Reviews

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

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hopeandchange's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

I've had a hard time focusing on long books this year, but this was a page-turner for me! There were a many different portrayals of Womanhood in this book which I appreciate--motherhood especially is explored in a way not often seen in literature. I liked that the characters were able to make decisions based on what felt true for them; I find this is not often true of female characters. Some of the political commentary was too on the nose and trite but some also rang true. The villain, a hurt person who then also hurt people, reminds me a lot of a certain politician. I wish the witchcraft in the book had been explored more and rooted more in myths and legends, but overall this was enjoyable.

jess_eveland's review

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4.0

Really enjoyed this story - centered on empowerment. Women at the end of hope turn to magic. It's not a typical witch story. Spells are hidden in fairy tails and children's rhymes. Words and ways are how women make a way for themselves and their families because they are poor, don't have access to healthcare, votes, fair working conditions, & LGBTQ+ rights. They heal bruises left by abusive husbands they are not allowed to divorce, struggle to find access to women's healthcare, hide secret relationships and gender identity. Set against the womens suffrage movement, at times it's startling how so many of the issues these women are struggling with are echoing in today's political rhetoric and supreme court rulings. Ultimately magic is a tool but what saves them is the bonds of sisterhood bringing together women from all walks of life.

"Or perhaps for all of them: for the little girls thrown in cellars and the grown women sent to workhouses, the mothers who shouldn’t have died and the witches who shouldn’t have burned. For all the women punished merely for wanting what they shouldn’t"

Criticism: at times the pacing is a bit slow.

lcowser83's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

alison_rose's review

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.75

ktswings's review

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5.0

4.5. My niece recommends good books!

joana_stormblessed's review

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4.0

This is my second book by Alix E. Harrow and once again, I loved it. I don't really know what is keeping it from being a 5 star book, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless.

What is it about?
We follow three sisters and witches: Beatrice Belladonna Eastwood, Agnes Amaranth Eastwood and James Juniper Eastwood. The Crone, the Mother and the Maiden. The year is 1893 and the suffragette movement is going strong in New Salem, but a lot of women realise that this movement is not really inclusive. It is for white, rich, straight women. Not for women of colour, for LGBT+ women and definitely not for witches. Being newly reunited after a 7-year separation, the Eastwood sisters decide that the time of witches has come anew. It is time to restore the old ways, but as we all know: witches are meant to burn.

What did I think?
I really enjoyed my time with this book. so much so that I read 300 pages of it in one day. What I loved the most were: the characters, the atmosphere and the weaving together of old tales and new ones. I loved how we got fairy tale stories interspersed in the middle of the book. I love that we worked with old mythology. I am a sucker for these kinds of things.
Alix E. Harrow's writing style is also one that I really enjoy. It is beautiful but not overly flowery. She has some amazing lines and her stories always mean a lot to me.