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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
This book was incredible. I love how fairy tales and nursery rhymes are deeply intwined into the narrative and the magic. It takes the stories that we know and twists them in delightful ways.
I did not like the dialogue it felt very stilted to me and it was just very tropey in some ways. Cool concept and not bad but just was uninspired to keep picking it up
adventurous
hopeful
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:
Yes
Third-person present tense is my absolutely least favourite mode of writing. Which I think probably speaks volumes to how much I enjoyed Alix Harrow's writing.
The Once and Future Witches is a novel about three estranged sisters who meet up together to help themselves, to help each other, and to help all of women kind. They do this by trying to regain their lost powers, which they believe can be found in the Lost Ways of Avalon. It is set at the end of the 19th century in the Southern United States, and focuses heavily on the Suffrage Movement. It touches on racism and intersectionality, lesbophobia, misogyny, and a couple other themes I won't dive too far into because Spoilers.
I very much enjoyed this. The prose was wonderful. The characters felt, largely, appropriate to their time without being actually offensive (for instance, the guy who wants to help the women's rights movement while still harbouring a lot of learned misogyny, or the otherwise sympathetic character who is initially uncomfortable with women loving women). This book unapologetically recognizes the need for insurrection, and that nice words rarely make social progress and that some things shouldn't be forgiven.
I liked this very much. Would read again.
The Once and Future Witches is a novel about three estranged sisters who meet up together to help themselves, to help each other, and to help all of women kind. They do this by trying to regain their lost powers, which they believe can be found in the Lost Ways of Avalon. It is set at the end of the 19th century in the Southern United States, and focuses heavily on the Suffrage Movement. It touches on racism and intersectionality, lesbophobia, misogyny, and a couple other themes I won't dive too far into because Spoilers.
I very much enjoyed this. The prose was wonderful. The characters felt, largely, appropriate to their time without being actually offensive (for instance, the guy who wants to help the women's rights movement while still harbouring a lot of learned misogyny, or the otherwise sympathetic character who is initially uncomfortable with women loving women). This book unapologetically recognizes the need for insurrection, and that nice words rarely make social progress and that some things shouldn't be forgiven.
I liked this very much. Would read again.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
This book really dragged for me. I feel like it could’ve been a good 100-200 pages shorter and I would’ve liked it a lot more. Again for this author, the writing was beautiful, but the characters and storyline were lacking ☹️
My initial worry about this book not being something I would get into because I'm not a fan of historical settings was completely unfounded. This feels like a perfect book, and what I've always wanted witchy media to be about - feminism and family. It brings to life the links been nursery rhymes, fairytales, and witchcraft. Alix E Harrow's writing is so descriptive and emotive that I had really vivid dreams of the plot for days. There is a symmetry in her writing that makes the story feels extra satisfying, connected, and real. In terms of representation, there is Black history and Black sisterhood, a trans character, queer love, bad ass sex workers, and I'm pretty sure the youngest sister (my favourite character) is ace because she's frequently adorably irritated by sex and romance. I really hope this gets made into a movie. If your soul is in need of some epic patriarchy burning, read this.