#5Questions

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Author Bio (via Facebook)

Ruth Warburton grew up on the south coast of England in Lewes: a small town with a long history. After leaving Lewes she studied English at the University of Manchester, and there developed a fascination with Old English and Middle English texts. While researching A Witch in Winter she found herself returning to them, in particular Beowulf and Le Morte D'Arthur, and seeds from these mixed with ancient Mesopotamian demons, Voodoo spells, Tudor superstitions and 15th century witch hunting guides, to create the Winter Trilogy

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Title: Witch Finder

Author: Ruth Warburton

Publishing Date: January 2nd 2014 

Publisher: Hodder Children's books

ISBN: 1444914464

Summary (via GoodReads)

London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches.
Luke's final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder then he could ever imagine.

1. How did you get into writing?

I've always written - ever since I could talk I was telling stories to my sister and friends, and ever since I could write I started jotting them down (and later typing them on the family computer). I can't remember a time when I wasn't making up scenarios in my head.

2. When starting a book how much of it comes straight from your imagination and how much is research?

It depends on the book and the setting. Most of my books have a premise and characters that are pretty much straight from the imagination, but the background comes from research - my latest series is set in Victorian London so I did a lot of reading and planning around the historical background. I love both parts - and often elements of the research trigger my imagination to go down different lines with the plot and characters so it all feeds into the same pot. 

3. Who is your favourite character you have written and why?

Ooh... hard to say. I have a really soft spot for Bran in the later Winter books who is such a bastard. I love characters when I can really let rip!

4. Do you go into a book knowing how you want it to end?

Usually I have an ending in mind but I have to get there before I can see whether it fits or not. 

5. What 5 books would you recommend for your readers?

Hmm... I've done a lot of "recommended reads" lists over the years so this time, rather than guessing your tastes, I'm going to say get yourself over to twitter, check out the #UKYA hashtag and take your pick!

If you haven't already check out our review of Ruth's A Witch in Winter.

A Witch in Winter

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
When love is tangled up in magic, how do you know what's real?
When Anna meets Seth, it's magic. But her hidden powers unleash a spell that sparks a war among witches and enslaves Seth's heart.

Review
If I'm being completely honest, and lets face it I usually am, I bought this book because I liked the cover - I do this a lot. I wasn't expecting it too be that great, but I was wrong and should start judging books by their covers more often. It has some really interesting moments that connect a greater story of finding a comfortable place between your heart and you conscience.

I'm going to kick things off with some of the negatives because truth be told I kind of want to get to the part where I can gush over how much I liked the story! The main problem I had with this, and it's one I've had with other books, is that I didn't like the main character. I mean, I don't hate Anna the way I do Katniss from THGs but I struggled to feel sympathetic to her situation. I read this with a book buddy on GoodReads and we both said that Anna's inability to make the right decision was a constant snag in the story. It's hard to feel sorry for someone who's hit themselves in the face and all that.

Okay, now that's out the way I can move onto Seth! Seth is kinda of adorable - in a bod boy kind of way. The girl I was reading this with fell for him straight away although it took me a little more time to get won over by his charms. If there was anyone in this story that I wanted to get a happily ever after it was Seth... and maybe Abe. Abe is complicated - to say the least. You don't really find out much about him, he's a secondary character but his power over the weather is enchanting and his dry wit is endearing. I really hope we see more of him in the next book!

One character that I would tell you to keep an eye out for is Emmaline! She quickly became one of my favourite character's; if it was possible for the story to have been told from her point of view I would have preferred it. Actually keep an eye out for that whole family!

The story itself was really interesting. I would have liked a little more of the 'old' magic but the way in which this book is written you could close your eyes and see every spell being cast. I got a little frustrated with the fact the main character is unable of making a decision that didn't endanger the entire population of Winter, but when the story unfolds towards the end her rashness come in handy - I guess.

Another thing I loved about this book was that you could tell that it was written by a Brit! Now, it's not really that big a deal it's just little things here and there that make it feel all the more familiar. Simple things like instead of grassing or narcing Warburton sticks to good old fashioned dobbing.

Overall it's a great witchy read that is full of plot changes and unexpected twists, adorable and intimate moments, as well as a great last line! Definitely worth adding to your list if your into fantasy. The writing flows effortlessly making it such an easy read!

This is one witch you don't want to miss... mainly because she'll probable decide to cast a spell and end the world, so best to keep an eye on her!

Official Book Trailer