When the premise for Alix E. Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches was announced, I was incredibly excited because I greatly enjoyed Harrow’s debut historical fantasy novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January. This second novel blew all of my high expectations out of the water—the only reason I didn’t finish it sooner was because I didn’t want it to end! The combination of the suffrage movement, fairy tale archetypes, folklore, magic, and the indomitable spirit of women (and witches) through the ages as told in Harrow’s lyrical, evocative prose worked a magic all its own.

I’ve been craving a witchy novel that explores the full range of witchyness, from hearth magic to hexes, and I got all of that and more within the pages of this book. All three of the protagonists felt so vivid and real on the page, and I fell in love with each of them for separate reasons. The LGBT representation also contributed to my enjoyment. One of the three main protagonists is a lesbian and the most developed romance subplot is WLW.

All in all, Harrow delivers an excellent witchy, feminist, character driven, historical fantasy tale with her sophomore novel. It’s definitely worth picking up and reading ASAP upon release; October sets a perfect stage for its mystical, magical autumnal vibes.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I used this review copy to interview the author on the Fantasy Inn podcast. The interview can be found here: https://thefantasyinn.com/2020/10/06/e53-alix-e-harrow-interview/

This historical novel is set in 1893 Salem, Massachusetts when there were no witches left. Three sisters, Juniper, Agnes, and Bella grew up under the abusive hands of their father. When Agnes and Bella were old enough, they ran away leaving Juniper behind with their father. Her hatred not only for their father but for her sisters has grown and festered over the years. When her father dies, Juniper is given nothing in the father’s will. She starts walking and is eventually drawn to Salem and a suffragettes’ rally where her two sisters are also present. The sisters decide to involve themselves in the suffragist movement and introduce witchcraft into the mix in order for women to gain not only the vote but a modicum of power. Then, like now, there were forces determined to limit the ability of women to survive and thrive.

Harrow has written a historical novel that encompasses many of the same issues that plague women today. Harrow’s storyline is multilayered and complex, her writing is lyrical at times, subtle at times, but always well done. Her characters are multifaceted and all three damaged by their abusive father. The author has done her research and it shows – not in info dumping like so many other historical novel authors – in the way she creates a world using the research to expand and explain.

If you love historical novels with strong women characters and an artfully created world based on fact, then this novel should be high, if not at the top, of your to-be-read list.

My thanks to Redhook and NetGalley for an eARC.

The Once and Future Witches is the second full length novel by Alix E Harrow, a SF/F writer who has kind of stormed onto the scene the last few years. Harrow won a Hugo for a short story two years ago, and this past year was nominated twice, including for best novel for her novel The Thousand Doors of January. I enjoyed The Thousand Doors of January quite a lot although I've found less enjoyment in Harrow's award nominated short fiction work, which I've kind of felt relied upon a stilted narrative that I couldn't quite get into.

And well, The Once and Future Witches reminds me more Harrow's short fiction than The Thousand Doors, to its detriment. It's a feminist novel about a trio of sisters leading women to take power for themselves in an alternate late 19th century Massachusetts and the characters are in general likable and enjoyable. But the narrative again feels kind of stilted and hard to flow for me, several characters do not have consistent character arcs, and the book's attempt to deal with the racial issues of the women's suffrage movement fall very flat. The ending is fine and fitting, but the end result is a novel that just feels like it had so much potential to say something and provide a wonderful story with a strong message, but instead just doesn't.

----------------------------------------------------Plot Summary---------------------------------------------------

Magic exists, and men may use it here and there in society, even if they don't quite talk about it. But Women aren't supposed to use magic - as witches are supposed to be a thing of the past, even at the very moment when some women fight in the city of New Salem for Women's Suffrage.

But for the three Eastwood sisters, Agnes, Bella, and Juniper, witchery and witching tales were part of their birthright thanks to their grandma, Mama Mags, who taught them its ways. But the girls' abusive father drove them each away, and they haven't seen each other in years.

That all changes one day in New Salem, when a spell brings the three of them together once again, with a vision of a lost tower - a tower of witching power from the past. The vision will tie the three together on a journey to bring back the witching ways to the women of New Salem, women tired of being abused and mistreated by the men in the city, & and want to make a stand. But the puritan forces of the city, led by an aspiring politician, will not stand by as the three sisters rediscover the witching ways, and will do everything they can to ensure the costs of defiance are all too high.....
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The Once and Future Witches is a story that is told from the perspectives of its three protagonists, Agnes, Bella, and Juniper, with occasional interludes at times where one character tells another an old witching tale - which is generally an adaptation of a classic fairy tale. At the start of each chapter is a witching spell, which is also generally an adaptation of a classic nursery rhyme or children's song, which often ties into the plot of that particular chapter. But other than those peculiarities, the book swaps often between following one of the three sisters, as they struggle to understand each other, themselves, and what they want to be as they find themselves drawn more and more into learning and teaching the witching ways.

The book takes place in an alternate Massachusetts, in a city called New Salem, at the end of the 19th century during the movement for women's suffrage. Yet while the Amazon summary highlights the women's suffrage movement, and Juniper gets her start at the beginning by being introduced to the movement, the plot quickly leaves it behind in favor of emphasizing the use of magic as the story's focus for women's power. After all, in this setting, men having magic such as the ability to rust metal and destroy parts of factories as part of their labor movement is considered an open but acceptable secret, so why shouldn't women have that same power in the fight for rights? And the setting, unlike our own US, is one in which "witchhunts" are of actual witches, who men and the other forces of patriarchy hunt because they symbolize women gaining actual power - not just over their representatives, but over every part of their lives.

And well, we see this symbolism in the storylines of each of the the three main characters, all of whom grew up with a grandmother trying to empower them and an abusive father trying to put them down and struggle to undo the damage caused by his actions. So you have Bella, who has become a wise librarian who secretly has feelings for women instead of men, who wants to research the history of magic but needs a pushes to truly put that research into practice. You have Agnes, the practical one who once wanted to help but soon learned that helping could have consequences, and thus fears what will happen if she dives back into the magic. And you have Juniper, the wild and angry one who is most outspoken about the needs for the empowerment of women, but who doesn't always think about the long term consequences of her actions, and how things for others might not fit the world that she thinks really is. The trio's storylines involve them struggling against how the patriarchy has warped them in the past, as the patriarchy does its best to keep them down further in the present as well.

Alas, while the general idea works, and the general plot works, and the magic system is really well done, there's just so much of this book that doesn't quite work. On a character level, the book honestly feels like it can't decide which storyline is Agnes' and which is Bella's, with the book starting seemingly at the idea that Agnes is the strong practical one looking out for everyone and Bella the coward and then...flipflopping that to make Agnes the coward and Bella the one willing to do the research to try and help Juniper out as Juniper gets more into trouble as the plot goes on (it has Bella keep calling herself a coward mind you, even as it flips the two). It's like halfway through the drafting the author decided to switch their arcs, and it is kind of jarring.

That's not the only idea that honestly feels like it was shifted during the drafting - for example a major character introduced early as a potential love interest for Bella is a Black woman, Cleo, who seems at first to be part of either a black woman's suffrage movement or more likely a secret organization fighting underground for the rights of Black Witches - something exceedingly difficult in a time when the suffragettes frowned upon the very idea of including Black women in their cause. Early parts of the book involve Cleo making it clear to Bella (and the others to a lesser extent) that they don't understand the prejudice that Black Women face is exceedingly worse, and how the Black women aren't just going to agree to bind themselves to these White Women just finding out now what they've already known from their own traditions. It's a really interesting conflict based upon the real world.....and the book essentially punts on it having any effect on the plot, with Cleo basically turning entirely to Bella's side midway through as her unshakable love interest who becomes the only person who will keep pushing Bella forward, despite Cleo's mother giving her occasional snide comments about it. The result is that Cleo just feels utterly wasted - as if the author wanted to make it clear she understood the difficulties that would be faced by Black women in this time, and then felt she'd done the work after doing the bare minimum.

Add to that the writing style which honestly just doesn't really work for me - I call it stilted but I'm not really sure how to best describe it - and well an ending that fits the story but just doesn't really seem to say anything? It just essentially makes this a book that's fine and enjoyable to some extent, but not one that leaves anything lasting behind, which is a shame because the setup shows so much promise.

"If he peeled back her pretty skin he'd find nothing soft or sweet at all, just busted glass and ashes and the desperate, animal will to stay alive."

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So, I'll admit, if this hadn't been up for review on Netgalley, I probably wouldn't have read it. I was one of those unpopular opinions for the Ten Thousand Doors of January. I adored the concept but was just left wanting with where the story went.  But ever the girl for second chances, I decided to go for The Once and Future Witches, and I'm so glad I did!

This is my favorite witch novel since The Discovery of Witches.  Set in the 1890's, it follows three sisters who are fighting for the rights of women.  Those rights are not just for voting but also to bring back the ancient power of witchcraft. The novel splits between following the sisters and their relationships and their quest to form women's societies to lobby for women's and witches' rights.  Each sister is carrying traumas from their childhood and resentments about the hard lives they've had to live just to scrape by. One ruthless, reckless and principal; one strong, selfish and practical; one wise, reserved and clever. Their bond reminded me a lot of the sisters in Practical Magic or Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus: lots of love, lots of attitude and lots of girl power. 

The book really captures the hysteria and potential for accusations of witchcraft to destroy a life. The punishments and torture were awful. The one thing that was missing for me, was the camaraderie and loyalty of the women. While I like to see that in a novel… I think what was presented here was quite true of that time - lots of people pointing fingers to save themselves rather than banding together.  And even though, unlike the witches in true history these witches had power… it shows how truly powerless they were to even just be themselves.

I also really loved the use of fairytales and nursery rhymes that’s the way to pass on the spells. I also really appreciated the fact that this book was inclusive and dealt with gender, race and sexuality very well.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January was my favorite book of 2019. I adored Harrow’s way with and respect for words and stories. The tale was such an ode to both that it made my heart feel as though it would burst. I kept having to pause periodically and close the book and my eyes so I could just soak in the exquisite prose. I wasn’t sure Harrow could ever again pen something quite that beautiful. But while I didn’t quite connect to her second novel as deeply as I did her first, I needn’t have worried. The Once and Future Witches is just as lovingly and impeccably crafted as Harrow’s incredible debut.

I love the symmetry of the first three chapters. The introduction of each sister feels whimsical because of it. The way in which Harrow takes familiar fairy tales and turns them on their heads in subtle, interesting ways is also very effective. The story is in large part a blending of fairy tales and the women’s suffrage movement, which felt like a unique combination. However, while I was infatuated by the form, the soul of this novel resides within the three sisters at its core: James Juniper, the youngest and wildest; Beatrice Belladonna, the oldest and wisest; and Agnes Amaranth, the strong one between them. But when we first meet these sisters, they are far from each other, and from who they were each meant to be. Witnessing their growth over the course of the novel, both internally and in their bond as sisters, was lovely to behold.

The novel is so purposefully and perfectly written that it was actually difficult for me to establish any emotional connection. It reminded me of The Starless Sea in this regard, though I definitely enjoyed The Once and Future Witches more. But I enjoyed it on a purely cerebral level instead of ever truly feeling it, try as I might. I think that lack of connection is likely a failing on my part, a side effect of the horrific year that has been 2020. Both my personal life and the state of the world have been so chaotic and terrible that things which would usually impact me deeply can’t seem to touch me at all. It’s quite possible that this lack of connection will be completely rectified on a reread, when my world is (hopefully) a little less awful.

I’m so thrilled to have been given the opportunity to read Harrow’s newest novel. It’s a story I definitely intend to read again. And I have a feeling that it will resonate more deeply with me the next time I visit with the Eastwood sisters as they take New Salem by storm. If you’re looking for a beautiful, witchy, feminist way to celebrate Halloween, is this ever the book for you.

Growing up in the HP generation, I find myself constantly looking for my more mature/adult magic fix. Combining magic with historical fiction ticks all my boxes. The Eastwood sisters are complex and growing and changing as they work to find what's been lost.

Rating: 9.5/10

The Once and Future Witches is a fascinating book. To me it is very much a tonal book, being equal parts atmospheric and character driven. The book is also very thematic. This is my first Alix E. Harrow book (I have a copy of The Ten Thousand Doors of January but have not yet read it), and I have to say the writing really impressed me.

Diving first into the character set, which is obviously a really important aspect of a story about witches. The three main protagonists are the Eastwood Sisters – witches all – and they have very different personalities. Each plays a significant role in the story, while also being dissimilar from the others. In contemplating the writing process, I think this is difficult to pull off. Three sisters, all raised together, all coming into their own as witches, and to be able to write each one into the story in such a distinct way made a big impact on me. Basically, the reader gets to experience the narrative 4 different ways as each Sister’s relationship to the story is not like the others, and the main storyline is an amalgamation of all three. Between the three, as a reader, you are bound to connect with at least one of the characters, and to be able to see them grow and evolve, and to experience the journey each of them goes through is a big part of what kept my interest as a reader. In that same vein, the book is quite emotional, as each of the protagonists goes through a lot in the present while at the same time confronting issues from their past and looking toward the future, as well. The way everything ties together showcases Harrow’s writing skills as much as anything. It is quite a rollercoaster of a read.

I mentioned the book was atmospheric, and while I think that is a staple characteristic of most books in this genre, The Once and Future Witches goes above and beyond the norm. Harrow uses fairy tales and nursery rhymes to set the stage and create an appropriate tone for every scene; in addition, the author uses the entire palate of colors and scents and sounds to make every sequence stand out – whether it is one full of action or just a close-up of a private, personal moment. Every single thing, every detail is meticulously placed. Nothing is wasted, everything is meaningful, the reader being completely immersed in the narrative with nowhere to go but to continue the story. That is the reason I read: to escape, to become one with another story, to experience something I will not in my own life. Harrow does an amazing job of accomplishing that in this book.

I need to also mention how thematic this story is, as well. Feminism is a main theme, here, that permeates every aspect of the book. The setting and time period both represent times where and when women were treated as second-class citizens, with no voting rights and when many worked hard jobs for very little pay. Much of the plot centers around groups of women fighting to gain those rights, so that feminism is front and center. But, in my opinion, the author furthers that to the highest degree with the aspects of the story that are more acute. I think an underrated part of the book is that almost all of the characters are women. Not just the Sisters, but most of their friends, confidants, and fellow conspirators. Experiencing a story with a plot like this from the perspective of so many different women takes the Feminist undertones and really brings them to life. There is a lot of “tell” in this book, but there is also so much “show” along the way and that is what makes the most impact. There are also themes of race and racism present in this story, too, which at times work in conjunction with the feminism and other times work against it – to the Sisters’ surprise. This was a fascinating aspect of the story, because I think it really represents the nuance that exists when it comes to human rights and how we can all learn from the experiences of others.

For all of the reasons I mentioned, I absolutely adored this book. The Once and Future Witches is at times intimate, other times booming, always unforgettable. I honestly cannot get over how well-written it is. I definitely recommend this book for fans of the genre and those looking to get lost in a story.

***Advance Copy Provided by NetGalley***

The Once and Future Witches is a sweeping, clever novel about a group of suffragist witch sisters and their fight for equality. Though set just after the Salem witch trials, this book deftly and with an incredible wit tackles modern issues of gender discrimination, voting rights, homophobia, racial injustice, and feminism. In the midst of all of those heavy topics, is a fantastical story about three sisters rediscovering their own magic and their family bonds. There is adventure, mystery, love, and even humor all studded in this unique story. Harrow manages to weave classic fairy tales into the story in an ingenious way and I love the continued nod to books and reading as a haven and escape. The book is lengthy, at over 500 pages, and was a little slow to start but ultimately a story I couldn't put down and a worthy read for fans of Harrow's debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

This is a great choice for readers who love gorgeous writing and genre bending fiction. Harrow has done it again!

I love witch books so how could I pass on an alternate Victorian fantasy novel about suffragette witches? For the most part, The Once and Future Witches lived up to my high expectations thanks to fascinating female characters and beautiful prose.

Told from the alternating point of views of the Eastwood sisters, the three estranged sisters find each again all with a little magic. It’s 1893 and there are no more witches and, certainly, no witches would ever be allowed to vote. But as the three sisters reunite and join the New Salem suffragette movement, the witching ways of the past are awakened when a new danger lurks nearby.

In the meantime, there are a couple of interesting love stories for the sisters (even if I was slightly indifferent to them). But, really, this is more a feminist novel about sisters, prejudice, and sacrifice. While the pacing is sometimes slow, The Once and Future Witches is a well-written new novel to read this Halloween.

The Once and Future Witches

Beautifully told book that deals with the sexism that women have to deal with everyday.

Witchcraft is practiced in private by every women. Children's rhymes are used to pass down spells. The Eastwood sisters are raised in the country by their hedge witch grandmother and abusive father. An event leads the sisters to split apart from each other. When the sisters are reunited in New Salem they begin to seek the power that had been denied them.

This book is very good with balance. There are three main protagonists with different personalites and different desire to use witchcraft. The book shows that it's not just white women who have been denying their magic powers. Black people have their own magic society including an underground tunnel that only lets black people us it.

The only problem I did have was that sometimes I felt the length of the novel. I understand why some characters had to take their time embrassing changes but I still felt the desire to shake some sisters regarding their feelings.

This review is based on advanced copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I can’t tell you how excited I was to get an ARC of this book! Witches and Magic and the Suffragette Movement? These are some of my favourite words!

I can't tell you how much I love a story about sisters, especially when the sisters are so different and estranged and have secrets, but still secretly love each other and would do anything for each other. The Eastwood sisters are everything and more.

I can’t tell you how important and timely and moving this book is. Yes, it’s a book about sisters and about witching, but primarily it’s a book about women. Voiceless women who speak up. Oppressed women who stand up. Strong and passionate and devoted women who break free.

The way it weaves a story of witches in with the story of women – it’s a combination I haven’t seen before, but such a natural combination that seems so obvious and works so, so well together. The Eastwood Sisters were such a force to be reckoned with, but Juniper, her feral ferocity completely stole my heart.

I lost myself entirely in the lore of witching, the way old rhymes and fairytales were re-woven into witching words – this was so clever. And somehow, there was opportunity for romance to blossom in between all of this, and those stories were just so sweet and heartwarming.

I enjoyed Harrow’s debut The Ten Thousand Doors of January , but this – this was something I loved so deeply and completely. I loved every single page, every single story, every single fierce, feminist woman.

I needed this book in my life.

I love books about witches and I love Alix E. Harrow so this book was right up my alley. The prose was beautiful and lyrical and the characters were all vibrant and well written. My biggest complaint was that the pacing was way too slow at times. I would fly through a couple of chapters and then everything would grind right down to a halt and I would struggle to pick the book back up. The ending was great, though, and overall I quite enjoyed this stand-alone novel.

This was interesting, beautifully written, and a perfectly witchy start to my October reading! I loved the sisters finding out who they could and should trust, and who deserves their love. If you love diverse, queer, historical fiction and witchiness, this is definitely one to pick up sooner rather than later.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a finished copy of this book for review!

The Once and Future Witches has been on my list of highly anticipated releases for 2020. The cover was gorgeous, I had heard such incredible things about Harrow's writing style, and I am always here for something witchy.

I had originally rated this a four stars, but after sitting on it for a few days I cannot seem to get the story out of my head, which almost always makes me bump it up to a five star. This will definitely be in my list of top reads of the year.

I picked this up just as fall was starting to roll around here in Ohio, and it was a perfect time. One of the strongest aspects of this book, apart from Harrow's phenomenal writing style, was the atmosphere. You are immediately thrust into this world filled with magic and intrigue. The characters were fantastic. This story had one of my favorite villains and the sister relationship felt very realistic, with each character being well fleshed out.

I would encourage everyone to pick this one up this spooky season. I mean, it is full of feminist witches fighting to bring magic back into their world. What's not to love?

This review is for the uncorrected digital ARC that was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

BUT you'd better believe that as soon as the physical book hits shelves, I'm buying a copy immediately.

As soon as I heard Alix talk about this book, way back in January at an event she did with Erin Morgenstern (while they were promoting The Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Starless Sea), I knew it would need to be at the top of my TBR pile. This is probably my most-anticipated release of 2020 -- and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

I'm going to go ahead and say that this will likely go down as my favorite book of 2020. It just checked all the boxes for me: witches and feminism and Appalachia and crows/owls/birds of all types, sisterhood and motherhood and romance and history -- the list goes on and on.

Things that I love the most about this book:
--the attention to detail. There are so many allusions and historical details used to such great effect here; it's like a little scavenger hunt for nerdy readers.
--how character-driven this story is, and how beautifully fleshed-out these sisters are.
--Harrow's prose. Holy hell, this woman can write. Her words are so lyrical but accessible; they never get in the way of the story or the characters.

I knew that this book would completely satisfy me cerebrally after only a few pages; I just had no idea how emotionally invested I would be by the end of it. You'll hear a lot of folks talk about how angry this book is -- and that's true. But it's also hopeful and sad and brave and completely perfect for the world we are living in right now, too.

Once upon a time, there were witches. But not anymore. Not since the burnings began and magic was looked upon as a sinful thing. Now, magic is reduced to a thing of charms and children’s rhymes– something used to keep milk from souring and prevent the yarn from knotting. And even that is regarded as an evil by some in the city of New Salem. But for the Eastwood sisters– James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladona– magic has always been a part of their lives. Or it was, until they were forced apart seven years ago. But circumstances reunite them in the midst of a suffragist rally, when a forbidden spell lights a spark of rebellion within the three women that could lead to a revolution– if they can learn to work together again as sisters.

“What my mother taught me was this: you hide the most important things in the places that matter least. Women’s clothes, children’s toys, songs… Places a man would never look.”

Fairy tale retellings have become a mainstay of modern fantasy. Authors present to us feminist versions of Sleeping Beauty or post-modern Cinderella or Snow White from the evil step-mother’s point of view. But few of these retellings ask why fairy tales, children’s rhymes, or folk songs are so enduring and get passed on from one generation to the next. In her second novel, Hugo Award-winning author Alix E. Harrow asks just that: what is hidden in old rhymes and stories? That is not, however, the only thing The Once and Future Witches deals with. Harrow weaves in narratives of sisterhood (whether the women are blood relatives or not), what it means to be a woman, the power of names, motherhood, and the power of oft-denigrated ‘women’s work’ (sewing, embroidery, child care, and other tasks that mostly women do, that society denigrates because women primarily do them). It’s a tall order for a book, but Harrow handles it with ease, in part because her main characters, the Eastwood sisters, are so different from each other. They may be sisters, but they are not carbon-copies. They have their own wants, their own strengths, and their own reasons for doing what they do. One wants to be loved entirely– not just for certain parts of herself. One wants to love without feeling ashamed of who she loves. One wants to understand why she wasn’t loved in the first place.

The power of sisterhood is another strength of The Once and Future Witches. Fairy tales often feature sisters or step-sisters, but they’re often wicked or evil sisters who want to prevent the innocent heroine from marrying the prince or achieving whatever other goal she has. And even modern tales that claim to be feminist often portray sisters as tearing each other down over a man or an ideal. While the Eastwood sisters have their differences and their own traumas to work through, they’re not at odds with each other to the point that they are willing to sabotage their sisters’ workings. Their relationships aren’t perfect, and they aren’t perfect, but when push comes to shove they will stand together against the villains seeking to crush women and women’s power underfoot.

Speaking of the villain. It’s obvious early on who the villain is and what they’re capable of. Whether this is a flaw is up to the reader, but fairy tale villains have never been subtle. Their subtlety or lack thereof isn’t the point. The fairy tale villain is the story’s counterweight, the being or force the heroine strives against in order to find the inner strength that will allow her to become who she is meant to be. For the Eastwood sisters to find their strength and courage– after women have been beaten down and stripped of power for centuries– it takes a powerful villain indeed to balance out their potential.

As with Harrow’s debut, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Once and Future Witches builds a lyrical world where truth and power are written to the stories– and sometimes the plain fabric– of the world around us. It just takes a willingess to open one’s eyes to the notion that amazing things can be found in the everyday. For those willing to take up their courage in both hands and fight for what they know to be right, the struggle might be painful and the sacrifices might be great, but in the end the promise of a better world is worth the price.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion.

I picked up this book mainly because I love witches! Their stories are the best and I seem to have read a lot of them this year. This one has been one of my favorites. I really liked the imagery of the magic that was being used in the book. It felt almost old-school magic, which was fun. I really liked the dynamic of the sisters and learning where their issues with each other stemmed from and overcoming that to come back together, as they should have a million years ago! My favorite part, however, was having a queer, librarian witch character because relatable! Harrow did a good job with the interplay of feminism and racism and showing the lack of intersectionality which is important to discuss today as well. Amazing book!

When you think about it, we rarely see good anger. Literature is full of annoyance, frustration, rage, and wrath—but it’s hard for me to think of examples of righteous fury. When we see anger in literature and the movies, we see anger as a bad thing and something that characters need to get through in order to find forgiveness and redemption. And, most of the time, I think this is a perfectly valid way to portray anger. Anger is like fire: dangerous when it gets out of control. But in The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow, I got to see the power of righteous fury in changing the status quo for the better. This anger is dangerous, sure, but it warmed me like a cozy hearth.

Like so many other stories, The Once and Future Witches begins with three sisters. One is wise. One is strong. The last one is wild. All of them are on the run from a horrible childhood and old grudges. They’ve been separated for seven years but, when James Juniper Eastwood arrives in New Salem after running from her latest crime. She plans to seek out her sisters but, first, she wants to attend a big suffragist rally in the main square. This novel doesn’t let any grass grow under its metaphorical feet when a work of great magic pulls the three sisters together while also revealing something that all women thought was lost when the last witches were burned at old Salem two hundred years prior.

The Once and Future Witches races along, twisting together sub-plots featuring all three sisters’ emotional traumas with the larger story of the three sisters leading a witchy rebellion against a man who threatens to stamp out the women’s movement (witchy or otherwise) once and for all. I loved every page of this novel; I really did. I loved how Harrow created an alternate history of great women of the past, plagues, and magic. And I really, really enjoyed seeing the protagonists harness their fury against the world’s unfairness and misogyny and racism and fight back against it with everything they have. This book is a fantastic antidote to the weary depression I feel when I read the latest news in this very shitty year.

This summary doesn’t do justice to The Once and Future Witches. There’s just too much to sum up about this incredible story. It’s the kind of book I don’t want to go into too much depth on because I want readers to fall into it the way I did, with no clue what was going to happen next while the plot rocketed around from highs to lows to defeats and triumphs. I want readers to feel just as breathless as I did. It’s the kind of book I want to buy a bagful of copies so that I can run to all my friends, shove it into their hands, and shout “Read this!” while I hurry off to the next future reader.

This book gripped me from start to finish. The Eastwood sisters caught me in their spell, each defiantly their own person in the face of betrayals, trials, inequitable society, and the tropes that usually characterize maidens, mothers, and crones.

Aside from the characters, I also found the mechanics of the magic system, retold fairy-tales, and the world that Harrow crafted to be very compelling. It was also delightful to find so much diversity in a historical setting.

Although I have a soft spot for a well-spun series, it was immensely satisfying to consume a story in its entirety. I eagerly look forward to reading more of the author's work.