The Holly King
The Witches of Woodville 4
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
The Holly King
Buy for $22.98
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Candida Gubbins
-
By:
-
Mark Stay
About this listen
'Fast-paced, entertainingly creepy, laugh-out-loud funny, and genuinely moving' Michelle Paver
'Full of magic and delight' Rowan Coleman
‘A rural Ben Aaronovitch!’ C. K. McDonnell
The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . .
It's December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply.
Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way.
As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King’s spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction?
Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas?
***
For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the fourth novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . .
Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series!
#1 The Crow Folk
#2 Babes in the Wood
#3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn©2023 Mark Stay (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Starter Villain
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,470
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,302
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- By C. White on 09-19-23
By: John Scalzi
-
The Secret Hours
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 792
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 707
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 707
Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service “to investigate historical over-reaching.” Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so. But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just about perfect
- By June Lapidow on 09-28-23
By: Mick Herron
-
Midnight Riot
- Rivers of London, Book 1
- By: Ben Aaronovitch
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,780
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,011
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,988
Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I LOVE this Book!
- By Nancy J on 02-26-13
By: Ben Aaronovitch
-
A Man with One of Those Faces
- By: Caimh McDonnell
- Narrated by: Morgan C. Jones
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 929
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 825
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 821
The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident. The second time was deliberate. Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history. Or else they’ll be history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not easily pleased
- By Anna on 08-30-18
By: Caimh McDonnell
-
The Stranger Times
- The Stranger Times, Book 1
- By: C. K. McDonnell
- Narrated by: Brendan McDonald
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 715
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 628
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 626
A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but mostly the weird), The Stranger Times is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable. At least that's their pitch. The reality is rather less auspicious. Their editor is a drunken, foul-tempered and foul-mouthed husk of a man who thinks little of the publication he edits. His staff are a ragtag group of misfits. And as for the assistant editor...well, that job is a revolving door - and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got problems of her own.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Animal abuse
- By Meep on 10-26-21
By: C. K. McDonnell
-
Godkiller
- By: Hannah Kaner
- Narrated by: Kit Griffiths
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 337
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 308
Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Good story but the Narration is so bad
- By Nino Svanidze on 10-31-23
By: Hannah Kaner
-
Starter Villain
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10,470
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9,308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,302
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- By C. White on 09-19-23
By: John Scalzi
-
The Secret Hours
- By: Mick Herron
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 792
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 707
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 707
Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the Monochrome inquiry, investigating "historical over-reaching" by the British Secret Service “to investigate historical over-reaching.” Monochrome’s mission was to ferret out any hint of misconduct by any MI5 officer—and allowed Griselda Fleet and Malcolm Kyle, the two civil servants seconded to the project, unfettered access to any and all confidential information in the Service archives in order to do so. But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just about perfect
- By June Lapidow on 09-28-23
By: Mick Herron
-
Midnight Riot
- Rivers of London, Book 1
- By: Ben Aaronovitch
- Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7,780
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7,011
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 6,988
Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I LOVE this Book!
- By Nancy J on 02-26-13
By: Ben Aaronovitch
-
A Man with One of Those Faces
- By: Caimh McDonnell
- Narrated by: Morgan C. Jones
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 929
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 825
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 821
The first time somebody tried to kill him was an accident. The second time was deliberate. Now Paul Mulchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history. Or else they’ll be history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Not easily pleased
- By Anna on 08-30-18
By: Caimh McDonnell
-
The Stranger Times
- The Stranger Times, Book 1
- By: C. K. McDonnell
- Narrated by: Brendan McDonald
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 715
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 628
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 626
A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but mostly the weird), The Stranger Times is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable. At least that's their pitch. The reality is rather less auspicious. Their editor is a drunken, foul-tempered and foul-mouthed husk of a man who thinks little of the publication he edits. His staff are a ragtag group of misfits. And as for the assistant editor...well, that job is a revolving door - and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got problems of her own.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Animal abuse
- By Meep on 10-26-21
By: C. K. McDonnell
-
Godkiller
- By: Hannah Kaner
- Narrated by: Kit Griffiths
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 337
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 308
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 308
Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world—but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays “godkillers” to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Good story but the Narration is so bad
- By Nino Svanidze on 10-31-23
By: Hannah Kaner
-
A Little Hatred
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 10,118
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 9,017
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,989
On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta - socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union - plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Rough listen.
- By Jared Clark on 01-08-20
By: Joe Abercrombie
-
A Dangerous Act of Kindness
- By: L P Fergusson
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
When widow Millie Sanger finds injured enemy pilot Lukas Schiller on her farm, the distant war is suddenly at her doorstep. Compassionate Millie knows he’ll be killed if discovered and makes the dangerous decision to offer him shelter from the storm. On opposite sides of the inescapable conflict, the two strangers forge an unexpected and passionate bond. But as the snow thaws, the relentless fury of World War Two forces them apart, leaving only the haunting memories of what they shared and an understanding that their secret must never see light.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
On of my best liked
- By Bunt on 08-11-19
By: L P Fergusson
-
The Way Back
- By: Gavriel Savit
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
For the Jews of Eastern Europe, demons are everywhere: Dancing on the rooftops in the darkness of midnight, congregating in the trees, harrowing the dead, even reaching out to try and steal away the living. But the demons have a land of their own: A Far Country peopled with the souls of the transient dead, governed by demonic dukes, barons, and earls. When the Angel of Death comes strolling through the little shtetl of Tupik one night, two young people will be sent spinning off on a journey through the Far Country.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Worthy representation
- By Rose on 02-17-23
By: Gavriel Savit
-
Shardless
- Tempris, Book 1
- By: Stephanie Fisher
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
- Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 555
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 508
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 507
On Tempris, time magic is outlawed, and suspected time mages are hunted. Humans are second-class citizens, shunned by the immortal fey that live on the island. They even have a name for their kind: Shardless. Taly is one of the lucky humans. Taken in by a fey noble and his family, she's lived a good life, surrounded by people she loves. But when an accidental brush with magic causes her to see things - ghostly apparitions that give her small glimpses into the future - it has deadly consequences. The Sanctorum has returned to the island, and if they find her, they'll kill her.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
4 star that could have been a 5 star
- By mat on 11-18-20
By: Stephanie Fisher
-
Changeling
- The Oddmire, Book 1
- By: William Ritter
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 34
Magic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind - a newborn changeling. But when the fateful night arrives to trade a human baby for a goblin one, something goes terribly wrong. After laying the changeling in a human infant's crib, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted from his task. By the time he turns back, the changeling has already perfectly mimicked the human child. Too perfectly: Kull cannot tell them apart. Not knowing which to bring back, he leaves both babies behind.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Engaging for Kids
- By Tiffany on 03-10-21
By: William Ritter
-
Visions
- Knights of Salucia, Book 1
- By: C.D. Espeseth
- Narrated by: Rhys David
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
During a burgeoning age of steam, steel, and new physics-based magic the paths of an invading empire, a brother destined to be a knight, a prince who harvests souls, a detective hot on a serial killer's trail, a princess who hears the song of God, a girl raised to be a weapon struggling to control her awesome power, a young dock-rat with a strange new ability, and a dirt-poor musician with an autistic friend all collide as they find themselves embroiled in a clockwork of destinies ticking towards events which will change the world forever.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Well worth a listen
- By KAG on 10-14-19
By: C.D. Espeseth
-
The Crimson Spark
- Vagabond Legacy, Book 1
- By: William Hastings
- Narrated by: Vic Mignogna
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Leo is a boy grieving his twin. Nea is a girl living as a boy to escape her past. Two slaves, carrying the scars of abuse. They form a connection, only to be split apart when their ship arrives in a mysterious and fragmented land, cut off from the rest of the world. Leo becomes apprentice to a vagabond swordsman and together the two set out to find a stolen weapon locked away in a catacomb city. But what is his new teacher hiding? Tormented by a crippling injury and an anxious heart, Leo must find the strength within himself to keep going despite all that he has lost.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Phenomenal work
- By athainesegirl on 03-05-21
By: William Hastings
-
Loki: Where Mischief Lies
- Marvel Universe YA, Book 1
- By: Mackenzi Lee
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 316
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 281
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 282
Before the days of going toe-to-toe with the Avengers, a younger Loki is desperate to prove himself heroic and capable, while it seems everyone around him suspects him of inevitable villainy and depravity...except for Amora. Asgard's resident sorceress-in-training feels like a kindred spirit - someone who values magic and knowledge, who might even see the best in him. But when Loki and Amora cause the destruction of one of Asgard's most prized possessions, Amora is banished to Earth, where her powers will slowly and excruciatingly fade to nothing.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
WOW!!!!
- By Aaron S. on 09-12-19
By: Mackenzi Lee
-
Robber Girl
- By: S.T. Gibson
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 81
In a Sweden wracked by war and haunted by folk stories so dark they can only be spoken of in whispers, Helvig has been raised by her brigand father to steal whatever treasure catches her eye. When her men ambush a strange girl on the road with hair pale as death and a crow perched on her shoulder, Helvig cannot resist bringing home a truly unique prize: a genuine witch. Drawn irresistibly into the other woman's web, Helvig soon learns of Gerda's reason for walking the icy border roads alone: to find the queen who lives at the top of the world and kill her.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Pleasantly Surprised
- By AmandaB on 08-10-21
By: S.T. Gibson
-
Incursion
- The Necromancer's Key, Book 1
- By: Mitchell Hogan
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 307
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 280
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 279
Seventeen years have passed since the Necromancer Queen Talia was overthrown and slain, and her capital city destroyed by the Knights of the Order of Eternal Vigilance. Anskar DeVantte, raised in the sacred disciplines of the Order, is now ready to face the brutal initiation trials to become a consecrated knight-sorcerer. But the further Anskar rises in the ranks the more his faith wavers. As troubling powers awaken within him, a schism grows between Anskar and his hallowed Order, and he draws the hungry gaze of the vanquished queen’s fanatical followers.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Michael Kramer!
- By Momof3inSLC on 07-24-20
By: Mitchell Hogan
-
Tales from Kingfountain, Muirwood, and Beyond
- The Worlds of Jeff Wheeler
- By: Jeff Wheeler
- Narrated by: Kate Rudd
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
Thirteen imaginative tales filled with revenge, battles, hope, and gut-punching endings set in Kingfountain, Muirwood, and exciting new settings, from best-selling author Jeff Wheeler. Immerse yourself in worlds with tragic kingdoms and mad kings, magic communication with bees in haunted ruins, a boy who serves the mystical Ravenmaster of Pent Tower, and the secrets of Metamorphistry.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I loved it!
- By K. Ford on 06-25-22
By: Jeff Wheeler
-
The Master's Apprentice
- A Retelling of the Faust Legend (Faust, Book 1)
- By: Oliver Pötzsch, Lisa Reinhardt - translator
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 22 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 268
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 232
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 233
It’s the fifteenth century and only heretics are curious about the universe. Germany, 1494. Born under a rare alignment of the stars, Johann Georg Gerlach, "the lucky one" to his mother - is fated for greatness. But Johann’s studies and wonder at the sky have made him suspect. Especially in wake of the child disappearances that have left the God-fearing locals trembling and his one true love trapped in terrified catatonia. Her only words: "I have seen the devil..."
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
well researched, well told retelling of a classic
- By Joseph Capell on 08-29-20
By: Oliver Pötzsch, and others
Critic reviews
'Beautiful and engaging and clever and what more could you ask for in a book?' Manda Scott, bestselling author of A Treachery of Spies
'Warm, witty, witchy wartime fun. With Mark Stay as writer you're always guaranteed a magical read' Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries
'Enid Blyton filmed by Hammer' Talking Scared Podcast
'You'll love it: Doctor Who meets Worzel Gummidge' Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village
'Stay has brewed a cracking blend of charm and creepiness in The Crow Folk. A rip-roaring tale of bravery and witchcraft on the wartime home front, expertly told with lashings of wit and warmth' Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World
'A jolly romp with witches, demons, and bellringing. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, and Faye is a feisty and fun hero. Dad's Army meets Witches of Eastwick' Ian W Sainsbury
'A young witch to rival Tiffany Aching. Magic!' FMA Dixon
'Mark’s ingenious decision to set his magical saga not in some ancient realm of wizards and dragons but in a vividly recreated WWII-era rural England gives us the most lived-in and believable fantasy world. I wish I’d thought of it' Mitch Benn
'Mark Stay’s brilliantly written Witches of Woodville books are somehow funny, cosy, clever and disturbingly dark all at the same time. Terry Pratchett fans will LOVE em' Lucy Strange
'Extremely funny, full of imagination, verve and typical English "home counties" wit' Irish Independent