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smittenforfiction's review against another edition
4.0
Toil & Trouble is a unique short story collection of imaginative tales about witches learning to believe in themselves and face their fears. Some of the stories are light, while others are more serious and moving. Nothing can stand in the way of a woman who believes in herself. The real history of witches inspire a modern conversation about past mistakes as an opportunity for change. With a cast of diverse characters, many tales had me hooked from the first paragraph to the end.
Toil & Trouble is a commendable compilation for fantasy fans, especially for those interested in witches, but is also a significant piece of today's conversation about feminism and diversity.
Some of my Favs:
"Afterbirth" by Andrea Cremer
"The Heart in Her Hands" by Tess Sharpe
"Death in The Sawtooths" by Lindsay Smith
"Love Spell" by Anna-Marie McLemore
"The Gherin Girls" by Emery Lord
My favourite: "Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May
All of the stories are at least ⭐⭐⭐ for me, my only complaint being that I found some of the endings abrupt/incomplete.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
Contributors:
Tehlor Kay Mejia "Starsong"
Andrea Cremer "Afterbirth"
Tess Sharpe "The Heart In Her Hands"
Lindsay Smith "Death in the Sawtooths"
Brandy Colbert "The Truth About Queenie"
Shveta Thakrar "The Moonapple Menagerie"
Robin Talley "The Legend of Stone Mary"
Nova Ren Suma "The One Who Stayed"
Zoraida Córdova "Divine are the Stars"
Brenna Yovanoff "Daughters of Baba Yaga"
Kate Hart "The Well Witch"
Jessica Spotswood "Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths"
Anna-Marie McLemore "Love Spell"
Emery Lord "The Gherin Girls"
Elizabeth May "Why They Watch us Burn"
Toil & Trouble is a commendable compilation for fantasy fans, especially for those interested in witches, but is also a significant piece of today's conversation about feminism and diversity.
Some of my Favs:
"Afterbirth" by Andrea Cremer
"The Heart in Her Hands" by Tess Sharpe
"Death in The Sawtooths" by Lindsay Smith
"Love Spell" by Anna-Marie McLemore
"The Gherin Girls" by Emery Lord
My favourite: "Why They Watch Us Burn" by Elizabeth May
All of the stories are at least ⭐⭐⭐ for me, my only complaint being that I found some of the endings abrupt/incomplete.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
Contributors:
Tehlor Kay Mejia "Starsong"
Andrea Cremer "Afterbirth"
Tess Sharpe "The Heart In Her Hands"
Lindsay Smith "Death in the Sawtooths"
Brandy Colbert "The Truth About Queenie"
Shveta Thakrar "The Moonapple Menagerie"
Robin Talley "The Legend of Stone Mary"
Nova Ren Suma "The One Who Stayed"
Zoraida Córdova "Divine are the Stars"
Brenna Yovanoff "Daughters of Baba Yaga"
Kate Hart "The Well Witch"
Jessica Spotswood "Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths"
Anna-Marie McLemore "Love Spell"
Emery Lord "The Gherin Girls"
Elizabeth May "Why They Watch us Burn"
classicbhaer's review against another edition
5.0
*I received this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
What I Liked
Both Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood did an amazing job editing this short story collection together. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single short story that I read. Normally, in a short story collection there are one or two duds that just lay flat or I disliked the authors writing style, but that is far from the case with this collection.
This collection of stories that revolves around witches was amazing for multiple reasons. The first being that each author had their own view of what a witch was. You can see that these authors come from different backgrounds and have heard myths from their cultures about witches. I loved this. Not only did I get to read about witches, but I got to read about different interruptions on what a witch is.
On top of there being different takes on what a witch is the stories in this collection are not just modern, but also some are written in the past. Being a history lover myself I loved that some of the stories were from along ago when in the United States were just colonies. Even if history is not your thing I feel like you would love those stories anyway due to the plots of the stories themselves. Even though these stories are short I felt connected with the characters I rooted for them.
What I Didn’t Like
The only fault I have with this collection is the fact that it ended. I wanted the book to keep going and going.
Overall Thoughts
I adored this collection of short stories so much. I have to openly admit that this short story collection has truly been a winner in my eyes. There was not a single short story that I did not love. All the authors writing was wonderful and the varying takes and time periods that their stories took place in were all done so well. Each story was its own and was wonderful. I even loved that there was LGBTQ+ elements to this collection. I know that I am going out to the store and buying this collection when it comes out in stores. I will be rereading it and annotating it so much. I highly recommend this collection of you love reading stories about witches from long ago to modern times.
What I Liked
Both Tess Sharpe and Jessica Spotswood did an amazing job editing this short story collection together. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every single short story that I read. Normally, in a short story collection there are one or two duds that just lay flat or I disliked the authors writing style, but that is far from the case with this collection.
This collection of stories that revolves around witches was amazing for multiple reasons. The first being that each author had their own view of what a witch was. You can see that these authors come from different backgrounds and have heard myths from their cultures about witches. I loved this. Not only did I get to read about witches, but I got to read about different interruptions on what a witch is.
On top of there being different takes on what a witch is the stories in this collection are not just modern, but also some are written in the past. Being a history lover myself I loved that some of the stories were from along ago when in the United States were just colonies. Even if history is not your thing I feel like you would love those stories anyway due to the plots of the stories themselves. Even though these stories are short I felt connected with the characters I rooted for them.
What I Didn’t Like
The only fault I have with this collection is the fact that it ended. I wanted the book to keep going and going.
Overall Thoughts
I adored this collection of short stories so much. I have to openly admit that this short story collection has truly been a winner in my eyes. There was not a single short story that I did not love. All the authors writing was wonderful and the varying takes and time periods that their stories took place in were all done so well. Each story was its own and was wonderful. I even loved that there was LGBTQ+ elements to this collection. I know that I am going out to the store and buying this collection when it comes out in stores. I will be rereading it and annotating it so much. I highly recommend this collection of you love reading stories about witches from long ago to modern times.
fussl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
thatlizhunter's review against another edition
4.0
What magic is this? This anthology is diverse, and rich, and sweeping. My average rating is 4 stars, because I really enjoyed most of these stories.
And I even did this thing where I reviewed each of these short stories individually? What kind of magical creature am I becoming?
🔷 Starsong by Tehlor Kay Meijia // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ ownvoices Latinx, sapphic characters
CW - drug use
Okay, this was seriously cute. I love how even short stories can convey so much about a person. Luna was engaging and adorable, and I loved the way she narrated. The instagram DMing was adorable, from the way Luna counted each minute, and holder breath. And it was just a seriously fluffy story, ok?
🔷 Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: childbirth, blood, death
Golly, that was a DARK read. Good, but so dark. I actually wanted a tiny bit more closure? Just a reassurance that everything was actually going to be alright.
Set in Puritan New England, with a midwife accused of witchcraft. A bit gory, because childbirth isn't pretty.
🔷 The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ sapphic characters and sapphic relationships
CW: loss of a parent
Ah, I LOVED this short story SO MUCH. I'll admit, the very beginning was a touch confusing. I had no idea what was happening and who liked who, and when this story was set. Because there's cars and phones and magic? That's a weird mix.
But I DEF liked the matriarchal society and the strong message of girl power. SO COOL.
And the sapphic ship? WOW. And straight up, throw out the heteronormative life for running away to a sapphic coven hidden up in the mountains. YAY.
🔷 Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith // ⭐️⭐️
CW: CW: death, corpses, bullying
I'm still trying to feel out my thoughts on this short story? Like, I really liked the message. But the delivery was a bit too weird? And not just in a storyline, but the tone. The accent really, really threw me. The main character seemed to have a regular voice, but one of the characters had a very weird accent that was difficult to read.
And I didn't really like the overall theme of bullying. This girl was bullied, and she's rightfully angry. But the kids who bullied her don't seem to have learned? It was just mixed messaging for me and not my cup of tea.
🔷 The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert // ⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Characters of Color
I thought this was really great! Super touching story about growing to accept who you are and your own strengths. Maybe the love triangle was a tad cliche, and I felt really bad for Queenie. (Come on, Webb)
I also really, really loved the conversation about how people of color are stigmatized while white people can get away with being witches. I definitely saw this growing up in conversations about traditional African religious practices.
🔷 The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar // ⭐️
➤ South Asian rep
I was so confused. So confused. I'm not sure what part of this is part of a dream sequence and what part was actually happening? The writing was very picturesque but the story just didn't make much sense.
🔷 The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Sapphic Rep
Oh my goodness, this is my favorite! (at least so far) I LOVE the story, and the way it's told, and the rumors of curses and legends. And just EVERYTHING!
It's spooky and mired in mystery and sapphic and just GOOD.
🔷 The One Who Stayed by Nova Ten Suma // ⭐️
CW: rape, sexual assault
Um, I did not like this story. It's realistic to the feelings associated with sexual assault, but I just didn't appreciate the story. It was the vibe, people watching but doing nothing to stop the assault? I know some people really liked the empowering message, but knowing the girl was going to be assault, but doing nothing to actually STOP the rape from happening made me ill.
🔷 Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Córdova // ⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Latinx rep
Um, I have no real idea what was happening most of this story. But it was lyrical and kind of pretty? I was just very confused and it was hard to keep ALL the names and characters straight.
🔷 Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: bullying, gore
Ok, I really, really liked this story! It kept me very engaged and I wanted to keep reading. and I was sad this was a short story because I could have kept on reading.
🔷 The Well Witch by Kate Hart // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Native American rep
CW: racism, animal cruelty, death
Oh my word, this is definitely my very, very favorite. Everything about this story made me fall in love. The setting, in West Texas. Elsa, and her resilience. Zeb, and his kindness.
I just LOVED this story. Now, parts of it made me very, very angry. But it just resonated with me so deeply.
🔷 Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Sapphic
How could this story end??? I was NOT prepared for this story to gut me. It had a very colonial vibe but it wasn't exactly colonial. There were sapphic characters and pirates and Scottish witches. Gosh, it was dark and gay all at once. I LOVED it and wish desperately for a full length novel. Because it was SO GOOD.
I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it just ended? And it definitely did not feel concluded.
🔷 Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my goodness, I did not know this anthology could get even better, BUT IT DID. This story is sweet, and heartwrenching. It drags you on this breathless step into first love. I loved it so damn much.
🔷 The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: Absuive relationship
What a story. This is so powerful and beautiful. This is the sisterhood story we all need to read. It's moving, and emotional, and healing.
🔷 Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: assault
➤ Sapphic characters, F/F relationship with a POC
We are thirteen. We have always been thirteen. And we are wolves, and goddesses, and witch."
Wow, wow, wow. This story is just, so powerful. I cannot stop thinking about it. And reading this week, during the Supreme Court hearing, and seeing a woman testify, this story just resonates so powerfully. I will keep coming back to this and reading it, because it's so deep and powerful.
And I even did this thing where I reviewed each of these short stories individually? What kind of magical creature am I becoming?
🔷 Starsong by Tehlor Kay Meijia // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ ownvoices Latinx, sapphic characters
CW - drug use
“People find me when they need to see the beauty they feel.”
Okay, this was seriously cute. I love how even short stories can convey so much about a person. Luna was engaging and adorable, and I loved the way she narrated. The instagram DMing was adorable, from the way Luna counted each minute, and holder breath. And it was just a seriously fluffy story, ok?
🔷 Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: childbirth, blood, death
“In the eyes of the village, my truths cannot be suffered to live.”
Golly, that was a DARK read. Good, but so dark. I actually wanted a tiny bit more closure? Just a reassurance that everything was actually going to be alright.
Set in Puritan New England, with a midwife accused of witchcraft. A bit gory, because childbirth isn't pretty.
🔷 The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ sapphic characters and sapphic relationships
CW: loss of a parent
“He can’t fill the empty space in her because there are none. There is no emptiness in a devoted heart.”
Ah, I LOVED this short story SO MUCH. I'll admit, the very beginning was a touch confusing. I had no idea what was happening and who liked who, and when this story was set. Because there's cars and phones and magic? That's a weird mix.
But I DEF liked the matriarchal society and the strong message of girl power. SO COOL.
And the sapphic ship? WOW. And straight up, throw out the heteronormative life for running away to a sapphic coven hidden up in the mountains. YAY.
🔷 Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith // ⭐️⭐️
CW: CW: death, corpses, bullying
“A person can tell you anything, but bones—those tell the truth.”
I'm still trying to feel out my thoughts on this short story? Like, I really liked the message. But the delivery was a bit too weird? And not just in a storyline, but the tone. The accent really, really threw me. The main character seemed to have a regular voice, but one of the characters had a very weird accent that was difficult to read.
And I didn't really like the overall theme of bullying. This girl was bullied, and she's rightfully angry. But the kids who bullied her don't seem to have learned? It was just mixed messaging for me and not my cup of tea.
🔷 The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert // ⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Characters of Color
I thought this was really great! Super touching story about growing to accept who you are and your own strengths. Maybe the love triangle was a tad cliche, and I felt really bad for Queenie. (Come on, Webb)
I also really, really loved the conversation about how people of color are stigmatized while white people can get away with being witches. I definitely saw this growing up in conversations about traditional African religious practices.
🔷 The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar // ⭐️
➤ South Asian rep
I was so confused. So confused. I'm not sure what part of this is part of a dream sequence and what part was actually happening? The writing was very picturesque but the story just didn't make much sense.
🔷 The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Sapphic Rep
“Everybody for miles around used to remember the story of Mary Keegan’s curse, but you wouldn’t know it now.”
Oh my goodness, this is my favorite! (at least so far) I LOVE the story, and the way it's told, and the rumors of curses and legends. And just EVERYTHING!
It's spooky and mired in mystery and sapphic and just GOOD.
🔷 The One Who Stayed by Nova Ten Suma // ⭐️
CW: rape, sexual assault
Um, I did not like this story. It's realistic to the feelings associated with sexual assault, but I just didn't appreciate the story. It was the vibe, people watching but doing nothing to stop the assault? I know some people really liked the empowering message, but knowing the girl was going to be assault, but doing nothing to actually STOP the rape from happening made me ill.
🔷 Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Córdova // ⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Latinx rep
“…But memories make things grander and more beautiful when you want to think fondly on them.”
Um, I have no real idea what was happening most of this story. But it was lyrical and kind of pretty? I was just very confused and it was hard to keep ALL the names and characters straight.
🔷 Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: bullying, gore
"I was born to bury saints in the yard."
Ok, I really, really liked this story! It kept me very engaged and I wanted to keep reading. and I was sad this was a short story because I could have kept on reading.
🔷 The Well Witch by Kate Hart // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Native American rep
CW: racism, animal cruelty, death
"She brought nothing but the water along behind her."
Oh my word, this is definitely my very, very favorite. Everything about this story made me fall in love. The setting, in West Texas. Elsa, and her resilience. Zeb, and his kindness.
I just LOVED this story. Now, parts of it made me very, very angry. But it just resonated with me so deeply.
🔷 Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
➤ Sapphic
“But she would trade it all to be able to remember her little sister’s smile.”
How could this story end??? I was NOT prepared for this story to gut me. It had a very colonial vibe but it wasn't exactly colonial. There were sapphic characters and pirates and Scottish witches. Gosh, it was dark and gay all at once. I LOVED it and wish desperately for a full length novel. Because it was SO GOOD.
I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it just ended? And it definitely did not feel concluded.
🔷 Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The way my mother told it, girls always held on tighter than boys. A boy moved on while the girl still scribbled her first name with his last."
Oh my goodness, I did not know this anthology could get even better, BUT IT DID. This story is sweet, and heartwrenching. It drags you on this breathless step into first love. I loved it so damn much.
🔷 The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: Absuive relationship
"In a way, you're related to many women who have suffered for misunderstanding and fear."
What a story. This is so powerful and beautiful. This is the sisterhood story we all need to read. It's moving, and emotional, and healing.
🔷 Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May // ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CW: assault
➤ Sapphic characters, F/F relationship with a POC
We are thirteen. We have always been thirteen. And we are wolves, and goddesses, and witch."
Wow, wow, wow. This story is just, so powerful. I cannot stop thinking about it. And reading this week, during the Supreme Court hearing, and seeing a woman testify, this story just resonates so powerfully. I will keep coming back to this and reading it, because it's so deep and powerful.
kay_slayerofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A bunch of Bad Ass witches? LOVED IT!!
These stories ranged anywhere from mysterious to exciting to painful and inspiring. All within the realm of witches. I loved it!
These stories ranged anywhere from mysterious to exciting to painful and inspiring. All within the realm of witches. I loved it!
tomesproject's review against another edition
4.0
my review over @ Tomes Project
So my average rating is closer to a 3.5-3.75, but while there were a handful of stories that I really didn't like, the ones that I enjoyed I absolutely loved. (Also, normally I hate anthologies because I only find two or three stories/authors I like, and I'm frankly shocked that I liked so many stories in this.)
Stories I Loved:
- Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer: This was the historical, Crucible-esk story that I wanted going into this. I loved Cremer's writing, and this is one of the few stories I pulled quotes from.
- The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert: After this story, I'm officially bumping up Colbert's book on my TBR. I absolutely fell in love with her writing. This story was very much real life with a touch of magic, which is one of my favorite ways for magic to be in stories. It also felt very Practical Magic, which I loved.
-The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Tally: Another one that made me bump up Robin Tally's books on my TBR. It didn't have my favorite writing of this bunch, but the storytelling and plot kept me so engaged.
- The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma: WOW. AH. THIS WRITING. I'm so glad that I own a Nova Ren Suma book so that I can read it ASAP. She writes a great short story (probably my favorite of the whole anthology?).
- Beware of Girls With Crooked Teeth by Jessica Spotswood: Oh, I love an unlikeable, morally grey female main character. Also, it felt like a period drama? Which super appealed to me.
- Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore: McLemore's writing is so beautiful and wonderful and meaningful, and I love that Spanish just exists in her writing, she doesn't explain it, doesn't translate it, it's just there. It's a very small thing, but I absolutely love it.
- The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord: The sheer number of witch sisters in this anthology is amazing, and I loved practically every one of them. But of the sister stories, this was my favorite. I loved all of the sisters in different ways, but I loved Nova. Like, she shaved her head when she got into a serious relationship with a dude so that people wouldn't assume she was straight. I love her.
- Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: This is another one that is really at the top of this bunch. So, so amazing and well-written. The allegory, the story, everything about this was perfect for me.
Stories I Just Felt Okay About:
- Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Córdova: This one really teeters between this category and the former. I loved the roots of this story, the magical realism, but I was kind of confused while reading it and it left a little to be desired. This definitely reminded me to pick up her books soon though.
- Starsong by Tehlor Key Mejia: I loved the F/F romance in this one, but I just? Don't like astrology that much? And the pop culture references were a little heavy-handed for my tastes.
- The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe: A fun, cute, queer take on every fanfic author's favorite soulmate AU. Though if I didn't read fanfic and know all of these tropes by heart, I probably would not have liked this story very much.
- Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith: This had a really strong concept (gotta love death witches) but I felt it wasn't executed plot or writing-wise up to it's full potential.
Stories I Didn't Like:
- The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: Oh, god, I was so confused. I had to take character notes on a short story because everything was just thrown at you one page into the story. While the actual writing was very pretty, I don't think it suits short stories very well. There was just so much going on that I was confused from the beginning to the end.
- Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff: This was very 2008 YA. The writing was just very ... underwhelming, very tell not show. I mean, our POV character literally says in the narrative "here's what happened" and "[this] is what happened" multiple times in order to explain the story to the reader. The story itself was fine, but I couldn't handle the writing.
- The Well Witch by Kate Hart: I literally couldn't even force myself to actually read this one. I, uh, didn't like Hart's debut last year. And this was like a western? And there wasn't actually much magic? (From what I could tell by skim-reading.) And the main character's name was Elsa which is like naming your character Katniss and just shouldn't be done.
If witchcraft is the voice of women rising free and powerful (to change the world, make it ours, on our feet instead of on our knees) then I wish to be a witch more than anything.
- Elizabeth May, Why They Watch Us Burn
So my average rating is closer to a 3.5-3.75, but while there were a handful of stories that I really didn't like, the ones that I enjoyed I absolutely loved. (Also, normally I hate anthologies because I only find two or three stories/authors I like, and I'm frankly shocked that I liked so many stories in this.)
Stories I Loved:
- Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer: This was the historical, Crucible-esk story that I wanted going into this. I loved Cremer's writing, and this is one of the few stories I pulled quotes from.
- The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert: After this story, I'm officially bumping up Colbert's book on my TBR. I absolutely fell in love with her writing. This story was very much real life with a touch of magic, which is one of my favorite ways for magic to be in stories. It also felt very Practical Magic, which I loved.
'I mean, why don't we talk about [magic]?'
'Because sometimes being black is hard enough, Queenie,' she said, her voice not angry but tired. 'We were the first black family to move in on this block, and I don't want to give people a reason to question us.'
-The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Tally: Another one that made me bump up Robin Tally's books on my TBR. It didn't have my favorite writing of this bunch, but the storytelling and plot kept me so engaged.
- The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma: WOW. AH. THIS WRITING. I'm so glad that I own a Nova Ren Suma book so that I can read it ASAP. She writes a great short story (probably my favorite of the whole anthology?).
- Beware of Girls With Crooked Teeth by Jessica Spotswood: Oh, I love an unlikeable, morally grey female main character. Also, it felt like a period drama? Which super appealed to me.
- Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore: McLemore's writing is so beautiful and wonderful and meaningful, and I love that Spanish just exists in her writing, she doesn't explain it, doesn't translate it, it's just there. It's a very small thing, but I absolutely love it.
- The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord: The sheer number of witch sisters in this anthology is amazing, and I loved practically every one of them. But of the sister stories, this was my favorite. I loved all of the sisters in different ways, but I loved Nova. Like, she shaved her head when she got into a serious relationship with a dude so that people wouldn't assume she was straight. I love her.
Novy's biggest relationship in high school had been with a girl, but in college, with a boy. She was never one to have far-away crushes with longing looks. She fell as she got to know someone, when they made her laugh and proved they could show up.
- Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May: This is another one that is really at the top of this bunch. So, so amazing and well-written. The allegory, the story, everything about this was perfect for me.
Stories I Just Felt Okay About:
- Divine Are the Stars by Zoraida Córdova: This one really teeters between this category and the former. I loved the roots of this story, the magical realism, but I was kind of confused while reading it and it left a little to be desired. This definitely reminded me to pick up her books soon though.
- Starsong by Tehlor Key Mejia: I loved the F/F romance in this one, but I just? Don't like astrology that much? And the pop culture references were a little heavy-handed for my tastes.
- The Heart in Her Hands by Tess Sharpe: A fun, cute, queer take on every fanfic author's favorite soulmate AU. Though if I didn't read fanfic and know all of these tropes by heart, I probably would not have liked this story very much.
- Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith: This had a really strong concept (gotta love death witches) but I felt it wasn't executed plot or writing-wise up to it's full potential.
Stories I Didn't Like:
- The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrar: Oh, god, I was so confused. I had to take character notes on a short story because everything was just thrown at you one page into the story. While the actual writing was very pretty, I don't think it suits short stories very well. There was just so much going on that I was confused from the beginning to the end.
- Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff: This was very 2008 YA. The writing was just very ... underwhelming, very tell not show. I mean, our POV character literally says in the narrative "here's what happened" and "[this] is what happened" multiple times in order to explain the story to the reader. The story itself was fine, but I couldn't handle the writing.
- The Well Witch by Kate Hart: I literally couldn't even force myself to actually read this one. I, uh, didn't like Hart's debut last year. And this was like a western? And there wasn't actually much magic? (From what I could tell by skim-reading.) And the main character's name was Elsa which is like naming your character Katniss and just shouldn't be done.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
3.0
*eGalley provided by the publisher via NetGalley - Thank you! This in no way impacted my opinion of this book.*
As is pretty typical of short story anthologies, this was a mixed bag. I loved the amount of diversity and representation in the collection (culturally, lgbtq+, etc.), yet as is often the case, I liked some stories far more than others. I also felt like many of these stories had beginnings and middles, but no conclusions. An additional purchase for libraries where short story collections are popular.
As is pretty typical of short story anthologies, this was a mixed bag. I loved the amount of diversity and representation in the collection (culturally, lgbtq+, etc.), yet as is often the case, I liked some stories far more than others. I also felt like many of these stories had beginnings and middles, but no conclusions. An additional purchase for libraries where short story collections are popular.
annfran's review against another edition
5.0
What a stellar collection of witchy stories! Will definitely revisit!
lesbrary's review against another edition
4.0
This is exactly what I wanted from it! So many different takes on witches and witchcraft. Lots of queer witches! (No trans main characters, but there is at least one trans side character and one minor character.) A diverse collection, and I enjoyed every story. A perfect October read for fans of feminism and witches (whether you're looking for fairytale-ish witches or modern witches).
rkiladitis's review against another edition
4.0
Did you love Radical Element, with its historical fiction tales of young women breaking conventions and being amazing? Then you'll love Toil & Trouble, an anthology loaded with tales of women and witchcraft. And not the Hocus Pocus, "I Put a Spell on You" type of witchcraft, either: these witches are in touch with nature and themselves; they're multicultural, they're queer, they're angry, and they're very, very human. Wild Beauty's Anna-Marie McLemore weaves a story about faith in "Love Spells"; Brooklyn Brujahs author Zoraida Cordova writes about the wisdom of age and the passing of generations in "Divine Are the Stars". Robin Talley's "The Legend of Stone Mary" goes the historic route, with the legend of a dead witch haunting a local community. Elizabeth May's "Why They Watch Us Burn" is a chilling companion story to readers of The Handmaid's Tale, simmering with rage and rebellion. The women in these stories are never victims, even while others may try to victimize them: they own their power, no matter what the circumstances may hold.
Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe have curated a strong collection of short stories written by strong authors here. There's something for everyone in this volume, with strong, solitary characters who defend their homes to women who form a collective to survive. There are non-binary, LGBT, and cis characters, and there are characters from world cultures throughout. Characters confront big issues including sexual assault and emotional abuse. As Kirkus writes in its starred review, "No damsels in distress to be found here". Toil and Trouble has starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.
Find more books about witches in this great BookRiot feature.
Jessica Spotswood and Tess Sharpe have curated a strong collection of short stories written by strong authors here. There's something for everyone in this volume, with strong, solitary characters who defend their homes to women who form a collective to survive. There are non-binary, LGBT, and cis characters, and there are characters from world cultures throughout. Characters confront big issues including sexual assault and emotional abuse. As Kirkus writes in its starred review, "No damsels in distress to be found here". Toil and Trouble has starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.
Find more books about witches in this great BookRiot feature.