Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I read this authors first book, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and absolutely loved it. So was very excited that her second was going to be coming out barely a year later. A totally different type of story that combines suffragists and witches in the 1890's. It takes the themes of witchcraft, passion, anger, darkness and rolls them into one book. The story of three sisters who are separated by misunderstandings and are re=connected in New Salem. Its thought that witchcraft is nothing but charms and nursery rhymes...but the three discover that may not be the case.
This book is well written, it keeps your attention and I found i couldn't put it down. if stories and history of witchcraft are not for you then this won't be either. But its a great combination of historical fiction and fantasy. The characters are well developed and continue to develop through the story. If this is your kind of read, you will not be disappointed!! my rating is 4 but could be 4.5. Love this author!

The Eastwood sisters, Agnes Amaranth, Beatrice Belladonna, and James Juniper, have been estranged for seven years and are reunited in adulthood. Agnes is pregnant and working long hours for a man who takes advantage of his position of power over women. Juniper is on the run from the law for a crime she may or may not have committed. And Beatrice is a librarian at a college, where she stumbles upon a handwritten spell in a book of tales. They all have the will to make a change, and Beatrice has found the words. A tower appears in the square before the three sisters, Mother, Maiden, and Crone. So begins their journey to bring witching back to the world.

The story takes place in New Salem in the late nineteenth century. It weaves together the lives of a diverse and dynamic cast of characters from a number of marginalized walks of life. It's a beautiful blend of history and fantasy, with sympathetic representations of race and gender inequality, as well as LGBTQ+ stigma. I found the link between witches and voting rights especially powerful, as well as the message that power is not about how you begin, but rather how you choose to be.

A few months ago a friend recommended “The Ten Thousand Doors of January” to me, saying that it felt like something I would love. So I ordered it and added it to the (embarrassingly large and constantly growing) stack of books by my bed.
Earlier today I found myself without a book while I was out, so I decided to start reading “Once and Future Witches”. I love most things witchy, feminist or otherwise empowering, so it felt like a good choice. I did not expect to fall so entirely in love with it that I read it all in one sitting and found myself never wanting it to end. It was powerful, loving, and made me believe in magic. I looked up Alix Harrow afterwards in the desperate hope that she had written more books, and...discovered I already owned one! I’ve insisted my daughters both read Once and Future Witches and The Ten Thousand Doors of January just got moved to the top of my pile.

I really enjoyed “The Once and Future Witches” because the characters were so interesting to read about and go on adventures with!
Huge trigger warnings for abuse and neglect, which sometimes made it hard to read.
This story is about three sisters in the late 1800s that are brought up by an abusive father after their mother died giving birth to the youngest sister. The sisters are separated, but years later are brought together by a magical force. They start to use their magic to create change for women and to create a better life for themselves. Of course, evil magic is lurking and they must fight it to survive.
This story incorporates fairy tales, but twisted to connect to the sister’s tales. I enjoyed this part immensely.
At some points, it was hard to keep track of who was doing what, but everything tied up nicely in the end for the most part.
There is also a diverse representation of characters, which was excellent to see.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book, especially since it will be out in the fall and will be a great read for that time of year.

Alice E. Harrows, The Once and Future Witches is a celebration of the power of women. The Eastwood’s history of family magic has all but faded out until the three Eastwood sisters decide to resurrect it. Add that to the new suffragette movement and you have one rip rolling ride.

These are angry witches determined to reclaim their hereitage and it will be hell for anyone that gets in their way. The combing of women’s suffrage is brilliant. The characters are all well drawn. And it is a great commentary on the anger that women continue to feel at their marginalization. Bravo.

When I saw that Harrow was writing a Witch book, I knew I had to give it a chance. As someone who craves witches in every story, I was really excited about this one. The story itself was fine. I love women coming together, fueled by their rage and doing things about what the world is like, but I was struggling to read this book, just like I had struggled with ten thousand doors of January. I honestly think me and Harrow don’t vibe well. Maybe it’s the way the writing is, or maybe it’s something else. I can’t put my finger on it. I just struggled to get through this book for some reason and only managed it with shear determination.

“Witches-blood runs thick in the sewers, the saying goes...”
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.
I am convinced Alix E Harrow is a witch, because her words are magic. The Ten Thousand Doors of January introduced us to Doors to other worlds, and The Once and Future Witches introduced us to the struggles of witch women, and the magic she brings to her stories always has the “will” behind it to make it real.
The Once and Future Witches follows the three Eastwood sisters: James Juniper, the youngest and most willful; Agnes Amaranth, the responsible middle child who took over the motherly roles; and Beatrice Belladonna, the eldest and most reserved. Chapters vary from each of their perspectives. They were raised in Crow Country by their abusive father and their witch grandmother, who taught them the words and the ways of witchcraft. The sisters were torn apart prior to the beginning of the book and are drawn back together (circumstance? Fate?) in the city of New Salem, where the women’s suffrage movement is taking off in 1893.
In New Salem, each sister has individual struggles of her own; Juniper running from a crime she committed, Agnes discovering she’s pregnant, and Bella’s forbidden attraction to women and the introduction of Miss Cleopatra Quinn.
After being inexplicably pulled back together, they start working towards a common and noble goal, fueled by their rage at the injustices done to them: women’s rights and the resurrection of witchcraft.
To bring back strong witchcraft, they’re chasing a legend: the Lost Ways of Avalon. Three witches, Maiden, Mother, and Crone, had fled to escape burning and collected all witchcraft in their tower, before supposedly being caught and burned and the tower lost forever.
They rally women around the city and form the Sisters of Avalon as a women’s group committed to witching and women’s rights, and make mischief and raise hell along the way, but their fight is constantly dogged by societal views, the hatred of witchcraft and any women with power, as well as a specific shadowy politician named Gideon Hill.
And while the novel is a well-known tale of subjugated women and their struggle for autonomy and freedom, the slightly alternate/adjacent reality only adds and heightens the story being told.
Alix E Harrow’s writing is beautiful, descriptive without excess, and timeless. She stunned me with her debut and this is no less as stunning and magical. I will continue to look forward to any stories she spins in the future.
And for those interested in rep: Juniper has a disability in the form of requiring a walking stick, Bella is a lesbian who starts dating a black woman, and there is a minor transgender side character.