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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.
chanteld's review against another edition
3.0
Felt as if it took me forever to make it through this anthology.
I listened to the audiobook on Scribd and I while the narrator was decent, I got tired of this single voice after over 11 hours of listening.
Here's the breakdown star ratings for each story.
Tale one: Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia--- 3/5
Tale two: Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer --- 3/5
Tale three: The Heart in Her Hands by Tesse Sharpe ---1/5
Tale four: Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith ---
1/5
Tale five: The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert ---
3/5
Tale six: The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrat--- 1/5
Tale seven: The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley---2/5
Tale eight: The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma ---4/5
Tale nine: Divine Are The Stars by Zoraida Cordova ---4/5
Tale 10: Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff ---1/5
Tale 11: The Well Witch by Kate Hart---1/5
Tale 12: Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood---1/5
Tale 13: Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore--- 3/5
Tale 14: The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord 4---/5
Tale 15: Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May 2---/5
I listened to the audiobook on Scribd and I while the narrator was decent, I got tired of this single voice after over 11 hours of listening.
Here's the breakdown star ratings for each story.
Tale one: Starsong by Tehlor Kay Mejia--- 3/5
Tale two: Afterbirth by Andrea Cremer --- 3/5
Tale three: The Heart in Her Hands by Tesse Sharpe ---1/5
Tale four: Death in the Sawtooths by Lindsay Smith ---
1/5
Tale five: The Truth About Queenie by Brandy Colbert ---
3/5
Tale six: The Moonapple Menagerie by Shveta Thakrat--- 1/5
Tale seven: The Legend of Stone Mary by Robin Talley---2/5
Tale eight: The One Who Stayed by Nova Ren Suma ---4/5
Tale nine: Divine Are The Stars by Zoraida Cordova ---4/5
Tale 10: Daughters of Baba Yaga by Brenna Yovanoff ---1/5
Tale 11: The Well Witch by Kate Hart---1/5
Tale 12: Beware of Girls With Crooked Mouths by Jessica Spotswood---1/5
Tale 13: Love Spell by Anna-Marie McLemore--- 3/5
Tale 14: The Gherin Girls by Emery Lord 4---/5
Tale 15: Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May 2---/5
breannenance's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the variety of stories. But each one had the same running theme which I really enjoyed.
neglet's review against another edition
Great variety of settings and magic in this collection, all tied together with an emphasis on female, witchy power. Really enjoyable.
hellomadalyn's review against another edition
4.0
*3.5 stars*
Overall, this was a very strong anthology! Far and away, my favorite story was Emery Lord’s (no one is surprised). I also loved Anna-Marie McLemore and Jessica Spotswood’s stories.
Overall, this was a very strong anthology! Far and away, my favorite story was Emery Lord’s (no one is surprised). I also loved Anna-Marie McLemore and Jessica Spotswood’s stories.
onepageatatime's review against another edition
4.0
So first off... this author line up is amazing. I have read atleast 75 percent of the authors that contributed and I will now read the rest. So the hard part about reviewing an anthology is that there are so many different authors, different writing styles, and different stories but there is definitely something in this book for everyone. If you like witchy stories and female empowerment this is definitely a book that you need to pick up.
luna_rondo's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I wish some stories were longer and others were non-existant.
themichellegray's review against another edition
3.0
If you go into this anthology thinking you'll be reading spooky witch stories, you're mistaken. This compilation of short stories offers so much more than that.
“There are too many people in this world who would rather see a woman burn than wield power.” - Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May
This book will empower you through the array of stories that feature women of different ethnicities, beliefs, and time periods. You may not love each story, but I can guarantee there will be one that speaks to you within these pages.
“If witchcraft is the voice of women rising free and powerful (to change the world, make it ours, on our feet instead of our knees) then I wish to be a witch more than anything.” - Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May
My 3-star rating is an average of each story's individual rating, which you can find below:
Starsong - 1 star
Afterbirth - 4 stars
The Heart in Her Hands - 3 stars
Death in the Sawtooths - 3.5 stars
The Truth About Queenie - 4 stars
The Moonapple Menagerie - 1 star
The Legend of Stone Mary - 3 stars
The One Who Stayed - 3.5 stars
Divine are the Stars - 1 star
Daughters of Baba Yaga - 3 stars
The Well Witch - 2.5 stars
Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths - 2.5 stars
Love Spell - 3 stars
The Gherin Girls - 5 stars
Why They Watch Us Burn - 5 stars
Thank you to the publishers who provided me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
“There are too many people in this world who would rather see a woman burn than wield power.” - Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May
This book will empower you through the array of stories that feature women of different ethnicities, beliefs, and time periods. You may not love each story, but I can guarantee there will be one that speaks to you within these pages.
“If witchcraft is the voice of women rising free and powerful (to change the world, make it ours, on our feet instead of our knees) then I wish to be a witch more than anything.” - Why They Watch Us Burn by Elizabeth May
My 3-star rating is an average of each story's individual rating, which you can find below:
Starsong - 1 star
Afterbirth - 4 stars
The Heart in Her Hands - 3 stars
Death in the Sawtooths - 3.5 stars
The Truth About Queenie - 4 stars
The Moonapple Menagerie - 1 star
The Legend of Stone Mary - 3 stars
The One Who Stayed - 3.5 stars
Divine are the Stars - 1 star
Daughters of Baba Yaga - 3 stars
The Well Witch - 2.5 stars
Beware of Girls with Crooked Mouths - 2.5 stars
Love Spell - 3 stars
The Gherin Girls - 5 stars
Why They Watch Us Burn - 5 stars
Thank you to the publishers who provided me with an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
ebartsch85's review against another edition
1.0
I DNF'ed this one. I looked at the book and was like "hey, that'll be fun for Halloween". It was, in fact, not fun.
samjunipero's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful and delightful anthology. It's introduced me to so many new authors who I can't wait to read more of. The standouts for me were "Afterbirth", "The Heart in Her Hands", "Daughters of Baba Yaga", "The One Who Stayed", "The Well Witch", "Love Spell", and "Why They Watch Us Burn".