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The Once and Future Witches

Alix E. Harrow

Start date: June 1, 2021

Finish date: June 30, 2021

Discussion: Book of the Month

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Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Jun 06, 2021 Dr. Andy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: queer-af, queer-rep-asexual, rainbow-shelf, mental-illness-ptsd, queer-rep-wlw-unspecified, read-2021, book-box-edition, illumicrate, queer-rep-trans, queer-side-character

How the heck do I even summarize this book? I feel like the title does a very good job, but to be thorough I'll add: Women of all backgrounds (BIPOC, LGBTQIAP+ etc) come together to rediscover witchcraft and take down the patriarchy.

Three sisters that were separated are brought back together by the magic that binds them: Agnes, Bella and Juniper must face past trauma and heal the wounds from their childhood if they're to succeed.

I fucking loved this book so damn much. Witches and empowering wo ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 06, 2021 Priya rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2021

This is a very worthy follow-up to the author's debut novel The ten thousand doors of January which I loved.

Here she tells the story of the Eastwood sisters Belladonna,Agnes and Juniper; it is a tale of sisterhood, family, brave women standing up for their rights and yes, witchcraft and how that is used to empower those women who need it.

On the spring equinox of 1893, the three estranged sisters come together again, drawn involuntarily by the words they learnt from their grandmother back home. O ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2021 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lesbian-rep, owned

4.5 Stars
Content Warnings at end of review.

This book is so good. The lore woven throughout is definitely my favorite part. Turning fairy tales and nursery rhymes into spells is such a cool idea! I loved the other fairy tale elements woven throughout. This is definitely a story of feminism and magic and taking back what is owed.

I loved the three sisters and the supporting cast of characters. I especially loved Juniper!

This is a great book and I definitely recommend it!

Content Warnings
Graphic: De ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2021 Elle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 5-star-reads

I loved this book! I had read Harrow's novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January prior and gave it 5 stars, but I liked this one even more.

I found the premise (and the fact that I enjoyed said previous novel) intriguing enough to put this on my TBR, but SERIOUSLY underestimated where it could go. The Once and Future Witches goes far beyond your typical "witchy" novel. It is an incredibly well-written and magical story that takes history, fairytale, and children's rhymes and tosses them together wi I loved this book! I had read Harrow's novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January prior and gave it 5 stars, but I liked this one even more.

I found the premise (and the fact that I enjoyed said previous novel) intriguing enough to put this on my TBR, but SERIOUSLY underestimated where it could go. The Once and Future Witches goes far beyond your typical "witchy" novel. It is an incredibly well-written and magical story that takes history, fairytale, and children's rhymes and tosses them together with liberal alteration to create something ridiculously creative and gripping.

The characters and atmosphere were both amazing. Typically a book is either character-driven or plot-driven. This was very easily both. The characters were brilliant. Distinct personalities, well-demonstrated flaws, and individualized motivations were present for all three protagonists in even balance. Even the supporting characters had dynamic development and followed full character arcs. Brilliant.

The world-building was intricate and just kept wowing me. The usage of "believable" magic was fantastic, with the use of simple "spells" from childhood rhymes and the need for basic items and herbs. This was incredibly well thought out and entertaining. There are little historical nods and Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the narrative in a way that makes it immensely fun to read.

The pacing is great throughout the story. Despite the fact that it is a lengthy read, not a bit of the plot felt wasted. There is a constant build of tension created in a way that took advantage of the surroundings, made things feel dark and foreboding, and took use of historical and fantastical license well. Every page and chapter served a purpose and added to the story, either through plot movement or vibrant background information that occasionally left me giddy.

This book was beautiful and amazing. The only (fairly minor) flaw for me was the inclusion of an epilogue, which I felt took a little fire and power out of the ending. Still...hard 5 stars. I will definitely read this one again and will be putting a copy in my permanent collection.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. * ...more

1 like · Like · see review