The Once and Future Witches

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

This thread is to discuss The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow.

Pages: 517 pages

Length: 1 month (July)

Participants: Valerie, Queenie, Dominique, Ilona, Kristy, Saha, lorelei

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

[Valerie]

Hi everyone, thanks for joining me. I’m expecting to start reading this halfway through the month. I really enjoyed The Ten Thousand Doors of January so hopefully this will be as good. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

[Dominique]

I`ll be reading this one around mid-July.

[Kristy]

I'll make plans to read it around midway through July as well. I've had this one on my Kindle forever as well as the Ten Thousand Doors of January, which I haven't read either.

[Ashleigh]

I read this back in January as my book club read and enjoyed it quite a lot! I wasn't a fan of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, but thought this one was much better (obviously my personal opinion).

I hope you all enjoy!

[Francine]

Hi, I’d like to join this buddy read but there’s so much information listed I honestly can’t figure out how to do it. Do you mind if I still participate/comment? Thanks, Francine

[Valerie]

Very welcome Francine. Just remember to hide spoilers please especially as it looks like most of us are not going to start this until later in the month.

[Francine]

That’s perfect, I probably won’t start it for another couple of weeks myself. I have about 8 library books ahead of it! 😂

[lorelei]

I borrowed this on my Libby app and only have 6 days left to read so I started it today. I am only 10% and I getting this charmed vibe from it. Did anyone else watch that tv show?

[Francine]

Yes, Lorelei I was a fan of that show - were you?

[Ilona]

I started reading last night. Only managed a few chapters so far, but the story is intriguing. It's fast paced and manages to tell quite bit of backstory in just a few pages.

Lorelei, I never watched the tv show Charmed, but I did read a few books as a teenager.

[Ilona]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[I am so annoyed with the main characters! Juniper is reckless and mean, and the other two way too easily swayed. Agnes wants to protect Juniper, and Bella is curious about witchcraft, but I wish they would stand up to Juniper a bit more. (hide spoiler)]

Edit: Chapter 13(view spoiler)[ It seems I was a bit too hasty with this comment. Agnes and Bella are making sure the organisation is properly set up now (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

Ilona wrote: "I started reading last night. Only managed a few chapters so far, but the story is intriguing. It's fast paced and manages to tell quite bit of backstory in just a few pages.

Lorelei, I never wat..."

Just read the prologue and immediately hooked in. Definitely very intriguing and evocative.

[Ilona]

This turned out to be quite pageturner! Massive spoiler:(view spoiler)[I wanted so bad for them all to have a traditional fairy tale happy ending, but the actual ending made for a better book. And June did seem perfectly content in the epilogue. (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

End of chapter 11. The sign of a good fantasy novel is when you accept the magical elements as reality. (view spoiler)[ I agree with Agnes when she asks what woman has not fantasised with inflicting violence and vengeance on aggressive, leering men, wishing indeed for a different kind of power.
I like the prickly relationship between the sisters, and wonder if Bella really betrayed Agnes.
I’m intrigued by the strange shadows and with who Grace really is. (hide spoiler)]
Very enjoyable so far. Will read your spoilers when I reach them Ilona.

[Valerie]

Ilona wrote: "Chapter 12: [spoilers removed]

Edit: Chapter 13[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[ I think their conflicting/complementary personalities are probably what makes movements for change work. The UK suffragettes certainly had the full range from wild and impulsive to respectable and cautious. But yes all of them need to assert themselves to create a balance (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

End of chapter 22. Certainly rattling along at quite a pace now and I keep finding myself reading just one more chapter (or three) to find out what happens next. I am wondering (view spoiler)[ what will become of Agnes now she has parted from her sisters, if Cleo and Lee can be trusted, if Grace will change sides, and who exactly is Hill (hide spoiler)]

[Valerie]

End of chapter 34. A much darker tale now but (view spoiler)[ there seems to be some hope of resistance in the older knowledge of the three witches. Know some more about Hill now but still wondering how or if he is still alive (hide spoiler)]
Enjoying how the characters of the three sisters are developing and changing.

[Kristy]

I started this yesterday. I just reached chapter 26 and I’m having a hard time putting it down at this point. Just a few observations:

(view spoiler)[these sisters have quite the history with each other and I see a lot of misunderstandings in how their father manipulated them against each other.

I loved how Bella was entranced by the tower being a giant library and June being disappointed that it was just a bunch of books. LOL. So fitting for their personalities. (hide spoiler)]

@valerie (view spoiler)[ I am also intrigued by the shadows and look forward to them figuring out just what Hill is (hide spoiler)]

[Kristy]

I'm also really enjoying the way Grimm's Fairy Tales are incorporated into the story. Has anyone read them?

[Dominique]

I finished the book. Gave it a 2 stars. It wasn't what I expected and found it very slow and not engaging. There wasn't any characters that stood out didn't care for any of them. Happy that you guys are liking it.

[Valerie]

Kristy wrote: "I'm also really enjoying the way Grimm's Fairy Tales are incorporated into the story. Has anyone read them?"

I like the way she has twisted them from fairy tales to witch tales. Though of course the source stories for the Brothers Grim were very dark indeed, we just got the sanitised versions.

[Valerie]

Finished. Plenty of twists and surprises in the final part. I found the book thoroughly enjoyable and captivating. I liked the fact that the ending is more speculative than neat and definitive. I loved her style of writing and found the plot to be both fast paced and unpredictable whilst the characters were complex, flawed but developing and dynamic. I’ll be interested to see what others think.

[Francine]

Dominique wrote: "I finished the book. Gave it a 2 stars. It wasn't what I expected and found it very slow and not engaging. There wasn't any characters that stood out didn't care for any of them. Happy that you guy..."

Same, this felt like a chore to get thru, I didn’t connect with any of the characters and it was so slow. Reading these comments I found myself pep talking myself - just make it to chapter x, it’s going to pick up, but it just didn’t happen for me.

[Kristy]

Valerie wrote: "Kristy wrote: "I'm also really enjoying the way Grimm's Fairy Tales are incorporated into the story. Has anyone read them?"

I like the way she has twisted them from fairy tales to witch tales. Tho..."

My husband read them years ago so I knew they were dark unlike the Disney versions I grew up with. I'm thinking about investing in one of the gorgeous illustrated versions and reading them

This author has a series of novellas that are retellings that I think I want to try too.