi się jego dociekliwość, ironiczny charakter i chęć dążenia do odkrycia prawdy.
Literacko - książka jest wspaniała. Pięknie napisana. Totalnie nie ma się do czego przyczepić. Czytanie jej było przyjemnością :)
November 23, 2014
The year is 1699 and something wicked is afoot in the town of Fount Royal, a cunning evil with Satan's fingermarks all over it. We journey back to the days of witch trials, rat catchers, bloodletting, heated blister cups, and crude colonics.
Only three books into Robert McCammon's repertoire, I am amazed at his versatility. This foray into historical fiction with a dark mystery brewing is fantastic. Top 10 shelf material.
Only three books into Robert McCammon's repertoire, I am amazed at his versatility. This foray into historical fiction with a dark mystery brewing is fantastic. Top 10 shelf material.
December 28, 2020
It is not enough to love the nightbird’s song. One must also love the nightbird. And … one must eventually fall in love with the night itself.”
Speaks the Nightbird (Matthew Corbett, #1)
by Robert R. McCammon
This book had everything that I adore. Historical Fiction. Check. Great writing. check. Woman accused of witchcraft. Check. Sinister yet beautiful atmosphere. C heck.
Seriously, this book is quite good. And DIFFERENT. I can see by all the four and five star ratings many a reader loves it.
It is hard to describe the genre. It is sort of a Historical Mystery and romance wrapped into a darkly enchanting multi layer character study. It IS sort of addicting and I love how one get get lost in the book so easily.
The only thing is, "Speaks the Nightbird" is long. Like in seriously. My 2nd favorite book of all time, "I Cleopatra" was like that. (It clocked in at almost 800 pages). So does this one. Don't let that spoil it for you.
Rachel, the townsperson judged by her suspicious town folk as being a witch is a compelling character. I do love these types of stories that feature history and folklore and amazing chararacters with an environment that...LOL...speaks.
So I stumbled on this one by chance. I'd recommend it. And I do have to mention that the name "Rachel" seems to be very popular among Gothic women of mystery.I do love it when I can find patterns with certain book names used. Sadly there are not many Brens in the book world.
I have noticed that "Alice" is often a villain and also mysterious, Janes are lovely and strong women and Rachel is a popular name for the Gothic and alluring woman in Historical Mysteries.
Anyway....putting aside my name tangent I would recommend this book.
Speaks the Nightbird (Matthew Corbett, #1)
by Robert R. McCammon
This book had everything that I adore. Historical Fiction. Check. Great writing. check. Woman accused of witchcraft. Check. Sinister yet beautiful atmosphere. C heck.
Seriously, this book is quite good. And DIFFERENT. I can see by all the four and five star ratings many a reader loves it.
It is hard to describe the genre. It is sort of a Historical Mystery and romance wrapped into a darkly enchanting multi layer character study. It IS sort of addicting and I love how one get get lost in the book so easily.
The only thing is, "Speaks the Nightbird" is long. Like in seriously. My 2nd favorite book of all time, "I Cleopatra" was like that. (It clocked in at almost 800 pages). So does this one. Don't let that spoil it for you.
Rachel, the townsperson judged by her suspicious town folk as being a witch is a compelling character. I do love these types of stories that feature history and folklore and amazing chararacters with an environment that...LOL...speaks.
So I stumbled on this one by chance. I'd recommend it. And I do have to mention that the name "Rachel" seems to be very popular among Gothic women of mystery.I do love it when I can find patterns with certain book names used. Sadly there are not many Brens in the book world.
I have noticed that "Alice" is often a villain and also mysterious, Janes are lovely and strong women and Rachel is a popular name for the Gothic and alluring woman in Historical Mysteries.
Anyway....putting aside my name tangent I would recommend this book.
March 29, 2016
5 Stars
Speaks the Nightbird is another near masterpiece from one of today's greatest authors.
Confessions:
I normally do not venture into the historical fiction genre.
I normally find giant novels tedious and difficult to finish.
I do not read much mystery.
I do however worship Robert McCammon.
That being said, this book is a testament to the writing genius that is McCammon that I not only loved this book, I could not put it down. McCammon who normally writes humanized horror novels wrote this historical fiction as the start to a much larger series. I have read a great deal of his older horror novels, a few are on my all time favorite books list. He is an author that should be read by all readers of any taste.
Speaks the Nightbird is a mystery set in the colonial times that is a marvelous piece of fiction. It has:
Amazing world building.
Great characters.
Matthew is a fantastic lead protagonist.
The setting is amazing.
The writing puts you in their shoes.
The writing makes you feel like you are there.
The writing makes it impossible to put down.
I loved it.
Robert McCammon should be read by everyone.
I can't wait to read more about Matthew Corbett and I can't wait until you read it too.
Speaks the Nightbird is another near masterpiece from one of today's greatest authors.
Confessions:
I normally do not venture into the historical fiction genre.
I normally find giant novels tedious and difficult to finish.
I do not read much mystery.
I do however worship Robert McCammon.
That being said, this book is a testament to the writing genius that is McCammon that I not only loved this book, I could not put it down. McCammon who normally writes humanized horror novels wrote this historical fiction as the start to a much larger series. I have read a great deal of his older horror novels, a few are on my all time favorite books list. He is an author that should be read by all readers of any taste.
Speaks the Nightbird is a mystery set in the colonial times that is a marvelous piece of fiction. It has:
Amazing world building.
Great characters.
Matthew is a fantastic lead protagonist.
The setting is amazing.
The writing puts you in their shoes.
The writing makes you feel like you are there.
The writing makes it impossible to put down.
I loved it.
Robert McCammon should be read by everyone.
I can't wait to read more about Matthew Corbett and I can't wait until you read it too.
July 7, 2022
"The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies -- and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal."
I absolutely loved this book! This is an intense mystery that really brings the time frame to life. Wow! I cannot say enough good about the writing and the story. After reading 200 pages I drove to three bookstores to find the 2nd book featuring Matthew Corbett. After another 200 pages I ordered the 3rd book in the series and I am hoping it gets here before I finish "The Queen of Bedlam."
I can’t say enough accolades about this brilliant book…
My highest of recommendations!
I absolutely loved this book! This is an intense mystery that really brings the time frame to life. Wow! I cannot say enough good about the writing and the story. After reading 200 pages I drove to three bookstores to find the 2nd book featuring Matthew Corbett. After another 200 pages I ordered the 3rd book in the series and I am hoping it gets here before I finish "The Queen of Bedlam."
I can’t say enough accolades about this brilliant book…
My highest of recommendations!
July 27, 2015
[9/10]
Came the time when the two travelers knew night would catch them, and shelter must be found. It had been a joyful day for frogs and mudhens. For the human breed, however, the low gray clouds and chill rain coiled chains around the soul. By the calendar the month of May should by all rights and predictions be charitable if not merry, but this May had entered like a grim-lipped miser pinching out candles in church.
Does anybody else like to read the opening paragraph of a novel and try to make his/her mind about what kind of story and what kind of writer we are dealing with? I know I still do it, and passages like the one above tell me I am in the hand of a good storyteller, and there is going to be danger and adventure waiting just around the next bend in the road.
Ok, so I cheated a little: this is not my first novel by Robert McCammon, and I know already what he is capable of. I know he should be at least as famous as Stephen King or Dean Koontz, or any of the other writers who are often looked down upon because they write popular horror thrillers. It's a crying shame that McCammon is still considered a second tier commercial writer, and this first Matthew Corbett novel is an excellent example of how he can turn a mystery plot into one of the best historical adventures I've read and one of the most passionate pleas for truth, justice and integrity that echoes well beyond the time frame he has chosen for his story.
The year is 1699, seven years after the Salem incident, and the Puritans that colonized the new world are at it again: they have a witch to burn in the newly chartered township of Fount Royal, deep in the coastal marshes south of Charles Town. The founder and mayor of Fount Royal wants to proceed according to the law of the land, so he invites magistrate Woodward to judge the case, even as his neighbors are other fleeing scared from the town or are clamouring for a quick lynching of the suspect. Anybody who tries to speak in defense of the accused woman is considered to be possessed in their turn by the devil or enchanted by the witch. The chances of a fair trial are slim to non-existent, yet Magistrate Woodward and his clerk Matthew Corbett do their best to uphold the law, despite the grave illnes of the older man and resentment over the inquisitiveness and the stubborness of the younger one.
Woodward: 'Of course you have a theory, don't you? You have a theory for everything under the sun.'
Matthew: 'If you mean I fervently desire to know the why of things, you're correct.'
The truth is an elusive beast to chase in this isolated place, among people who readily believe in the supernatural and in the reality of the devil. And the evidence against Rachel Howarth is overwhelming. Witness after witness comes forward to describe her nefarious activities, her sexual dallying in the night with monstrous creatures, her arrogant refusal to bow down and confess her crimes. Two murders are directly attributed to her - a priest and her own husband.
Mrs. Nettles : Aye. Had to be Mistress Howarth, y'see. Had to be someone different - someone who was nae welcomed here. The fact that she's dark-skinned and near a Spaniard ... it jus' had to be her accused of such crimes.
The troubles of the town are real enough: somebody is working intensely to scare the inhabitants and to drive them away, to make the whole frontier project a failure. Houses are burning inexplicably in the night, crops are destroyed, rumours spread like wildfire, and now two people have died. The exotic beauty and darker skin of Rachel have already provoked the jealousy and envy of the farmers wifes and the covetous stares of their husbands. It's always the stranger, the outsider, the person with the slightly different accent or manner that stands out and becomes the target of bigotry and intransigence. And in Fount Royal this hatred is out in the open, threatening revolt for any delay in the burning of the 'witch'
The only person in Fount Royal who is ready to listen to reason is Matthew Corbett, but even his master and mentor woodward is questioning the young man's interest in Rachel and his refusal to recognize the strength of the witness testimonies. How can three different people describe the same visions of the devil in congress with the woman? What other possible explanation can be found for the murders and the arson fires, for the turmoil of the town? Who will benefit if the colony is abandoned?
Matthew saw the spring suddenly glow golden with a marvelously beautiful light. Around the water, the green tops of the oak trees were cast with the same gilded lumination, and for a moment Matthew realized the power that Fount Royal held over its citizens: a place carved from the wild, fenced and tamed, baptized in sweat and tears, made useful by sheer human will and muscle. It was a dream and a damnation too, this desiring to control the wilderness, to shape it with axe-blade and shovel. Many had perished in the building of this town; many more would die before it was a harbor city. But who could deny the temptation and challenge of the land.
Follow Matthew Corbett in his investigations to find out the answers to these questions. McCammon does a splendid job at presenting the elements of the case, at sketching the characters of the town's inhabitants, at swinging the spotlight from one suspect to another, and back to the situation of the witch. For such a grim subject, he even finds a way for a humorous touch of two, either involving the use of hemp as a medical palliative or the secret games people play at night in the barns of the town. Before I started the book seemed bulky, but the tension, the careful characterization and the twists of the plot make it a real page turner. Matthew is a great lead as the early private investigator, and I'm glad to know there will be more books featuring him. The frontier setting is believable and well researched, not only in the buildngs and the climate, but especially in the mentalities and customs of the recently immigrant population that left behind persecution in old Europe, but brought to the new world a heavy baggage of hatred and superstitions.
In this context, Matthew Corbett is a man well ahead of his times, a sceptic with a scientific method of searching for the truth, a humanist who sees the faults of his peers, yet remains true to the principles of fairness and integrity that give him strength and peace of mind.
Everyone goes on, he repeated with a taint of bitter mockery. Oh, yes. They go on. With crippled spirits and broken ideals, they do go on. And with the passage of years they forget what crippled and broke them. They accept it grandly as they grow older, as if crippling and breaking were a gift from a king. Then those same hopeful spirits and large ideals in younger souls are viewed as stupid, and petty ... and things to be crippled and broken, because everyone does go on. Tell me. What is the point of life, if truth is not worth standing up for? If justice is a hollow shell? If beauty and grace are burnt to ashes, and evil rejoices in the flames? Shall I weep on that day, and lose my mind, or join the rejoicing and lose my soul? Shall I sit in my room? Should I go for a long walk, but where might I go so as not to smell the smoke? Should I just go on, like everyone else?
This last credo of our young hero serves also as a sort of explanation for the nightbird from the title? It serves a similar purpose as the mockingbird in Harper Lee's masterpiece, and Matthew is cut from the same cloth as Atticus Finch. Somebody needs to stand up to the bulies and the bigots and defend the innocents, despite the warnings of the conformists that such an action will bring them sorrow and pain. For Matthew in the next novels this will translate in more confrontations with evil men, more adventures at the edges of civilization, and maybe more seductive songs from beautiful enchantresses.
Came the time when the two travelers knew night would catch them, and shelter must be found. It had been a joyful day for frogs and mudhens. For the human breed, however, the low gray clouds and chill rain coiled chains around the soul. By the calendar the month of May should by all rights and predictions be charitable if not merry, but this May had entered like a grim-lipped miser pinching out candles in church.
Does anybody else like to read the opening paragraph of a novel and try to make his/her mind about what kind of story and what kind of writer we are dealing with? I know I still do it, and passages like the one above tell me I am in the hand of a good storyteller, and there is going to be danger and adventure waiting just around the next bend in the road.
Ok, so I cheated a little: this is not my first novel by Robert McCammon, and I know already what he is capable of. I know he should be at least as famous as Stephen King or Dean Koontz, or any of the other writers who are often looked down upon because they write popular horror thrillers. It's a crying shame that McCammon is still considered a second tier commercial writer, and this first Matthew Corbett novel is an excellent example of how he can turn a mystery plot into one of the best historical adventures I've read and one of the most passionate pleas for truth, justice and integrity that echoes well beyond the time frame he has chosen for his story.
The year is 1699, seven years after the Salem incident, and the Puritans that colonized the new world are at it again: they have a witch to burn in the newly chartered township of Fount Royal, deep in the coastal marshes south of Charles Town. The founder and mayor of Fount Royal wants to proceed according to the law of the land, so he invites magistrate Woodward to judge the case, even as his neighbors are other fleeing scared from the town or are clamouring for a quick lynching of the suspect. Anybody who tries to speak in defense of the accused woman is considered to be possessed in their turn by the devil or enchanted by the witch. The chances of a fair trial are slim to non-existent, yet Magistrate Woodward and his clerk Matthew Corbett do their best to uphold the law, despite the grave illnes of the older man and resentment over the inquisitiveness and the stubborness of the younger one.
Woodward: 'Of course you have a theory, don't you? You have a theory for everything under the sun.'
Matthew: 'If you mean I fervently desire to know the why of things, you're correct.'
The truth is an elusive beast to chase in this isolated place, among people who readily believe in the supernatural and in the reality of the devil. And the evidence against Rachel Howarth is overwhelming. Witness after witness comes forward to describe her nefarious activities, her sexual dallying in the night with monstrous creatures, her arrogant refusal to bow down and confess her crimes. Two murders are directly attributed to her - a priest and her own husband.
Mrs. Nettles : Aye. Had to be Mistress Howarth, y'see. Had to be someone different - someone who was nae welcomed here. The fact that she's dark-skinned and near a Spaniard ... it jus' had to be her accused of such crimes.
The troubles of the town are real enough: somebody is working intensely to scare the inhabitants and to drive them away, to make the whole frontier project a failure. Houses are burning inexplicably in the night, crops are destroyed, rumours spread like wildfire, and now two people have died. The exotic beauty and darker skin of Rachel have already provoked the jealousy and envy of the farmers wifes and the covetous stares of their husbands. It's always the stranger, the outsider, the person with the slightly different accent or manner that stands out and becomes the target of bigotry and intransigence. And in Fount Royal this hatred is out in the open, threatening revolt for any delay in the burning of the 'witch'
The only person in Fount Royal who is ready to listen to reason is Matthew Corbett, but even his master and mentor woodward is questioning the young man's interest in Rachel and his refusal to recognize the strength of the witness testimonies. How can three different people describe the same visions of the devil in congress with the woman? What other possible explanation can be found for the murders and the arson fires, for the turmoil of the town? Who will benefit if the colony is abandoned?
Matthew saw the spring suddenly glow golden with a marvelously beautiful light. Around the water, the green tops of the oak trees were cast with the same gilded lumination, and for a moment Matthew realized the power that Fount Royal held over its citizens: a place carved from the wild, fenced and tamed, baptized in sweat and tears, made useful by sheer human will and muscle. It was a dream and a damnation too, this desiring to control the wilderness, to shape it with axe-blade and shovel. Many had perished in the building of this town; many more would die before it was a harbor city. But who could deny the temptation and challenge of the land.
Follow Matthew Corbett in his investigations to find out the answers to these questions. McCammon does a splendid job at presenting the elements of the case, at sketching the characters of the town's inhabitants, at swinging the spotlight from one suspect to another, and back to the situation of the witch. For such a grim subject, he even finds a way for a humorous touch of two, either involving the use of hemp as a medical palliative or the secret games people play at night in the barns of the town. Before I started the book seemed bulky, but the tension, the careful characterization and the twists of the plot make it a real page turner. Matthew is a great lead as the early private investigator, and I'm glad to know there will be more books featuring him. The frontier setting is believable and well researched, not only in the buildngs and the climate, but especially in the mentalities and customs of the recently immigrant population that left behind persecution in old Europe, but brought to the new world a heavy baggage of hatred and superstitions.
In this context, Matthew Corbett is a man well ahead of his times, a sceptic with a scientific method of searching for the truth, a humanist who sees the faults of his peers, yet remains true to the principles of fairness and integrity that give him strength and peace of mind.
Everyone goes on, he repeated with a taint of bitter mockery. Oh, yes. They go on. With crippled spirits and broken ideals, they do go on. And with the passage of years they forget what crippled and broke them. They accept it grandly as they grow older, as if crippling and breaking were a gift from a king. Then those same hopeful spirits and large ideals in younger souls are viewed as stupid, and petty ... and things to be crippled and broken, because everyone does go on. Tell me. What is the point of life, if truth is not worth standing up for? If justice is a hollow shell? If beauty and grace are burnt to ashes, and evil rejoices in the flames? Shall I weep on that day, and lose my mind, or join the rejoicing and lose my soul? Shall I sit in my room? Should I go for a long walk, but where might I go so as not to smell the smoke? Should I just go on, like everyone else?
This last credo of our young hero serves also as a sort of explanation for the nightbird from the title? It serves a similar purpose as the mockingbird in Harper Lee's masterpiece, and Matthew is cut from the same cloth as Atticus Finch. Somebody needs to stand up to the bulies and the bigots and defend the innocents, despite the warnings of the conformists that such an action will bring them sorrow and pain. For Matthew in the next novels this will translate in more confrontations with evil men, more adventures at the edges of civilization, and maybe more seductive songs from beautiful enchantresses.
February 6, 2024
Some twenty years ago, I remember standing within the 'M” section of the library looking for my next McCammon book. I'd read half a dozen by that point, and could have read a dozen more, but my library didn't have them. Except for Speaks the Nightbird. It was another big book. I wasn't afraid of big books, having read Swan Song and the many Stephen King books that were obviously long. But, in the midst of those other McCammon books, Matthew Corbett was something different. And not horror. Instead, it described a historical fiction of 1699 America. Somewhere before this I'd read McCammon had written his last horror book. He'd moved on from the genre. Very recently, while listening to him speak in a podcast, he described writing the novel that would become Boy's Life, a story that is decidedly not horror, and he while he knew that, his publisher did not. When he handed over the draft, they told him it was not what his fan base wanted to read. McCammon fought for the book, pretty much saying it was this or nothing, and most know the rest of that story. Anyway, this is my long-winded 'hardly-a-review' description of then with a little bit of now. What brought me back to McCammon is the reading of his book, 'The Listener' just last year. I learned, or should I say remembered once again? that he can write pretty much anything, and do it well at that. Characters are his strong suit. Thought brings them to life.
March 30, 2018
This is my second Robert McCammon book, and if comparing this to Swan Song, which was my first, then this book was leaps and bounds more enjoyable. Partly that could be because Nightbird was written about 15 years and 7 books after Swan Song, and McCammon had a lot more experience when Nightbird was written, and partly it could be that they are just very, very different stories.
Swan Song seemed to lack direction and purpose and plot, aside from the very generic "good vs evil" fight, and dragged it out for far too long. Speaks the Nightbird, however, did actually have a story to tell (woot!) and while it did drag a bit at times, and had some questionable elements I'm not sure were really necessary, my main point of comparison is that while I was listening to Nightbird, I was curious and interested in where it was going and what would happen, and I wanted to find out, whereas Swan Song felt like a drag and a chore to be completed rather than a story to be enjoyed. I finished Nightbird in 2 days, compared with the month it took me to get through Swan Song.
So, there's that. If anyone ever asks me for a Robert McCammon book recommendation, I can now make one. Yay! Let's move on.
The premise of this story is that in a small village trying its very hardest to become a Real Town, people are being murdered and houses are being burned down, and TOTES BEAUTIFUL Rachel Howarth is the witch accused of it all. Enter Magistrate Woodward and his trusty clerk Matthew Corbett to hear the trial.
Now, let me just interject here briefly to say that as a science and reality enthusiast, feminist, and empathetic human person, much of this book was frustrating to me to an almost physical degree. This was a winning combination, if my goal was to spike my blood-pressure with every passing minute. Which was not my goal, FYI. Now, don't get me wrong. I know that this was pretty close to period accurate depictions of the attitudes and methods of the time. (When it was convenient to the story or the character, anyway.) The townspeople accusing Rachel Howarth of being a witch based on pretty shaky evidence? Totally believable for a story set less than a decade after the Salem witch trials. The "doctor" trying to cure their patient by bleeding them and "circulating" their blood by pressing burning hot cups to their back to create a huge suction-induced blood blister? OK... I guess, they didn't have any better theories to go on. I could give a dozen more examples, but you get the point, right? These were ignorant times, and as a modern reader, I couldn't help but be like "OMFG! ALL YOU ARE DOING IS MAKING HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM HAVE TO NOW FIGHT OFF MULTIPLE BURN INFECTIONS ON TOP OF HIS ILLNESS, STUPID ASS!" So, yeah, frustrating.
The misogyny and irrationality and willingness to believe the loudest and "holiest" person around, even if they clearly made no sense at all, and blame literally EVERYTHING on the devil/witch/EEEEEVIIILLLL? That made me want to punch this story in the throat, simply because for all of the modernity and moving forward and women's rights and science and everything that we've gained in the course of knowledge and civilization and everything, I know how close to the surface that thinking still is in a lot of minds. Also frustrating. (That's not to say that everyone has to think or believe the same things I do, but it sure would be nice. :P)
OK... back to our regularly scheduled review... So Woodward and Matthew are there to conduct the trial, which means interviewing the witnesses that are left, and getting to the truth of the matter, all the while being badgered by nearly the entire town, led with fervor by the town leader/mayor/resident Rich Guy who is a total dick for 99% of the book, and only concerned with doing one thing, which is...
Because of course that will save his town. And burning his girlfriend totally will NOT piss Satan off more. Nope.
I love the warped thinking in this book. She's SO TERRIBLE EVIL BAD that she can kill with a touch or a look or can escape the jail at night to burn down the town's buildings just to fuck with them... but totally goes back to the jail afterward and waits patiently for them to burn her at the stake. Because logic. (Also, by "love" I mean "am totally fucking baffled by". Obvs.)
Anyway, I did like the character of Matthew, though he was far ahead of his time, thinking-wise, in that he did any at all. One of the most frustrating things about this book was that practically EVERY time Matthew was having a conversation with someone and asked them a question, their knee-jerk response was "FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WHY YOU ALWAYS GOTTA BE WANTING TO KNOW STUFF AND SHIT??" The amount of question-avoidance and refusal to even consider the possibility of actual things literally right in front of people's faces was annoying.
"What do you mean a he's not who he said he is?? I have known him for 3 hours and he told me his name himself!! IMPOSSIBLE!" Oh, 1699... You are just SUCH a barrel of fun.
Matthew perseveres! That's not a spoiler, this is the first book in a series. What else could he do? LOL
Though, the last quarter of this book just kinda went off the rails for me. Some might say that's unpredictable and thus a good thing, but it bothered me. I won't discuss the specifics because that would be spoilery, but considering the 600 or so pages that preceded it, the last 200 pages had me scratching my head and wondering how we ended up... here.
The ending felt rushed, given the buildup to it, and kinda came out of left field (even though the whodunnit was obvious well before) and it was wrapped up too neatly, and with too pretty a bow, considering the aforementioned attitudes and shit.
But oddly, the things that other people took issue with (from some reviews I've scanned), like the vividly descriptive sexual depravities and such, and umm... horse love... Those things weren't out of place in this story for me, honestly. Gross, yeah, but unsurprising.
So, I'm left with mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the story, and even with the blood pressure meds that I'm now on, I'm not sorry I read it, and would likely read more of the series, but some things bugged me, and I would want... I dunno, more realism from the plotting, I guess. Because that's where things went wrong for me, at the end.
Oh, and fuck Exodus Jerusalem. The most annoying character ever.
That is all.
Swan Song seemed to lack direction and purpose and plot, aside from the very generic "good vs evil" fight, and dragged it out for far too long. Speaks the Nightbird, however, did actually have a story to tell (woot!) and while it did drag a bit at times, and had some questionable elements I'm not sure were really necessary, my main point of comparison is that while I was listening to Nightbird, I was curious and interested in where it was going and what would happen, and I wanted to find out, whereas Swan Song felt like a drag and a chore to be completed rather than a story to be enjoyed. I finished Nightbird in 2 days, compared with the month it took me to get through Swan Song.
So, there's that. If anyone ever asks me for a Robert McCammon book recommendation, I can now make one. Yay! Let's move on.
The premise of this story is that in a small village trying its very hardest to become a Real Town, people are being murdered and houses are being burned down, and TOTES BEAUTIFUL Rachel Howarth is the witch accused of it all. Enter Magistrate Woodward and his trusty clerk Matthew Corbett to hear the trial.
Now, let me just interject here briefly to say that as a science and reality enthusiast, feminist, and empathetic human person, much of this book was frustrating to me to an almost physical degree. This was a winning combination, if my goal was to spike my blood-pressure with every passing minute. Which was not my goal, FYI. Now, don't get me wrong. I know that this was pretty close to period accurate depictions of the attitudes and methods of the time. (When it was convenient to the story or the character, anyway.) The townspeople accusing Rachel Howarth of being a witch based on pretty shaky evidence? Totally believable for a story set less than a decade after the Salem witch trials. The "doctor" trying to cure their patient by bleeding them and "circulating" their blood by pressing burning hot cups to their back to create a huge suction-induced blood blister? OK... I guess, they didn't have any better theories to go on. I could give a dozen more examples, but you get the point, right? These were ignorant times, and as a modern reader, I couldn't help but be like "OMFG! ALL YOU ARE DOING IS MAKING HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM HAVE TO NOW FIGHT OFF MULTIPLE BURN INFECTIONS ON TOP OF HIS ILLNESS, STUPID ASS!" So, yeah, frustrating.
The misogyny and irrationality and willingness to believe the loudest and "holiest" person around, even if they clearly made no sense at all, and blame literally EVERYTHING on the devil/witch/EEEEEVIIILLLL? That made me want to punch this story in the throat, simply because for all of the modernity and moving forward and women's rights and science and everything that we've gained in the course of knowledge and civilization and everything, I know how close to the surface that thinking still is in a lot of minds. Also frustrating. (That's not to say that everyone has to think or believe the same things I do, but it sure would be nice. :P)
OK... back to our regularly scheduled review... So Woodward and Matthew are there to conduct the trial, which means interviewing the witnesses that are left, and getting to the truth of the matter, all the while being badgered by nearly the entire town, led with fervor by the town leader/mayor/resident Rich Guy who is a total dick for 99% of the book, and only concerned with doing one thing, which is...
Because of course that will save his town. And burning his girlfriend totally will NOT piss Satan off more. Nope.
I love the warped thinking in this book. She's SO TERRIBLE EVIL BAD that she can kill with a touch or a look or can escape the jail at night to burn down the town's buildings just to fuck with them... but totally goes back to the jail afterward and waits patiently for them to burn her at the stake. Because logic. (Also, by "love" I mean "am totally fucking baffled by". Obvs.)
Anyway, I did like the character of Matthew, though he was far ahead of his time, thinking-wise, in that he did any at all. One of the most frustrating things about this book was that practically EVERY time Matthew was having a conversation with someone and asked them a question, their knee-jerk response was "FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WHY YOU ALWAYS GOTTA BE WANTING TO KNOW STUFF AND SHIT??" The amount of question-avoidance and refusal to even consider the possibility of actual things literally right in front of people's faces was annoying.
"What do you mean a he's not who he said he is?? I have known him for 3 hours and he told me his name himself!! IMPOSSIBLE!" Oh, 1699... You are just SUCH a barrel of fun.
Matthew perseveres! That's not a spoiler, this is the first book in a series. What else could he do? LOL
Though, the last quarter of this book just kinda went off the rails for me. Some might say that's unpredictable and thus a good thing, but it bothered me. I won't discuss the specifics because that would be spoilery, but considering the 600 or so pages that preceded it, the last 200 pages had me scratching my head and wondering how we ended up... here.
The ending felt rushed, given the buildup to it, and kinda came out of left field (even though the whodunnit was obvious well before) and it was wrapped up too neatly, and with too pretty a bow, considering the aforementioned attitudes and shit.
But oddly, the things that other people took issue with (from some reviews I've scanned), like the vividly descriptive sexual depravities and such, and umm... horse love... Those things weren't out of place in this story for me, honestly. Gross, yeah, but unsurprising.
So, I'm left with mixed feelings. I really enjoyed the story, and even with the blood pressure meds that I'm now on, I'm not sorry I read it, and would likely read more of the series, but some things bugged me, and I would want... I dunno, more realism from the plotting, I guess. Because that's where things went wrong for me, at the end.
Oh, and fuck Exodus Jerusalem. The most annoying character ever.
That is all.
June 24, 2014
A historical mystery/suspense set in British America, South Carolina, 1699.
Magistrate Isaac Woodward and his young charge and clerk (our protagonist) Matthew Corbett, are sent for from Charleston to preside over a witch trial in the fledgling frontier settlement of Fount Royal. Matthew, with an unusually keen mind, soon discerns that not all is as it seems as he asks questions nobody seems able or willing to answer. Driven by insatiable curiosity and tenacious inquisitiveness, coupled with an infatuation for the dark skinned Portuguese accused, Rachel Howarth, Matthew embarks on a quest to unknot a tangled web of an insidious conspiracy.
This book took me by surprise. I’ve never read anything by Robert McCammon before and he isn’t a name I hear very often, if at all. I see he’s written a lot of horror novels in the eighties and nineties and this book is his first foray into historical fiction after a self imposed hiatus from writing.
McCammon’s prose is to die for. I put him up there on the podium alongside or pretty close to Patrick Rothfuss and Guy Gavriel Kay, as authors I could read or listen to all day, not so much for what they write, but for how they write it. I say close because a lot of my enjoyment was undoubtedly accentuated by the exquisite audio narration by Eduardo Ballerini. Eduardo is my new favourite narrator of all time. Even the name Eduardo, rolls on the tongue like a Ferrero slowly melting in my mouth. I think I love you Eduardo.
Still, even if unaided by Ballerini, Robert McCammon really made me feel like I was in 1699 on the American frontier. From very early on, when Isaac Woodward and Matthew Corbett have their first misadventure at a roadside tavern, I felt like I was actually there with the lice and the rats and the human excrement so elegantly described. I felt the tension of having to choose between dying in the storm outside or spending the night in the lowest bowels of hell. I felt the fear of being discovered as Matthew hides himself in a dimly lit stables while his potential killer drunkenly kicks at bales of straw. But the sex with a horse scene was just one step too far. Not cool McCammon. It’s a testament to Eduardo Ballerini’s narration that he didn’t choke on his own tongue as he delivered those lines with eloquent elocution. The disadvantage of audio is being unable to skim read.
I don’t want to give the impression that this book doesn’t have its flaws. It does. Some pretty obvious ones and some depending on your knowledge of the history of that time. It’s obvious the McCammon did a lot of research to write a very authentic feeling historical fiction. I really did feel like I was there living at that time. I’m not sure how accurate he was on all the details but I at least felt like it was accurate. But he obviously did zero research into witch trials in British America. Monty Python doesn’t count. They didn’t burn witches at the stake in the colonies - though they didn’t seem to have any scruples about burning slaves at the stake – but not for witchcraft. Witches were hung. McCammon could have told the same story with a hanging pending. I’m not sure however, he could have told the same story without the false idea that spectral evidence was taken as legitimate evidence outside the Salem witch trials before that particular court was disbanded and replaced.
Anyway, despite these quibbles as well as a few other caricature portrayals and a couple unlikely heroic physical feats – McCammon weaves a story that slowly and expertly builds the atmosphere and suspense of being in a dangerous place with some malevolent undercurrents. It's the sort of writing I usually like in horror rather than historical fiction and it had me looking for excuses to plug in the earphones.
Some might say that at 800 + pages this book could have been a lot shorter with a lot less waffle - that maybe he could have told the same story with half the page count. His subsequent books in the series are quite a bit shorter. But I say, what’s the point of less McCammon, if all I want to do when I finish is read more McCammon – especially if it involves listening to more Eduardo Ballerini.
This book goes on my favourites list with a solid...
5 stars
PS: Eduardo gets 6 stars. Oh Eduardo, I love you.
Magistrate Isaac Woodward and his young charge and clerk (our protagonist) Matthew Corbett, are sent for from Charleston to preside over a witch trial in the fledgling frontier settlement of Fount Royal. Matthew, with an unusually keen mind, soon discerns that not all is as it seems as he asks questions nobody seems able or willing to answer. Driven by insatiable curiosity and tenacious inquisitiveness, coupled with an infatuation for the dark skinned Portuguese accused, Rachel Howarth, Matthew embarks on a quest to unknot a tangled web of an insidious conspiracy.
This book took me by surprise. I’ve never read anything by Robert McCammon before and he isn’t a name I hear very often, if at all. I see he’s written a lot of horror novels in the eighties and nineties and this book is his first foray into historical fiction after a self imposed hiatus from writing.
McCammon’s prose is to die for. I put him up there on the podium alongside or pretty close to Patrick Rothfuss and Guy Gavriel Kay, as authors I could read or listen to all day, not so much for what they write, but for how they write it. I say close because a lot of my enjoyment was undoubtedly accentuated by the exquisite audio narration by Eduardo Ballerini. Eduardo is my new favourite narrator of all time. Even the name Eduardo, rolls on the tongue like a Ferrero slowly melting in my mouth. I think I love you Eduardo.
Still, even if unaided by Ballerini, Robert McCammon really made me feel like I was in 1699 on the American frontier. From very early on, when Isaac Woodward and Matthew Corbett have their first misadventure at a roadside tavern, I felt like I was actually there with the lice and the rats and the human excrement so elegantly described. I felt the tension of having to choose between dying in the storm outside or spending the night in the lowest bowels of hell. I felt the fear of being discovered as Matthew hides himself in a dimly lit stables while his potential killer drunkenly kicks at bales of straw. But the sex with a horse scene was just one step too far. Not cool McCammon. It’s a testament to Eduardo Ballerini’s narration that he didn’t choke on his own tongue as he delivered those lines with eloquent elocution. The disadvantage of audio is being unable to skim read.
I don’t want to give the impression that this book doesn’t have its flaws. It does. Some pretty obvious ones and some depending on your knowledge of the history of that time. It’s obvious the McCammon did a lot of research to write a very authentic feeling historical fiction. I really did feel like I was there living at that time. I’m not sure how accurate he was on all the details but I at least felt like it was accurate. But he obviously did zero research into witch trials in British America. Monty Python doesn’t count. They didn’t burn witches at the stake in the colonies - though they didn’t seem to have any scruples about burning slaves at the stake – but not for witchcraft. Witches were hung. McCammon could have told the same story with a hanging pending. I’m not sure however, he could have told the same story without the false idea that spectral evidence was taken as legitimate evidence outside the Salem witch trials before that particular court was disbanded and replaced.
Anyway, despite these quibbles as well as a few other caricature portrayals and a couple unlikely heroic physical feats – McCammon weaves a story that slowly and expertly builds the atmosphere and suspense of being in a dangerous place with some malevolent undercurrents. It's the sort of writing I usually like in horror rather than historical fiction and it had me looking for excuses to plug in the earphones.
Some might say that at 800 + pages this book could have been a lot shorter with a lot less waffle - that maybe he could have told the same story with half the page count. His subsequent books in the series are quite a bit shorter. But I say, what’s the point of less McCammon, if all I want to do when I finish is read more McCammon – especially if it involves listening to more Eduardo Ballerini.
This book goes on my favourites list with a solid...
5 stars
PS: Eduardo gets 6 stars. Oh Eduardo, I love you.
May 6, 2019
“It is not enough to love the nightbird’s song. One must also love the nightbird. And … one must eventually fall in love with the night itself.”
McCammon is this [-] close to becoming my favourite author of all time. This is such a great book, with a very relatable main character.
What really shines through in this historical fiction story about a magistrate and his assistant giving trial to a witch in 1699 Carolina, is the writer’s ability to show what each character wants. You feel every question that Corbett asks because he just has to know. He asks the questions that we all would ask.
I even felt for the main protagonist. It would be so easy to paint an evil, stock villian but McCammon had me understanding why this character did these certain things, and then made me ache for their weary soul.
There was no doubt a great Evil had seized upon the town, and had grown in both murky day and blackest night like poisonous mushrooms.
There is nothing like a McCammon book. His voice just seeps into your head, and you’re in it. His settings are vivid and memorable; the dialogue is realistic and crammed with wit; the characters are as real as you or I; and the twists and turns will keep you turning the page.
A superb read, with everything you could wish for in a book (IMO).
But what kind of truth was it, that might be both true and false at the same time?
McCammon is this [-] close to becoming my favourite author of all time. This is such a great book, with a very relatable main character.
What really shines through in this historical fiction story about a magistrate and his assistant giving trial to a witch in 1699 Carolina, is the writer’s ability to show what each character wants. You feel every question that Corbett asks because he just has to know. He asks the questions that we all would ask.
I even felt for the main protagonist. It would be so easy to paint an evil, stock villian but McCammon had me understanding why this character did these certain things, and then made me ache for their weary soul.
There was no doubt a great Evil had seized upon the town, and had grown in both murky day and blackest night like poisonous mushrooms.
There is nothing like a McCammon book. His voice just seeps into your head, and you’re in it. His settings are vivid and memorable; the dialogue is realistic and crammed with wit; the characters are as real as you or I; and the twists and turns will keep you turning the page.
A superb read, with everything you could wish for in a book (IMO).
But what kind of truth was it, that might be both true and false at the same time?
March 21, 2015
This is my third book by Mr McCammon and again I am in awe of him. Like the other two this one too is written beautifully.
Magistrate Isaac Woodward and his clerk Matthew are called for to investigate the charges of witchcraft and murder against Rachel Howarth in small town of Fount Royal. During the trial witnesses told Isaac and Woodward about how they’d seen many sexual encounters including Rachel and her master, Satan. And how Satan was commanding them not to hurt Rachel or there would be dire consequences, which was making people to leave Fount Royal. Woodward believed that witnesses were telling the truth but Matthew started suspecting as he knew there was something that was not right.
I love how Robert portrays human emotions in his books. He has described beautifully the everyday life of people of Fount Royal. How this whole witch thing is effecting them and how some people have their own hidden agendas surrounding this. As the story progressed we came to know how everyone has their own secrets to hide. People’s fear, their ignorance and their belief in myths is told in a detailed way.
As always Robert's writing is beautiful. In all enjoyed this blend of historical fiction and mystery. And if you've not read this author yet then go and start ASAP.
Magistrate Isaac Woodward and his clerk Matthew are called for to investigate the charges of witchcraft and murder against Rachel Howarth in small town of Fount Royal. During the trial witnesses told Isaac and Woodward about how they’d seen many sexual encounters including Rachel and her master, Satan. And how Satan was commanding them not to hurt Rachel or there would be dire consequences, which was making people to leave Fount Royal. Woodward believed that witnesses were telling the truth but Matthew started suspecting as he knew there was something that was not right.
I love how Robert portrays human emotions in his books. He has described beautifully the everyday life of people of Fount Royal. How this whole witch thing is effecting them and how some people have their own hidden agendas surrounding this. As the story progressed we came to know how everyone has their own secrets to hide. People’s fear, their ignorance and their belief in myths is told in a detailed way.
As always Robert's writing is beautiful. In all enjoyed this blend of historical fiction and mystery. And if you've not read this author yet then go and start ASAP.
June 2, 2017
Ever since I first read The Alienist by Caleb Carr way back as a twenty year old in 1995 it has been my favorite piece of historical fiction. As of today I may have to rethink that honor. Speaks the Nightbird has been a joy to read from beginning to end. I liked it so much I admire the spaces in between the words!!! And while there is so much going on and so many different story-lines EVERY question gets answered and everything ends up being connected, it's a beautiful thing to behold. There was also the biggest "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" moment that I cheered at the top of my lungs at two in the morning waking up everyone in my house. Great story, UNFORGETTABLE characters, and a finale that is every bit as fitting as it is satisfying. Highest marks with the highest recommendation I can give towards a book, and it is the first in a long series, so... well just read it!
January 24, 2013
Ok I made it to p 404 so I'm calling this read. At times I loved this book. It became obvious early on that the author is a man having a midlife crisis who clearly isn't getting his bedroom needs met. Sadly, I've seen this enough in books that wound up being salvageable that I'd decided to look past it, because the pages kept turning.
However, at some point, one has to draw a line. I'm very disappointed with this author's choice to include . <--That's really not a spoiler, it's more like a parental advisory, I guess. If I had known when I was considering this book that he went "there", I'd have chosen something else.
I still wanted to know how the story ended and considered finishing it, until I got enough of a taste of the ending from reading other reviews to decide I didn't care anymore. I'm returning this to Audible.
ETA: I called Audible, spoke with a man there who told me that was a very good reason for returning a book. All's well that ends well...
However, at some point, one has to draw a line. I'm very disappointed with this author's choice to include . <--That's really not a spoiler, it's more like a parental advisory, I guess. If I had known when I was considering this book that he went "there", I'd have chosen something else.
I still wanted to know how the story ended and considered finishing it, until I got enough of a taste of the ending from reading other reviews to decide I didn't care anymore. I'm returning this to Audible.
ETA: I called Audible, spoke with a man there who told me that was a very good reason for returning a book. All's well that ends well...
January 25, 2024
It’s official— this book started me off on an early American history reading adventure. I’ve now read four books set in similar era.
Intriguing characters, some very dark and melancholy moments but there’s also hope. I loved it from start to finish.
Wonderful depiction of a new settlement in the new world— or as we know it— South Carolina. Something is scaring the residents and driving the new settlers out of their barely built cabins and homesteads.
The book starts with a bang (unsavory highway robbers and a less than reputable innkeeper) for our Magistrate and young clerk, Matthew. Puritans at heart, they are on their way to hear a case of a young widow accused of witchcraft. Pretty much the town folk are just waiting to light the pyre.
I really wasn’t sure where this story would end up, but I really enjoyed the rugged ride thru early colonial life. It’s a trip I’d easily take again if our astute law clerk is along for the ride.
(Reviewed 4/20/23)
Intriguing characters, some very dark and melancholy moments but there’s also hope. I loved it from start to finish.
Wonderful depiction of a new settlement in the new world— or as we know it— South Carolina. Something is scaring the residents and driving the new settlers out of their barely built cabins and homesteads.
The book starts with a bang (unsavory highway robbers and a less than reputable innkeeper) for our Magistrate and young clerk, Matthew. Puritans at heart, they are on their way to hear a case of a young widow accused of witchcraft. Pretty much the town folk are just waiting to light the pyre.
I really wasn’t sure where this story would end up, but I really enjoyed the rugged ride thru early colonial life. It’s a trip I’d easily take again if our astute law clerk is along for the ride.
(Reviewed 4/20/23)
April 29, 2024
Such an underrated gem. Absolutely loved this.
July 21, 2015
Speaks the Nightbird was Robert McCammon's return to publishing after a decade long hiatus that ended in 2003, a period in which the author struggled to break free of the horror genre and find a publisher to go to bat on a different sort of novel. The first in a series of colonial mysteries following inquisitive law clerk Matthew Corbett, it takes place in 1699, with Corbett a twenty-year-old ward to Magistrate Isaac Woodward.
The magistrate and his young clerk are en route to Fount Royal in the Carolinas to try a young widow named Rachel Howarth on charges of witchcraft. Both the town preacher and Howarth's husband lie brutally murdered. Witch accessories have been recovered at Howarth's home. Three witnesses have reported seeing the witch in dalliance with demons. With terrified residents heading for the highway, Fount Royal's mayor Robert Bidwell seeks a fair trial, followed by a fair burning at the stake so his town can return to business proper. Only Corbett can stop this.
I discovered Robert McCammon in high school, at the moment Stephen King published The Tommyknockers in 1987 and concluded a thirteen year streak of classic horror and suspense by throwing nothing but lazy pitches for a while. McCammon, with Swan's Song, The Wolf's Hour and Mine, was a new arm, wrapping boundless imagination with compelling characters, technical expertise and narrative finesse.
Now we have Speaks the Nightbird which was a major disappointment to me. This is the first novel by McCammon I cannot recommend. Why?
-- Red flag: I never came back from lunch late or stayed up late to sneak another chapter in. Ruh roh, Scooby.
-- Red flag: I struggled to find a single description, historical footnote or piece of dialogue to highlight. Not good ...
-- I didn't find Matthew Corbett to be a compelling protagonist. Even in 1699, twenty years old seems awful green. This law clerk lacks the experience, wisdom or knowledge to take a journey with. He reveals no profound secrets, hints at no world that is more mysterious or dangerous than it is, overcomes no demons. He asks questions, imparts theories and McCammon moves the reader to the next plot point.
-- I didn't care about Rachel Howarth either. McCammon never really forces the reader to consider she might be . Confined to a gaol for most of the novel, she's a trophy, a prize coveted by Corbett as much for her sexual desirability as his need to see justice done. She's no weakling, but wasn't given anything to do either.
-- I did finish the book, thus two stars. McCammon introduces one dumb bastard after another just begging for literary karma. With the exception of Corbett and a slave named Goode and the Scottish housekeeper to Mayor Bidwell, nearly everyone in Fount Royal seems convinced that Rachel is in league with the devil and can't wait to dance on her ashes. But ...
-- I got tired of spending my time with morons. It's obvious that Rachel is . If you have a relative who belongs to the Tea Party you find yourself seated with for Thanksgiving dinner, you might understand how much fun this is.
-- Red flag: I flipped through the last 200 pages. I could not wait to reach a resolution and finish.
-- Red flag: I will not be continuing on in this series, which currently stands at five novels.
Half way through Speaks the Nightbird, I figured out why I wasn't enjoying it. McCammon wrote an epic version of Scooby Doo: Where Are You?.
Every four-year-old knows that in the world of Hanna Barbera, ghosts and swamp monsters do not exist, but every character in every incarnation of Scooby Doo seems to think they do (except for Velma, who has to dumb herself down for the benefit of Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and their dog, reasons never specified due to typically lazy writing for Saturday morning cartoons).
Because every episode of Scooby Doo is the same, we know the ending for each episode: the gang will capture a "monster" and launch into an explanation on why supernatural forces are not at work. The "monster" will be unmasked as the owner of the old amusement park and vow that he would've gotten away with his scheme to scare off everyone if it wasn't for those darn kids. End of episode. Cue theme music. Time for a Twinkie.
Based on McCammon's wonderful work in the supernatural realm and some very enthusiastic reviews, I really expect4ed more from Speaks the Nightbird than a Twinkie.
The magistrate and his young clerk are en route to Fount Royal in the Carolinas to try a young widow named Rachel Howarth on charges of witchcraft. Both the town preacher and Howarth's husband lie brutally murdered. Witch accessories have been recovered at Howarth's home. Three witnesses have reported seeing the witch in dalliance with demons. With terrified residents heading for the highway, Fount Royal's mayor Robert Bidwell seeks a fair trial, followed by a fair burning at the stake so his town can return to business proper. Only Corbett can stop this.
I discovered Robert McCammon in high school, at the moment Stephen King published The Tommyknockers in 1987 and concluded a thirteen year streak of classic horror and suspense by throwing nothing but lazy pitches for a while. McCammon, with Swan's Song, The Wolf's Hour and Mine, was a new arm, wrapping boundless imagination with compelling characters, technical expertise and narrative finesse.
Now we have Speaks the Nightbird which was a major disappointment to me. This is the first novel by McCammon I cannot recommend. Why?
-- Red flag: I never came back from lunch late or stayed up late to sneak another chapter in. Ruh roh, Scooby.
-- Red flag: I struggled to find a single description, historical footnote or piece of dialogue to highlight. Not good ...
-- I didn't find Matthew Corbett to be a compelling protagonist. Even in 1699, twenty years old seems awful green. This law clerk lacks the experience, wisdom or knowledge to take a journey with. He reveals no profound secrets, hints at no world that is more mysterious or dangerous than it is, overcomes no demons. He asks questions, imparts theories and McCammon moves the reader to the next plot point.
-- I didn't care about Rachel Howarth either. McCammon never really forces the reader to consider she might be . Confined to a gaol for most of the novel, she's a trophy, a prize coveted by Corbett as much for her sexual desirability as his need to see justice done. She's no weakling, but wasn't given anything to do either.
-- I did finish the book, thus two stars. McCammon introduces one dumb bastard after another just begging for literary karma. With the exception of Corbett and a slave named Goode and the Scottish housekeeper to Mayor Bidwell, nearly everyone in Fount Royal seems convinced that Rachel is in league with the devil and can't wait to dance on her ashes. But ...
-- I got tired of spending my time with morons. It's obvious that Rachel is . If you have a relative who belongs to the Tea Party you find yourself seated with for Thanksgiving dinner, you might understand how much fun this is.
-- Red flag: I flipped through the last 200 pages. I could not wait to reach a resolution and finish.
-- Red flag: I will not be continuing on in this series, which currently stands at five novels.
Half way through Speaks the Nightbird, I figured out why I wasn't enjoying it. McCammon wrote an epic version of Scooby Doo: Where Are You?.
Every four-year-old knows that in the world of Hanna Barbera, ghosts and swamp monsters do not exist, but every character in every incarnation of Scooby Doo seems to think they do (except for Velma, who has to dumb herself down for the benefit of Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and their dog, reasons never specified due to typically lazy writing for Saturday morning cartoons).
Because every episode of Scooby Doo is the same, we know the ending for each episode: the gang will capture a "monster" and launch into an explanation on why supernatural forces are not at work. The "monster" will be unmasked as the owner of the old amusement park and vow that he would've gotten away with his scheme to scare off everyone if it wasn't for those darn kids. End of episode. Cue theme music. Time for a Twinkie.
Based on McCammon's wonderful work in the supernatural realm and some very enthusiastic reviews, I really expect4ed more from Speaks the Nightbird than a Twinkie.
November 4, 2024
Powieść totalna. Jestem w zachwycie.
April 20, 2018
5 Stars
Historical-fiction-mystery, written by Robert R. McCammon. This is the first book in the series; of which, I have the first 4. I bought these books before I read even one book. I say that to say this: McCammon is worth it. Stephen King is the only other author I have done that with, and that says a lot.
It is not the subject matter or the book cover or someones recommendation. It is based upon prior work, that I could make that commitment.
The Plot: Matthew Corbett is a young law clerk working under a magistrate, who must pass judgement on an alleged witch. It is 1699. In North Carolina. What ensues is tragedy, death, sickness, superstition, more death, guilt, prejudice, innocence and at the end.... truth.
This book is huge and full of those wonderful little things called letters. Letters that form into words, words that form into sentences, then paragraphs and in the end; a story. A story on the heels of the Salem witch trials, and a young judicial system trying to right itself afterwards. Also, a young man coming to terms with being an adult with integrity and standing in and for the truth, no matter the hostile attention it draws. This is 1699. Indians are savages. Slaves are lesser creatures, and women are nothing but meat for man's pleasure and then judgement. Matthew gives us hope that these things do not ring true for all men and that there is hope for common ground, understanding and justice.
Highly recommended
Historical-fiction-mystery, written by Robert R. McCammon. This is the first book in the series; of which, I have the first 4. I bought these books before I read even one book. I say that to say this: McCammon is worth it. Stephen King is the only other author I have done that with, and that says a lot.
It is not the subject matter or the book cover or someones recommendation. It is based upon prior work, that I could make that commitment.
The Plot: Matthew Corbett is a young law clerk working under a magistrate, who must pass judgement on an alleged witch. It is 1699. In North Carolina. What ensues is tragedy, death, sickness, superstition, more death, guilt, prejudice, innocence and at the end.... truth.
This book is huge and full of those wonderful little things called letters. Letters that form into words, words that form into sentences, then paragraphs and in the end; a story. A story on the heels of the Salem witch trials, and a young judicial system trying to right itself afterwards. Also, a young man coming to terms with being an adult with integrity and standing in and for the truth, no matter the hostile attention it draws. This is 1699. Indians are savages. Slaves are lesser creatures, and women are nothing but meat for man's pleasure and then judgement. Matthew gives us hope that these things do not ring true for all men and that there is hope for common ground, understanding and justice.
Highly recommended
April 14, 2017
Robert McCammon is a great story teller. This was a long novel, but it kept me entertained throughout.
Spoiler Alert
Book I in a historical series, this book had a little of everything; witches (or supposed witches), devils (or supposed devils), pirates treasure, Indians, a crazed, one-eyed bear, circus freaks, murder and even a jaw dropping dose of beastiality.
I'm sure the horror genre will come to mind when anyone sees McCammons name attached to the novel, but this was actually a classic mystery novel at its best. And it was well done, if I might add. It took me awhile to decide who I thought was guilty. It turns out I was correct, but until the culprit was identified I was still not 100% sure. I was even beginning to think that maybe the accused witch, who I was convinced was innocent from the get go, was going to be a real witch after all.
I think the darkest part of this story may not have been the depiction of the murders, but rather the misguided use and understanding of medicine during that period. The description of blood letting and heated blister cups is hard to fathom.
I'm pretty sure I'm hooked now and will be reading further into this series.
February 12, 2020
Spectacular, magnificent, superb. Honestly, "Speaks the Nightbird" is truly amazing. I know this is going to sound awfully corny but it's one of the best novels I've ever read. This book is what story-telling is all about. There's not a single dull chapter - and everybody knows even the best books out there feature at least one of them. Seriously, it's so good it baffles me. "Speaks the Nightbird" has got everything: mystery, murder, love, friendship, Indians, and a crazed rabid one-eyed bear.
Six stars, and more.
Six stars, and more.
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