I devoured these books and I’m delighted by the ending. The sheer volume of female and queer solidarity in this trilogy is balm for the soul and I will deeply miss these feral witches. Please write more books, Mx. Clarke.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Reading any books in this series feels like returning to your teenage years except everything is way more glamorous and a bit more violent than you remember - and also, you have magic. And the last book in the trilogies does not disappoint !
It’s a delight to return to Sideways and their very distinct voice : not only are they a great character in terms of depth and motivations, they’re also a perfect narrator for this wonderful lesbian and queer chaos I so loved in the first two books.

Without spoiling anything, it focuses on community, a very feral and very cool one, and how much it matters to protect your own (especially when everyone is queer, lol). The raw and brutal honesty in which the Scapegracers love each other made the dramatic moments all the more terrifying, and I loved seeing more of how witches organize and interact, and more of the dads too (I love them!!!).
Honestly, the only problem I have with this book is the ending : I would’ve liked one or two more chapters to spread out a bit of the battle and more importantly its aftermath. It even felt a bit rushed, and when I got to the end I thought to myself « wait, that’s it? ».

Still, a very good book and a nice finale for a great trilogy about queer girlhood, never shying away from the brutality of it. Thank you for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review

@logarithmicpanda and I have been screaming about this series since the beginning and I love that it has hit hard in every installment

Characters: Sideways is a fantastic main character, full of big and messy emotions, unapologetically queer, full of mistakes and compassion and I love them so much. ofc our other scapegracers are a delight as always, vicious Daisy, compassionate Yates, and fierce Jing. Any scene with any combination of them had me giggling, kicking my feet in the air cause I need this coven so bad. Shiloh was a delight, and I liked these new characters, just never as much as my main coven

Writing: the PROSE!!! I love unique and descriptive prose and Clarke’s style won’t be for everyone but it IS for me. It overflows with vivid descriptions and unsettling metaphors and I soaked it all up like a sponge!! I wanted to put these words in my mouth and devour them whole

Relationships: I straight up cried at one point. but again, I live for the coven dynamics, I need this fandom to expand, these witches deserve the world. We love a ride or die friendship

Plot: The pacing was definitely a little bit off, especially with the ending going from 100 to 0 in no time. I really was craving more falling action from the end. I did love the domestic scenes of friendship in the beginning and middle and the plot had me at the edge of my seat many many times. I felt the end was very sudden.

Themes: It's very “queer as in fuck you up” and also punk hope??? Like there's anger but so much hope!!

a memorable quote: “I felt the worms underneath us rejoice.” (All my other favorites had spoilers!!)

One of my most awaited books of the year! Even though it actually comes out in 2024 (Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!)
I adored the first two books, and this conclusion to the series truly delivers
The prose is incredibly distinctive, being in Sideways' head is always exhilarating
The characters have varied motivations, and the web of relationships between them really echoes the themes of found family, and belonging, and sets the stage for the importance of fighting for your community
This series never shies away from violence and ugliness yet still manages to avoid pointless drama
The magic has an organic and gritty feel that I adore
Truly my only negative comment is that the very end felt a bit rushed, I think it could have used an extra chapter or two to have a bit more falling action
I just want to reread the whole series from the start now xD

I guess I was kind of a latecomer to The Scapegracers, given I only read the first book a little over a week ago. Before I was even halfway through, I'd already checked The Scratch Daughters out from the library, and before I finished THAT, I'd requested The Feast Makers ARC and squealed when I saw that I'd been approved.

I just...I love these witches so fucking much and will never not wish that this series (or something like it) had been around when I was in HS.

Anyway, The Feast Makers. I spent a lot of the book yelling at Sideways for not. fucking. talking. to. anyone. <spoiler>"Hey guys, I may have mugged a witchfinder and he's probably going to be p pissed." "Hey, hundreds of witches I've never met before? Maybe hanging out in town when there are also hundreds of witchfinders in town for a witchfinder kid we accidentally killed is a bad idea, you could all be in danger." "Even if I didn't lose Jing's mimic, we may have left her obviously hexed car crashed on the side of the road next to said hex with all of our identifying shit in it." (I really expected that last one to come bite them in their collective asses) "Jing, I know it's really obvious to everyone in the whole world and you've been dropping every possible hint, but I like you."</spoiler> The pacing in general was a little wonky, but that was not surprising given the pacing of the previous two books and I'm choosing to see it as a feature, not a bug.

Holy shit, when the meaning of the title hits? Goddamn.

I can't wait to re-read all three when this one is officially published. Will be buying them all for my youngest, and am going to be talking to our local Teen Librarian about ordering a set for the library. Genuinely sad this is the last of this series, but can't wait to see what August Clarke writes next.

I’m obsessed with this trilogy. I absolutely devoured The Scapegracers and The Scratch Daughters, and The Feast Makers is no exception. The stakes are as high as ever, but Sideways Pike is just as much a chaotic, unpredictable mess as they’ve ever been.

H. A. Clarke’s writing style is incredible. It’s viscerally descriptive, feral, you can almost sink your teeth into it. Sideways’ voice is so dry, their observations by turns hilarious, dark and unexpected. They’re one of my favourite characters ever.

The Feast Makers definitely keeps up the momentum from the first two books. I adored getting a more in-depth look into the witching community, the descriptions of magic are enchanting, and despite the whirlwind (but excellent) plot, Clarke takes the time to explore dynamics between the Scapegracers themselves which is a delight.

I’m slightly heartbroken that this is the end, because I could live in this little world with Sideways, Jing, Yates and Daisy forever. The Feast Makers is a wild ride - a brilliant, laugh-out-loud, quietly cry, scream at Sideways, utterly magical ending to a game-changing queer trilogy and I can’t wait to buy the finished book when it comes out.

I think The Scapegracers Trilogy might be the best lesbian YA fantasy series out there. Sideways Pike is such a complex and flawed and real protagonist, and I feel like a proud parent watching them grow into their identity and find their place in the world. These books are so feral and queer and the writing style is so crunchy and poetic and I love it so much.

The plot here picks up some of the conflicts and consequences of the previous books, and introduces us a little to the wider witching world. I do feel like the pacing was a little weird, and the end wrapped up so fast compared to the build up - but also it’s so much from Sideways’ POV and feels like the kind of messy real way that the end of high school happens so fast. There’s definitely some open ends that I’m intrigued about. I LOVE the plan they came up with to fight in the end, though!

The tension and development of the romantic relationship had me losing my mind - and I was highly anticipating it after the hints from the last book. Not to mention all the friendships and platonic relationships - one of my favourite things about this series is how every relationship is developed in its own complexity, without being put in boxes of ‘friends’ or ‘love interest’ or ‘sibling’. Nor does it ignore those elements to make things simpler. Friends can kiss sometimes.

One thing I missed was 24/7 Mr Scratch - his and Sideways’ dynamic in the previous book was SO GOOD. But he’s definitely still here and still my fav!!

I can't wait to reread this trilogy tbh.

I did notice a couple of points where it used she and he pronouns for Sideways and Shiloh - assuming probably typos, hopefully that’ll be fixed in the final version.

Attached links are of my fanart, there will probably be more coming (which you will be able to find at the tumblr link)

God do I love this trilogy with my whole heart and I am going to miss my feral children so much now that it is over.

The third book in The Scapegracers trilogy is set about three months after the last one ended (which kind of threw me off hence the necessary mention in my review) and our children are nearly all grown up and are preparing to move on with life. But alas, there are still dangers to be faced and fates to be determined in this final book.

I will start, as per usual, with the things that weren’t for me. Firstly the pacing of this book is a bit weird. The first 50% of the book takes place over one 24 hour period and then time flows freely in the back portion of the book. From the blurb this wasn’t what I was expecting, I was picturing that the plot of this book would takes months to complete rather than a week at most and this makes it feel less like a trilogy closer and more like a trilogy opener. This makes the first half of the book a rather long chunk of story to get through and in certain places it stagnates. The other thing that let me down a bit with this book was that the thing that I love the most about the first two in the series is the friendship and the atmosphere that everyone has when they’re together and the first two books are filled with everyone all together, whereas this one moves away from the friendship approach and goes more towards romance and therefore, certain characters get more page time than others. The other tinsy tiny thing (that doesn’t detract from the story and is purely selfish) is that I was desperate for Sideways to end up with a certain character and they end up with someone else so I was devastated. I am happy with who they end up with but my poor shipper heart breaks for my lost endgame.

Now onto the positives. This book has a really strong storyline and plot to it. It’s not as strong as the second book in the series, but this book is a solid trilogy ender and leaves the potential for spin-offs and the opportunity to revisit this world. One of the things that Clarke does best is really dives into the characters and their psyches and feelings and this book is no different. Sideways’ internal monologue is as strong as ever and their feelings are so crisp and divine that it’s impossible not to empathise with them and root for whatever it is they’re doing. This is the same for the secondary and tertiary characters in this book also; characterisation was strong, has stayed strong, and will forever be strong with these characters. I will forever be in love with the core four because god they are just divine.

Clarke has composed another stellar book with this third book, and creates a well rounded trilogy in which readers will be left satisfied but also desperate for more (me, I am said readers). I will always love these characters and I cannot wait to reread the trilogy once all three books have been released into the world.

Big thank yous to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an arc of this wonderful wonderful book!

I requested this book without knowing this was the 3rd book of the series, so I immediately got myself a copy of The Scapegracers right away. And I am always hook on any Witchy coven anyways and always like to try new authors I am not familiar with.

Reading The Scapegracers was a bit of a let down. I realize the series was not for me as it tends to be more in a YA genre and the plot just fell flat for me. I wasn't drawn to any characters at all, which was a bit disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for providing me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to receive this ARC. It prompted the necessary reread of book 1 and 2.

I was an instant fan when The Scapegracers was released and have only grown as a fan with each story advancement.

This trilogy encompasses a great balance between LGBTIQA+ representation and a beautifully crafted story.

This final instalment balanced the introduction of new covens and characters, with wrapping up the story.

I’m a sucker for a happy ending, especially when you get so emotionally invested in the characters. So, I was happy reading the ending to The Feast Makers as it felt harmonious and not rushed. Without giving too much away, the ending was also a great full circle back to where this story first began.

And a shout out to the chapter titles, they were great.

Despite the weird pacing and multiple instances of someone talking into Sideways' neck, this was the finale the series deserved. The writing was so captivating and the characters were standouts. The romance was great, though with all the setup in both this book and the previous one, I really thought it was going somewhere different and was a little disappointed that it didn't. Still a great end to a great series.

Oh Scapegracers, how do I love thee, let me count the ways etc etc. August’s writing is so bitey and bloody and visceral but also deeply deeply comforting to me. I loved this book and I’m going to miss these horrible wonderful witches

The Feast Makers is a rallying cry for queer, magical youth and all the messiness it brings. I continue to love how unabashedly spiky Sideways and the other witches are, and the series has honed its style as this sensual, visceral, chaotic (sometimes a bit obtuse) experience. There is certainly a plot, although this is still better viewed as a distilled snapshot of teenage witchy life, which I'm happy with. However, even with that in mind, the ending is just too rushed for my liking and I felt a bit bereft when the book just tied itself up and finished. This trilogy is a glorious queer read that I think deserves five stars as a whole, even if no individual book quite managed to nail that rating as a separate entity.

I enjoyed reading it. I haven't read the first two books in the trilogy but feel like the author did a good enough job providing background that I wasn't handicapped by that, I knew the basic background. I loved the character development and felt the plot line was well-done, most of the time. At times there were problems with pacing and it felt like nothing happened and then everything happened and that could have been paced better. But all in all a great book. Edgy and raw. Does a good job of capturing the raw feelings that I remember from being a teenage girl.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this early copy. I was ecstatic to be approved for this title. I was so excited that I reread the first two books before picking up this conclusion. I loved being back with the coven. I absolutely adored all of the way things played out in the end. I think the author did a great job of letting the characters grow but also still keeping them as the edge 'mean girls' that they appear to be. We got to see their soft underbellies but that doesn't mean that each one of them wouldn't rip your spine out. I love them.

Thank you Kensington Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I adored the first two books in the series and I didn't know there was going to be a third, and I was so excited to read it. And wow, this was a wonderful ending to the series. Being back in Sideways' story again and seeing all of the relationships (platonic and more romantic) swirl around through the book was so fun. I missed the writing style, I missed Sideways exploring gender and navigating feelings, and I missed the vibe. So getting to come back to it again was so great.

I loved that we finally got to see other covens! And to see the different dynamics - especially from the Pythoness Society - was so fun! There's not much else I can say other than I loved it and I will not stop thinking about this series for a long while. It was great to see Shiloh and Sideways really being siblings, especially when Shiloh had the little discovery. I was hooked from start to finish and am going to be on the lookout of any other books from the author.

Something that is also so important to me, that really hit home at the end of the last book was that Sideways got to really explore their gender. Seeing a non-binary lesbian in a book as a main lead for the first time was so important to me, because I got to point at a book and go "that is me, that is how I feel" is just so important to me as an adult. If that's how I reacted after going through my own little gender discovery thing, I can't imagine how important this can be for a teenager exploring it to see a character they can relate to. Seeing Sideways more confident in their expression through this book is so important to me and I think that's part of why I loved it so much (also all the witchery, of course).

The only thing that was a bit meh was there were some grammatical things but I'm confident it'll be ironed out for publication. I did want a bit more out of the ending (it made sense practically, I just wanted more, maybe because I just don't want the story of the Scapegracers to end). it wasn't enough to throw me out of enjoying the hell out of the book. Absolutely a five stars for me, and I can't wait to reread this and the whole series again when it's published.

i enjoyed the feast makers and definitely see its potential - i think it’s a perfect addition to the series and i love love loved the characters and world. i do think that what brings the book down heavily at this point in time is its grammar/syntax errors, and the fact that the prose used can be a little hard to unpack at times which makes the writing lose some of its charm.

definitely always down for queer fiction and i really enjoyed the atmosphere of the story! once minor issues are ironed out i’m very sure that the feast makers will be an enjoyable and exhilarating read for all who chance across it :-)

“Avenging angel Bratz Dolls in a sea of Elviras and Morticias would be easy to spot.”

Everyone’s favourite butch lesbian, Sideways Pike, and her coven are back in the final book of the Scapegracers trilogy. This book does not gently put you back into their world but instead shoves your head into a toilet and makes you thank them for giving you a swirlee. The magic system that HA Clarke has created is probably one of my favourites.

Complex discussions of morality, gender, and sexuality abound and are handled with grace and dignity. As well as so many laughs. My only complaint is that I wanted more of Mr. Scratch - book demon extraordinaire - in this. Out March 26th, 2024 by Erewhon Press.

I feel so blessed to have accidentally requested the ARC for the third book in a series I never read. So grateful that out of a sense of duty I dropped everything to read the first two. The series as a whole has been added to a precious collection of comfort reads that I will come back to over and over again. These books were the books I needed when I was in high school. If books like this were easily accessible when I was younger I would have learned so much about myself so much earlier. I never would've given up on my love of reading because I never fit in the pages.

These books feel like a warm hug. The way Clarke weaves the struggles and history of queerness, race, class and gender in with magic? Beautiful. The way that metaphor carries the books as well as the bonds between the main characters? Incredible.

I'm crushed that with this book the trilogy is over because I still crave more of my girls. I wish so badly that I could live in that world. Be a Scapegracer.

As for the final book in particular, the amount of times I found myself shouting at the book 'what the hell are you doing Sideways!' is too much to count. The pacing of this book also felt a little strange, particularly with the long stretches of stream of consciousness style writing. However it did make some of the panicked and distracted choices Sideways made feel very genuine because of how in their own head they were. I think though with a bit more polish this could be absolutely stunning.

But the main crime this book commits is the (SPOILER) Sideways doesn't end up in a quad poly relationship with all of her girls. But I knew how unlikely that was going in, and my heart likely would have burst. I weep for the polyam rep that could've been so so good and perfect.

Which is to say I loved it. I loved seeing the Scapegracers come into their own. I loved the feral vibes of the pages. I loved seeing a glimpse of the larger witch community. I can't wait to see it finished and polished and read it all over again. It means so much to me to have been able to experience it. I cannot wait to see what Clarke does next (I selfishly hope its in the same universe so we can see more of the world of witchcraft through Clarke's eyes).

arc provided by netgalley <3

what a book! wow! this book single handedly got me out of a slump and it’s all thanks to sideways pike & crew. despite this already glowing review, i’m going to start w cons:
- the pacing was… all over the place. the first half of the book dragged on forever while the second half had a million things happen all at once. while this wasn’t a huge problem, it did take some time for me to truly get into the book, despite it being one of my most anticipated reads ever since i finished the scratch daughters.
- the ending was strictly okay? it made sense objectively and i liked how most things were handled, but considering that this is the last book of a trilogy, there were so many unanswered questions, specifically regarding major plot points.

okay yeah that’s it. time for the pros!
- the characters were more interesting than ever. despite this being book 3, there was still so much to learn about our four main characters, and watching their relationships with each other develop was enthralling. i loved the further characterizations of shiloh and madeleine, and each new character introduced (and there were many) was just as complex and interesting as the last.
- the writing! i first fell in love with these books because clarke’s writing style is so dynamic and fun and fresh, and this writing has continued until now. there’s serious moments accompanied by chaos, there was poetry followed up by vulgarity, and all in all, i was left craving even more of clarke’s work, just to see what they’d do next with language.
- plot twists! there were many and my god were they good. obvi not stating them here but. yeah! shoutout shiloh i will love u forever.

this is as much as i can say without spoiling the whole thing. anyways. read the scapegracers! i literally can’t believe this series is over omg.