When I first saw the cover of this, I knew that I had to get my hands on it. It’s just so pretty and the fact that its about women and witchcraft? I was completely sold. Now I wasn’t completely sure what I was going to expect with this anthology having only read some of the authors before, but I couldn’t wait to read this. In a matter of just a couple days I was already almost halfways through the book and I had no intentions of stopping or taking a breather. Almost all of these stories completely took my break away and I was so happy to have been able to read these.

With the first story ‘Starstrong’, I thought it was really perfect for it to be the introduction to this wonderful set of tales. It started off by giving us as readers and idea of how these stories were going to go, or at least that’s what I thought. I had assumed that they would all take place in our present time and be influenced by the things that were happening around us. I was completely wrong and I couldn’t be happier with that fact. Tehlor Kay Mejia did such an amazing job with how she described the way the world seemed to speak and at the same time start telling the beginning of a possible love story (through a computer chat of all things) and it doesn’t pull you out of the story. Usually I’m not a big fan, but it went so well with how the author set up this world, that I didn’t even notice.

With ‘Afterbirth’, I already knew that I had been wrong to assume that this would take place in the present time, because in this story we’re thrown hundreds of years in the past when people were being accused of witchcraft. Cremer did such an amazing job telling such in intricate story with only one setting really and only a couple main characters, but I could feel the injustice of what was happening in my chest (so what if the woman really was a witch?)

‘The Heart in Her Hands’ was also a really good story and Sharpe did an amazing job with it, I think by this third story I knew that I was going to love this book and all the little treasures found inside of it. Once I got to ‘Death in the Sawtooths’ I was done. I didn’t want to say this one was my favorite so early on in the game without having read all the others, but I knew it was. Necromancers? I mean, of course it was going to be my favorite. Any time sometype of ‘death’ magic is involved, I’m already head over heels in love.

“The Truth about Queenie’ was both heartbreaking and inspiring. I had been rooting for those two friends to finally admit they liked each other, but then this normal everyday thing happened and I couldn’t find a fault in it, because things like that happened all the time. Yet, Queenie grew from the experience and she reacted in a way a best friend truely does react and I loved her for it. With ‘The Moonapple Menagerie’ I wasn’t 100% sure what was going on. Although it was probably one of the most fantastical of pieces with what truly felt like storybook magic happening on the pages, I just couldn’t love it as much as I loved the others at that point.

When I got to ‘The Legend of Stone Mary’ it was the young adult fiction I had been waiting for. While the others did have young adult characters, it didn’t read as the typical for the genre. I had almost forgotten that this might be books aimed for young adults. In this story, we have the witch who cursed the town. Her ancestors who are now living there and no one really talks about anymore. Then the girl that our main character likes who happened to be a witch hunter. While it wasn’t up with my favorites so far, I did enjoy seeing the way it did stick to that young adult storyline.

I have to say, ‘The One Who Stayed’ was probably my second favorite of all of them. It was such a powerful story and even though it never really said what had happened to these girls outright, you just knew because of how well the author wrote this story and all the emotions she poured into her words. It made me angry, but calm at the same time because these girls managed to find each other and become powerful after what they went through. When I started reading ‘Divine are the Stars’ I tried so hard not to have expectations. I have read almost all of Cordova's other work and I’ve loved everyone of them. Of course, I did go into this with expectations and they were completely met. I love her storytelling and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

So I’ve been on a serious Russian folklore and fairytale kick. For the longest time it’s all that I wanted to read. When I got to ‘Daughters of Baba Yaga’ I almost lost my mind. One the title was perfect and as soon as I started reading, it had my full attention. I liked the fact that the magic was so normal for her, I almost don’t know how to describe it, but when I read the like ‘the moon is full and even the stars are scared of me’ I screamed. It was such a perfect line and I’m here for angry unapologetic girls. While reading ‘The Well Witch’ I loved it yet at the same time I wish there was so much more to it. It was a good beginning, and I knew it was a short story, but I wanted to see more of her witchcraft.

I really wanted to like ‘Beware the Girls With Crooked Mouths’, but there was something about this story that just didn’t make me love it like the others. I found myself turning the pages and not really absorbing what I was reading. While a few others might not have been my favorite, or had a story that I couldn’t follow along with, this one I found myself just not being able to remember much of what I had already read.

McLemure was another author that I didn’t want to judge based on her previous work, but I knew at this point in the book it wasn’t going to be possible. I’m such a huge fan of her other novels that I wanted to love ‘Love Spells’ as much as everything else she had written. I’ve realized that she’s just becoming one of my favorite authors. Her words read like a daydream. Every. Single. Time. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m completely convinced she has as much magic as the characters she creates.

Starting out ‘The Gherin Girls’ I wasn’t to sure what to expect. I’ve never read any of Lord’s other works so I was mostly going in blind. While I really enjoyed her writing and the lyrical style of it, I wasn’t a big fan personally of focusing on all the different sisters. Sometimes it felt a little bit rushed and I wanted more than I was given. ‘The Only Way Back’ was another first for me with Wright. The first couple of sentences were absolutely amazing and I was already captured by the story. I don't know why, but I always love when magic is mixed with science and math. There’s just something about it that makes it explainable and then in a sense real. This read like such a fairytale as well and I loved every moment of it.

Finally, there was ‘Why They Watch Us Burn’. This was the perfect story to end this set of anthology. The first sentence blew me away and it kept blowing my mind as I kept reading. Isn’t this what we’re facing right now? Isn’t this what we used to tell ourselves and some still might even if they don't think it’s a bad thing? “The Most terrifying this in the world is a girl with power. That’s why they watch us burn.” This was a really powerful peace and it just stuck with me so well.

Overall, this book was an amazing read. Each story brough its own element and its own style yet everyone of them went so perfectly well with the other. These were some amazing authors and I cant wait to read more of their writing and see what they have in store next.

Never though I would reach for an anthology because they typically irritate me, but this one I did enjoy. I felt like a lot of the stories didn't need a continuation or a full book for the reader to know and feel content that the story ended how it should have. Usually when I read anthologies I hate them because I want to know how each of them started and ended. But, I was quite satisfied with how each of these began and ended. Love me some witchcraft and mystery, add a splash of feminist character leads and I'm a happy soul.

Witches tend to have a specific appearance and reputation within society, but they are so much more than the cookie-cutter representation we may associate with the word. In a collection of 16 diverse tales of women and their connection to magical or mystical power, Toil & Trouble: 16 Tales of Women & Witchcraft edited by Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe, demonstrate that witches are far greater than any stereotype or cliché we know.

Including witches of various backgrounds, cultures, epochs, sexual preferences and identification, the tales are diverse in both who and what they present to readers, offering a little of something for everyone. As in any collection, there are stories within that are stronger and those that are weaker. The magical or mystical talents that these women have run the gamut, from the familiar to the novel, the highly fantastical to the the more subdued and spiritual, but all speak to the innate power that these women carry and come to embrace instead of fear, which serves as a wonderful manifestation of females embracing who they are and feeling empowered by what they're capable of. 

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This was a fun, quick read. I was really hoping to like it more! It just didn’t suck me in liked I had hoped.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I will say the cover is what drew me in right away, but with that being said, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Not that I didn't like it, but I just wasn't into all of the stories, I preferred the ones that had the stories about historical witches, it was still a fun, quick read though.

Beautifully Diverse! A stunning presentation with spectacular imagery. This is a story you will not want to miss.

In this collection of short stories we are given tales of witches from different backgrounds, cultures and timelines offering a new glimpse into the mythology expanding on the classic black hats and cauldrons and creating something so much more.

These stories vary with some wrapping up nicely and others left with cliffhangers leaving you desperate for a few more pages so you can read the story to completion. I liked the varying degrees of the term “witch” in some cases it’s obvious magical talent and in others it’s more a connection to something bigger and more spiritual.

This is a fun read for anybody who loves a bit of witchcraft and the diversity lent to the title when dealing with different cultures with their varying beliefs and lore and more than a few love stories that prove that sometimes magic exists when two people defy the odds and nothing is more powerful than that.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

16 new wonderful magical stories by authors new to me. This was a joy to review. These stories combined are about embracing your gifts, romance, intrigue, and magical abilities. Sometimes I think a little fantasy plot line runs through them. Witches, friendship, laughter and love are all part of the total package.