Release Date: October 13th 2020
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 528
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis
In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the Eastwood sisters–James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna–join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.
There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.
Review
The Once and Future Witches is the new book from acclaimed author Alix E. Harrow. The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a book I’ve been really excited to read, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. When I heard she was coming out with a new book about witches and the suffragettes movement it immediately went straight to the top of my anticipated releases list.
Set in a time where witches are a thing of the past, the story follows three sisters – James, Beatrice and Agnes as they join the suffragettes movement in New Salem. As support for the movement begins to increase the sisters delve deeper into the magic of their ancestors in an attempt to escape the forces that wish to harm them.
While I haven’t read Harrow’s debut novel I know many people loved it for the beautiful writing style. That absolutely shines through in The Once and Future Witches, I adored the lyrical way that she wrote and I was completely captivated by this gorgeous story. It is a story of sisters and family, of standing against oppression and I loved every single second of it.
Harrow has created such a fascinating and unique tale in this book. I found the combination of suffragettes and witches such a brilliant and fresh take. The story is well paced and I thought this was such an engrossing read. While I was really fascinated by the plot the thing that kept me hooked most was the characters. Harrow has created three distinct and complex protagonist, each dealing with their own hardships and difficulties. It was fascinating seeing them attempt to reconcile after so many years and see how their sibling relationship changed as the stakes became higher.
The Once and Future Witches is a spellbinding and beautifully written book. It’s the perfect autumn read with brilliant characters that you become quite attached to. It’s full to the brim with magic and I can already see myself rereading this one for Halloween next year. It touches on a lot of important subjects such as equality and racism and there are many parallels with the world today. If you’ve been intrigued by this one I’d absolutely say give it a go – you won’t be disappointed.
A Golden Fury originally caught my eye because of that beautiful cover but after reading the synopsis for this one I was immediately intrigued to know more. The story follows Thea Hope, a young girl longing to be an alchemist like her mother. However her mother controls all the aspects of her life and Thea wants nothing more than to help her uncover the secrets of the philosopher’s stone. Whilst looking at her mother’s stones Thea discovers that there is a curse placed on the stone that drives anyone who uses it to insanity. Forced to flee France and live in Oxford, Thea soon becomes entangled with a group of alchemists desperate to steal her knowledge and create the stone themselves.
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As soon as I read the synopsis for The Bone Shard Daughter I knew it was going to be a book I would love. The premise sounds fascinating and coupled with that absolutely stunning cover, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. The Bone Shard Daughter is an absolutely incredible debut, and without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year.
Misfits is the dark and gruesome tale that follows five friends who are outcasts in their small town of Milbury Connecticut. When one of their friends is attacked the group decide to take matters into their own hands and seek justice. The woods surrounding the town are home to the legendary Melon Heads. When the two groups collide they think that perhaps they can be of use to each other – but at what cost?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 