This book checked all of my boxes. WWII historical fiction, resisting fascism, complicated maternal relationships, and witches. Really, it was an absolute recipe for success. I was worried at the beginning when it felt vaguely derivative and formulaic, but I got over that very quickly as the story unfolded and it turned out to be a singularly unique, satisfying and engaging read. I love books that engage all of the senses, and this one was a magical feast. Read it. It somehow manages to be cozy and fantastical and profound all at once. Thank you Net Galley for providing me with this Advance Reader Copy.

A Resistance of Witches was very different from what I expected, and honestly, I wasn't sure I liked it at the beginning. The idea of Hitler Nazi witches in conflict with British witches seemed entirely too fanciful. But as I kept reading, I realized that Morgan Ryan had something entirely different in mind when writing this novel. A Resistance of Witches is about female power, which recalled all that I had read as a graduate student studying female power in early British history. Women were burned as witches, not because they were witches, but because they were women with property. Widows inherited their husband's property, which was the only way that women could own property. Unfortunately, these widows became the target of men, who wanted that property. If a widow refused to remarry, she was attacked as a witch and murdered, so that her property would become available for male ownership. In A Resistance of Witches, women really were witches with strong magic, which led to their deaths. I enjoyed the contrast between historical reality and historical fantasy.

Ryan's novel was an unusual WW2 story about women holding the means to end WW2. British witches tried to help Great Britain win the war, while Nazi witches worked just was hard to help Hitler win the war. The characters were interesting, with some--Lydia, Evelyn, Henry, and Rebecca, well defined and complex. A Resistance of Witches is about sacrifice,. betrayal, justice, bravery, and ethics. The conflict, tension, and violence created a complex plot. By the time I was half way through A Resistance of Witches, I could not put down the book.

I am recommending this novel, especially for those who are looking for a unique way to understand WW2 and those who enjoy novels about witches. Thank you to Penguin, Viking, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The comments above reflect my honest opinion.
4.5 +5 stars

A Resistance of Witches is a genre mash-up and although it sounds a little weird to throw together fantasy and historical fiction, it totally works here!

What worked for me: The magic system in this book is interesting and the female power in this book is great. The storyline is compelling and it flies by. I loved ALL of the characters except the Nazi witches and their cronies. They all have unique gifts and knowledge that they use in interesting ways to try to bring about the end of World War II.

The only thing I didn't like as much is that one of my favorite characters doesn't make it out alive. Also, I would have loved to know more about Henri in the epilogue.

This is a great book and I'd hand it to lots of different readers. It's for readers who enjoyed Naomi Novik's Scholomance books, Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon, or even Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House.

Big thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for this review!

4.75 stars

This was such a fun fast paced historical fiction. I loved historical fiction that takes place during World War 2, and the inclusion of witches and magic was brilliant. The three main characters were all so love able, and I’m glad that they got their happy endings.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book!

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. A Resistance of Witches surprised me with its perfect balance of historical detail, magical elements, and heartfelt emotion. It weaves together a compelling mix of very light romance and grief, regret, and the complexities of strained family relationships, especially between mothers and daughters.

Morgan Ryan masterfully blends fantasy with emotional realism, creating a story that is both enchanting and deeply moving. The romance was just the right touch, adding warmth without overshadowing the more serious layers of the narrative regarding the horrors that occurred during World War II.

This book left a lasting impression and gave me far more than I anticipated. If you enjoy stories that are both magical and emotionally resonant, this one is worth picking up.

This is my first experience with Morgan Ryan, but Net Galley offered me the chance to read this one, so I took it-and I am so glad I did.
A secret society of British witches fighting Nazis? And there are Nazi witches? Just my type of thing-
The story is well written, the stakes are high, the pacing is pretty good. The only note I might have is for more time spent on character development, some of the final elements of the story felt a bit rushed and did not hit as strongly as they would have if I felt more invested in the characters.
The final twist was a pretty big reveal, I did not see it coming, but a lot of explaining had to happen for it to make any kind of sense. If I had more of a complete picture of that character it would not have felt so jarring, and required less explication in the moment.
These are minor notes, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from the author.
Recommend

A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan is an engaging and richly crafted historical fantasy that blends the darkness of wartime Europe with the enchanting world of witches. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling tale, which follows Lydia Polk—a stubborn, plain-spoken young woman from an unimpressive family—who unexpectedly finds herself at the heart of Britain’s secret war effort against Nazi magical forces. The story is expertly paced, balancing intense action with moments of quiet introspection. Lydia’s journey into occupied France, accompanied by fierce allies like Rebecca Gagne and Henry Boudreaux, keeps you on the edge of your seat as they race against time to recover the powerful and dangerous Grimorium Bellum. The narrative explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and resilience, all woven seamlessly into a richly detailed magical universe set against the grim backdrop of WWII. What stood out most was Morgan Ryan’s vivid world-building and well-developed characters. Lydia’s growth from an underestimated outsider to a courageous witch fighting for the greater good is inspiring. The inclusion of diverse characters and the depiction of resistance efforts add depth and authenticity to the story. While the plot is thrilling and full of suspense, there are moments where the stakes feel particularly high, and I appreciated the way the author kept the tension alive until the very end. Overall, A Resistance of Witches is a captivating mix of history and magic that fans of supernatural wartime stories will genuinely enjoy.

What a great debut! I really love historical fantasy and this one had me invested. There were a couple things that I predicted would happen but still had a good time reading this. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!

Great premise - witches helping the allies in their fight against Hitler. Good blend of historical fiction and fantasy. The writing is strong but at times I found myself skimming the page because I knew what was going to be said in more detail than necessary.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lydia Polk, despite her heritage of hedge witches has been accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. These British witches are contributing to the war effort. Lydia is tasked with tracking down magical relics befor the German witches can find them. The stakes turn immediately deadly when a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy. Now the arguement rages, fight on or withdraw to safety and obscurity. Taking matters into her own hands, Lydia arrives in occupied France searching for a powerful grimoire. But this dark grimoire has plans of its own.

Why I started this book: Requested this ARC because I love a good witch story... and WWII historical fiction has been a longtime favorite. I was eager to enjoy this mash-up.

Why I finished it: Finished this book in two big gulps. The writing is compelling, and the story is propulsive. The witchy elements enhanced the action and justified the compact timeline. I will look for more from Ryan.

Set against the backdrop of World War II tells the story of England investing into another helpful source in order to win the war. Enlisting the help of witches and magix to defeat the Germans. However the Germans may have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Lydia Polk enters the witches coven Academy at the age of sixteen. For nearly three years she studies hard under the Grand Mistress and mentor Isadora. However one tragic day a witch from the enemy coven in nazi Germany ends up breaking into the coven and killing Isadora and Lydia's friend Kitty.
Afterwards she ventures out of the country to seek some answers to the events of what happened. She meets Rebecca who is working for the Resistance and Henry who is a student. Along this journey Lydia will discover that there is so much to her own coven she does not know about. Will she be able to stop the germans from winning the war or will it all come crashing down around her.
Overall this was a very interesting read. Weaving in fantasy and the historical background of the second world war was very creative. I never would have pictured Winston Churchill enlisting the help of witches to help win the war.

Fiercely courageous witches. A war with far reaching consequences. An evil book capable of destroying the world.

It’s 1940, World War II is ripping the world apart. Lydia is a young witch at the Royal Academy of Witches. Her mentor, Isodora, the grand mistress of the academy, takes her to meet Winston Churchill. Isodora reveals her intentions to assist the British government in the war effort. However, a few years later, Isodora is murdered by a Nazi witch. Devastated,Lydia is tasked with finding an ancient grimoire that contains powerful, dark magic before the Nazi coven. She travels to France and meets Rebecca, a resistance spy, and Henry, a curator of art who is hiding a magical power of his own.

I recommend this book for historical fiction and fantasy readers. There are many layers with the historical aspect of WWII, elaborate magic, and the strong bonds of a mother and daughter. The connections between the characters reflects quick, strong friendship borne from intense, life threatening situations. This book is action packed with fierce characters who are fighting to overcome the worst evil imaginable.

“Show me a world that does not hate a powerful woman, and I’ll show you a world without men”. Quoted from uncorrected proof.

Thank you Penguin Group/ Viking Penguin and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was enjoyable! I'm not sure what I was expecting, as I don't read a ton of WW2 novels, but the addition of magic made for an interesting read.

Lydia Polk, a student at the Royal Academy of Witches in London during the Blitz, finds herself accompanying her mentor, the grand mistress of the Academy, on a visit to none other than Winston Churchill. The stakes can’t be any higher… Europe is falling to the Nazi regime. This is how our tale begins: the witches have offered their help in intercepting an object of power before the Nazis find it, a grimoire that could make its owner … invincible.

This thrilling fantasy is immersive historical fiction with horror both realistic and supernatural. It gets dark, very dark. The plotting is intricate, the pace is perfect, and the characters will steal your heart (I literally cried at least twice and this rarely happens). I have been longing to read a great book about a magical person in training and this is better than I ever could have expected. And a debut! Unbelievable. I did guess a couple of the plot points early on but that did not hamper my pure enjoyment of this extremely well-crafted female-centric story of magic, bravery and love.

Given current events, a book about fighting Nazis has a lot of appeal, even more so when the resistance comprises witches and the witch-adjacent. It's a fine read, but maybe not quite as compelling as I'd hoped? The love story doesn't add anything, and not just because it's a heterosexual couple. The question of fighting fairly is an interesting one, again, because of current circumstances. I highlighted this exchange

"It's dark magic. Evil. We don't do that sort of thing." Lydia didn't look entirely convinced by her own argument.

"It would save lives."

"It would end lives, that's what it does."

Rebecca was quiet for a long time. "They would do it to us."

"We're not like them."

"Maybe we should be."

Lydia turned, surprised. "You don't mean that."

"I do, actually."

Lydia stared. "I don't think you know what you're suggesting."

Rebecca was suddenly furious with this stupid, naive Englishwoman, lecturing her on morality with such
confidence. "You know what I think? I think you've only heard about war on the BBC. You've never seen it up close. You have no idea what it's really like here."

SIGH. Fighting a war against people with no morality (but supposedly fighting in the name of morality?) is confusing. How do you win when logic and honor do not exist???

Absolutely wonderful! I believe this is a debut novel, and Morgan Ryan has hit it out of the park. A believable, sympathetic heroine and her crew use their different abilities (including witchcraft/magic) in the service of the Allies in World War II, facing dangers and at least one truly horrific deception along the way. There is an element of tragedy – how could there not be? – but, as with the war itself, good will triumph. I just ate this one up and cannot wait for more.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this delightful debut novel!!

The pacing of this book was excellent, and I adored a lot of the characters. The maternal relationships in particular really drew me and provided a lot of the emotional core of the story. Gonna go give my mom a hug. :)

My main gripe was that the romance seemed a little half-baked and like it should’ve either been fleshed out more or cut from the book completely.

However, this did not impede too much on my enjoyment for this book; it was truly lovely.

An enthralling witchy historical fiction taking place during WWII. With elements of drama, romance, historical fiction, paranormal, mystery and suspense this one will keep you interested throughout. I couldn't put it down!

I read the synopsis of A Resistance of Witches and was immediately intrigued. I’ve always been drawn to stories that blend genres. In this case, there was a little bit of everything: friendship, magic, an adventurous quest but with elements of horror and sci-fi as well. The world building was fascinating, and Ryan’s take on witch covens felt unique. I also loved the main character, Lydia. Sure, she was frustrating at times, but I connected with her struggles even in a world so far removed from my own. My only wish was that we could’ve explored more with Henry.

Overall, this was a fantastic debut, and I’m excited to see more from Morgan Ryan in the future! Thank you NetGalley and Viking for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Minor spoilers.

4.5/5 stars

There's just something about a witch setting out to defeat Hitler that makes me happy.

The world built here was fascinating, and I really wanted to spend more time in it. I want to know how the witches function outside of war time. I want to see the differences between the academy-taught witches and the self-taught.

I loved the different mother/daughter relationships that were explored - there's something about witches and mother relationships that just make sense together.

I liked that the witches weren't treated as an allegory for [insert marginalized group here] but stood on their own.

Rebecca was a great character and I want a sequel about what she did between 1943 and 1945.

Henry was interesting I guess, but I either wanted more of him or none of him at all. The romance was probably what docked half a point. I get why it was there but the relationship wasn't super well developed. I would have rather had the relationship between Lydia and Rebecca expanded on than trying to divide time between them and between Lydia and Henry, but as it was, it was just kind of... There.

TLDR: Witches take down the Third Reich with spells. And guns. And I'm gonna go tell my mom I love her.