Reviews

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan

itputsthebookupontheshelf's review against another edition

3.0

I love anything witches. So when I saw this book, I knew I needed to read it. It's books like this that got me into reading to begin with.

This is a beautifully written, emersive tale of the Witches of the Bishop line. The narrative chages based on each of these characters. It's done in a way that is easy to follow and should not be too confusing for most readers.

I did find the pacing slow at times, and a lot of the time, you kind of knew what was coming. There weren't a lot of times when I was surprised by anything, which I would have liked more of.

I loved the historical aspects and the time period, but the romance left something to be desired.

I was hoping to love this a little more, but I still enjoyed it as I look back to the books that originally made me fall in love with reading.

Thank you to Redbook books and Netgalley for the gifted copy

cammyvee's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

amybraunauthor's review against another edition

4.0

A perfect novel for anyone who enjoys Victorian era society with a dash of magic and complicated family dynamics.

Young Annis finds herself in an unlucky situation of having a jaded stepmother, Francis, who intends to use magic and a marriage dowry to satisfy her own ends. Enter Harriet, Francis’ cousin and a fellow witch who quickly becomes Annis’ ally in order to help Annis come to terms with her dreams, and her self.

Considering the rules of their society, the main characters are all strong women who are determined to fight for their dreams and goals. Annis herself was a great character, aware of her desires and refusing to let something like patriarchy stop her. Harriet is sacrificing and patient, and I actually found Francis to be quite interesting, even if she were technically the antagonist.

The magic and plot are easy to follow, with realistic stakes and dramas. The writing is solid and misses nothing, ensuring the ending is satisfying.

This was an enjoyable book that fans of historical fiction and witches will have fun reading.

mwagnon's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this book! It’s like if “Bridgerton” had magic.

ina_hkh's review against another edition

2.0

I wanted something witchy to read for spooky season, but was disappointed by this one. It started out okay, but after the climax - only two thirds in - it became annoying how everything so conveniently fell into place. Every little bit of resistance just worked itself out neatly and the main character got off without making a single hard choice. It was also very black and white who were the good people and who were the bad. I rolled my eyes so many times getting through this. Ugh.

Anyone have a witchy book to recommend?

kelseyg90's review against another edition

5.0

This was a great book! An easy read I enjoyed the set up on the chapters moving between characters. If you love witches you will enjoy this easy page turner.

kaybrew2024's review against another edition

2.0

It was alright. I was pretty bored during the whole thing.

lauriestein's review against another edition

1.0

I'm pretty disappointed because the summary made this sound so promising. It's a little misleading to highlight the NYC Gilded Age "400"-ness of it all in the blurb when more than half of the narrative takes place buccaneering for husbands in Britain. Also I 100% didn't really comprehend the magic system. The stakes were simultaneously too low and too high keeping it within one family line.

beesteele's review against another edition

4.0

This was my first experience in reading Louisa Morgan, but I'd be curious to see how her other books stack up against this one. I thought this was a wonderfully understated book. Some might think it is a bit slow, but I liked the way it built into what it would ultimately become: a battle between "good" magic and "bad" magic.

The characters were interesting enough to me. Annis, a young horse-riding woman who is coming of age and facing up to her seemingly inevitable destiny (marriage), is the meeting point for the other two characters: Harriet, who practices herbal magic, and Frances, Annis's stepmother who uses a darker form of magic to achieve her self-serving goals. Annis doesn't realize it, but all three women are descended from the Bishops (Bridget Bishop was infamously burned in the Salem Witch Trials), though from different lines.

I liked the relationships between not only the women but also between Annis and James, a young English aristocrat on whom Frances hopes to pawn Annis off in order to secure a title for the family. The romance element of this book is subtle and well done. I enjoy when a romance doesn't totally overtake the plot, and this qualifies.

I also really loved Annis's passion for horses. Any animal lover will connect with that aspect. Her respect and love for horses reminded me a bit of Vasya's love for Solovey in the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden, and that is my very favorite "animal sidekick" plot ever, so that's a huge compliment.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It wasn't quite a 5-star for me, but I enjoyed the journey!

shadypinesma's review against another edition

4.0

This book mobilizes typical witchy themes that keep me coming back: love, courage, prototypical feminism, and the divine feminine. It is also set in historical NY and I felt immersed in that setting. The writing was lovely but there was not much unique about this book.