Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

63 reviews

tormerritt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book was truly magical from start to finish! I was already expecting a well-written book because I am in love with Harrow's gorgeous writing style from 'The Ten Thousand Doors of January', but I was not expecting such a beautifully woven story with so many profound elements to it. I can tell so much work went into the writing of this book!

It is 1893, and we follow the Eastwood Sisters who are discovering their witchcraft and using the power of spells and storytelling to share their "words and ways". Ultimately, turning a women's movement into a witches' movement! The bravery and strength of the many women in this book were incredibly inspiring! The story deals with some heavier subjects like trauma, abuse, racism, violence, abortion, pregnancy/birth, and constraints against women during the 1890s. 

Every character was written so well that they practically jump off the pages! We get to see their struggles, where they are from, who their family and friends are, what has caused their traumas, their thoughts and feelings, and their most vulnerable moments throughout. This made the characters relatable and so human for me. Also, I love the fact that there is LGBTQ/interracial relationship representation. ❤️

There wasn't anything I disliked about this book. I did not want to escape this enchanting world of The Once and Future Witches and I definitely want to form my own society of powerful witches now! Who wants to join? 🧙🏻‍♀️✨️ 


I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, a new five-star favorite! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, and Racism

Minor: Abortion

sol84's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence

brindolyn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Racism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexism

justmys's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A powerful book that explores the varying pains that women face in their lives. Although it is set in the late 1800s, the plight of the women between the pages is universal and never ending and you'll find yourself empathising with the characters almost from the very beginning.
The book touches upon a myriad of different cultures and lives, exploring their differences and similarities and finding what joins us together in the face of a fight that needs to be won.
You can feel the fire in these pages, it's so beautifully written and feels rooted in history, despite the fiction and magic. It weaves between the marginalised and the long suffering, bringing in LGBTQ+ topics, race inequality, social standing and sex, and it does so with such genuine care and love it's beautiful to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexism

schnaucl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I really like this book.  It's very smartly written with interesting characters and clever tweaks to history and historical figures.  

It's a book that's full of women's rage and the subtle ways they have to hide their power to pass things down through the generations and the never ending cycle of women gaining a measure of power only to have it nearly all taken from them.  But still they endure. 

I appreciated the effort to bring in words and ways from other cultures, both contemporary and historical, and the focus on the fact that progress will eventually cause a reactionary backlash which will fall hardest on the most marginalized.

While I really liked the book, the ending didn't quite work for me.  Well, it works on a thematic level, just not a practical level. I can't think of any reason Gideon would choose to take over the body of a female child.   He is keenly aware of how easy to is to accuse a woman of witchcraft and see her burn, whether she's a witch or not.  I can't see himself putting himself in that position, even temporarily.   Surely he's found some method over the long years of gaining procuring what he needs from the next man (or potential men) whose body he intends to occupy.   I think Eve had to be in some kind of proximity and I'd think it a big gamble that once she was rescued she'd be brought to her mother's burning rather than safely whisked out of the city.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Violence

Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Physical abuse, Torture, and Abortion

sneakysnam's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Abortion, Child abuse, Misogyny, Colonisation, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Grief, and Kidnapping

Minor: Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death of parent, and Grief

del_phinium's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Misogyny

julianimal's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Racism, Torture, Cursing, Homophobia, and Murder

Minor: Abortion and Blood

_teoeo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a fantastic book!! I enjoyed it soooo much. Don't know how I feel about retelling fairy tales but in this book it is well done. Couldn't decide if I should rate it 4,75 or 5 stars but I loved it so much it just HAS to be 5 stars.
Please look at the trigger and content  warnings before reading it, because it really was a lot sometimes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Medical trauma, Sexism, and Suicide

Moderate: Torture, Transphobia, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and Animal death

bookishaddictions's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

One word for this book: wow. I snagged this novel on Kindle because of the beautiful cover, and I have zero regrets. This is probably one of my favorite books so far this year (and I’ve read quite a few). Harrow provides strong and authentic characters, a solid plot, and interesting perspectives as she shows old ideas in a new light. Follow along with the Eastwood sisters as they work to rediscover the magic that is believed to be lost in this historical fantasy. This is a story of sisterhood, resiliency, love, and survival; it is the reminder that if a woman has the will, she must only find a way. The Eastwood sisters give us everything a reader could want, and I definitely found myself considering what Hogwarts house they would each theoretically belong to. Juniper gives us the tough and fierce witch we always are tempted to be (she’d def be a Slytherin). Agnes shows us the strength of a mother’s love (and is argubly a Griffyndor). Beatrice is our soft-spoken witch that reminds us we that we are all important (and she’s our Ravenclaw). Overall, I 100% support you checking this book out! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse