A review by theespressoedition
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

adventurous dark hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book. Honestly, I could just stop my review right there because it says it all. THIS BOOK. It has so much power, so much angst, so much feminism, so much history, and so much truth (even though it's a work of fiction).

While the pace might be almost painfully slow, the way it's written is absolutely breathtaking. I hope to do a reread of this in the future because I felt like I needed to rush through it this time around due to it needing to go back to the library really quickly (the only negative side to borrowing books rather than buying them). I know I missed things because I had to skim sometimes to get through it, but I honestly didn't feel like I was lacking anything even at the very end. It was incredibly written.

My first book by Harrow was The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I immediately fell in love with the whimsy and depth that somehow corresponded so beautifully throughout the story. This felt the same way. There were moments of fantastical insanity (in a good way) but then also times that had my eyes getting glassy with tears.

If you're looking for a really phenomenal, queer, empowered, witchy read - this is it. Seriously, so good.
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