The premise of Disco Witches of Fire Island is an interesting one, as both a fan of LGBTQ novels and fantasy. However, although I enjoyed the setting of Fire Island in the 1980s, the writing felt a bit clunky and I never connected with any of the characters. I DNF'd about halfway through as I just couldn't get into this novel personally - it's decent but not for me.

I was really excited about the premise of this novel, but after giving it a shot for a few chapters I realized the writing style is just not working for me. I do think it will find its audience and lots of folks who will love it, though, because the characters are charming and easy to root for. I just wasn't personally engaged by the prose or pacing.

What it is is a snapshot of Fire Island and the gay community in 1989, reeling from HIV and AIDS and still trying to figure out what the next steps need to be, and the shift in generations and expectations as gay rights become more of a public issue.

I wish the fantasy aspect was either not mentioned in the blurb at all, or played up more in the text. What we get for most of the book is a lot of "is it really magic, or wishful coincidences", which fits well with Elena's line of calling Fire Island its own sort of magic, particularly in figuring oneself out and being what you need at the time. And that works really well! Howie and Lenny and Dory truly represent the magic of finding and having community and people who look out for one another and how powerful that can be. In the end, there wasn't enough /actual/ magic response to the disco witches' actions to be satisfying - we needed more to really play up their magic and efforts, or just to lean back and have it be the magic of community and belief and a wink-nudge of "well, maybe it's actual magic". What we get isn't really either, feeling disingenuous to call it fantasy, but enough textual that the element is there.

The undercurrent dealing with HIV and AIDS is the strongest - the disco witches are struggling because their community (and of course, the entire community) has been devastated, and the only way they can continue to help at a time when disco is out is to find someone both with the powers and brave enough to not assimilate into the "correct" way of being gay at that time (there's some great commentary of the different subtypes and their "uniforms" and lack of individuality) to love fiercely out loud. It carries to the rest of the cast, who in the face of the disease, love all the harder for their rage and despair at losing so many people. Love is messy and imperfect, but always falls back on showing up and connecting, because that's how they got through then, and that's how we get through now.

This was a beautiful, emotional, fun, dazzling story. Centered around the Fire Island gay community in the 1980s, with the AIDS crisis and homophobia so prevalent, this was an emotional story that tackled some heavy topics — topics that were handled honestly and thoughtfully. Joe was a wonderfully real main character, and so many of the side characters stood out positively. It was a story of found family, love, and community.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell is a third person multi-POV historical fantasy set in the summer of 1989 on Fire Island. Joe and Ronnie are two friends on their way to Fire Island after Joe’s boyfriend dies from AIDS. Joe meets Lenny, Matt, and Howie, three older gay men who have been part of the Fire Island community for years and are what is left of a coven of disco witches.

Each chapter opens with an epigraph from the Disco Witch Manifesto and they not only set the tone for the chapter, but add a strong disco element that really helps build on the time period. The cover is also very 70s and feels like it could be a disco album cover. I love disco music so much so when I saw the cover, I immediately grabbed this book and was delighted at the references to disco music, the drag scene, and how disco was created in Black and Latine Queer clubs. The vibes were immaculate for me.

As one might expect about a novel set in 1989 on Fire Island, the AIDS epidemic plays a large part in the characters’ backstories and their present. Joe is still deep in grief at the loss of Elliot and is struggling with what happened in their relationship before Elliot’s death. This stops Joe from allowing himself to find love with anyone else and does involve him needing to go on a journey where he stops focusing on the disease and focuses more on the person. It’s very hard for him to move past his feelings and I think a lot of readers will at least understand where he’s coming from if they know people who have had a serious illness even if you want to slap him.

One thing I really appreciated was that Blair Fell was not afraid to call out the bigotry that does exist in the Queer community. Ronnie starts off very much ‘not like those other gays’ and buys into respectability politics while Dory, the owner of the bar Joe works at, has been dealing with anti-Black racism from one of the most influential members of the Fire Island community for years. We do need to keep discussing the ways in which our community is not safe for the members of our community who are the most vulnerable, even when we’re in a crisis. Perhaps when we’re in a crisis is when we need to discuss this the most.

Content warning for mentions of the AIDS crisis

I would recommend this to fans of Queer literature that frankly discusses the worst parts of our history and community and readers looking for a light fantasy element in their historical fiction

DNF. Nothing wrong with this one whatsoever, I’m just not the intended audience. I think the right reader will find this hysterical and poignant; for me it was the wrong flavour of silly, the prose is too simple, and I found the characters pretty one-note and uninteresting. And while it’s possible it becomes more Urban Fantasy later, what I read (the first 20%) was closer to magical realism, which doesn’t interest me at all.

Readers who already have an interest in the queer culture of the time period – and especially in Fire Island – should have much more fun than I did, especially if you appreciate the sort of tongue-in-cheek humour Fell’s going for here. (I have a vague suspicion that there’s something like satire going on – *not* satire, but *like* satire, playing around with stereotypes and such very deliberately – that I’m not smart enough to understand or appreciate.)

The way this book weaves grief, love, and the challenges of the AIDS epidemic into its narrative is done with such sensitivity and honesty. It balances the weight of these themes with hope, magic, and an undeniable sense of community. There’s a certain magic in finding people who will love and protect you, and this story brings that to the forefront in the most beautiful way.The romance, the magical realism, the community, and the layers of emotion; everything about this book clicked for me. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for a heartfelt, fun, and emotionally rich read. It’s not just a love story; it’s a love letter to survival, to community, and to the power of finding family in the most unexpected places.

Thank you to @alcovepress for the advanced copy to review!

Hit the dance floor with a coven of queer witches on 1980s Fire Island in this gay fantasy romance about finding magic, love, and family in the face of tragedy.

^
From the publisher!

When I read the premise of this book, I just *knew* it was for me, specifically. As I fell into Joe’s world, I fell in love with all of his friends and chosen family along the way. From Dory to Vince to Ronnie to Howie to Lenny to Fergal and everyone in between, I was rooting for these characters from start to finish.

Starting every chapter with a disco witches manifesto was genius and made each chapter more impactful. I laughed and cried my way through Joe’s summer on Fire Island as he grieved the loss of his former lover, made friends with new people, and fell in love again. His fear of not finding love and being alone forever was way too relatable. I was rooting for him and Fergal from the get and their relationship was great to watch progress! I melted by the end with their big revelations and the ocean having its way with them. The epilogue!! Ronnie and Vince… those two crazy kids 🥹🥹.

I LOVED Howie and Lenny so so much. Their coven of witches, their being “cheesier than a gay hickory farms” ways, their fierce protection and care of those they love, and the strength of their friendship - it was so inspiring.

There are some definite though moments here of loss, grief, sickness, sadness, and devastation. But the overarching themes of hope, found family, love, and friendship make everything worth it.I’m so glad I ordered this one for my personal collection.

We are what we remember, indeed. Please don’t miss the author’s note/acknowledgements at the end for what helped to inspire this story

This is one of the more original books I've read this year. It combines so many elements, romance, history, found family, and a dash of magic. I love Fell's attention to the world of 1980s gay culture and the important history that is too often forgotten or glossed over in modern queer books. He balances the tragedy of the time perfectly with the silly, joyful residents of Piketty Ruff. There are some traditional romantic tropes here, but the key to the charm of this book is the found family of diverse excentrics who perfectly shepard the main characters through this wild time. All in all quite fun.

A very different sort of magical realism novel because it's set against the backdrop of AIDs. This is at times challenging because it's a bit scattered but there's a good heart. Found family over all. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An interesting read.

📖 Title: Disco Witches of Fire Island-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Blair Fell-new to me author

📅Publication date: 5/6/25 | Read 4/24/25

📃 Format: e-Book 352 pgs.

Genre:
*LGBTQIA+
*Fantasy
*Romance
*Adult Fic
*Historical

Tropes:
*found family
*M/M romances
*friends to lovers
*magic/witches/merman
*reminds me of TV show *Queer as Folk*

👆🏾POV: 3rd person single-Joe

⚠️TW: death of family/loved ones, AIDS epidemic, grief, drug use/ addiction/recovery, mental health issues, homophobia

🌎 Setting: Fire Island Pines, NY- 1989

Summary: It's 1989 during the AIDS pandemic where gay men (in particular) are losing their lives at an alarming rate, but Ronnie wants Joe to have some fun. After losing his partner Elliot a year and a half ago, Joe is still grieving so Ronnie proposes they go to Fire Island for the summer. He setup jobs and a place to stay so they can hang out, hook up, and Ronnie can find his dream man. When nothing works out like it was supposed to, but Joe meets and moves in with strangers Howie and Lenny. They get him a bartender job and a place to stay while protecting him from a looming darkness.

👨🏾 Hero: Joseph "Joe" Agabian-28, lives in the Philly suburbs with his mother Evelyn. Worked at Friends Hospital (a mental institution) with the dream of going to medical school.

🎭 Other Characters:

*Ronnie Kaminski-34, Joe's BFF for 4 years
*Howard "Howie" Fishbein + Leonardo "Lenny" D'Amico-In their 60's, gay men who take Joe under their wing, very quirky housecleaners
*Saint D' Norman-living w/Dory, one of the disco witches
*Dorothy "Dory" Lieberman Delagrange-80, owns Asylum Harbor bar, gives AIDS patients a place to convalesce
*Elena-23, Dory's granddaughter, was a model
*Scotty Black-real estate developer, wants to close Dory's bar down
*Max-Howie and Lenny's BFF, in the hospital
*Vince-manager of the Asylum Harbor
*Fergal-mysterious ferryman Joe likes

🤔 My Thoughts: I remembered how bad things were back then but found comfort knowing having HIV/AIDS today is not a death sentence. If you haven't seen the movie "The Normal Heart," you must because it tackles everything in this novel. I loved Ronnie and Joe's playful banter as well as Howie and Lenny's which showed great love and companionship. Joe's journey was one of self-discovery, healing, and taking control of his life with the help of some disco witches.

Rating: 4.5/5 ✨
Spice level 5/5 🌶️

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Blair Fell for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This was a conundrum. On the one hand, it was entertaining and deliciously camp, while still capturing a sense of desperation and fear that seems so typical of the time period. It was Pose on an island.

On the other hand, I can't really say I was on board with the whole disco magic system. I love the idea of dance magic, and making it disco is inspired, but it didn't wow me in terms of creativity. Although billed as a fantasy, I feel like this wouldn't necessarily satisfy a fantasy reader.

Which is why I would say to read this for the queer rep, treat the fantasy aspects as a flamboyant metaphor for prejudice and discrimination against the queer community.

While I found the themes interesting, unfortunately the writing and pacing were not for me. This book depends way too much on pop culture references, cliche and stereotypes, and not enough magic. The main character, Joe, I couldn't come to enjoy. I also found the pacing to be clunky. Unfortunately, this book fell short.

Disco Witches of Fire Island is a shimmering, soulful blend of queer romance, found family, and magical realism set against the glitter and grief of late-’80s Fire Island. Blair Fell weaves a story that’s tender, sexy, and quietly devastating, balancing campy witchy fun with the very real ache of loss and survival during the HIV/AIDS crisis. The coven of disco witches is both hilarious and heartbreaking, and Joe’s journey toward healing—through love, magic, and community—feels both intimate and epic. It’s a spellbinding, bittersweet tribute to queer resilience.

This is definitely going to be high up on the list of my favorite reads of the year. Heartbreakingly lovable yet realistically flawed characters who grow as individuals and into the coolest coven I have ever witnessed. Lovingly evokes Fire Island summers in all their glory while critiquing gentrification and class dynamics at work, and provides a searing and touching portrait of living and loving during the AIDS crisis. An absolutely beautiful read that will linger with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I think the beginning portion of this book was strong in terms of setting our characters and the scene, but by the end everything just felt like a means to an end. The ending was way to rushed and I just didn't like the fantastic element of this story, it felt too much like magical realism instead of actual fantasy.

I was intrigued by the found family aspect of the story but found it to be quite superficial by the end of the story. I know quite a few things happened however, this felt like a fever dream where nothing actually happened.

I didn't dislike my time reading this book but I'm not going to spend time thinking about it.

I also thought the resolution of the "third act break up" (let's call it that so that I don't spoil anything) was stupid, if you were so upset about this thing you broke up I don't really see how an 'I'm sorry' will just make you feel okay with the situation but alas.

Blair Fell captures queer joy in his second novel. Set in the 80s on Fire Island Fell pays great attention to building the setting and the time period which is based on his own experiences. Joe, a gay man in his twenties sets foot on the island without a plan for the summer and is quickly swooped up into bartending, magic, romance, disco, and the path to acceptance. Capturing the AIDS epidemic in the queer community and the fear many gay men felt while trying to get by and enjoy life freely (something which seems to be a blind spot for many young queer people nowadays). Everything is presented with a kind of love and nostalgia. There is a touch of fantasy with the titular Disco Witches and their work as a coven but it never goes too deep.

Fell does a great job with characters in his novel, allowing them to live and breathe even with their messy moments and choices and some of their choices made me irritated but again that’s a good sign of character development. The setting is presented with reverence for the way Fire Island was in the eighties. I enjoyed the read with its moments of spice and drama and found myself breezing through the novel. The fantasy aspect of the novel, though, never quite clicked. It’s as if Fell was worried the audience may not be willing to have suspension of disbelief so he reigned in on the idea of the witches and magic and I wish he had gone deeper with it and had more fun. Highly recommended for those looking for a summer read as we approach the season or those looking for a novel that is powered by queer joy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this ARC

This was such an original take on the AIDS pandemic, with a coven decimated because it had taken the majority of their members and them trying to stay strong while trying to protect Joe.
I really liked it, with all the magic, it still showed all the grief and too the fight to be heard as gay men in the 80s.
I liked too how they all made mistakes, and had flaws and virtues, and learned to love and forgive and be better for each other.

Best title ever! I love witches and disco and the cover and loved the book. To me it's totally possible there was a coven of witches living on Fire Island in the '80's with a mission to do good and save young men.

Really interesting characters and story lines. Great Disco Witch Manifestos begin each chapter, some are fun and others are lessons we all need today. Great musical references. Great study of what it means to be a friend, or more. Fun book, except when it wasn't, and was sad.

The historical fiction aspect of AIDS/HIV in the 80's is accurate. There was a lot of heartbreak during this time in history, young men abandoned, left to die by their country and family, not knowing how to move forward or to move in the world, others watching the numbers of dead friends and family climb. Blair did a great job in making me feel this anguish, from young and old men alike.

It's true I do personally know the author, and that did not affect my rating or review.

Dance On!

I struggled with this one, especially because I didn't like Joe. Still, the setting of the story and some of the series talks in the book made me enjoy most of it.
I was drawn to the witchy setting and the fact we don't get much of it... it was disappointing.
Still, I enjoyed the book for what it was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.